Review: Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon

Title:  Cinder and Ella
Author:  Melissa Lemon
Genre:  Fairy Tale, YA Fantasy
Pages:  208
Published:  November 2011
Publisher:  Bonneville
Source:  NetGalley

Synopsis:

After their father’s disappearance, Cinder leaves home for a servant job at the castle. But it isn’t long before her sister Ella is brought to the castle herself—the most dangerous place in all the kingdom for both her and Cinder. Cinder and Ella is a Cinderella story like no other and one you'll never forget.

I stumbled on this book quite by accident.  I saw several reviews for it around the blog realm and decided to check it out.  While 'window shopping' through netgalley one afternoon the title popped up - I just had to click request!  I've always been a sucker for fairy tale re-tellings and boy was this one great!

This doesn't follow the traditional tale of Cinderella - Cinder & Ella are sisters.  One leaves home to work at the Royal Castle and the other remains at home to help their mother (not step-mother) and siblings.  Ella's siblings are quite demanding and needy (just like the traditional story!) and their father is absent, not gone like in the original story.

Once of the things I really enjoyed about this story is how unique it was from the original tale.  The prince doesn't rescue the sad young woman from her family, she fends for herself and stands up to evil all on her own.  She has love, but not quite what you would normally expect!  There is adventure, and mystery, love, bratty siblings, missing father, there is hope and a great many things that drew me into the story.

I'm definitely glad I stumbled onto the reviews I did about this book, because it really made me want to read this story.  Melissa Lemon did an amazing job, her characters are extremely well written, the dialogue is engaging and fun.  I was glued to this story from the first paragraph to the last page.

If you enjoy fairy tales - unique re-tellings of the original story then you will love this version!