The Cinderella Society [Hardcover]

Kay Cassidy (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 13, 2010 | Series: The Cinderella Society

Sixteen-year-old Jess Parker survives by staying invisible. After nine schools in ten years, she's come to terms with life as a perpetual new girl, neither popular nor outcast. At Mt. Sterling High, Jess gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret club of the most popular girls in school, where makeovers are the first order of official business. But there's more to being a Cindy than just reinventing yourself from the outside, a concept lost on Jess as she dives tiara-first into creating a hot new look.

With a date with her popular crush and a chance to finally fit in, Jess's life seems to be a perfect fairy tale. That is until the Wickeds--led by Jess's archenemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers her new sisterhood is about much more than who rules Mt. Sterling High School. It's a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys need Jess on special assignment. But when the mission threatens to destroy her new dream life, Jess is forced to choose between this dream realized and honoring the Sisterhood. What's a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—After attending a variety of schools, Jess Parker, 16, is an expert at blending in. However, when she transfers to Mt. Sterling High and takes Lexy Steele's cheerleading spot, Lexy's wrath makes her life unbearable. After standing up to her on behalf of another bullied student, Jess comes to the attention of the most popular girls at school. Soon she is initiated into a secret society of women called the Cinderella Society. When Jess joins her local chapter of the Cindys, she also joins a vast international group that includes many of the most powerful women in the world. The mission of the Cindys is to take down their opposing group, the Wickeds, and protect the rest of the regular population, or the Reggies. The local chapter of the Wickeds is led by Lexy, of course. When Jess joins the Cindys, she is at first only interested in the fabulous makeover that she will get and the opportunity to come to the attention of Ryan Steele, Lexy's brother and the resident hot guy at school. In time, she becomes more invested in protecting the Reggies and taking down the Wickeds. While her move into the elite stratosphere of high school is sudden, the characters are multidimensional and the plot is well paced. This story will appeal to girls who dream of becoming accepted within their own schools. Some elements are not fully explained here, but may be explained in the planned sequel.—Laura Amos, Newport News Public Library, VA
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

Named a 2012 YALSA Popular Paperback for its anti-bullying themes

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: EgmontUSA (April 13, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1606840177
• ISBN-13: 978-1606840177
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1.2 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,494,671 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kay Cassidy is the author of teen fiction she wishes was based on her real life. Her debut YA series, THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY, takes readers behind the veil of a secret girl power society dedicated to defeating the mean girls of the world.

Kay is a former college cheerleader and sorority alum, an M.B.A. and a member of Mensa. She thinks it's comical when people are surprised to discover those things aren't mutually exclusive. Kay is also the founder and host of the national Great Scavenger Hunt Contest reading program for kids and teens.

Visit Kay on the web at www.kaycassidy.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Novel or self-help book? May 31, 2010

By The Book Muncher VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and empowering! April 13, 2010

By The Compulsive Reader VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

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!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The power of standing up to bullies June 30, 2012

By Emily

Format:Paperback

The Cinderella Society. Doesn't that title make you think of glitz and glam and the mall? (Or Midnight Ball?)

Well, Cinderella Society had a lot more going for it then all that. (Although there were fun fashion scenes. And the mall.) This novel is also about "Girl Power", as Becca Fitzpatricks states on the front cover, or the ability to stand up for yourself or others. While still being fun and humorous, Cinderella Society sends a good message. And it is nice to think that there is a "Cinderella Society" out there that will stick up for you when you need it.

Cindys: Members of the Cinderella or Isis society. Girls who work at protecting themselves and the reggies from the Wickeds. They are all about confidence.

Wickeds: Girls keen on bullying the reggies to do whatever the Wickeds want.

Reggies: People who know nothing about either society. They are vulnerable to Wickeds.

Another enjoyable aspect of this book is how girly it is, even though the novel is about other, more serious, topics. There are fun scenes where Jess goes to the hair dresser and mall with her fellow Cindys. Also, there is a lot of talk about boyfriends or "Charmings". The romance in The Cinderella Socirty is very sweet.

The character development is great, especially for Jess. She goes from being a bully's victim to being a terrific girl who stands up for people outside the societies of Cindys or Wickeds. Jess is also a great role model, unlike some main characters in other books I've read. She volunteers all the time at places like the Humane Society.

Get this book, especially if you want a girly, solid novel with good messages.

Content: Kissing and some sexual comments. Interest Level: ages 12 up.

I also learned some good mottos from this book. Like: "When something embarrasing happens to you, take 5 deep breath and ask yourself the 'Five' questions: Will this matter in 5 hours? Will this matter in 5 weeks? Will this matter in 5 years?"

"Everybody has a little of both Wicked and Cindy in them."