★★★★★ 4
Good But Could Be Better
Format: Paperback
First, the good things about this book:
I picked up the book after seeing the movie only to find that they were somewhat different, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. To start off, I loved the idea of having Ella being cursed to obey every command. It was the question I asked the first time I read the fairytale, "Why did she always do what her stepmother said?" And that question was thoroughly answered in this novel. I liked the character of Ella and her rebellious spirit. Levine definitely presented to us a new and different take on Cinderella, one much more spirited than the ridiculously innocent and proper Cinderella we are accustomed to. I especially liked her bravery, a surprising characteristic in the female protagonist of a romance novel, and how she was able to save herself from danger instead having prince Charmont save her. Speaking of the prince, I'm surprised to say I liked him in spite of hating practically all other "re-invented" versions of Prince Charming in every other princess story. Charmont was charming without being brash or flirtatious; he was honest, steady, and true to his word, without being a cliched knight in shining armor. I enjoyed watching the blooming friendship and eventually romance between Char and Ella; the character development was more than I expected and added depth to the story. I also rather enjoyed the "villians" of the story in the forms of Olga, Ella's father Sir Peter, Hattie, and Olive. Though they are easy to hate in the traditional fairy tale, they are even more despicable in the book. SPOILER ALERT AHEAD. One of the things I liked most about this book was that Lucinda, Ella's fairy godmother, got a taste of her own medicine, which I feel the book needed (though this was not included in the movie).
However, one thing I felt the book needed towards the end of the story was an assassination plot to kill Prince Char. After Char proposes, Ella feels she can't marry him because someone would use her to kill him or some how ruin the kingdom. At the time there doesn't seem to be any such danger present, considering her step-family adores him and the entire kingdom loves him. I felt a plot to kill the prince, such as in the movie, would be the perfect danger to round out the last third of the novel and add some excitement and a legitimate reason for Ella to lie to Char about her feelings. The only other thing that really bothered me was the mention of Angulen's pottery. It is stated that his works are very valuable and of much importance, and the novel puts much influence on them, yet they have absolutely nothing to do with the plot in any way.
Overall, it is a good book for those within it's target demographic. With a fiery Cinderella and prince who actually is charming, I feel this is a good retelling of the classic Cinderella story.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2012
