Evoking the darker, original version of the Cinderella story, this new novel by the award-winning author of "Revolution" shows that ugly is in the eye of the beholder, and sends an overlooked character on a journey toward empowerment, redemptionEand a new definition of beauty.
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Evoking the darker, original version of the Cinderella story, this new novel by the award-winning author of "Revolution" shows that ugly is in the eye of the beholder, and sends an overlooked character on a journey toward empowerment, redemptionEand a new definition of beauty.
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Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $7.99, good condition, Sold by Jenson Books Inc rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Logan, UT, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $8.73, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
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Fair. The cover has visible markings and wear. Some corner dings. The dust jacket shows normal wear and tear. The pages show normal wear and tear. Codes or product keys that accompany this product may not be valid. Fast Shipping in a Standard Poly Mailer!
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $8.78, good condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $8.78, fair condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $9.63, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $9.63, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $9.63, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $9.73, good condition, Sold by Blue Vase Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Interlochen, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $11.00, like new condition, Sold by HPB-Blue rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
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Very Good. Very Good condition. Very Good dust jacket. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp. Bundled media such as CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or access codes may not be included.
"Stop burdening the gods. Stop cursing the devil. They will make no path for you. They gave you their dark gifts: reason and will. Now you must make your own way.
What's done is done. Whether to you, or by you, and you cannot change it.
But what's not done is not done.
And there, both hope and hazard lie. Believe that you can make your way. Or don't. Either way you are right. Every war is different, yet each battle is the same. The enemy is only a distraction. The thing you are fighting against, always, is yourself."
Long ago, in a small town in France named St Michel, there lived a beautiful girl and her two ugly stepsisters. We have all heard her story a thousand times, and fallen in love with the lovely downtrodden girl, always kind and hopeful despite all of the terrible things that have happened to her. When she wins her prince and all of her dreams come true, her story finds it's happily-ever-after, but Isabelle, her stepsister's story is only just beginning. She may have chosen to be mean in the past, but how much of what has happened was Chance, and how much was Fate?
This story picks up as Cinderella ends. What ever became of the ugly stepsisters and their tyrannical mother? Jennifer Donnelly spins a delightful tale of magic, fear, love, penance and bravery. The characters that were always 2 dimensional are suddenly larger than life, and leave you wondering if we were right to judge them by their covers for all these years. These stepsisters are not truly wicked even from the start - they feel remorse and fear, and every human emotion you might expect if you took a moment to humanise them. This story brings to light the choices they made and the things Fate threw at them which made them the way that they are today.
This is one of the best feminist books I think I have read to date. Isabelle turns slowly into a gloriously strong and independent woman, and the story is all about how women can be every bit as fierce as men, and every bit as clever. I loved that there were still brilliant male characters in the story as well, which lends truth to the message instead of becoming anti-man as much as pro-female. I am in love with the replacement Donnelly made for the typical kindly fairy-godmother. Tannaquil the fairy queen is ferocious and earthy and savage, and I think it fits the tone of the story beautifully. Doing what it takes to make your dreams come true is not a clean and easy business, it can take perseverance and questioning what you believe in, and ultimately questioning what it is you really want. The trio of Chance, Fate and Tannaquil was beautiful, I love how they balance each other out, each of them working for what they believe to be the best future.
I also adored the role of the mice, which was true to the Disney cartoon we all love. They were sweet and caring, and very very cute.
I absolutely love the mix of historical setting and outright fairytale, and the darker tone is mysterious and true to the nature of the original tale. I would definitely recommend this book to fairytale lovers, even ones that don't typically enjoy a retelling or twisted tale. It's good fun, and it doesn't change or ruin the nature of the original story in the least; it is it's own narrative with wonderful characters and some very inspiring messages.
One of my favourite things about the prose is the way that the author sometimes speaks directly to the reader - I found those passages to be some of the most interesting and impactful pieces of writing.
Ultimately I think that Jennifer Donnelly did a fantastic job with Stepsister, both carefully stewarding the integrity of a classic fairytale we all love, whilst simultaneously creating her own ingenious twists and fairytale elements with a professional hand.
