maria_elisabeth's review
2.0
Very boring and cheesy, and the audio narrator was bad, sounded like Siri would have been reading at times....
roseice's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully written. An author to watch; I'm looking forward to checking out her other novels.
catyalice's review against another edition
4.0
Cute story! I loved the characters and their interactions. All the plot twists kept me going. Definitely a book for some young fairy tale readers!
scribesprite's review against another edition
4.0
A very enjoyable book. Its got a good pace; it doesn't suck you in from the get go but it doesn't take too long to get the plot started. Lucinda is a likeable character. She gets tricked but she isn't stupid. She isn't mean but isn't a pushover. Overall she is a well rounded character.
The other characters are very interesting too. Like Peter, who is a bit self-centered but funny. Beryle who is kind and giving but has a dark secret.
The story got me hooked. Its got the bad guy, a few surprises, and all that. One thing I couldn't really get was the romance part of the book. At first she just seems to like the guy, have a bit of a crush, but then all of a sudden she loves him. Its not that the guy isn't good, I got that much but Lucinda didn't spend a lot of time with him to get his full character is all. I still liked it though.
However near the end I couldn't help but feel that everything was not resolved in a nice neat bow. The book could stand on its own I guess without a sequel of any kind but I heard that there is one and I hope its true.
The other characters are very interesting too. Like Peter, who is a bit self-centered but funny. Beryle who is kind and giving but has a dark secret.
The story got me hooked. Its got the bad guy, a few surprises, and all that. One thing I couldn't really get was the romance part of the book. At first she just seems to like the guy, have a bit of a crush, but then all of a sudden she loves him. Its not that the guy isn't good, I got that much but Lucinda didn't spend a lot of time with him to get his full character is all. I still liked it though.
However near the end I couldn't help but feel that everything was not resolved in a nice neat bow. The book could stand on its own I guess without a sequel of any kind but I heard that there is one and I hope its true.
lumos_libros's review against another edition
4.0
Don't you love it when the book has a pretty cover? It makes the whole experience of reading that much better. Really . You know when you finish and look at the book longingly it makes you think " yeah the story deserved such a wonderful cover ". Ok now on to the story and to stop rambling about pretty pictures....
I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings so I went expecting to like it and that I did. This book uses some of the traditional Cinderella signatures. She is born of a wealthy family, later orphaned, meets a prince, has something like a fairy godmother, but Berry makes the whole tale spin into something incredibly original. Lucinda, our main character, is the one who holds the whole story together. She is feisty, vulnerable, loyal, stronger than she thinks, and funny in that way back when way.
The plot is fairly original like I mentioned. There are some twists but nothing way too shocking. The godmother of the story is a character you won't forget. I hope we see some kind of sequel to this book to see more of what happens to her and that retched stone. Beautiful but very troublesome. Peter the street thief is great. He is a little conceited I guess but I loved the way things ended up for him. Gregor is a dreamboat even if we don't get to see him that much.
I did have some qualms about the ending though. It isn't as neat as I would have hoped. Like when nobody really seems to care or notice what happened to the villain? What's up with that? Also we aren't sure if Lucinda tells Gregor how the big showdown happened. One thing I really did give kudo points to Lucinda for is that her whole happiness didn't cling on to the prince, but at the same time you knew she really cared and loved him. Not easy to do but the author did it.
I can't believe I almost forgot to mention Dog the goat. He's the real hero of the story:) You'll see when you read it.
I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings so I went expecting to like it and that I did. This book uses some of the traditional Cinderella signatures. She is born of a wealthy family, later orphaned, meets a prince, has something like a fairy godmother, but Berry makes the whole tale spin into something incredibly original. Lucinda, our main character, is the one who holds the whole story together. She is feisty, vulnerable, loyal, stronger than she thinks, and funny in that way back when way.
The plot is fairly original like I mentioned. There are some twists but nothing way too shocking. The godmother of the story is a character you won't forget. I hope we see some kind of sequel to this book to see more of what happens to her and that retched stone. Beautiful but very troublesome. Peter the street thief is great. He is a little conceited I guess but I loved the way things ended up for him. Gregor is a dreamboat even if we don't get to see him that much.
I did have some qualms about the ending though. It isn't as neat as I would have hoped. Like when nobody really seems to care or notice what happened to the villain? What's up with that? Also we aren't sure if Lucinda tells Gregor how the big showdown happened. One thing I really did give kudo points to Lucinda for is that her whole happiness didn't cling on to the prince, but at the same time you knew she really cared and loved him. Not easy to do but the author did it.
I can't believe I almost forgot to mention Dog the goat. He's the real hero of the story:) You'll see when you read it.
huiranghae's review against another edition
4.0
So . . . where do I begin? Basically this is a book that takes place I'm guessing in the 13, 14oo's, but there are no realistic historical figures. The book for it's size has an unbelievable amount of plot, but is not rushed or sloppy. You start in a second rate jewelry store as a maid with an evil aunt and end up in a comfortable house but then to the streets, worse off then when you started. There are lots of problems in the begining. At first you believe the main problem with her aunt, then the customer, then a thief, then the whole stone dilema. The true problem only makes itself clear later on. I don't even know the purpose all the stuff in the begining served. But it was extremely entertaining and full of suspense, and sometimes thats all you need. And as it serves its purpose it flows into the main problem smoothly. The story is well written and the plot is great and interesting. To complement the plot Julie Berry created real and life like characters you can relate to. It combines fantasy and fiction, realisy with what is unsure, and surprising twists in the plot. This is definatly a great read I would suggest to all who love these things.
trankin's review against another edition
3.0
A very sweet story. I enjoyed reading it and would give it almost 4 stars, however, the writing was not that great.
poppycasgabs's review against another edition
4.0
I can honestly say I don't even remember what this book is about anymore. I think it has something to do with a flower, and girl who meets a witch. And pebbles, and a well, and other worlds...Honestly, I'm getting this book confused with The Faerie Ring, or not?. They are similar, I think. I need to re-read this. Wait! Nope, yes, I think the girl lives with her aunt and uncle. Her aunt is EVIL and when her uncle dies, she tosses her out into the street, but not before a boy steals something from her aunt. She tries to get it back, and then the story begins. I remember now!
greenhearted101's review against another edition
4.0
3.9 out of 5
The book itself was super fun; just the perfect kind of lighthearted/feel good fantasy read you want between heavier reads. I liked the story and the world building also; I could imagine it all very vividly. That being said, the main character was insufferable, couldn’t stand her. And I found the end of the book rather confusing and unsatisfying, leaving many questions. But still that didn’t stop me from enjoying this book very much; it was a lovely read and I had great fun with it.
The book itself was super fun; just the perfect kind of lighthearted/feel good fantasy read you want between heavier reads. I liked the story and the world building also; I could imagine it all very vividly. That being said, the main character was insufferable, couldn’t stand her. And I found the end of the book rather confusing and unsatisfying, leaving many questions. But still that didn’t stop me from enjoying this book very much; it was a lovely read and I had great fun with it.
jasmyn9's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic new take on the Cinderella story - Lucinda lives with her aunt and uncle in a jewelry store where she meets the Amaranth Witch, a prince, and a young street urchin/con-artist. The three take her on a wild ride involving magic, destiny, and mistaken identities. A thoroughly enjoyable story all the way through.