My thanks to Bonnier Zaffre/Hot Key Books for an eARC via NetGalley of Jennifer Donnelly’s ‘Stepsister’ in exchange for an honest review. I found that I was enjoying the first few chapters so much that I elected to buy its Kindle and Audible editions.
This was a skilful retelling of the story of Cinderella, focussing on what happens to Ella’s stepsisters after the failed attempt by their ambitious mother to trick the Prince into accepting one of them. As in the original story this is quite gristly rather than the idealised Disney version.
Yet these ‘ugly’ sisters are not quite the charectitures one might expect. Octavia (Tavi), the oldest, is very interested in mathematics and science and wanted an education, not gowns, corsets and suitors. The younger sister, Isabelle, was described by her mother as a hoyden (tomboy) and was made to learn to sing and dance and behave like a proper lady.
This was a skilful retelling of the story of Cinderella, focussing on what happens to Ella’s stepsisters after the failed attempt by their ambitious mother to trick the Prince into accepting one of them. As in the original story this is quite gristly rather than the idealised Disney version.
Yet these ‘ugly’ sisters are not quite the charectitures one might expect. Octavia (Tavi), the oldest, is very interested in mathematics and science and wanted an education, not gowns, corsets and suitors. The younger sister, Isabelle, was described by her mother as a hoyden (tomboy) and was made to learn to sing and dance and behave like a proper lady.