A review by richellegoodrich
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

3.0

I picked up this book because it was another retelling of the famous Cinderella story, which I admit is a tale I enjoy in many of its revised forms. I was not expecting the sober and unromantic rendition this turned out to be. The characters in this story could easily have stepped out from our historical past, from the lives of those struggling to acquire basic human necessities to survive. This was not a magical, fairytale version of Cinderella but an attempt to tell the "real" story that, through years of retelling, eventually turned into a more gratifying and fortunate narrative. I found this version to be a dismal and sad story; not the happily ever after I was anticipating.