Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book and the twist that it put on Cinderella. I was really unsure at the beginning, but enjoyed it more and more as the story built. My only suggestion I could make regarding this story would be that the characters didn't get much time to develop, taking this one idea and breaking it into 2 or 3 books would have given them the time to develop so that anyone reading could appreciate how the Prince ended up like he was and to better understand Cinder and Ella and who they are and their talents. I truly loved the idea that we are connected to other living things within our "kingdom" (don't want to give anything away by saying what they were connected to).  It is something that I can relate to and is a part of my life. Being connected to those things around me was a feeling I had before I met my husband and his Grandma was Native American and would tell him how her tribe was connected to the wolf, I loved hearing this story and having it continue to be a part of our family. So, within this story it didn't seem far fetched at all to have their kingdom be attached to another "living" thing within their kingdom. The bond between the sisters was inspiring and so true to what my life is like, it was also true to what can happen when outside influences can bring between sisters (or siblings). Even with family relationships strained, these amazing characters stayed there by each other and cared for one another, they show us that even though life has hardships and you can allow yourself to become bitter and uncaring, it is so much more rewarding to do what you can to care for each other. I totally think this is a good read, but like I said at the beginning, I wish I could have known more about Cinder's time at the Palace and the Prince among other things.  Definitely a fun kingdom to visit!



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