Isabelle should be blissfully happy - she's about to win the handsome prince. Except Isabelle isn't the beautiful girl who lost the glass slipper and captured the prince's heart. She's the ugly stepsister who's cut off her toes to fit into Cinderella's shoe . . . which is now filling with her blood. When the prince discovers Isabelle's deception, she's turned away in shame. It's no more than she deserves: she's a plain girl in a world that values beauty; a bold girl in a world that wants her to be pliant. Isabelle has tried to fit in. She cut away pieces of herself in order to become pretty. Sweet. More like Cinderella. But that only made her mean, jealous, and hollow. Now she has a chance to alter her destiny and prove what ugly stepsisters have always known: it takes more than heartache to break a girl. Evoking the original version of the Cinderella story, bestselling author Jennifer Donnelly uses her trademark wit and wisdom to send an overlooked character on a journey toward empowerment, redemption . . . and a new definition of beauty.
- Books
- Young Adult Fiction
- Stepsister
Stepsister
Featured
Author(s)
Publisher
Genre(s)
Age Range
12+
Release Date
May 14, 2019
ISBN
978-1338268461
Buy This Book
Editor reviews
1 reviews
The Opposite of Pretty
Overall rating
4.3
Plot
4.0
Characters
4.0
Writing Style
5.0
"The wolves in the woods have sharp teeth and long claws, bit it's the wolf inside who will tear you apart." Quote from ARC.
Isabelle is an ugly stepsister and there isn't anything pretty about her. Because of that, she doesn't marry the prince. Instead, she lives in a town where the people hate her for how she and her family treated Ella. She is on the receiving end of many insults and has had everything she loved taken from her.
When Isabelle meets the fairy queen Tanaquill, she wishes to be pretty. Before Tanaquill can grant her wish, Isabelle must recover the pieces of her heart that has been broken off. There's a wolf that lives inside of Isabelle and she isn't one to back down, but what happens when Fate and Chance have two different paths for her? Not to mention there's a warlord trying to take over the kingdom, which means defeating the king and queen Ella, her stepsister.
STEPSISTER is a unique story that is the complete opposite of pretty. "Ugly" and "Girls who don't fit into the social norm" are the main theme and I love the dark tint to Jennifer's writing. I also love how Fate and Chance are actual beings in this story. This is a fairytale retelling that can stand on it's own and is completely original. It brought a new light to the stepsisters that is shaded in gray.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of fairytale retellings, dark stories, fantasy, Cinderella, and stories that fight against the social norm.
Isabelle is an ugly stepsister and there isn't anything pretty about her. Because of that, she doesn't marry the prince. Instead, she lives in a town where the people hate her for how she and her family treated Ella. She is on the receiving end of many insults and has had everything she loved taken from her.
When Isabelle meets the fairy queen Tanaquill, she wishes to be pretty. Before Tanaquill can grant her wish, Isabelle must recover the pieces of her heart that has been broken off. There's a wolf that lives inside of Isabelle and she isn't one to back down, but what happens when Fate and Chance have two different paths for her? Not to mention there's a warlord trying to take over the kingdom, which means defeating the king and queen Ella, her stepsister.
STEPSISTER is a unique story that is the complete opposite of pretty. "Ugly" and "Girls who don't fit into the social norm" are the main theme and I love the dark tint to Jennifer's writing. I also love how Fate and Chance are actual beings in this story. This is a fairytale retelling that can stand on it's own and is completely original. It brought a new light to the stepsisters that is shaded in gray.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of fairytale retellings, dark stories, fantasy, Cinderella, and stories that fight against the social norm.
User reviews
There are no user reviews for this listing.
Already have an account? Log in now or Create an account
Powered by JReviews
FEATURED GIVEAWAYS
Latest Book Listings Added
Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off...
Historians tell the stories of tragic and untimely presidential deaths,...
Althea Gibson was the quickest, tallest, most fearless athlete in...
Imprisonment, hunger strikes, suffrajitsu — the decades-long fight for women’s...
Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco...
Latest Member Reviews
"Moth lives in Founder's Bluff on the east coast, and her town has an annual celebration that celebrations the founders,..."
"Danny's family lives in a two bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. The family has struggled financially, with his filmmaker father doing..."
"Ellie and her mother live in Nashville; her father left when she was young and has another family. Ellie loves..."
"Zoe lives in Boston with her mother and stepfather. Her best friend, Trevor, lives next door, but as summer starts,..."
"Nizhoni Begay struggles a bit. She manages to embarrass herself on the basketball court, watches out for her younger brother..."
"Sammie and David have been good friends ever since the girls in her class started avoiding Sammie because she didn't..."
"Catherine is living at the Sèvres Children's Home since both of her parents were taken. It has a progessive school,..."
"Tim has recently moved to town and is starting ninth grade at Hilton Prep. During gym class one day, his..."
"Gina and Stacy are twins who play for rival baseball teams. This flows off the field into intense and sometimes..."
"DINOSNORES is another absolutely charming and delightfully ridiculous board book from Sandra Boynton. Here, the dinosaurs get ready for bed,..."
"GOOD DAY, GOOD NIGHT follows a bunny on his journey from sun-up to sunset, as he travels around town, plays..."
"TBH, THIS MAY BE TMI is the second in a contemporary middle grade series, though it can easily function as..."
"This gorgeous board book celebrates the parent-child bond in an absolutely stunning way. I'VE LOVED YOU SINCE FOREVER suggests that..."
"Babies and toddlers will love the colorful celebration of Christmas in this delightful board book. MY BABY LOVES CHRISTMAS is..."
"RIVERLAND is a riveting and complex middle grade magical realism novel. Eleanor and her sister, Mike (nickname, everyone except their..."
"CHRISTMAS CHEER FOR THE GROUCHY LADYBUG talks about everything exciting Christmas has to offer. There's snowflakes, fires, bells, presents, stockings,..."
"When you see snow, you think of how pretty it is or how cold it is. UNDER THE SNOW opens..."
"LAUGH OUT LOUD HALLOWEEN JOKES is full of cute jokes that are perfect for children aged four and up. The..."
"After hearing humans and their dogs nearby, Mother Tiger knows it's time for them to find somewhere safer to live...."
"Fans of the Explorer Academy series won't want to miss out on this Codebreaking Activity Adventure. Enter into Explorer Academy..."
