Ella, the real Cinderella

A true Cinderella story. When Ella's Father passed away she was all alone because her mother had passed away when Ella was a little girl. So she had to live with her evil stepmother and her two evil stepsister's. Ella Charlie was actually like the real Cinderella she was quiet to herself and very nice to everyone. And then one day she got a letter from her dad's attorney, and......oh you will just have to read how it goes. It is a cute story but I do feel that the author dragged the book out a little bit longer then needed to be I felt that the way the story was told it could've been told in a shorter version. ( )

2.5 Stars rounded up to 3

Well that was a sweet, slightly cheesy YA romance that is a modern re-imagining of Cinderella.

It is however another typical YA where the conflict frustratingly comes from a lack of empathy for other peoples points of view. Set your expectations to 'light and fluffy YA', and accept that the characters are a bit one dimensional and then you might find it an enjoyable book. It would be a great audiobook for teens looking for a simple story. ( )

A modern day retelling of the fairy tale story of Cinderella--with some liberties taken compared to our traditional appearance of Cinderella.

I liked Ms. Moreau (who I think fills the role of the "fairy godmother) who seems to care about her students and puts together a group of 5 girls, all of whom seem unlikely friends. 4 of the 5 begin to click early on. The 5th one takes a bit longer to integrate into the group. I was glad to see that Ella's confidence grew in some respects as she interacted more with these friends and that she was more willing to stand up for herself.

I'm a bit confused by Sophia (the stepmother). Did she marry Ella's father with a different expectation than what she got? In the book, she complains that Ella always came first with him and blames Ella for him being on the road trying to get home for Ella's birthday when he apparently fell asleep at the wheel of his vehicle. Yes, granted, she got less time with him than she probably expected, but she must have known he had a daughter (just as she has 2) when she got involved with him.

Jesse (the Price Charming) is a bit too good to be true. I do appreciate that he cares about Ella due to his interactions with her prior to knowing who she really is and that he isn't spooked by her not being in the "popular" group at school--but I also know most guys his age are pretty shallow and will go for looks over personality. ( )