I really liked this book. (Thanks Betsy for the recommendation and the loan!) I haven't seen the movie yet, but reading the book makes me want to now.
It took me a few pages to get into the book. I'm not usually a fan of fairytales and fantasy beyond children's books, so the whole Ogres, gnomes, fairies, giants talk was a little off-putting at first. But like a good book, once the story developed, I was hooked.
I think that the take on the Cinderella story was good. Original, but it kept enough similarities to make it clever. It's a sweet romantic story, with a spunky Ella. I think she was a fun character, pretty original in that she wanted to be funny, and was strong-willed about her curse.
I also liked the way the curse was resolved. In case the book is different than the movie, or in case I'm not the only one who hasn't seen it, I won't go into detail. But I liked that Ella was a strong character without feeling like feminism was being thrust out a as a central theme.
I also liked the way the curse was resolved. In case the book is different than the movie, or in case I'm not the only one who hasn't seen it, I won't go into detail. But I liked that Ella was a strong character without feeling like feminism was being thrust out a as a central theme.
This is a fun young adult story. Probably even intermediate. I don't think my boys would read it, but I think it would be age appropriate for them.
Was it this movie that made the name Ella so popular a few years later?
