Customer Reviews

Cinderella's Secret Diary (Book 1: Lost)

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

 

 

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.

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

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.

3 out of 5 stars, this story/diary sets Cinderella in a mix of the "real world" for that time-period (the 1700's) and fantasy (as she has fey after her). It's truly a well-written story and if you like reading in a historical diary format with a little bit of magic in it then this is the book for you!!

The only real reason that I gave this book 3 stars is because this book wasn't for me. I choose to read it because of the fairytale aspect of it but I'm so use to reading books from multiple points-of-view that this book wasn't as interesting to me as it should have been.

However, I will freely admit the reason I finished reading this story is because of how the plot laid out, as once I began reading the story I had to find out what happened to Cinderella. The intrigue in this story pulled me in and wouldn't let go. Therefore, with that being said, if you like the mysterious novels you might enjoy this book because of that reason as well.

Review By: From Me to You ... Book Reviews

(read more of this review and two teasers on my blog)

This is a dark, deeply compelling retelling of your classic Cinderella story. Vitale weaves a complex narrative that never ceased to surprise me with its twists and turns. The rich characters are so fully developed that they could hop right off the page. They are loveable, relatable and flawed at the same time. Cinderella has more magic in her than we know, but her decisions are based on a dangerous innocence. The bad guy is a tragic, sadistic figure whose methods conflict with his motives. Cinderella's mother... I don't want to spill the beans on what happens, but it will shock you.

I couldn't put this book down. I would recommend it to anyone.

Cinderella's Secret Diary was an exciting take on the fairytale Cinderella. I thought that Ron Vitale's take was well written and I loved the way he transformed the Fairy Godmother to a Fey called the Silver Fox. I definitely prefer the character of Cinderella from Cinderella's Secret Diary over the Disney version of the fairytale because Cinderella was a much stronger character who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself or for what she believed to be right or wrong. How Ron Vitale included real life events and people only made me enjoy the book more and I am very much looking forward to seeing where book 2 will go.

It is really fun to read a book with familiar characters (Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother) who are taken in unexpected directions. Ron Vitale takes the reader on an unexpected journey full of twists and turns. You can't predict what will happen next and that makes this a great read.The format of a diary was also really enjoyable. Plug in your Kindle, download and read this book.

When I started Cinderella's Secret Diary, I did not know what to expect. The author warns us that "this isn't your mother's Cinderella story..." in his blog post (...), but I still did not know how it would turn out. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Vitale challenged us to envision a much darker outcome to Cinderella's connection to the Prince, one that is entirely plausible considering that royal marriages at that time were less about love matches and more about producing heirs to the throne. I also thought that the fairy godmother twist was ingenious!

I believe this book is suitable for YA readers and adult readers. Readers will enjoy this book if they enjoy fantasy, science fiction, or mystery genres.

This was a fantasy unlike any "I have ever read before". It captured my attention at it's onset, kept me interested throughout the entire book, totally fun, creative, imaginative and adventuresome. The author's version of Cinderella as she evolves through self-empowerment and transformation is at times riveting. Also her steadfast and committed and at times unpredictable character to intentionally not compromise her intended personal course of direction. From the perspective of not knowing what the next twist, turn or direction of the story line might be, I was extremely impressed and moved with the integration of both fantasy and fiction. I'm now truly a fan of this most talented author, look forward to Book 2 and will be certain to read it as well. A most EXCELLENT read to which I highly recommend!

Cinderella's Secret Diary rejects the notion of a "happily ever after" and instead answers the question of what really happened after the fairy godmother flits away and the wedding celebration comes to an end. Ron Vitale's Cinderella is a headstrong, independent heroin who isn't content to simply play the roll of her husband's accessory. The book is a lot of fun and full of adventure, I can't wait for the second book in the series!