Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

๏ ๏ ๏  Highlights ๏ ๏ ๏ 

YA, That's Heavy on the Y...Light on the A
Children's Fantasy & Fairytales

Beauty Isn't Always Pretty

Continuing Cinderella's Story Through Her Stepsisters

Darkish...No Bippity, Boppity, Boo Here
Ultimately Uplifting

With Audio Performed by Jayne Entwistle

๏ ๏ ๏  MY RATING ๏ ๏ ๏ 

☆4.3☆STARS - GRADE=A-

๏ ๏ ๏  My Thoughts ๏ ๏ ๏ 

Full disclosure...I was contemplating DNF'ing this one...but only because it felt kind of juvenile to me.  I'm thinking, it appeals more to the Middle-School-Age Child than the Adult who is a child at heart.  It had me rolling my eyes a little too much.  That being said, Izzy and crew eventually won me over, and I couldn't help falling for their inspirational tale.  Even the narration is notable.

This is a continuation of Cinderella's story but from the point of view of one of her "ugly stepsisters", Isabelle.  All the fairytale-ness of Cinderella is here...with fairy godmothers and animated mice, goofy monkey's and a fox, it was kind of ludicrous at times.  Ludicrous and yet, at some point, it became completely uplifting.  There is quite a lot of talk about how this is about female empowerment and loving yourself for who you are, and it is all that, all that and more, even.  This will make an excellent movie, one the entire family could enjoy, despite the darkishness of it.

๏ Breakdown of Ratings ๏ 

Plot⇝ 4/5
Narration Performance⇝ 4/5

Main Characters⇝ 4.2/5

Secondary Characters⇝ 4.3/5

The Feels⇝ 4.3/5

Pacing⇝ 3.7/5

Addictiveness⇝ 3.8/5

Theme or Tone⇝ 4.5/5

Flow (Writing Style)⇝ 3.8/5

Backdrop (World Building)⇝ 4.2/5

Originality⇝ 4.5/5

Ending⇝ 5/5 Cliffhanger⇝ Not Really...

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Book Cover⇝ Gorgeous

Setting⇝ France

Source⇝ Audiobook (Library)
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๏ ๏ ๏ Links ๏ ๏ ๏

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