Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Confessions Of An Ugly Stepsister
Confessions Of An Ugly Stepsister | Gregory Maguire
Is this new land a place where magics really happen? From Gregory Maguire, the acclaimed author of Wicked, comes his much-anticipated second novel, a brilliant and provocative retelling of the timeless Cinderella tale. In the lives of children, pumpkins can turn into coaches, mice and rats into human beings.... When we grow up, we learn that it's far more common for human beings to turn into rats.... We all have heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty . . . and what curses accompanied Cinderella's exquisite looks? Extreme beauty is an affliction Set against the rich backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. Clara was the prettiest child, but was her life the prettiest tale? While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, burning all memories of her past, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household--and the treacherous truth of her former life. God and Satan snarling at each other like dogs.... Imps and fairy godmotbers trying to undo each other's work. How we try to pin the world between opposite extremes! Far more than a mere fairy-tale, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a novel of beauty and betrayal, illusion and understanding, reminding us that deception can be unearthed--and love unveiled--in the most unexpected of places.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
Blueberry
post image
Eggs Great image ✨❤️💫 3mo
38 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Super_Jane
post image
Pickpick

4/5🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 #retelling #cinderella

quote
smalldogs_bigbooks2419
post image

I remember reading and absolutely loving Wicked when I was in high school. Watching the play is still on my bucket list. In the meantime, I think I‘ll enjoy this retelling of the story of Cinderella and try to track down the Wicked series to reread.

blurb
peanutnine
post image

#haunted 🖤🧡 Black & Orange
This was one of the few books from my shelf in these colors. I just recently found this used copy for $2 😮

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome cover!! 🧡📚🖤 3y
Eggs Beautiful art 🧡🖤🧡 3y
42 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Hana321
Pickpick

Cinderella retold through the perspective of Iris, aka stepsister #2. This is a darker version. This story is interesting because Iris tells her perspective as a new narrative. This tale definitely paints this wretched family in a new light. The sisters are in their own way victims of a sociopathic mother who leaves death and destruction everywhere she goes. The epilogue has an interesting little twist also.

blurb
StayCurious
post image

#30junebooks @howjessreads #U This was a bit of a toughy until I found this book on my shelf. I haven‘t read it yet but I like twisted fairy tales.

LibrarianRyan I love this story. It‘s very literary and slow but with it. 5y
59 likes1 comment
blurb
RebelReader
post image

1. RBG is the best thing I‘ve seen this year, but I haven‘t been to many movies for some weird reason.
2. No dating anymore, but I liked going to sporting events, concerts, or something active like biking or hiking when I was dating.
3. 17 No reason I just always have liked that number.
4. Tagged book is the most recent bail. Just not my thing I guess.
5. 👍🏻👍🏻

#friyayintro

Mamashep Oh yeah, I forgot how much I enjoy when we go to sporting events - as long as they aren‘t too crowded, can‘t stand crowds. 6y
64 likes1 comment
blurb
ShananigansReads
post image

-Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
-Christine Feehan, Rachel Caine
-Clueless (the movie and the tv show)
-Corn (Mexican Street Corn is the best 🌽)

#ManicMonday @JoScho

JoScho There is a new restaurant here that only serves Mexican Street corn. I have tried it yet! Thanks for playing 💛 6y
ShananigansReads @JoScho that sounds amazing. I hope you get to try it soon. 6y
7 likes2 comments
blurb
HotTeaGoodBooks
post image

The stepsister might be ugly, but this little one is beautiful.

review
Ash.on.the.line
post image
Mehso-so

I like the idea of this book but I just felt a little unsatisfied by the ending. None of the characters were that likable and I didn‘t like the conclusion chapter. I guessed the “twist” so it wasn‘t really that shocking by the end. I understand the reason for the endings but I didn‘t like it lol. Still it was an interesting take on the story of Cinderella.

57 likes1 stack add
blurb
Ash.on.the.line
post image

When you just want a little time to read a chapter or two and everyone keeps you from it! Finally I get the time but I‘m so tired!
This story speeds up then slows down, speeds up, back to slowing down!

MommyOfTwo I liked this book but I agree there were some slow parts. 7y
Ash.on.the.line @MommyOfTwo I‘m glad you liked it, I haven‘t seen too many reviews and the few I have are mixed. 😄 7y
58 likes2 comments
blurb
Ash.on.the.line
post image

1. Dark chocolate covered raspberries(pic from let‘s dish blog, Ive made them but eat them before even thinking of taking pics!😝)
2. Cold mysterious Cinderella retelling?! 🤷🏻‍♀️
3. Not had them removed don‘t think I even have them yet😬
4. As a Kid: scooby doo from Scooby Doo. As an Adult: Louise Belcher from Bobs Burgers 🍔
5. Gemini ♊️
#HumpDayPost

hes7 Yum! 😋 7y
LadyChristy I have never seen a Chocolate-Covered Raspberry, but those look divine! 😍 7y
GatheringBooks wow! 😋 7y
51 likes3 comments
blurb
Shixam
post image

Went to SF today for a Pokémon Go Community Day event. There was a nice big meet-up with YouTubers I did not know because I don‘t watch YouTube. I do not have the time to watch 10-15 minute videos with everything else I need to watch between recordings and Crunchyroll and Netflix. The whole game event for shiny Bulbasaurs went from 11-2 (I caught 6!) and then my sister-in-law-to-be and I went to a nearby bookstore and I bought myself something!

blurb
EponasWildDaughter
post image

New books and a comfy spot to read them.

2 likes1 stack add
review
BeansPage
Panpan

I'm sorry, I just cannot get into this story. I don't know what it is exactly but I just can't get into it and it's boring as hell. The author writes very well and very clearly. I've read a couple other books by him. But for whatever reason I just simply cannot get into this story. Just not interesting at all for me. I gave it a chance. That's all that matters.

Dan_SpiderCrafts I tried this early on, and just haven't remembered it, for a re-try someday. I sure love many of Gregory's fairytale re-tellings 🤗 just getting to Out of Oz in the Wicked series. 7y
Reggie This one was rough for me also. I trudged through it but felt like there was no climax. I love Wicked but this one...... 7y
21 likes2 comments
blurb
Ash.on.the.line
post image

Okay so I finally went into this semi new used bookstore today. I am 😡 because I forgot to snap a pic of the inside. It‘s small but filled with books. It only has one worker, a women and it was all her collection, she now does trades though.
She was close to closing so I had to rush a little bit. I picked up this book with no info on it! 😅
I am definitely going back soon don‘t worry! 😁
#emojinov

45 likes3 stack adds
blurb
Leigh0906
post image

My #BOTM arrived while I was gone, and on the way back to Roanoke, we stopped at my favorite used bookstore so I got a not-so-tiny #bookhaul

EllieDottie Louise Erdrich ❤️ 7y
39 likes1 comment
blurb
DoodlesDistractions
post image

#RiotGrams | Day 1 | After a long trip, I'm finally home and can take a #shelfie with my #TBR bookshelf.

17 likes1 stack add
blurb
blueyedjokeye
post image

reading at night makes everything better. Although I'm not too far into this book as I hope to be, so far I can't complain about it too. Icy. A little slow maybe but I'm not 100% yet on how I feel. If you want to know more- follow me on Goodreads for my rating when I'm done! Have you read this?

blurb
blueyedjokeye
post image

September book pick is Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire, inspired by everyone's favorite princess- Cinderella. 💙👗

Ask me how you can read along and join the Once Upon a Mouse book club where we read Disney inspired novels and have discussions via the Slack app on the last Friday of every month. 📖📚🙂

4 likes1 stack add
blurb
MaleficentBookDragon
post image

I am a #bookswap addict! I just signed up for #theretellingbookswap
You have until September 9th to sign up!

blurb
GreydiaTheGeek
post image

My first two Book Exchange books arrived today! Great choices so far. I am way too excited about this exchange. #SaveTheCulture #BookExchange #LongLiveBooks

review
omgreading
Pickpick

I loved this book. I always love Maguire's reimagining of fairytales. And I absolutely love the big reveal at the end!!

quote
omgreading

To consider what other people might say is hardly a good reason to take action or defer it.

- The Master

blurb
omgreading
post image

The Girl of Ashes

blurb
omgreading
post image

blurb
omgreading
post image

I'm only sixty pages in, but I like it so far. I'm a huge fan of Gregory Maguire. I love how he puts an adult spin on fairytales and then tells them from a perspective different from the original.

blurb
kabenth
post image

I loved this twist on a classic fairytale! It was interesting and not at all what I expected. I admire Gregory Maguire's creativity!
📚🌷👑👠

blurb
JPeterson
post image

More like dresses inside the cover, but you can catch a glimpse on the outside. 😉 🙈
#dressesoncovers #readjanuary

PenguinInFlight One of my fave books EVER!! 😍😍 8y
JPeterson @PenguinInFlight I love his books! Confessions was the first one I read, and I was instantly hooked. 😍 @MaleficentTheBookDragon 😊 8y
PenguinInFlight @JPeterson Exactly. The. Same. 😂👍🏻 That's awesome. 8y
112 likes5 stack adds4 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

A few #fairytaleretellings... or at least, fairytale-adjacent! Robin McKinley is one of my favorites for fairytale retellings... but apparently I've got a couple of hers loaned out to friends. 😊 #photoadaynov16

24 likes1 stack add
blurb
Crowlows
post image

Walking and listening...always love an excuse to listen to an audiobook. 😁

LauraBeth 👏👏👏 8y
1 like1 comment
review
Tex2Flo
post image
Pickpick

Love the "backstage" views of fairy tales and children's stories.

review
laurelofcourse
Mehso-so

At times, the dialogue rambled on unnecessarily, and by then end of the book I seemed to only mildly like Iris and Caspar; the other characters were at different spaces on the spectrum of irritating. I didn't expect this to be Wicked or anything, but I was totally underwhelmed.

Silentbeauty You've summed up exactly how I felt about this one! 8y
1 comment
blurb
laurelofcourse
post image

Halfway through....my knowledge of art history + my mom's love of tulips is helping me greatly.

blurb
lcarter3489
post image

I am oddly excited about my TBR jar! Pick a random book (pink for kindle, blue/purple for book) and go from there!

ReadingOver50 I love this idea for picking books. 9y
lcarter3489 It was fun! I forgot I had half of the books I do so it was like I was discovering them all over again! I'd like to find a prettier jar though... 8y
MichelleM I really enjoyed the new perspective! 8y
12 likes1 stack add3 comments
quote
halleycat

"You are new enough here still to find Dutch ways peculiar?"

"I am young enough to find life peculiar."

#youth

2 likes2 stack adds
quote
halleycat

Better yet, turn me into an insensible chair with a broken rush seat, a nail on the hoof of a horse! Turn me into sad thick Ruth! Anything or anyone that is too dull to be able to think about herself. It's the endlessly thinking about yourself that causes such heart shame.