Cinder and Ella

Cinder and Ella
by Melissa Lemon

208 pages
Published November 8, 2011

This is a pre-release review! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher, Cedar Fort, for letting me read it early.

After their father’s disappearance, Cinder leaves home for a servant job at the castle. But it isn’t long before her sister Ella is brought to the castle herself—the most dangerous place in all the kingdom for both her and Cinder. Cinder and Ella is a Cinderella story like no other and one you'll never forget.

***

This was a fun book, but then, I'm a sucker for a good fairytale.

The twists on the original Cinderella were imaginative. And, in true fairytale style, the ending is bittersweet, not outright happy.

Cinder is way more selfless than most people; I've only known a couple of people with such developed unconditional love. Ella is very believable, finding the strength she needs even while believing she's not as good as her sister (who she believes to honestly be one of the best of humanity).

I love Tanner, he's the ideal knight. However, my favorite thing about the story is trees. Each character has a tree, and the life of that tree and the person are intertwined. While one flourishes, the other will, too. The tree can save the person, or the person can save the tree. If one is killed, the other will also die.

While I wouldn't list this as one of my favorite books, I did enjoy it. If you like fairytales, give this one a try. I bet you'll like it!

3.5/5 stars