Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
YA Fantasy, 2019 by Scholastic, 352 Pages
What I Didn’t Like:
- Slow start. It felt like it was trying too hard to rely on the story we know and give this character a similar character ARC.
- Rushed ending. After a slow build up and slow start, I wanted to revel in the part of the story that felt so different. Instead, this is the part that felt rushed.
- Dry characters. For the most part, I didn’t find anything to love about Isabelle or Tavi. I wanted more. I wanted something that felt genuine and the glimpses we were getting weren’t enough.
What I Did Like:
- Fates and Chance. Great idea to introduce Fates mapping out a life and Chance as a character who wants to change fate. I loved everything they brought to the story.
- The story takes an interesting path and arcs away from the original story around the middle. From here, this becomes a unique and interesting story that I thoroughly enjoyed!
- The epilogue leaves things open enough to make it interesting. I like that!
Who Should Read This One:
- Fans of the Cinderella story who enjoy retellings and want something a little different!