Book Synopsis (from Goodreads): After her father’s disappearance, Cinder leaves home for a servant job at the castle. But it isn’t long before her sister Ella is brought to the castle herself. What Ella finds there starts a quest that will change her life and the entire kingdom. Cinder and Ella is a Cinderella story like no other, and one you’ll never forget.
Book Review
If you love fairytales and you’re always looking for a new one, this may be the book for you. This story is a retelling of the classic Cinderella story, but really the only thing in this novel that bears resemblance to the original is the name of two of the characters. Otherwise, it seemed to be a completely new story which I have to admit was a little disappointing to me since I was expecting the same story but with new twists.
In true fairytale style, the writing is very objective and linear in that it explains what’s going on but doesn’t give much insight to what the main character (Ella) is feeling. It’s all very polite and proper so I couldn’t get a feel for Melissa Lemon’s personal style of writing and it lacked the unique traits that many other YA authors have.
The best parts of this book were at Cinder and Ella’s house, away from all the prince and castle drama. I loved Katrina and Beatrice, the two troubled and difficult sisters, and I found their behavior so ludicrous that it was pretty hysterical and I think they actually stole the show from Cinder and Ella. I would love to see a spin-off just on those two sisters alone.
Overall, if you’re a die hard fairytale fan, give it a shot. If you like Cinderella as one person, the way she’s always been, well… you decide.