Cinder and Ella

Jun 16, 2011 Aleetha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

When someone mentions Cinderella, I will straightly remember about her wicked step mother and sisters, a fairy godmother, the glass shoes, a great ball, and a prince charming with his castle. It is so easy to retell the story. But when I saw Cinder and Ella, I got no clue. I wondered what the author brought to the surface. How much it was related to the original story was the main question.

In the beginning Mellisa Lemon, the author, has warned the reader that in Cinder and Ella, there would not...more When someone mentions Cinderella, I will straightly remember about her wicked step mother and sisters, a fairy godmother, the glass shoes, a great ball, and a prince charming with his castle. It is so easy to retell the story. But when I saw Cinder and Ella, I got no clue. I wondered what the author brought to the surface. How much it was related to the original story was the main question.

In the beginning Mellisa Lemon, the author, has warned the reader that in Cinder and Ella, there would not be any fairy godmother who could grant any wishes. There was not any prince charming. She told us to left the entire tale behind. Cinder and Ella brought a different story. It’s about two sisters who used to have a happy life with their parents and two other sisters in Willow Top. But everything changed when the prince came and met their father. Few days after, their father disappeared. A comfortable dwelling suddenly turned into hell. Quarrelling between the siblings happened almost everyday. Nasty words were in the air. Two of them just could not stop screaming or whining. If Katrina was the most demanding, Beatrice, the youngest, become much more spoiled. Adelle, their mother did not do anything but sat at an spinning wheel. She could no longer care her four daughters. So all things related to household was run by the remaining one, Cinder and Ella.

Cinder did everything without any complaint. Ella, herself, stayed in the house because Cinder was there. So when her sister decided to work at castle to get more money for the family, Ella chose to leave the house. Because she found no more reason to stay with her family who has totally forgotten her. After sometimes, the destiny brought Ella to the castle. Not only met Cinder, but she also found some revealed facts about her long lost father. She had nothing with her but she knew that she had to move fast or the evil prince would win everything.

The idea in Cinder and Ella was unique. I like the adventure inside. Almost all characters were interesting. Ella was my favorite. Her strength made me like her. Although they were so annoying, Katrina and Beatrice played a good role. Some knights were also in a great shape. The plain Cinder even took a part that made this book become special.

However I did not enjoy all of the part of the story. I almost lost my interest in the end of the book. Especially when it connected to the vicious prince. I was glad that I was not lost and could finish the book. But I still recommend this book to anyone.

Cover
If you have read the book, you will understand why they put the tree in the front. But I wish I could see Cinder or Ella, even both of them.(less)

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Jul 11, 2011 Mariah Overlock rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved the different story elements Melissa gave to this version. This time, Cinderella's mother is still alive, though she may as well not be. And the prince has a much more, um, active role in the story than in most Cinderella tales. She created some great villains altogether.

I would have liked to see a bit more of Cinder in the story. Most of it focuses around Ella so I didn't feel nearly as connected to Cinder. Many of the characters were well developed, though, and made me come back to th...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Ellen Isabella rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, arc, e-book, netgalley, fairytale-and-retelling

“Sometimes, things come to you whether you go looking for them or not – danger, disaster… love.” (p. 94)

Cinder and Ella are sisters. They live happily with their parents and two other sisters until one day a wicked prince comes to their house with a dark power. It is not long after, that their father goes away and leaves them without any notice or news. Cinder and Ella have to live and work hard for the family. Their lives are not easy after their father has gone, things change in the family. Th...more “Sometimes, things come to you whether you go looking for them or not – danger, disaster… love.” (p. 94)

Cinder and Ella are sisters. They live happily with their parents and two other sisters until one day a wicked prince comes to their house with a dark power. It is not long after, that their father goes away and leaves them without any notice or news. Cinder and Ella have to live and work hard for the family. Their lives are not easy after their father has gone, things change in the family. They also have to face their two annoying sisters and uncaring mother.

One day, Cinder goes out of the village to help finding things for her sister and there she gets an offer to work in the castle. When she has to leave her house for work, Ella starts to worry about her future living in the house where she is hardly being accepted by her mother and sisters. Then she plans to run away from the house and she finds a new life with other family who has loved her dearly. But it doesn’t last long because suddenly the wicked prince comes back, that he has planned something for Ella. Ella has to struggle to fight the prince so to save her father and her family.

I enjoyed most parts of the story. It is well-told and the flow is smooth. I can feel strong atmosphere of a fairy tale. The story line is different from the Cinderella story we used to know. While Cinder is described to be more naïve, gentle and loving, Ella is more independent, smart and rebellious. But both of them have a good heart that can beat the evil power.

Ella shows a lot of effort and bravery to fight the dark power. Although she is living a hard life, she never gives up. She finally finds a true love and savors her life after. It leaves me cheering for her life. As well with Cinder, good life awaits her. Beautiful things finally happen in their lives.

It’s just the ending that bothers me. Some things seem to be left unfinished, though it still ends sweetly. For example, I still wonder what happens to Cinder and Ella's mother. I don't get why doesn't she recognize Ella. It wasn't mention anywhere apart of Cinder's explanation which doesn't make sense either. But overall, I liked the story for the engrossing plot and the writing style is also really attractive. For that, I awarded 4 stars to this book.(less)

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Jan 14, 2013 Libby rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tale-retelling, fantasy, children-s-fiction

I stumbled upon Cinder and Ella in the young adult section of my library and looked forward to trying it out. I love fairy tale retellings and the more creative the better. However, I got about 3/4 of the way through and couldn't force myself to finish this one. Lemon has a unique approach to the Cinderella story, but I'm afraid the execution needs some help. Before continuing with my review, know that I read with the intended audience in mind, but I can't entirely ignore my training and my pers...more

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Jan 08, 2013 03KaeleyS added it

Cinder and Ella is a fantastic novel. Full of exciting facts. In this romance and action packed book taking place in a magical forest filled with danger and love. Cinder a beautiful young lady with brown hair, and big hazel eyes is a sister to three other sisters, including: Ella a beautiful young lady with ashy grey hair and beautiful and big blue eyes, then comes Katrina who is so full of herself, then comes Beatrice, a little terd bucket i must say.

"If you drink water and breathe air then you...more Cinder and Ella is a fantastic novel. Full of exciting facts. In this romance and action packed book taking place in a magical forest filled with danger and love. Cinder a beautiful young lady with brown hair, and big hazel eyes is a sister to three other sisters, including: Ella a beautiful young lady with ashy grey hair and beautiful and big blue eyes, then comes Katrina who is so full of herself, then comes Beatrice, a little terd bucket i must say.

"If you drink water and breathe air then you have heard the story of cinderella, and if you drink water and breathe air you have heard it all wrong."(pg. 1)
Cinder and Ella's family was any family you could ever ask for, a loving dad and mom, sisters that played with one another until their hearts content, and a cute little cottage in Willow top. Who could ask for anything better, Until one day it all changed. The prince came to cinder and ella's door one late night and asked that their father come with him, the father without question left with the prince, and the girls and the wife never saw their father again.

Cinder and Ella didn't have the life they wanted afterwards Katrina and Beatrice always fighting, and ripping each others hair out. Their mother always spinning wool never stopping even to help kids or even talk to them, so without a dad a mom to help or Katrina and Beatrice to help because they where so spoiled, all the chores and duties where left up to Cinder and Ella to accomplish. Cinder got a job at the castle as a maid which she found enjoyment in, and Ella found a job as a babysitter. Ella was found and brought to the castle by three men Tanner, William, and Flesher. Ella found some love along the way, she fell in love with Tanner the knight.

Ella finds her dad locked up in the princes tower, and she almost gets killed trying to kill the prince and his tree (everyone has their own tree).
Finally the prince is thrown out for all the things he has done.
Ella gets married to Tanner and they live in Cotton Wood she gets Beatrice and they live together there. Cinder on the other hand stayed in the castle and took Katrina with her. their father was slowly recovering, and the mom did her same routine, spin the wool.
and they (well some) lived happily ever after!(less)

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Jun 08, 2012 Bethany rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tale-retellings

**This review contains spoilers**
I have read a lot of Cinderella retellings in my day, even ones about a boy named Cinder and a girl named Ella, but never one where both Cinder and Ella were girls. So that was creative and I liked it. However, I almost feel like this story doest qualify as a Cinderella story, because it doesn't have talmost anything in common with the original story. (I use the term 'original' as loosely as possible. I know all too well that we actually have no idea where Cinder...more

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May 10, 2012 04victorias rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read Cinder and Ella a little while ago, but I remember how entertaining it was. I think that someone who likes fairy tales and happy, fluff reading would love this book. It is a very unique take on the normal Cinderella tale. You will be surprised yet intrigued with the set up. The characters are interesting and the story is great.

A quick summary of this book: Ella is the main character who has 3 sister; Cinder, Beatrice, and Katrina. One night when they were all young girls the evil prince c...more I read Cinder and Ella a little while ago, but I remember how entertaining it was. I think that someone who likes fairy tales and happy, fluff reading would love this book. It is a very unique take on the normal Cinderella tale. You will be surprised yet intrigued with the set up. The characters are interesting and the story is great.

A quick summary of this book: Ella is the main character who has 3 sister; Cinder, Beatrice, and Katrina. One night when they were all young girls the evil prince came to their home and talked to their dad. He was never the same after that day. He got crabby, mean, was never home, until one day he never came home. The mom went into a depression and all she did was spin thread. She ignored all of her girls and Cinder became the servant aka "mom" of the house. Ella couldn't take how the sisters treated each other and Cinder so she would just go off on her own. Eventually everyone forgot who she was and just combined Cinder and Ella together forming Cinderella. Cinder was the only one who remembered who she was. Ella ran away one day and went searching for her dad and had so many new experiences and met new people. The story just tells you about her life after that, you will have to read it so find out more.

A quote I like from that book was, "Sometimes, things come to you whether you go looking for them or not - danger, disaster....love." This quote is so true. We don't ask for everything in our life, especially the trials and hardships. We just have to learn to push through them and become stronger and more experienced. Another quote I liked was, " But evil is not something that is ever totally absent. It is just something you have to choose not to succumb too." This is also kind of saying that it is our choice how we act and our attitude on things.

If I were to recommend this book to someone, it would be someone that likes reading fun, easy, entertaining books. This book was just a fun read for me. I guess if you like the Cinderella story this might intrigue you because it is such a different take on the story. I recommend that you read it and see if this is the kind of books you like to read.

Cinder and Ella was a fun book to read. The story was different, it had fun characters, and good messages. I encourage that you try it or maybe a book like it. (less)

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Feb 16, 2012 Jeanbooknerd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

Melissa Lemon’s Cinder and Ella is a unique and different twist on the classic fairy tale, Cinderella. Don’t be expecting to distinguish the classic in this book. Lemon has done a tremendous job in using Cinderella as the source and making a whole new story. Regardless of the numerous Cinderella connections there may be, we are offered a brand new adventure.

The story follows Cinder and Ella, two completely opposite siblings who leave their hometown. After Cinder comes home, she discovers that El...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Chadwick rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Cinder and Ella" had a very good storyline and many tough, "round" characters, which I liked a lot. I also was very, very, VERY happy with the whole "everyone has a tree" legend, Cinderella becoming not one, but two people, and the mother spinning endlessly in the same spot in her house. It added some variety to the many times repeated "Once Upon a Time" version, in the process taking away the evil sterotypes directed towards the residing guardian of the 4 girls, keeping Adele(mom) within the b...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Jackie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm always on the lookout for books to recommend to my young friends and grandchilluns. This is a quick easy read - read it in a couple hours. Warned by other readers about the poor editing, I was kind of watching for difficulties in that area. Those ARC must have been cleaned up because I found this one to be better than the usual Cedar Fort publishings. (I am currently reading another first book written by a friend - published by the same Cedar Fort-Sweetwater Books division and they are doing...more

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Dec 22, 2011 Inga rated it 2 of 5 stars

My review:

I was very happy when I won Cinder and Ella and when the book finally popped into my mailbox. I had previously followed Cinder and Ella’s blog tour which was organized by Cedar Fort and saw quite many good and very good reviews. My expectations to this book were quite high. When I ended the book, I was little disappointed.

Be aware, that there are some spoilers below.

Regarding the plot and characters:

The plot was very good, it was retelling of Cinderella story from very different perspe...more My review:

I was very happy when I won Cinder and Ella and when the book finally popped into my mailbox. I had previously followed Cinder and Ella’s blog tour which was organized by Cedar Fort and saw quite many good and very good reviews. My expectations to this book were quite high. When I ended the book, I was little disappointed.

Be aware, that there are some spoilers below.

Regarding the plot and characters:

The plot was very good, it was retelling of Cinderella story from very different perspective, and actually it had only few things in common with Cinderella fairytale. I enjoyed the narrative even though there were some questions I did not get the answer while reading. Idea of the Cinder and Ella was very good.

Melissa Lemon turns the Cinderella into two sisters – Cinder and Ella. After their father disappears, Cinder is taking a job as a maid in the castle. She is loved, appreciated and noticed by the evil prince. Ella leaves home too and finds a job as a babysitter and caretaker of children of a nice and sweet family. When Cinder returns home, she finds out that Ella has left and neither her sister nor mother know where Ella is.

Cinder is turning back to the castle and after one of the knights hears Cinder’s screams during her nightmares, he offer to help finding Ella.
This is how the story starts and it develops unpredictably. Both Cinder and Ella are put through several difficulties and adventures. But…

And now we come to the aspects which I had difficulties with. The story did not convince me. I was not drawn into the story even though the idea itself was very good. It was written in a way, that made characters superficial and superficial characters usually are unbelievable. I did not connect with any of the characters; I did not experience any feelings or emotions while reading. It seemed that the writing was technical and not able to convince me as a reader. The characters did not get life into them. They did not become alive and this was something that made an otherwise good idea into mechanical experience – the story was there, but no emotions. That is also the reason why I was disappointed.

Cinder and Ella gets 2 stars out of 5 from me and these two stars are for the idea of the plot. Brilliant idea with poor implementation.

2 stars
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Nov 16, 2011 Kay Curtiss rated it 5 of 5 stars

Cinder and Ella is a fairytale with a twist. It's not a retelling - there's no fairy godmother, wicked stepmother or prince charming. There is a little magic, a little romance, a little mystery, and a little adventure. The cover really drew me to the book and I especially liked the Legend of the Trees. Ella's father told her,

"This tree is my tree. It has been around since the day I came into the world. And it will always be here--growing and changing--as long as I am still alive upon the earth....more

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Oct 28, 2011 cecilia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Cinderella has been retold in numerous of ways – Disney, historical, musical, pop culture, ninja, assassin, ugly sister’s perspective, masculine – but here is one that claims she is actually 2 sisters named Cinder and Ella who each have their burdens to bear. Cinder has been the Atlas of the family, waiting on her sisters and mother hand and foot without complaint, while Ella has a harder time with being as patient. When Cinder leaves the family to be a castle servant, Ella tries to pick up the...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Cheryl rated it 2 of 5 stars

Cinder and Ella is a new slant to a traditional fairytale. Kind and considerate Cinder is the oldest sister of a family of four girls. The prince visits Cinder’s home leaving her father upset and disturbed. A kind of darkness takes over the family until one day the father leaves never to return. Cinder is forced to seek work at the castle to help support her now dysfunctional family. Ella is the rebellious third sister who refuses to stay behind and wait upon her selfish, lazy sisters and deal w...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Julie Witt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

From Goodreads: "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."

If you are looking for a retelling of the classic Cinderella story in this book, stop...more I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

From Goodreads: "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."

If you are looking for a retelling of the classic Cinderella story in this book, stop right here! You may be disappointed. If you are looking for a totally new fairy tale that just happens to have two girls with the names of Cinder and Ella, a prince, two bratty sisters, and an absent father, then please, continue reading! If you go into the reading of this story knowing the above, then I imagine you, like I, will totally enjoy Cinder and Ella!

The story begins with a happy family, with a father, a mother, and 4 sisters. But things begin to change when the Prince, with malicious intent, visits the father while on a mission to turn the people of the kingdom against his father, the King, so he can take over. The father becomes obsessed with this "mission" and one day disappears, leaving the mother to try to raise the 4 girls all by herself. When the story starts, the four girls are Katrina, the eldest daughter, Cinder, the second oldest, Ella, the third daughter, and Beatrice, the youngest by 5 years. Their mother spins yarn day and night, and withdraws almost completely from the world around her. Katrina is too selfish to take over the care of her sisters - this task falls on Cinder's shoulders, as she is the most caring of the girls. Ella can be kind, but she has absolutely no patience with her older sister or the youngest, who is a bit slow and very, very needy. When Cinder gets a job at the castle, Ella tries to take over her role as helper, but she can't do it and instead leaves the house in search of work for herself.

One of the reasons I loved this story is that each character is so well developed that you never mistake one for the other. The story is told in the third person, and goes from one POV to the next in such a smooth manner that you never get confused as to which person is speaking at any given time. The way in which each person speaks and acts makes it easy to go from one to the other without taking you out of the story. There are no jarring interruptions in the story, in other words.

This may not be your typical Cinderella story, but it still smacks of a fairy tale! The reason that Cinder and Ella end up being Cinderella is when their mother, who is so out of it that she has trouble dealing with reality, calls for "Cinder-n-Ella" to take care of their sisters, which then turns into "Cinderella". I really love how the author draws you this picture, which you will better understand when you read the book.

In summary, I really liked this book! It was a very quick read (I read it in under 24 hours) because it smoothly transitions between POVs, and it's just a really fun story! I am absolutely looking forward to hearing more about Melissa Lemon's books, and I will gladly read more of her books in the future :D(less)

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Sep 07, 2011 Deborah Andreasen rated it 3 of 5 stars

My review might be a little confusing, but once you read the book, it'll make more sense.

I think I have said before how much I love fairytale retellings. I was determined to love Cinder and Ella…but I found that I merely enjoyed it.

I thought the mother’s fusing of Cinder and Ella was too quick. I think the idea was good, but it seems like it happened over the course of two or three days, rather than a few years. And why was she stuck at a spinning wheel? Was she enchanted or something? That par...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Bibliojunkies rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review posted on www.bibliojunkies.blogspot.com on August 20, 2011.

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley. The book releases November 8, 2011.
From Benneville Books (Cedar Fort, Inc.):

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 o...more This review posted on www.bibliojunkies.blogspot.com on August 20, 2011.

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley. The book releases November 8, 2011.
From Benneville Books (Cedar Fort, Inc.):

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.

This book is a slow starter. So much so that I put the book down for a week or so before going back to finish it. This is definitely not your childhood version of Cinderella. There are a few parallels drawn between the tales, but Cinder and Ella in this book bear very little resemblance to the Disney or Grimm version. For one thing, this tale is much darker. The Prince may be handsome, but he is not good. In fact, he is quite evil (and not in a good evil Jace or Patch way either). This Prince uses his dark magic to bring his subjects under his control, convincing them that there is no hope, no reason to go on and this darkness is spreading throughout the Kingdom. Cinder and Ella are sisters who live a miserable life in which their father became influenced by the darkness, and one day, just wandered off. Cinder and Ella then take over the household as their mother has a mental breakdown and their two sisters become spoiled brats.

One day, Cinder applies for a job in the King’s castle as a servant to help provide for the family. With her new job, she will have to reside in the castle most of the week and will return home on her one day off. She leaves the care of the family to Ella. Unfortunately, Ella has little patience for the tantrums and antics of her family and she too, wanders off. Ella finds a new place with a family far away, helping to take care of the family's children. This family is warm, bright and loving. Exactly as Ella wishes her family was. Ella finds a sense of peace and happiness, until one day a Knight and two of the Prince’s aids come to return Ella to the Castle.

The Knight worked in the Castle and each night during his rounds, he would hear Cinder crying and talking in her sleep from the hallway. One day the Knight, Tanner, approaches Cinder to ask her about the sister she speaks of during her sleep. Cinder confides in the knight that her sister has disappeared and she fears that Ella may be in danger. Tanner, being a brave and honorable Knight, seeks permission from the Castle advisors to go on a quest to find Ella. The advisors go to the Prince, who agrees for his own nefarious reasons and insists that Tanner take along two of his aids, the lecherous William and the stoic Flescher. Tanner does not trust the Prince or his aids, but must take them on the quest.

During the journey to return Ella to the Castle, Tanner begins to care for Ella, and in true fashion, then becomes a clumsy fool. Tanner soon discovers that the Prince may want to harm Ella and after an encounter with the drunken William, Tanner and Ella break from the aids and devise a plan to find out what the Prince wants without turning Ella over to him. The rest of the book covers the attempts of the good Knight and the sisters to thwart the evil plans of the Prince and the darkness that spreads throughout the Kingdom. I won’t get all spoilery, because truly, this book does not follow the fairytale path. You get the main points though, love, danger, intrigue, magic and a very stubborn horse.

As I said, it takes a while to get into the meat of this book. I kept going because I had never read a book told in the manner of a fairytale; therefore was intrigued and curious to find out where Ms. Lemon was going with the plot. Ms. Lemon kept me guessing until the end. I give the author credit, she kept to the fairytale style of writing and storytelling. She wove the different plot lines and points of view flawlessly. I am giving the book 3 stars. If you enjoy fairytales and want to see a different and darker version of Cinderella, I recommend you pick up Cinder And Ella in November.

~ Shel

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Aug 11, 2011 Cathe Olson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Cinder and Ella are two of four sisters. Their older sister is a vain, demanding shrew and their younger sister is a spoiled baby who can do nothing for herself. Since their father's disappearance which seems linked to a visit from the evil prince, their mother has retreated inside herself and does nothing but spin yarn. Cinder takes care of the family, and Ella hides in her room or out at her father's willow tree. But one day, the selfless Cinder gets a job at the castle (seems she has some amb...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Andi Ruggles (Rywn) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

ARC provided via Publisher via NetGalley

The important thing to keep in mind while reading this story is that is intended to be a children's story, and most likely one that is read aloud by a parent and discussed alongside it.

Cinder and Ella is a different turn on the retelling of Cinderella, and manages in incorporate hints of the original tale while still firmly remaining its own story. Instead of your traditional Cinderella, you find that there are two sisters, Cinder and Ella w...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Branwen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-science-fiction, young-adult

I was lucky to recieve this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review. Cinder and Ella is a reimagining of the Cinderella story. It is tale about two sisters who try to remain strong after the mysterious disappearance of their father. After this happens, their mother slowly beings to lose her grip on reality, their older sister Katrina becomes vain and selfish, and their younger sister Beatrice turns into a spoiled, rotten brat. Cinder and Ella are all each other has. After Cinder gets...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Dorine White rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've got a very neat YA book to review today, Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon, published by Cedar Fort Pub. The book is based on the fairy tale Cinderella, but really, besides the name, that's all that is similar. It's basically 209 pages of an all new tale.

The Story- A mom and dad live in Willow Top with their four daughters: Katrina, Cinder, Ella and Beatrice. They were all very happy until a Prince came by, spewing hate about the King. His words were poison, in more ways then one. They ate u...more I've got a very neat YA book to review today, Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon, published by Cedar Fort Pub. The book is based on the fairy tale Cinderella, but really, besides the name, that's all that is similar. It's basically 209 pages of an all new tale.

The Story- A mom and dad live in Willow Top with their four daughters: Katrina, Cinder, Ella and Beatrice. They were all very happy until a Prince came by, spewing hate about the King. His words were poison, in more ways then one. They ate up the soul of the father until he left his family.
Alone with her daughters, the mother becomes a recluse, sitting in a corner spinning yarn all day. The daughters have their own problems; Katrina becomes a vain, selfish girl, Beatrice, the youngest, gets spoiled rotten, Cinder tries to make everyone happy, and Ella just shakes her head at her messed up family.
When Cinder gets a job at the castle, things turn horrible. Ella is forgotten by their mother, who only recalls Katrina, Beatrice, and Cinderella (a mix of sisters 2 and 3). So, Ella leaves and finds herself a new home.
Cinder becomes worried about her sister and a kindly knight takes on a quest to find her. Unfortunately the evil Prince also hears about missing Ella, and for some devious reason wants her for himself.
The story then follows Ella's battle to destroy the prince and save the kingdom from his evil. There's also a subplot of a love story between Ella and the kind knight.
My Thoughts- I was prepared for something like Cinderella, it was nothing like it. There is no handsome prince, or glass slipper or fairy godmother. So, I had to look at the story from a whole other angle, an original tale. The story works. The character of Ella is the most fleshed out. In the beginning she feels she has nothing to contribute, but by the end she is filled with love, bravery and kindness. Her romance with the kind knight is very simple and true. I really enjoyed the part where the knight fights day and night to save Ella by pulling out twisted weeds that keep growing around her soul tree. It was a good way to show the love he felt for her instead of just telling the reader. Even though this book is YA, I'd say it was perfect for ages 10 and up.
For Parents- There is a little violence, a sword fight and mentions of killings. Also, one of the Prince's flunky's gets drunk a lot and hits on Ella. I think it shows a good reason not to drink! In the end, the moral of the story shines through, Light beats Darkness.

Release date- Nov. 8, 2011.
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Jul 17, 2011 Jade Walker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Original review at http://inkscratchers.blogspot.com

I've always been a fan of fairy tales and fairy tale retellings, with some of my favorite authors being the likes of Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley and Zoe Marriott, and I decided to read Cinder and Ella simply because I felt the urge for something fresh and I had no books by these authors that i haven't yet read. So to be honest, I didn't really have any expectations set for this book.

Which is good, because if I had set standards, this book may...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

The title makes you think this is going to be just another Cinderella re-tell, but it really isn't. There is a pair of selfish sisters and a mom who expects her daughter to take care of the sisters, but that is really where the similarity between the two stories ends. There is no fairy godmother who saves either of the two main characters, there isn't a quest by the prince to find his true love.

I really enjoyed the story, the author created a fairly believable world, with very interesting charac...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Angela rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: annoying-protagonist, female-pov, confusing, retellings, wtf-ending, dull, bittersweet-ending, almost-dropped, netgalley

I personally did not like this book. The charms of the original tale was not included in this retelling. As some people have said before, this book is not a book for entertainment, it is more of a moral lesson. This was a happily ever after story, well everyone pretty much ended happy. But it was not one you could love. It did not end with a torturous death to the villain. It just ended with everyone's lives continuing towards a good future.

The story starts off with a happy family; a father, mot...more

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Jun 27, 2011 CorLostForWords rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour, e-book, net-galley

Source: Received from netgalley, and Cedar Fort Publishing. Many thanks goes to Netgalley and Cedar Fort Publishing for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: 3.5/5

Cinder and Ella are left to take care of their family when their father disappears. Their mother focuses solely on work, and their other two sisters rely on them for everything. When Cinder heads to the castle to obtain a job, she doesn't realize that...more Source: Received from netgalley, and Cedar Fort Publishing. Many thanks goes to Netgalley and Cedar Fort Publishing for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: 3.5/5

Cinder and Ella are left to take care of their family when their father disappears. Their mother focuses solely on work, and their other two sisters rely on them for everything. When Cinder heads to the castle to obtain a job, she doesn't realize that she is heading into dangerous territory. Ella soon is brought to the castle as well, however she has been brought under false pretenses and she will have to beware the evil prince. Will she be able to save herself and those she loves from the dangers that lurk around them?
Cinder and Ella is a captivating fairytale retelling of the classic story, Cinderella. The only resemblance to the original tale are the characters names, Cinder and Ella. Cinder and Ella are both similar in personality, however they retain their individuality. Cinder is a sweet girl who will do anything for anyone without complaint. Ella is more spunky, and she stands up for herself and Cinder. Their home life is challenging to say the least, and it seems like Cinder is more of a doormat, until she leaves to find work at the castle. Ella on the other hand doesn't stand for all of the abuse that she and Cinder are put through by their siblings.
It was interesting to see how the element of trees and their lives were intertwined. I just wish we could have had more background on that part of the story, or had that aspect fleshed out a bit more. I'm interested in how the story will evolve as Melissa Lemon has mentioned that the story isn't finished, and that she is working on a follow-up novel to Cinder and Ella. I'm intrigued to find out where she'll take the story next.
All in all, this is definitely a cute read, and I'd recommend it for tweens and teens alike. This isn't your everyday Cinderella story, and though there is a prince, he's not Prince Charming. Cinder and Ella have their work cut out for them if they want to work or live in the castle. Honorable knights with bumbling personalities will entice a laugh or two out of the reader as well. Although this was a bit predictable, it was still a cute read. (less)

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Jun 17, 2011 Carolyn Frank rated it 2 of 5 stars

I loved the title: Cinder and Ella. I felt it was quite clever. That is what drew me to this book--and the hope of hunkering down in my chair with a heartwarming remake of a cherished childhood fairytale. If you join me with a similar expectation with this book, you might be disappointed. But if you want to read a book that throws story structure to the wind and concentrates more on teaching a lesson, then perhaps this book is for you.

Cinder and Ella are the only two functioning souls of a disfu...more I loved the title: Cinder and Ella. I felt it was quite clever. That is what drew me to this book--and the hope of hunkering down in my chair with a heartwarming remake of a cherished childhood fairytale. If you join me with a similar expectation with this book, you might be disappointed. But if you want to read a book that throws story structure to the wind and concentrates more on teaching a lesson, then perhaps this book is for you.

Cinder and Ella are the only two functioning souls of a disfuctional fariytale family. The father has followed the evil prince to the castle and is absent from the home. (His reasons and involvemnt in evil are never explained leaving me feeling cheated in that arena of the story). The mother is a one-demensional character who is ALWAYS at her spinning wheel and does not give her kids any attention. Two other sisters are selfish, demanding, and unlikeable. Cinder accepts a job at the castle, leaving Ella to take care of her jacked-up family by herself.

I started out with high hopes for the MC, Ella (At least I assumed she was the main character. The point of view shifts in the story became quite distracting at times). After her sister leaves for the castle, and has dumped the responsibility of the disfunctionaly family on her shoulders, Ella decides to leave because she is not appreciated. I at first saw this as a character with some backbone, ready to set off in the world and perhaps help her family in a round about way. But Ella's challenges didn't seem to help her grow, they were just there. Her romance with a kind knight came too easily. At the end of the book, she was the same Ella as at the first of the story and her disfunctional family was still disfunctional. Even though the prince was finally banished from the kingdom, her father never changed. At the end of the story I asked myself, "What was that all about?"

And then I turned the page. At the end of the book there were questions for disscussion, I guess for use in reading groups, etc. As I read down the list of questions it was obvious that the author's intent in writing this story was to be used as an object lesson rather than entertainment. So if you like to read books with an agenda to teach a lesson, you might enjoy this book. As for me, I was looking for a storytale-like story similar to the Goose Girl by Shannon Hales. Because of my expectation, I was dissapointed.(less)

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Jun 14, 2011 Crystal (Elegantly Bound Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, reviewd

First of all, I love re-tellings of old fairy tales, Greek Myths or true historical events with a fiction twist. This story was so unique and different from Cinderella and I really loved it.

I loved how Cinderella was broken up into two characters, Cinder and Ella, two sisters who are the most level headed and realistic two in the family. They are also the closest among all the sisters. Cinder, being the family's favorite of the two, is pretty much the main provider and will do anything for her...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: egalley

Full review at http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2...

I'll have to be honest, normally I am not a sucker for fairy tales or re-tellings of princess stories. However, Cinder and Ella kept me interested. In this version, Cinder and Ella are sisters in a family of six. Their father has disappeared since a mysterious visit from the Prince who plants seeds of discontent and darkness in the home,and their mother is a shadow of a woman who spends her days at the spinning wheel--isolated and mostly mut...more Full review at http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2...

I'll have to be honest, normally I am not a sucker for fairy tales or re-tellings of princess stories. However, Cinder and Ella kept me interested. In this version, Cinder and Ella are sisters in a family of six. Their father has disappeared since a mysterious visit from the Prince who plants seeds of discontent and darkness in the home,and their mother is a shadow of a woman who spends her days at the spinning wheel--isolated and mostly mute.

The sisters are left to fend for themselves, Cinder taking a motherly codependent role, Ella strong and silent. Ella's identity gets somehow merged into Cinder's and the two become simply known simply as Cinderella. Their mother forgets Ella all together and turns entirely to Cinder to care for her remaining two daughters, a vain self-centered one and a spoiled young child whiteout proper attention.

As Cinder and Ella grow weary of their daily routine, Cinder turns to the palace where she retains a job as a servant and Ella runs away. Soon Cinder is swept up into the beguiling trap of the sinister Prince and praise of the court, and eventually Ella is found,captured and brought to the castle.

Cinder must learn to discern good from evil. Ella must uncover the secret that awaits in the Prince's secret chamber. Melissa Lemon uses the legend of the trees, a twisted fairy tale and a knight in shining armor to spin a completely new take on an age old story. While some of the characters seemed a bit undeveloped and the ending was abrupt I must say I enjoyed Cinder and Ella much more than anything else I've read recently. I think it would be suited for middle grade readers ages 12 and up as the content is clean. There is one small swear word and only vague references to ungentlemanly behavior by some of the antagonists. I'll be curious to hear what moral other readers pull from this story. And, I can't help but to wonder where the Prince is lurking...will he be back?

Thanks so much to Cedar Fort and NetGalley for the early peek plus the thoughtful discussion questions at the end of the book.

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Jun 08, 2011 Stacey O'Neale rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review was completed by Amanda Harbin, staff reviewer with the YA Fantasy Guide.

I was attracted to this book because it was the first time that I had ever heard of someone turning Cinderella and her fairy tale into a fairy tale about two sisters. It is a truly a unique concept and I thought that overall it was well executed. The story of the sisters Cinder & Ella didn't just take the road less traveled, it carved out its own path. There were a few traditional Cinderellian (I just invent...more This review was completed by Amanda Harbin, staff reviewer with the YA Fantasy Guide.

I was attracted to this book because it was the first time that I had ever heard of someone turning Cinderella and her fairy tale into a fairy tale about two sisters. It is a truly a unique concept and I thought that overall it was well executed. The story of the sisters Cinder & Ella didn't just take the road less traveled, it carved out its own path. There were a few traditional Cinderellian (I just invented a new adjective) components to the story such as a castle, a missing father, a couple of spoiled/selfish sisters, and even a prince (who was anything but charming) but even those elements were modified. I think that the author was able to tell the story with a traditional fairy tale voice that had the interesting effect of making me feel like I was a kid listening to bedtime stories. At first I wasn't sure whether or not this was going to work for me through the duration of the book, but the voice of the story was very soothing. Cinder & Ella deals with some complex issues that might have been lost in the simplicity of the authors tone, but I think that it was that simplicity that kept the story from coming across too heavy.

The morals and conflict of the story were interesting to me because they allow the reader to decide how to interpret them. The morals and conflict of the story could reflect religious undercurrents or not depending on the reader. I chose not to identify with the potential religious aspects of the story and I saw the character's conflicts and moral lessons as a reflection on choice. I thought it was a great comment on the idea that individuals have the power choose how they live their life no matter what circumstances befall them. Just as importantly bad choices don't have to lead to other bad choices. This book reminded me that every moment is an opportunity to make a better choice.

Overall, I liked this book, it wasn't quite a 4 for me, but it was better than a 3, so I definitely give it a 3.5!
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Jun 06, 2011 Jaime rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, fairytale-retellings, adventure

(This review is for the ARC, courtesy of NetGalley)

Cinder and Ella, by Melissa Lemon, is nominally a revision of the Cinderella fairy tale. In it, the sisters Cinder and Ella are wrenched from their previously happy home after their father disappears. Their mother recedes into the shadows while their other two sisters, spoiled and useless, exhaust the girls with unrelenting demands. Cinder decides to obtain work at the castle nearby to help support the family, while Ella, less tolerant and more...more

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