This book was okay. It was too long and got boring. I enjoyed the retelling of Cinderella. It could have ended sooner. I rated this book a 3 out of 5 stars. This is the 5th book completed for #JoysofJune hosted by @Andrew65
This book was okay. It was too long and got boring. I enjoyed the retelling of Cinderella. It could have ended sooner. I rated this book a 3 out of 5 stars. This is the 5th book completed for #JoysofJune hosted by @Andrew65
Well, look at that! This book made it in the Almost Chunkster category. #ChunskterChallenge2023 @Amiable
I wasn't too much of a fan. It was long and a little boring, although I loved the ending . The epilog made it sound like there could be many more stories. I found a few more bingo spots, one in #ISpyBingoApril @Clwojick @TheAromaofBooks and one for #NSR23 @Nessavamusic
#EasterOMC @Clwojick @LadyKatrina, well, i finished 2 books and read good amounts in the other two books. Thanks to @Clwojick @LadyKatrina for hosting this readathon.
It is the magic of a frail, fallible creature, one capable of both unspeakable cruelty and immense kindness. It lives inside every human being ready to redeem us. To transform us. To save us. If we can only find the courage to listen to it.
It is the magic of the human heart.
There is magic in this sad, hard world. A magic stronger than fate, stronger than chance. And it is seen in the u likeliest of places.
Jealousy. It burns so hot, so bright. It devours you, until you're just a smoking ruin with nothing left inside.
Stop burdening the gods. Stop cursing the devil. They will make no path for you. They gave you their dark gifts: reason and will. Now you must make your own way.
Whats done is done. Whether to you, or by you, amd you cannot change it.
But what's not done is not done.
And there, both hope and hazards lie.
Believe that you can make your way. Or don't. Either way, you are right.
Strange, isn't it, how stories that are never told are the ones we most need to hear.
Most people will fight when there is some hope of winning, no matter how slim. They are called brave. Only a few will keep fighting when all hope is gone. They are called warriors.
...cruelty never came came from a place of strength; it came from the darkest, darkest, weakest place inside you.
History books say that kings and dukes and generals start wars. Don't believe it. We start them, you and I. Every time we turn away, keep quiet, stay out of it, behave 0urselves.
Sometimes it's easier to say that you hate what you can't have rather than admit how badly you want it.
4✨ Fun read for sure. We hear so much about Cinderella that we forget about her stepsisters. We start out learning one stepsister cut off her toes to fit in the shoe! Dude. We continue with Isabelle to find out she lost pieces of her heart along with the lemons life keeps throwing at her. Chance and Fate are real characters who pretty much battle each other in Isabelle‘s future. Another great story by Donnelly.
Audio cleaning was not as productive today. Considering how much I did yesterday I‘m not surprised. However, this book has been fun! I have also been kindle reading “The Guard” a selection tale.
My Jennifer Donnelly collection is growing! I started with her Beauty and the Beast retelling and currently reading Poisoned! Loving this authors dark and twisty sometimes macabre descriptions. 😍
I am posting one book per day from my to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new - don‘t judge me I have a lot of books.
Join the fun if you want. This is day 221.
#bookstoread
#tbrpile
#bookstagram
I was totally engulfed by this one!
This is for all those who ever wondered what happened to Cinderella's step sisters after she married the prince, but more importantly, for all the brave souls out there, ready to embrace their own purpose and beauty, make peace with themselves and let their heart lead them on their true path to accomplish whatever makes their life a meaningul one.
Loved this! A retelling of Cinderella told from the POV of the ugly stepsisters. It was a darker take on the tale, more like the Brothers Grimm version. It has great action, sweet moments, and some great themes - feminism and not letting others define you are standouts!
#bookspinbingo - got a 2nd bingo!
#pop21 - a book with something broken on the cover
This book is phenomenal! It drew me in right away. It had me emotionally involved and it felt like I was on Isabelle‘s journey with her. The author did an amazing job! It was refreshing to read a retelling from the stepsisters point of view. Time to redefine beauty ❤️
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book was magnificent. Definitely a reread in the future! It taught me we all have a little ugly stepsister in us deep down, even Cinderella! 👗🌠🧚♀️❤
I started a book club with some friends and the theme for this month was fairy tale retellings. This was the first of three I read in that theme. I was expecting it to be a bit darker but I definitely still found this sweet and enjoyable.
Interesting retelling of Cinderella .
Darkish like the original Grimm story.
Cinderella is a badass
I do like a fairytale retelling, and this delivers really well. Told from the side of the ‘ugly‘ sisters, there‘s a feminist slant to this story. Why shouldn‘t girls be able to do what they want? Well, society dictates, and mothers do too, to the extent that daughters cut bits of their feet off to placate them. This is no cheery tale, it has guts and encourages girls to go for what they want. I loved it. If I had daughters, they‘d be reading it!
I love twisted fairytales and this one is no different ❤️ A wonderful story that shows just how important it is for a woman to be courageous and take charge of her own fate. Probably one of my favorite versions of Cinderella yet.
Wow. Wow wow wow. Exquisite, bone-shattering prose. Heart-wrenching, pitch-perfect characterization. Isabelle gripped my heart from the very beginning & did not let go. The narrative structure as she went on a journey to realize her self-worth was phenomenal & beautifully executed. And it had some intersectionality, though it could have used more. A breathtaking view of the power of fairytales through the feminist lens. ★★★★★.
When you open a book and you know within the first five sentences it‘s going to be good 😭🙌🏽
#currentlyreading #yalitsy
#currentlyreading | I am always here for anti-“be a good girl” shenanigans 🙌🏽
I just couldn‘t connect with this book- it took me forever to get through it.
I was thinking that this was going to be Cinderella told through the eyes of the stepsister but it was so much more than that. It was redemption, forgiveness, and compassion. It was great read, I couldn't stop once I started. The characters are warm and give a wonderful background to the story of Cinderella. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a good retelling!
Currently reading this. While I struggled at the beginning due to there being a lack of introduction to the characters, it provides a nice alternative perspective and exploration of how beauty is found within.
There was so much potential for this story to be good, but alas...no me gusta.
Finally warm enough to read outside...a whopping 45 degrees! Let‘s see if I can power through the last 100 pages of this one...
Anyone else read this one? Am I the only one who has struggled to get through it? I feel like she doesn‘t introduce characters...she just expects you to know who they are🤷🏻♀️
This book was absolutely amazing, this book teaches every woman how to be strong. I highly recommend, this actually made me cry 😭! This book could also be a great movie 🎥!!!!!