Customer Reviews

The Cinderella Society

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jess Parker thought her worst problems were avoiding Lexy Steele's bullying and finding a friend. But when she is inducted as a member of the Cinderella Society, she learns about real problems. Sure, a fabulous makeover is part of the package, but catching the eye of her popular crush also invites stress about the real nature of their relationship. Then there's the fact that Jess isn't quite sure how to fit in with her new more popular friends. To top that off, as a Cindy, Jess is now involved in a battle against the Wickeds, girls who target and bully others. How is Jess supposed to prevail against the Wickeds when she can see herself being defeated so easily?

I suppose The Cinderella Society is a cute idea, but the problem with it is that it's too simplistic. In addition, all the fairytale and various goddess metaphors are misleading or ill-used. The Cinderella Society is supposed to be a hub for girl power, but as I recall, Cinderella wasn't exactly the most self-empowered woman. The naming of their enemies, the Wickeds, is rather generic, and I thought it unrealistic that a group of girls, no matter how mean, would ever call themselves that. Furthermore, the Wickeds' parent organization was named for Athena just because she is the goddess of war. Cassidy seemed to forget that Athena is also the goddess for wisdom and weaving, which isn't quite consistent with the Wickeds' message. The actual story is not very engaging; it involves a lot of shopping, wanting to go shopping, and freaking out about boys. Sometimes I wasn't sure if The Cinderella Society was a novel or a self-help book with all the empowering advice it was pushing. I mean, there's nothing wrong with loving the skin you're in, but its placement in this story made the entire thing rather unrealistic.

The Cinderella Society may be enjoyed by fans of the It's All About Us series by Shelley Adina.

Jess Parker is a go-get-em type of person. She's always around to volunteer her time to worthy causes and charities, but when it comes to her social life, she flies under the radar. Her family is constantly moving, so she never really makes any friends. And when her family moves to her mom's hometown, Mt. Sterling, her social status plunges even farther due to Jess taking the meanest and one of the most popular girl's spots on the cheerleading team.

Bullied and miserable, Jess never expects an invite from one of the most exclusive secret societies, The Cinderella Society. But before she knows it, her fairy godmother of a cheerleading captain has transformed her from shabby to chic, and she's learning how to lead a more positive life. But it won't be easy--the Wickeds (including her archenemy) aren't about to let the Cindys win, nor are they above using regular, innocent people to do it.

Kay Cassidy's The Cinderella Society is a divine, delightful read that's just as much about empowering yourself and sticking up for what's right as it is about the romance and fun stuff. What makes this book so fun is the Cinderella Society, a secret group that is surprisingly extensive and super secretive, which is an element that will certainly attract readers who are also fans of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl's series. Cassidy also populates her book with realistic, down to earth characters, many who are popular and nice, and genuinely care about doing the right thing, not the latest designer item or the juiciest bit of gossip. These positive role models are a breath of fresh air, a relief from the numerous catty and snarky popular girls that tend to be popular in YA.

The message in this book is also genuine. Cassidy doesn't have any skewed perceptions of perfection, or tell readers you have to change yourself in order to be a better person; instead she focuses on showing readers that by being yourself and discovering who you want to be, you can become the best that you can be. Full of fun secrets and some surprising twists, The Cinderella Society is a novel about choices and their affects and about being positive and true.

Cover Comments: The cover is fun and pink and flirty, and it fits the title well, but not so much the book. Still, it is one that will stand out, and it works!

The message behind The Cinderella Society is a positive one that should be shared with all girls. It encourages self-esteem, character, love for self and others, and hard work with a promise of a happily-ever-after (boyfriend not included). While the concept for The Cinderella Society is attractive and undeniably wonderful, the characters and story left me wanting. I thought there was too much emphasis in the details of the Cinderella Society and not enough time spent on interactions between the characters to move the story along. I hope that the sequel will flesh out Jess and the other characters since the stage has been set.

[...]

The Cinderella Society is an extraordinary YA novel that makes you want to stand up and cheer, "You Go Girl!" This book is a perfect read for how to better your self-image - girls, and yes even boys!, while maintaining your individual style.
There are so many valuable lessons on dealing with bullies (a main and important focus), self-improvement, self-esteem, facing personal demons, setting and achieving goals, coping with loss, friendship, sisterhood, boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, self-respect, empowerment ... Whew! And this is just a partial list!
Seriously, every girl should have this as their personal guide to help them navigate through middle school and high school, and every parent should read it to help their children on their journey into adulthood. A great read. Three cheers for Kay Cassidy!

Self Esteem, bullies, finding one's self. They are all issues that Jess Parker faces in The Cinderella Society. It's a fun book to read, especially for tweens. It's a modern day "fairy princess" story with enough action and romance to keep you reading.

I was in such a reading funk before picking up this book and boy was it a great choice. I loved the plot and the idea of a secret society that isn't about being rich, popular or some supernatural being. Instead these are positive, female role models who use their "powers" for good. The cast of characters are great and provide a wide range of the good girls who are beautiful and rich but so nice you can't hate them. Then there are the "wicked" girls who use their power to dominate and intimidate others. Jess's love interest, Ryan, was also a favorite of mine. I never get tired of seeing the handsome, good guy who sees beneath the surface of a person rather than judging others on superficial appearances. Kay Cassidy also leaves you guessing as to who is a Cindy and then there is the shocking background of one of the Wickeds. Is she truly wicked?

This story reminds me of those fables you read as a child where their is a moral that is teaching you a life lesson. This story definitely appeals to me because I'm sure most girls at some point wish they had a fairy godmother or someone else to help give them a makeover and transform them from an outsider to one of the elite in the social ladder. This book will definitely leave you wanting more and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Jess Parker has always been an outsider, that is until she gets the invitation of a lifetime to The Cinderella Society, which is a secret society of the most popular girls in school. The Cindy's world is full of makeovers and looking for Prince Charming. The Wicked begin targeting innocent girls as a war against the Cindys. Being a Cindy has more to do then reinventing themselves on the outside. She is now in a century battle of good v.s. evil. Jess is needed for a mission and wonders if maybe they have the wrong girl.
Also, the main character Jess makes some mistake and is unsure about herself, which made her more of a teen. I loved how sweet she was and really cared about people. The characters were all amazing and I could relate to each of them in some aspect. The plot of this book was just basic good vs evil in the real world and I loved it. I am also a huge fans of secret societies, so this book was full of win. I loved how empowering this book was. Each page, I felt like I was being encouraged to be a better person. It is more oriented for girls though, which is why I liked it a lot. It was a rather original book and I love that is had more then a lot of the contemporary romance that I read. Cassidy is an amazing writer and I can't wait for the next book Cindy on a Mission to come out. I would recommend this book, to fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti.

I have to say, this was the perfect book for me to read during Valentine's day week. I've been putting off the review because I really enjoyed this book and don't think I can suitably tell you why - but I'll attempt it. Jess is a sixteen year old girl who isn't sure of herself and wants to just meld in, but she has the potential to be a great person and even a leader. I love watching her transform and really starting to see what is inside of her and how to let that out. I loved the aspect of the secret society and the battles of the wits between her and her arch nemesis. And can I even talk about the romance? I'm so glad it wasn't perfect, that there was a bit of a trial to matching up Jess with her Prince Charming and trying to figure out if he really was the guy for her.

So, between the conflict, the fantastic characters, and the overall fun this book was to read - I'd say you have a fantastic book. Yes, it's chick-lit - not my usual type of thing, but it takes it farther and deeper. It still overall has a feeling of light-heartedness, but there's so much more. And can I say Secret Society any more.. I just love secrets, don't you?

I chose The Cinderella Society because it looked cute, light, and fun. It was not what I expected at all. Honestly, it was much better. It definitely had its light and fun-ness, as well as cuteness and boy swooning, but it was also much more serious than that.

I'm not usually a fan of "message" books that basically just push messages and morals onto the reader, but not only did I feel like this book sent a very important message, it was also done in an interesting and original way. Kay Cassidy doesn't just tell girls to be more confident with themselves, she creates a whole underground society of strong women to do it.

I enjoyed Jess as a character, although at times she bothered me. I can completely understand feeling uncertain and self conscious, because I totally do all the time, but she really let those girls push her around and I just wanted her to stand up for herself. Ben was a cute romantic interest, although he definitely bothered me too at certain points.

Like I said, the storyline was really original. There are a lot of stories about self conscious high school girls getting bullied, but the author took that and turned it on its head. The ending was a little unexpected, and I felt like there was no real closure, but then I realized there's a sequel in the works, so I'm pleased with that.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Cinderella Society and I appreciate what the author did with it. It was cute and fun, but also sent a good message to the readers in an original way.

The War between Good and Evil is always enticing, and there's enough conflict and action to draw the reader into the story. The novel is fast-paced, and it's easy to identify with Jess as she struggles with all the aspects of her "makeover:" physical, psychological, social, and emotional. I like the broad reach of the Cinderella Society which stretches across generations and across countries with its emphasis on inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness. An enjoyable read!