3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Creepy, original imagining of the Cinderella myth, August 24, 2011
This review is from: Cinderella's Secret Diary (Book 1: Lost) (Kindle Edition)
The Secret Diaries of Cinderella: Book One, Lost, is an original, heartfelt imagining of what life was like for Cinderella after the prince saved her from her evil stepmother and stepsisters. No longer a "cinder girl," Cinderella finds herself in a not-so-elevated position when, after 4 years of marriage, she has failed to conceive an heir for the royal family. Increasingly sensing that something in her life is not right, Cinderella begins a diary, and thus ensues a journey of painful, and often treacherous, self-discovery.
Like the old fairytales, before modern-day softening, much of what Cinderella experiences on her quest is not necessarily good or happy: a kind yet passive father, a mother whose past is cloaked in darkness and eerie entanglements, a witch who seems most concerned with wielding the power and magic of her old religion, and a fox, whose gradually revealed true nature manifests as a disturbing and terrifying testament of how deeply twisted true love can become.
Cinderella is appropriate for a young adult fantasy fiction audience and more than substantial enough for an adult readership. It may be especially inspiring for young female readers, for its support of female independence, imagination, and fortitude.
Readers of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, and The Dead Father's Club may find this book particularly enjoyable.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
After the ball is over., February 13, 2012
This review is from: Cinderella's Secret Diary (Book 1: Lost) (Kindle Edition)
This is not my typical reading matter and it took me a while to get into the story, but it truly was worth the effort. The author's imagination takes the reader on a journey spanning continents with royalty, witches and fairies. Cinderella faces tough choices along the way, accompanied by some familiar characters and imaginative and evil new ones. Definitely not a child's fairy tale, but a compelling tale for the mature teens and olderl
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Thank you for a more realistic ending..., December 13, 2011
I grew up with the fairy tales, expecting that perfect ending that doesn't really exist. I still love the fantasy and glitter, but now I crave the dark side. Cinderella's Secret Diary feeds that. This book has a wonderfully sinister tale that lies beneath the fairy princess magic. Cinder stays true to her perfectly, lovely, innocent self as she starts to face reality and learn her place in this world. The characters went beyond the typical fairy tale facade and drew me in. I especially appreciated the feminist undercurrent that kept this story so interesting without screaming "I am woman, hear me roar!". I am always impressed when a male writer can speak as a woman without being either patronizing or insulting. Ron Vitale created an excellent balance between her protected feminine naiveté, her reluctant plunge into finding her own way and her true strength, followed up with eventual acceptance of what her reality has become and her ability to shape it. I began this book expecting the princess to bore me as much as the pretty, pink, superficial ones do, but I actually liked her. I hope book two comes out soon because I want to know what happens next.
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