mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
5.0
I've been taking more chances on books this year which while good for personal growth has not been so good for personal enjoyment. But, this series is amazing and I'm so glad I found it.
I was worried about this companion novel because I loved Grounded so much and was worried that this book wouldn't be as good - or even worse actively bad. I needn't have worried. To my immense gratitude Morrison maintained the same level of high quality.
This is the story of Cinderella with a labor reform twist. Ella has lived her whole life in squalor, forced to watch her mother waste away working in a sweatshop spinning silk for the Garment Guild; the backbone of the Blue Kingdom. After her father hits it big with a new invention her whole life changes. Now, saddled with an ‘evil’ stepmother, two step-siblings, and a whole mess of expectations she never wanted she’s determined to stay true to herself no matter the cost.
I think Ella is the core to the story because she’s definitely the catalyst for change, but there are two other characters equally as important to her. Prince Dash and Serge, who are seen briefly in Grounded, have been upgraded to top billing in this one.
Ella is a total spitfire. She believes strongly in her cause and she is more than willing to argue with you if you cross her. It’s extremely gratifying to see a strong female protagonist where physicality doesn’t come into play at all. She’s staunch in her convictions, but it’s balanced with her compassionate countenance. It’s way too common to have the outspoken female character be needlessly nasty because it’s ‘cool’ to be aloof. Ella cares a lot and personally, I find that way more endearing. Despite being absolutely right about people deserving basic rights in regards to working, she has a lot to learn about how to actually achieve this for them. I liked how this book addressed all sides of the argument. Ella was right from the beginning, people were absolutely being mistreated, however, this book took a very realistic approach to the whole situation. It took the time to explore what Ella reasonably could or could not do as well as the realities of the business side. I enjoyed seeing Ella learn how to weave the two sides together without compromising her integrity or values overall.
Prince Dash is a total sweetheart who is just trying his best. He’s the first Charming in decades to not be under the Charming curse laid upon them by the witch Enveria. He now has to find out who he is without the curse influencing his decisions. And who he is, is an anxious, easily flustered kid who I sympathized with immensely. My favorite aspect of his character was his willingness to learn. Yes, he had his stumbles, but I appreciated that he was so open minded. It completely avoided the whole ‘woman needs to teach a man to be a person’ trope. Ella wasn’t the sole reason he cared about the ethics involved in the Garment Guilds’ shops. He genuinely wanted to do better and sought out knowledge on his own. Ella aided in his growth, but he definitely did the heavy lifting.
Serge is the Executive Fairy Godfather of The Glass Slipper, a fairy godparent service akin to that of social workers in real life. As Executive Fairy Godfather he’s second only to Bejeweled, his lazy, glory hungry boss, who happens to be the most famed Blue Fairy in the kingdom. Serge has been waiting for decades for Bejeweled to finally fulfill her promise to hand over the company to him so he can return it to its former glory. With the help of his new apprentice Jasper, the first Crimson Fairy to ever work at The Glass Slipper, Serge starts to realize there’s more than one way to help people as long as you’re willing to work at it.
(Also I kind of shipped Serge and Jasper? Like the chemistry actually rivaled that of Ella and Prince Dash. I loved how Jasper brought out this softer side to Serge and seeing Serge learn to open up again because of Jasper. It had huge ‘grumpy curmudgeon with sunshine sweet pea’ energy. But, it was kind of weird though because Jasper is younger than Serge, but they’re both hundreds of years old so I can’t tell if the age gap should be a Thing or not. Like, is Jasper equivalent to an early 20s adult or does it not matter once you've lived for so long? Like I’m into it, but cautiously.)
Basically, there is a ton of corruption in the Blue Kingdom from all sides. This book really makes it a point to show how it takes a village to root it out. Ella is new money trying to force the upper class to see their workers as actual people. Prince Dash is old money trying to fight old prejudice and assumptions. Serge is fighting for the people who fall through the cracks. And for all the good they do there’s still more work to be done. It’s not only a great lesson for the intended demographic, but an investing set of circumstances.
That being said, there were still flaws. The middle of the book stalls a bit. Once Ella and Dash begin to get along there’s a decent chunk where nothing is happening to move the plot. It focuses more on their relationship which I liked seeing develop, however, I didn’t feel it was balanced well with how pressing the work they were doing was supposed to be. It kind of felt like they took a break from the plot to do the romance. And for all my praise of how well it depicts the entirety of the labor reform argument, it lacks in detail in this part. I wanted to see more of the living conditions as well as more opinions from other peasants that weren’t Ella. Like Ella has a best friend Kit who completely disappears after her initial appearance. I think it would have benefitted from having someone who was still on the ground floor offer their insight and input to the policies they were coming up with. Similarly there is a girl who previously was rich who is losing her station due to her family’s business going bankrupt. She’s actually nice to Ella and I would have liked to see her perspective as someone starting from the top falling from grace on the new policies especially since her family was the only good workplace in the Garment Guild. Ella is supposed to be the bridge; I wanted to talk to more people on both sides to expand more the world.
Similarly, Serge disappears. It made me question his Godfather skills because it looked like he was neglecting his duties since we weren’t getting his perspective. It also was weird that his significance decreased so much considering how essential he is to the ending. I would have liked to hear more about his requirements as a Godfather from day to day and more development for Jasper since Jasper only gets one POV chapter at the very end.
I never lost interest and the third act more than made up for these weaker parts so I didn’t drop a star, but it was definitely noticeable enough that I did consider it.
I loved that Ella’s stepmother wasn’t really evil. She had a prickly disposition, but she truly cared for Ella. Ella just had to let her in. Same with the step-siblings (minus the prickliness). I low-key still think her dad is trash, but hey he comes around at least. The Rapunzel/Jack cameo was cute. Though, without Rapunzel’s inner monologue she does come off as annoying.
Another great book by Megan Morrison. I’ve got the last book (so far I hope) on the way now and I cannot wait to get to it.
I was worried about this companion novel because I loved Grounded so much and was worried that this book wouldn't be as good - or even worse actively bad. I needn't have worried. To my immense gratitude Morrison maintained the same level of high quality.
This is the story of Cinderella with a labor reform twist. Ella has lived her whole life in squalor, forced to watch her mother waste away working in a sweatshop spinning silk for the Garment Guild; the backbone of the Blue Kingdom. After her father hits it big with a new invention her whole life changes. Now, saddled with an ‘evil’ stepmother, two step-siblings, and a whole mess of expectations she never wanted she’s determined to stay true to herself no matter the cost.
I think Ella is the core to the story because she’s definitely the catalyst for change, but there are two other characters equally as important to her. Prince Dash and Serge, who are seen briefly in Grounded, have been upgraded to top billing in this one.
Ella is a total spitfire. She believes strongly in her cause and she is more than willing to argue with you if you cross her. It’s extremely gratifying to see a strong female protagonist where physicality doesn’t come into play at all. She’s staunch in her convictions, but it’s balanced with her compassionate countenance. It’s way too common to have the outspoken female character be needlessly nasty because it’s ‘cool’ to be aloof. Ella cares a lot and personally, I find that way more endearing. Despite being absolutely right about people deserving basic rights in regards to working, she has a lot to learn about how to actually achieve this for them. I liked how this book addressed all sides of the argument. Ella was right from the beginning, people were absolutely being mistreated, however, this book took a very realistic approach to the whole situation. It took the time to explore what Ella reasonably could or could not do as well as the realities of the business side. I enjoyed seeing Ella learn how to weave the two sides together without compromising her integrity or values overall.
Prince Dash is a total sweetheart who is just trying his best. He’s the first Charming in decades to not be under the Charming curse laid upon them by the witch Enveria. He now has to find out who he is without the curse influencing his decisions. And who he is, is an anxious, easily flustered kid who I sympathized with immensely. My favorite aspect of his character was his willingness to learn. Yes, he had his stumbles, but I appreciated that he was so open minded. It completely avoided the whole ‘woman needs to teach a man to be a person’ trope. Ella wasn’t the sole reason he cared about the ethics involved in the Garment Guilds’ shops. He genuinely wanted to do better and sought out knowledge on his own. Ella aided in his growth, but he definitely did the heavy lifting.
Serge is the Executive Fairy Godfather of The Glass Slipper, a fairy godparent service akin to that of social workers in real life. As Executive Fairy Godfather he’s second only to Bejeweled, his lazy, glory hungry boss, who happens to be the most famed Blue Fairy in the kingdom. Serge has been waiting for decades for Bejeweled to finally fulfill her promise to hand over the company to him so he can return it to its former glory. With the help of his new apprentice Jasper, the first Crimson Fairy to ever work at The Glass Slipper, Serge starts to realize there’s more than one way to help people as long as you’re willing to work at it.
(Also I kind of shipped Serge and Jasper? Like the chemistry actually rivaled that of Ella and Prince Dash. I loved how Jasper brought out this softer side to Serge and seeing Serge learn to open up again because of Jasper. It had huge ‘grumpy curmudgeon with sunshine sweet pea’ energy. But, it was kind of weird though because Jasper is younger than Serge, but they’re both hundreds of years old so I can’t tell if the age gap should be a Thing or not. Like, is Jasper equivalent to an early 20s adult or does it not matter once you've lived for so long? Like I’m into it, but cautiously.)
Basically, there is a ton of corruption in the Blue Kingdom from all sides. This book really makes it a point to show how it takes a village to root it out. Ella is new money trying to force the upper class to see their workers as actual people. Prince Dash is old money trying to fight old prejudice and assumptions. Serge is fighting for the people who fall through the cracks. And for all the good they do there’s still more work to be done. It’s not only a great lesson for the intended demographic, but an investing set of circumstances.
That being said, there were still flaws. The middle of the book stalls a bit. Once Ella and Dash begin to get along there’s a decent chunk where nothing is happening to move the plot. It focuses more on their relationship which I liked seeing develop, however, I didn’t feel it was balanced well with how pressing the work they were doing was supposed to be. It kind of felt like they took a break from the plot to do the romance. And for all my praise of how well it depicts the entirety of the labor reform argument, it lacks in detail in this part. I wanted to see more of the living conditions as well as more opinions from other peasants that weren’t Ella. Like Ella has a best friend Kit who completely disappears after her initial appearance. I think it would have benefitted from having someone who was still on the ground floor offer their insight and input to the policies they were coming up with. Similarly there is a girl who previously was rich who is losing her station due to her family’s business going bankrupt. She’s actually nice to Ella and I would have liked to see her perspective as someone starting from the top falling from grace on the new policies especially since her family was the only good workplace in the Garment Guild. Ella is supposed to be the bridge; I wanted to talk to more people on both sides to expand more the world.
Similarly, Serge disappears. It made me question his Godfather skills because it looked like he was neglecting his duties since we weren’t getting his perspective. It also was weird that his significance decreased so much considering how essential he is to the ending. I would have liked to hear more about his requirements as a Godfather from day to day and more development for Jasper since Jasper only gets one POV chapter at the very end.
I never lost interest and the third act more than made up for these weaker parts so I didn’t drop a star, but it was definitely noticeable enough that I did consider it.
I loved that Ella’s stepmother wasn’t really evil. She had a prickly disposition, but she truly cared for Ella. Ella just had to let her in. Same with the step-siblings (minus the prickliness). I low-key still think her dad is trash, but hey he comes around at least. The Rapunzel/Jack cameo was cute. Though, without Rapunzel’s inner monologue she does come off as annoying.
Another great book by Megan Morrison. I’ve got the last book (so far I hope) on the way now and I cannot wait to get to it.
bookmarklit's review against another edition
4.0
This was so cute! I really loved the characters and was always intrigued to see what would happen next. I don’t know why but I feel like it could’ve been a litttttle shorter? Either way, this was a nice way to finish the readathon. I had another book planned but my heart wasn’t in it this weekend. I’ll probably add more review later.
jinglesmell1337's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Body horror
pertinent_sonder's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think I can safely expect to not be disappointed by Morrison, even though this is only the second of her books. This is a Cinderella retelling, but if you're looking for romance, it's not here (as the genre tags clued me in). Morrison takes the original whimsical story of Cinderella and turns it completely around.
The characters are, yet again, real, relatable, and inspiring. Almost all of the main characters grow throughout the book, whether it be in how they judge or act. I really liked the way she wrote Ella's step-family.
The world building was thorough, while not being too much.
The only thing I didn't like was the lack of romance between Dash and Ella. I guess I get it though, since they were pretty awkward around each other at first, and neither had any real experience.
Overall, I loved it. Read the second half in almost one sitting.
The characters are, yet again, real, relatable, and inspiring. Almost all of the main characters grow throughout the book, whether it be in how they judge or act. I really liked the way she wrote Ella's step-family.
The world building was thorough, while not being too much.
The only thing I didn't like was the lack of romance between Dash and Ella. I guess I get it though, since they were pretty awkward around each other at first, and neither had any real experience.
Spoiler
The relationship between Serge and Jasper was on the other end of the spectrum. At first, I shipped them as a joke. As the story progressed, though, their chemistry was palpable. Unfortunately, it was not clear if they actually ended up together. Maybe it was to keep the Karens from complaining :pOverall, I loved it. Read the second half in almost one sitting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Classism, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, Grief, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Vomit, and War
bloomingrose92's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Fun fairytale book with surprisingly deep connections to real life -- both of the deep negative impact of the clothing industry (which is still very applicable with cheap labor use boarding on slavery that still lives today) and of the loss of self when meeting the ever-greedy consumerist society. A good, balance book on how to enact change with unfair systems with a well-woven storybook setting.
ephermeyal's review against another edition
5.0
This is such a great book! I can't be that specific since I read this about two weeks ago, I guess? In fact, I'm just guessing the read date. But still, I'm pretty sure this is a 5-star read.
I mean, I don't remember much but I'm pretty sure I loved the characters. They're great. Really. Most of them are multi-faceted, as far as I know.
Will reread this someday.
I mean, I don't remember much but I'm pretty sure I loved the characters. They're great. Really. Most of them are multi-faceted, as far as I know.
Will reread this someday.
gaiusgermanicus's review against another edition
1.0
1. the MC is named Elegance Coach. YIKES
2. bad worldbuilding, lackluster descriptions
3. nigh unreadable
4. when I checked the publishing year I wasn't surprised to see it was 2016, very obviously written by someone consumed with white guilt and trying to preach about class inequality
5. trying to imitate The tale of Despereaux and failing
6. the MC is this orphan girl whose mother sends a letter to some fairies saying "please give her riches and privilege, I know she'll use them well, unlike the other quints (quint is meant to be an insulting word for rich)".
But the thing is, the letter takes a couple years to get to the fairies and by that time the MC's dad and thus the MC become rich. The MC goes to the best school in the kingdom with the high society powerful children.
And what does she do with this privilege and money and status? Does she "use them well"? No, she complains, she bitches, she moans about it. She's so "not like other girls" she carries around yarn and crocheting needles and even pulls them up during an important event attended by the prince. Who ofc notices this "special" girl who is crocheting during the meal instead of interacting with her classmates.
Give me a fucking break.
I dropped it at 25% in.
2. bad worldbuilding, lackluster descriptions
3. nigh unreadable
4. when I checked the publishing year I wasn't surprised to see it was 2016, very obviously written by someone consumed with white guilt and trying to preach about class inequality
5. trying to imitate The tale of Despereaux and failing
6. the MC is this orphan girl whose mother sends a letter to some fairies saying "please give her riches and privilege, I know she'll use them well, unlike the other quints (quint is meant to be an insulting word for rich)".
But the thing is, the letter takes a couple years to get to the fairies and by that time the MC's dad and thus the MC become rich. The MC goes to the best school in the kingdom with the high society powerful children.
And what does she do with this privilege and money and status? Does she "use them well"? No, she complains, she bitches, she moans about it. She's so "not like other girls" she carries around yarn and crocheting needles and even pulls them up during an important event attended by the prince. Who ofc notices this "special" girl who is crocheting during the meal instead of interacting with her classmates.
Give me a fucking break.
I dropped it at 25% in.
fairytale42's review against another edition
4.0
This was....good. It had realistic characters and a complex enough plot to keep me engaged. (And I love Serge, and I want him to be my uncle.) Overall, though, it was missing that...magic from the first one. I wanted a deep relationship like Jack and Rapunzel had, with the new twists and turns from the magical world of Tyme. This was still a great book, but it had its issues.
1. Ella was a spunky heroine, but she did have a bad temper, and struggled with holding grudges, which made it hard for me to love her like I normally do with main characters.
2. There was a fair amount of kissing. Like, a lot. And I did not expect that, and it was too much for me. (Cute, short kisses I can handle, even if there are a lot of them, but seriously, this one was too much.)
3. There were a few allusions to gay relationships, which I don't personally support. But it's not the main part of the book, so I let it slide.
4. This one felt like it had a platform for helping the impoverished - which is fantastic, however...I felt like it was almost shoving it down your throat. Good, but overwhelming.
So, I'd read it again, but maybe not a third time. Hoping the next book will bring everything from the first book back - all the magic and fun.
1. Ella was a spunky heroine, but she did have a bad temper, and struggled with holding grudges, which made it hard for me to love her like I normally do with main characters.
2. There was a fair amount of kissing. Like, a lot. And I did not expect that, and it was too much for me. (Cute, short kisses I can handle, even if there are a lot of them, but seriously, this one was too much.)
3. There were a few allusions to gay relationships, which I don't personally support. But it's not the main part of the book, so I let it slide.
4. This one felt like it had a platform for helping the impoverished - which is fantastic, however...I felt like it was almost shoving it down your throat. Good, but overwhelming.
So, I'd read it again, but maybe not a third time. Hoping the next book will bring everything from the first book back - all the magic and fun.
holtfan's review against another edition
5.0
Is this book worth 5 stars? To be honest, I'm not really sure! However, it was one of those books that conspired with my mood and the weather and took me so much by surprise that I feel it deserves the 5 stars. I really, unexpectedly, enjoyed this one.
Though billed as a "Cinderella retelling," this book breaks from the usual Cinderella mold and has very little to do with the original story. In fact, it is more like the story of what happened to Cinderella's son. Glass slippers, fairy godmothers (er, fathers), and step-family do play a vital role in the story! Just not the way you probably think.
I think one reason I really enjoyed this book is that it felt so...unexpectedly original. Sure, there is that Ever After High vibe going with Coterie Preparatory School but it transcends that with really solid, interesting characters and social justice themes. Maybe I have been reading too much YA, but it sure was nice to have a couple interested in something other than each other.
That said, if I have one complaint with this book, it would be the romance. It got a little too intense too fast for my taste.
Maturer themes and kissing from the couple put this book about as far into YA as you can go without really being a YA novel.
I solidly enjoyed this book. I kind of wish I had realized it was a sequel/companion book before jumping in, but I do not think it hindered my reading too much.
I love, love, love Serge.
I'm looking forward to reading the first book in this series and eagerly await the third one!
Though billed as a "Cinderella retelling," this book breaks from the usual Cinderella mold and has very little to do with the original story. In fact, it is more like the story of what happened to Cinderella's son. Glass slippers, fairy godmothers (er, fathers), and step-family do play a vital role in the story! Just not the way you probably think.
I think one reason I really enjoyed this book is that it felt so...unexpectedly original. Sure, there is that Ever After High vibe going with Coterie Preparatory School but it transcends that with really solid, interesting characters and social justice themes. Maybe I have been reading too much YA, but it sure was nice to have a couple interested in something other than each other.
That said, if I have one complaint with this book, it would be the romance. It got a little too intense too fast for my taste.
Maturer themes and kissing from the couple put this book about as far into YA as you can go without really being a YA novel.
I solidly enjoyed this book. I kind of wish I had realized it was a sequel/companion book before jumping in, but I do not think it hindered my reading too much.
I love, love, love Serge.
I'm looking forward to reading the first book in this series and eagerly await the third one!