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A review by lesserjoke
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
2.0
Less a retelling than a continuation, this novel takes the standard version of the Cinderella fairy tale and imagines a possible redemption story for one of her wicked relations. But it really doesn't work for me, on just about any level. Worst of all are the under-explained personifications of Fate and Chance using the girl as a game piece, but I'm also frustrated by her characterization and by various inconsistencies in the worldbuilding and plot. Plus it falls into the very tired trope of a person being described as first ugly and then pretty, with no real justification for the change.
I appreciate the feminist angle to the narrative that emphasizes how societal expectations of gender roles disadvantage women, but this book could have been so much stronger if it had actually dug into its supposed premise and made the protagonist legitimately cruel (and not conventionally attractive). Instead she turns out to be a misunderstood beauty who's instantly regretful for her actions. She and the other characters feel flat as their setting, tediously marching through the pages without ever once making me care.
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I appreciate the feminist angle to the narrative that emphasizes how societal expectations of gender roles disadvantage women, but this book could have been so much stronger if it had actually dug into its supposed premise and made the protagonist legitimately cruel (and not conventionally attractive). Instead she turns out to be a misunderstood beauty who's instantly regretful for her actions. She and the other characters feel flat as their setting, tediously marching through the pages without ever once making me care.
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter