Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Ash

by Malinda Lo (Goodreads Author)

3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 · rating details · 8,760 ratings · 1,411 reviews

In the wake of her father’s death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish...more

Paperback, 291 pages

Published March 4th 2010 by Hodder Children's (first published September 1st 2009)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Judge A Book By Its Cover!

39th out of 2,441 books — 5,765 voters

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green

Best YA Fiction with GLBTQQI themes / characters

13th out of 373 books — 1,078 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Oct 30, 2010 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: and-so-this-is-grad-school, why-yes-i-ya

goddamn it, this was my bright shiny hope for gay y/a week! this was the one i was banking on to be my best "assigned-but-loved-the-whole-time-i-was-reading-it-and-this-is-why-i-am-paying-for-grad-school-discovery." a lesbian retelling of cinderella?? sign me up! i've already read what robert coover and angela carter have done to improve fairy tales, let's see where this one goes!

and it starts out great - the writing is wonderful; it is very literary and lush and haunting. boy meets boy and keep...more goddamn it, this was my bright shiny hope for gay y/a week! this was the one i was banking on to be my best "assigned-but-loved-the-whole-time-i-was-reading-it-and-this-is-why-i-am-paying-for-grad-school-discovery." a lesbian retelling of cinderella?? sign me up! i've already read what robert coover and angela carter have done to improve fairy tales, let's see where this one goes!

and it starts out great - the writing is wonderful; it is very literary and lush and haunting. boy meets boy and keeping you a secret were so chatty and conversational - this one required more involvement from the reader, which involvement i have been missing in a big way. it's not a difficult read, but unlike the others, it is not all surface reading; there is depth here that elevates it to the ranks of "litterature," yessss.

but.

fairy tales are generally symbolic stories which mask universal human desires too emotional or frightening to deal with head-on. is this a universal truth, or am i letting my undergrad "psychology of fairy tales" class color my thinking here? let's say we all know this to be so. i simply do not understand this character's motivations, or what leads her on to her fairy tale ending. is it just a matter of "the heart wants what the heart wants", and we don't need to explain what attracts two people to each other? there was no "moment of falling". i never got a sense of character from the huntress; she remained enigmatic. strangely, she was even more enigmatic than ash's fairy-lover, with his intoxicating presence and fancy gifts and willingness to assist ash in all her assignations. am i the only one feeling bad for sidhean?? his was a "forbidden love", too, and he didn't even get any say in the matter. damn curses.

so as a fairy tale, it fails me, psychologically. and as a lesbian awakening novel, it fails me, too. we never see them fall in love, we never understand why. in the world of this novel, the same-gender love is not shocking, it is not taboo - sometimes girls just go with girls. so kudos on that, but this does two things: it removes conflict, except the conflict of "do i go with my awesome fairy lover which is what i have wanted since i was a little girl, or do i go with my awesome huntress woman who is badass and has a great job." two great options, must be nice.

in this world, she is not choosing the love that dares not speak its name over the more traditional lover, in fact, she is choosing the more socially acceptable one. mindboggling.

so but also, it is not developed enough to be that casual. because we never see the love developing, it just sort of seems unconvincing at the end. this is my favorite review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... because this reader obviously didn't see this turn coming, and is confused by its ending, since nothing else suggests that this is where it is going to be going. i don't know if the stars are meant to avoid spoilers (although, really, you don't have to be a master wordsmith) or because it is a naughty naughty word, but it made me laugh. clearly, in the world of teen readership, we are not ready for lesbian lit that does not proclaim itself from the outset, as this other reviewer's surprise seems to indicate: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... secret, creep-up-on-you lesbian fiction?? maybe in a few years. biding our time, ladies...(less)

92 likes · like · see review

Apr 22, 2012 branewurms rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-and-ya, queer-fic, poc-characters, poc-authors, sci-fi-fantasy

eta: You know, I figured when I wrote this "review" that I had made it sufficiently ridiculous and over-the-top that no one on Earth could possibly take it seriously. I mean, I claim that DISNEY INVENTED CINDERELLA, people. And then there's the link at the end labeled "real review here", which should maybe be a hint? But okay, whatever, for those of you who are apparently utterly impervious to sarcasm, here is your blinking neon sign:

THIS REVIEW IS INTENDED AS SATIRE. Also, just fyi, I am prett...more

44 likes · like · see review

Sep 12, 2009 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy-tale, fantasy, young-adult, the-gays

The GoodReads five-star rating system isn't perfect because some books (like, say, pretty much all Fitzgerald and Salinger) get five stars because I think they're just freaking brilliant writing; while other books (like, say, Bridget Jones's Diary and the Traveling Pants books) get five stars because I love the characters so much.

Then, of course, there are the Harry Potters and Tales of Despereaux that receive five stars because it's like they retell my whole world: Remember how lost you were w...more

40 likes · like · see review

Nov 13, 2011 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: read "Keturah and Lord Death" instead

Shelves: 2011, fairy-tales, ya

I will pick Disney's version of Cinderella over Ash any day and without the slightest hesitation. For a book with such a provocative, potentially controversial premise, Ash is dreadfully, painfully dull and lacking in strong emotion and vibrant characters.

This retelling is both familiar and slightly new (albeit in an uninteresting and directionless way). In this version, orphaned Ash is forced to be a serving maid to her (not so evil) stepmother and stepsisters. But instead of sneaking into the...more

60 likes · like · see review

Nov 02, 2010 Janina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, fairy-tale, lgbt, read-in-2010, covers-i-love, given-away, fantasy, beautiful-writing

Ash by Malinda Lo is definitely a beautiful retelling of the classic Cinderella story - writing-wise. Lo creates an eerie yet fascinating atmosphere with her lyrical prose and the setting is described in rich details. She interweaves fairy tales and traditions of her own into the story and creates a world the reader can immerse himself in.
Additionally, Ash is clearly more than a simple retelling; it adds aspects to the original tale and has quite some twists readers probably won't suspect in the...more

17 likes · like · see review

Sep 18, 2009 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

What a outstanding debut novel! Malinda Lo absolutely blew me away. The writing was elegant, beautifully lyrical. Malinda has this unbelievable talent for detail and atmospheric setting. She captures the very essence of the world she created. I just felt like I was there.

Characterization was fantastic as well. With such vivid imagery you might think the characterization would suffer, but I think they stood out so intensely because of it.

Ash is a retelling, so some of the story shouldn’t come as...more

18 likes · like · see review

Mar 15, 2011 Kristy rated it 2 of 5 stars

No, No, No, No, No!!!!
Cinderella is not a lesbian!!! Ack, she is suppsed to fall in love with Prince charming and be doted on by silly little mice. This is a crock!

I had a hard time getting into this in the beginning, then the middle hooked me for a hot minute, but the end is such a hot mess I can't even go there!! I expected more Fairies, more darkness, more love (in male form). I got nothing of the sort!! Blek, I do NOT reccomend this!!

Acceptable forms of Cinderella: The Mouse Lover
or The Dr ...more

43 likes · like · see review

Nov 27, 2011 The Holy Terror rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of fairy tales retold

Shelves: fairies, borrowed, fairy-tales, young-adult, fantasy

What starts out as a simple retelling of Cinderella turns into so much more, and the Prince is all but forgotten ...

If you know the story of Cinderella then you know most of the beginning of the book, but somewhere near the middle it starts to veer off on its own path. Ash has a fairy(godfather?) who watches over her named Sidhean (pronounced Sheen - I looked it up because it was driving me nuts!) In order to feel some sort of freedom from her stepmother and stepsisters, Ash takes every opportun...more What starts out as a simple retelling of Cinderella turns into so much more, and the Prince is all but forgotten ...

If you know the story of Cinderella then you know most of the beginning of the book, but somewhere near the middle it starts to veer off on its own path. Ash has a fairy(godfather?) who watches over her named Sidhean (pronounced Sheen - I looked it up because it was driving me nuts!) In order to feel some sort of freedom from her stepmother and stepsisters, Ash takes every opportunity she has to escape into the Wood. She meets with Sidhean and they form a sort of friendship, but since Ash spends so much time out in the Wood she also happens upon the King's Huntress, Kaisa, a few times as well. Ash and Kaisa also develop a friendship and Ash becomes torn between two worlds and both seem forbidden to her.

I'm not sure how I feel about the way this story played out. It was written well enough and was an interesting retelling of an old tale, but I don't think I liked the way it ended. Throughout the book Ash reads and is told by various people many different fairy tales. She even remarks near the end of the book that all of the tales were meant to warn people of dangers in life and that there was always a moral to the story. I'm not sure that Ash really figured out the moral; it's almost like she realized a loophole instead.

I also felt bad for Sidhean, the Prince, and most of the men in the story as they were basically cast-off into the background. Even with Sidhean it felt like he was more of an experiment than an actual love-interest.

I've read stories with strong females before so I guess having a Huntress instead of a Hunter didn't translate to me, it sort of went over my head. I also didn't know the author was a lesbian until I read her bio on the last page, and perhaps knowing that before I read this could have clued me into the fact that this was a lesbian romance. I think that says something about Lo's ability to create believable relationships though, if I didn't even realize the two of them were supposedly falling in love.

I mostly enjoyed this novel and I'd probably read something else by her in the future. A lot of the reviews on here make me pretty sad though, especially the ones that say you shouldn't give this book to a teen to read because it's "sick," and "how dare she mess with a classic fairy-tale!" Ugh, really? The whole point of fairy-tale retellings is to make them feel new and different while still keeping some of the themes. If you want the "same old, same old" then just go read whichever "original" version is your favorite and stop reading retellings; you'll be doing everyone a favor.(less)

30 likes · like · see review

Oct 29, 2009 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(3.5 stars)
Malinda Lo combines several highly creative ideas in her debut novel, Ash. We all know the tale of Cinderella, but it's never been told quite like this. Cinderella (here called Aisling, Ash for short) falls for a young woman instead of the prince. And the fairy who helps Ash break free of her stepmother is no rosy-cheeked godmother, but a coldly beautiful fairy lord right out of the older, darker legends of the fey folk, and he demands a steep price for his aid. On paper, I love every...more (3.5 stars)
Malinda Lo combines several highly creative ideas in her debut novel, Ash. We all know the tale of Cinderella, but it's never been told quite like this. Cinderella (here called Aisling, Ash for short) falls for a young woman instead of the prince. And the fairy who helps Ash break free of her stepmother is no rosy-cheeked godmother, but a coldly beautiful fairy lord right out of the older, darker legends of the fey folk, and he demands a steep price for his aid. On paper, I love everything about this concept, and I also liked Lo's writing:

"She walked this way for a long time, but the light did not change; it seemed to always be morning. The sun continued its bright blinking overhead, and when shafts of golden light came through the leafy canopy, dust motes hung in the air, glittering as bright as diamonds. It was an enchantment, she was sure. This wood was so gentle in comparison to the dark, thick forests near Rook Hill. There, the evergreens were so tall and so old she could not see the tops of them; here, oak and birch branches broke the sky into lacy filigrees of light green, exposing the tender blue above."

The major conflict is an intriguing one. Ash isn't just choosing between two particular suitors. Her attraction to the fairy lord, Sidhean, is based largely on the oblivion he can give her. In her grief for her mother, Ash thinks this is what she wants. Kaisa, the King's Huntress who becomes her other love interest, represents life in all its vivid joys and pains.

Unfortunately, Ash never quite grabbed me. Part of the problem is that it just takes a long time for the plot to get rolling. For much of the first half of the book, Ash spends most of her time brooding and/or wandering in the woods. While crucial plot points are set up during this time, they don't come to fruition until much later. Lo's descriptions of the woods are beautiful, but I grew impatient with the cycle of depression--wandering--depression--wandering...

Then there's a part of me that wonders why this story needed, well, Cinderella. Maybe if Ash were choosing between the Huntress and the prince, or if Sidhean himself were the prince and Ash fled from a fairy ball rather than a human one, or if an eligible princess held a ball to meet potential husbands and found Ash instead, the Cinderella story would fit better. As it is, the prince/ball/midnight stuff feels a little tacked on. The prince is never in the running for Ash's affections, and almost doesn't need to be here at all.

And some of the less satisfying aspects of the plot occur when Lo is trying to fit the Cinderella story and her own story together. For example, Ash finds a fairy path through the forest that takes her back, in less than a day's journey, to her home village, where I can think of at least two people who would have taken her in. Sidhean sends her back to her stepmother's house every time she makes the trip, ostensibly because she's breaking fairy rules, but also because this is a Cinderella story and she can't escape her stepmother or else it'll be a different story. So, Ash ends up staying there, long after it starts seeming out of character.

Then again, Lo states on her Web site that she started with a more standard Cinderella story and only later realized her heroine was a lesbian, so I'm probably off-base in complaining about the Cinderella elements.

All of my complaints aside, Ash is a promising and creative debut with a lot of great things going for it. I will definitely look for later books by Malinda Lo in the future.(less)

15 likes · like · see review

Jun 04, 2011 Elena rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

I noticed a lot of buzz surrounding this book among authors and readers I respect, so I had high expectations going in. I was disappointed. I found the book very bland, from beginning to end. All of the characters seemed very wooden and/or one-dimensional, and I pretty much just kept reading because it was inoffensive and short.

Part of the reason I think I didn't take to this book is that it's a very meandering, quiet sort of story about death and love. There's not really any action to speak of,...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 31, 2010 Jain rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads, american-literature, fantasy, fiction, lgbt, poc-author, juvenile-fiction, northamerican, romance

This book has a great deal of potential, but sadly lives up to little of it. As a fairytale retelling, it diverges so far from the original Cinderella that it almost can't act as commentary upon it. Conversely, as a story in its own right, it's hampered by the constraints of the Cinderella plot; certain events are shoehorned in, while not enough time is spent on the original elements of Lo's tale.

Perhaps even worse than that, the pacing is terribly off. The beginning chapters are slow and lyrica...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 22, 2010 Shawnta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt, love, fairytale, ya

Ash was my absolutely favorite read of 2009.

A Cinderella with a twist of darkness and lore, the characterization of a young girl, family, love, and disappointment, left me inside of this world and I think I still haven't found my way out. Since reading Ash, I am desperately seeking that language, that energy, those woods, the doublespeak that Lo so artfully rendered.

As I type this, I am flipping through the pages, and stopping when my fingers have reached their random destination.

Here, a samp...more Ash was my absolutely favorite read of 2009.

A Cinderella with a twist of darkness and lore, the characterization of a young girl, family, love, and disappointment, left me inside of this world and I think I still haven't found my way out. Since reading Ash, I am desperately seeking that language, that energy, those woods, the doublespeak that Lo so artfully rendered.

As I type this, I am flipping through the pages, and stopping when my fingers have reached their random destination.

Here, a sample:
"Impulsively, she went to the horse and held her hand out; the mare sniffed at her empty palm and then looked at her with gleaming brown eyes that seemed to reproach her for not having an apple to share."

This 2nd sentence of Chapter XIII summarizes for me the entirety of the novel as well as the complexity of Malinda Lo's lyrical craft. Ash, driven by impulse, and communicating with beings not like herself, she still reaches, still forges forward, and insists on movement. "she went to the horse" because the horse would not come to her. The richness in action is one that every young girl ought to internalize. In this stage in the novel, there was no need for the reader to doubt that this was Ash's impulse because we have seen her grow.

"the mare sniffed at her empty palm"
This is actually a poem, is it not?
I visualize this instance, the sniff, or rather, the presence of a large black wet nose pointing towards a small emptiness like an arrow. What could Ash offer, it seems is the question of the novel, of Ash's interaction with her family, her village, her step family, her new love interest, her obsession in the woods.

I bite into my honey crisp apple, and nod at the reproach (or Ash's assumption of reproach) for not having an apple. And what is Ash's response to this mare's stare? Does she cry, does she run away, does she pluck the horse at the tip of its nose and growl back?

Please read the book to find out, because it matters. And Lo is expert in telling the story of death and life and loss and new beginnings in each small description. Each slice of bread, every dance and feast, every walk in the woods is a retelling of something magical.
(less)

10 likes · like · see review

Dec 21, 2009 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2009, ya-fiction

I found the world building boring, and I felt the entire time like Lo was talking to me, rather than telling me a story (i.e., it felt like she didn't try to tell a story but instead just spit the facts out). The backstories were far too lengthy and unnecessary and the story itself gets lost. None of the characters are interesting, and Ash herself is just irritating. I disliked the writing style a lot, and I thought the lesbian love scene never had merit -- we don't actually see Ash learn anythi...more

6 likes · like · see review

Nov 04, 2009 Lindsay Frost rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, fairy-tale

Ash
By Malinda Lo

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
# of Pages: 264
Age Rating: 14+
My Rating: 2 Stars

Synopsis:
In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted....more

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 11, 2010 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: should-have-loved-it-but-didn-t, covers-i-love, retellings, could-have-been-better, glbt-spotlight, 2010-reads, reviewed

Ash is one of those books that will either grab you or leave you wanting more. As for me, I fell in with the latter. While I loved the lush language and writing along with the fey lore incorporated into the tale, I wasn't really taken by the characters or the 'love story.' Yes, this book is Cinderella reinvisioned, but it sadly felt lackluster when all was said and done.

8 likes · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya, own, glbtq

I found Ash by Malinda Lo through book blogs, found many positive reviews, and decided, why not order the book, as I love the cover, and I liked that it received almost universal positive reviews.
Read the rest of my review here

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 27, 2010 Emilie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mythic-fiction, ya, 10

ash is a sweet light cinderella retelling that lacks the depth that would make me connect with it more, and that would give it more resonance.

the characters are not developed and so the story lacks the substance i would wish for.
ash doesn’t have much personality. the king’s huntress, kaisa, isn’t a complicated character either. though she represents a strong female character, and at times she is charming...she is presented as perfect in a way that turns her into more of a symbol then a characte...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-gold-star-award-winner, trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Samantha Clanton, aka Harlequin Twilight for TeensReadToo.com

There's something about fairy tales that always feel magical. No matter the story, no matter the characters, there is something about them that just makes you feel the magic inside them. ASH makes you feel every bit of that magic, and more.

Just about everyone, everyone female at least, over the age of 13 or so has heard and/or seen the story of Cinderella. Whether it is Disney's version or the classic fairy tale or the Brot...more Reviewed by Samantha Clanton, aka Harlequin Twilight for TeensReadToo.com

There's something about fairy tales that always feel magical. No matter the story, no matter the characters, there is something about them that just makes you feel the magic inside them. ASH makes you feel every bit of that magic, and more.

Just about everyone, everyone female at least, over the age of 13 or so has heard and/or seen the story of Cinderella. Whether it is Disney's version or the classic fairy tale or the Brothers Grimm version or even one of the other hundreds of versions that have been created over the years, we all know it. ASH is a version that I'm sure you've never heard of before, but that you should.

After losing her mother, Ash's father takes a wife, Lady Isobel. Soon after meeting Lady Isobel, her and her two daughters move into the house with Ash and her father and things drastically change. In line with the fairy tale, Ash's father becomes gravely ill and passes away shortly thereafter. Which not only leaves Ash heartbroken, but also leaves her without either of her parents, and stuck with a "family" that doesn't even like to look at her.

This is the beginning that we all know about Cinderella, and while Ash has many aspects that are the same as the original tale, they are not the same in the slightest. Ash doesn't get the typical fairy godmother; she gets something else all together, but something even more powerful than anything in the candy-coated version that is fed to us as children.

Ash gets a fairy, Sidhean, who is even more lethal and dangerous than anything her stepmother or stepsisters could do/say to Ash. But that's masked in an extent by the beauty and the friendship that lies between Ash and Sidhean. And I mean that to an extent far more than the typical connection between two characters; their relationship is more developed and deeper than most would have thought possible in a novel that doesn't even break 300 pages.

But one day Ash's life, and heart, changes forever. She meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, and there is something between them that's different from the second they meet. Ash begins to stop chasing fairies and starts to live in the world without fairies and the fairy tales, and learns how to hunt and to ride and to track animals. But in this change of life, there is a price for keeping it and for continuing to let it grow.

Through her relationship with Kaisa, Ash finds what it means to grow and what it means to let her heart guide her and, in that realization, she also finds a new capacity to live. Ash prefers the company of the Huntress to the company of the Prince, and that makes this story even more powerful. Malinda Lo has created a world that is magical and finds its own footing in a world where fairy tales are viewed as being for children and has given the older crowd a fairy tale of their own.

This is some of the most beautiful, lyrical writing I've seen in a long time and that is so refreshing. The imagery just blows me away and it's like you're standing right there with Ash through everything, whether it be pain, joy, adventure, or terror. It would kill me to see this story get cast aside and labeled a "lesbian retelling of Cinderella," because it's so much more than that. It's a beautiful story that anyone could relate to and that everyone could take something away from.

I found myself hoping for a sequel in a story that doesn't need one, just because I wanted to spend more time with the characters in this world that Ms. Lo has created. It's beautiful, it's magical, and it's a story that, until now, I didn't know could even exist, but it does, and it needs to be heard. Not to mention, look at the cover. It is so beautiful! This is easily one of my favorite stories this year and I hope that if it's given the chance, it can become everyone else's.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 05, 2011 Airiz C rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairytales-reimagined, fantasy, lgbtq, mythology, my-favorites, paranormal, romance, young-adult

When her father died, Aisling’s—Ash’s—world is turned upside down. Her stepmother, Lady Isobel, is cruel to her, and her stepsisters are not exactly fond of her. Ash is forced to work as a servant for her stepfamily, and she could only hope for someone to take her away from her miserable life.

Sounds familiar? It might, but this is not the fairytale you remember—it’s not the story of Disney’s ultimate damsel in distress who waits for Prince Charming to come by and hand her the happy-ever-after sh...more When her father died, Aisling’s—Ash’s—world is turned upside down. Her stepmother, Lady Isobel, is cruel to her, and her stepsisters are not exactly fond of her. Ash is forced to work as a servant for her stepfamily, and she could only hope for someone to take her away from her miserable life.

Sounds familiar? It might, but this is not the fairytale you remember—it’s not the story of Disney’s ultimate damsel in distress who waits for Prince Charming to come by and hand her the happy-ever-after she longs for. In this retelling, instead of falling in love with a dashing prince, the dreamy, pretty orphan becomes smitten with the King’s feisty huntress, Kaisa.

You read that right. It’s Cinderella with a lesbian twist.

The strongest point of this book, for me, is the elegant unfolding of love between the two women and the society’s reaction (or lack thereof) to their budding relationship. The bottom line of the novel is not that the Cinderella figure is a lesbian, it is that no one cares that she is a lesbian. With that concept as a backbone, Malinda Lo managed to create this loose retelling sans the ‘coming out’ vibes that most LGBTQ titles possess.

The coming-of-age part of the book molds Ash well into a believable character, but she’s not particularly a likable one. While Ash only raises herself a step from being a total ingénue, Kaisa is portrayed as a stronger and more mannish character that completes what Ash lacks. Oh, I forgot to mention that there’s a bizarre love triangle here, and you’ll be surprised who makes the third side of it: the fairy godmother figure from the original tale…except that this time he’s a cruel Fairy Prince cursed to love a human girl (I really love the gender-bending bits!). Characterization of the antagonists came off as a little ‘bedtime story’ conventional, and to me they feel a stage short of being inflated into fully-realized characters. But in fairness to Lo, she suggests that Ash’s older stepsister only forces herself to marry a wealthy man just to make themselves a kisby ring, not wanting to sink into poverty, given the existing social strata in their world.

That takes us to the world-building—which is amazing. I love the complexities of Ash’s world, from the smallest fireside stories to the traditions of Rook Hill and the King’s City. Side by side, greenwitches and philosophers exist, a prevalent science vs. magic feel that helps shapes Lo’s universe. I also tremendously enjoyed the fables and myths that are deftly intertwined with the main story; they’re like gems embedded in a layer of less-precious stones. If they are invented by Lo, I’ll never know, but they sound authentic and they carry some shades of Brothers Grimm in them.

This is a good book, but if you are a sucker for retellings that are fast-paced, gripping, and out of the ordinary, Ash may not be your cup of tea. There is a lot to like about this novel, but there is something about the narration that does not quite click with me. The descriptions are beautifully dreamy and lush, but they make the transitions from scene to scene a tad slow. Other than that, I think this is a nice treat for fable-lovers and for queer people. After all, gays need fairytales, too.

My Rating: ★★★ 1/2
___

a little trivia: Cinderella comes from the name “cendrillon,” which literally means “little ashes,” so I think Lo’s choice for her protagonist’s (nick)name matches this. Some sources also say that the girl in Cinderella is originally named Ella and she is almost always covered in soot from cleaning. This is used by Lo as well, as for many times Ash sleeps by the hearth and ends up coated with ashes and soot when she wakes up.
(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 03, 2010 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fantasy, lgbtq

Ash is the first book by new author Malinda Lo, a retelling of the Cinderella story with the dark influence of Celtic faerie mythology and several new twists.

Aisling, called Ash for short, is the Cinderella analogue of the story, and the book begins traditionally with Ash beside her mother's grave. The first few chapters establish a world locked in an ideological battle
between reason and the old ways of magic and fairies; Ash's mother was firmly on the side of magic, and passed along to her dau...more Ash is the first book by new author Malinda Lo, a retelling of the Cinderella story with the dark influence of Celtic faerie mythology and several new twists.

Aisling, called Ash for short, is the Cinderella analogue of the story, and the book begins traditionally with Ash beside her mother's grave. The first few chapters establish a world locked in an ideological battle
between reason and the old ways of magic and fairies; Ash's mother was firmly on the side of magic, and passed along to her daughter a fascination with fairy stories. Against the lessons of every fairy story she's heard, Ash goes to her mother's grave in the middle of the night and meets Sidhean, a dark and seductive prince of the fairies.

As the rest of the Cinderella elements fall into place, complete with evil stepmother and stepsisters, Ash clings more and more tightly to memories of Sidhean and the fairy world. She begs the prince to take her away to the fairy kingdom where she can live the life of songs and dancing and escape the clutches of her stepmother. His response is always the same: "It is not the right time."

Enter Kaisa, the King's Huntress and a strong young woman who begins to heal Ash's wounded heart. They become friends slowly over several chance encounters, and Ash soon finds herself torn between the woman who pulled her out of her downward spiral and the fairy prince she is beholden to.

Lo's first novel is dark and atmospheric, with lush prose that fully draws the reader into a world of dangerous magic. Though the writing is lovely, the storytelling is hollow; the book lacks momentum, the characters are largely undeveloped archetypes, and the dialogue is stiff and awkward. Ash does not seem to mature at all over the course of the book, despite aging by several years. By the end, she still has the mental maturity of the twelve-year-old we met at the beginning, which dims the believability of the love triangle.

Despite the novel being highly anticipated for its treatment of same-sex relationships, the romance between Kaisa and Ash falls flat. The moments of chemistry between the two women were few and far between, and by the
story's resolution they still feel like nothing more than acquaintances. By comparison, Sidhean has a dark magnetism that keeps Ash coming back. The language used to describe their encounters is smooth and seductive, and the reader feels drawn into their dance.

Ultimately, the book's largest failing was Ash herself. In addition to her lack of maturity, she was weak-willed and dominated by the other people in her life. While this is a natural part of the Cinderella story, it made it impossible to relate to her or feel anything but pity. As identification with the protagonist is especially critical in young adult fiction, this flaw is crippling. By the time Ash finally decides to take matters into her own hands, she seems incapable of carrying out a decision on her own, thus diluting an already weak ending that broke the established rules of the world.

Despite its flaws, Ash is a worthwhile read. The messages of redemptive love and the danger of taking the easy way out are valuable tokens for young adult readers and adults alike. Malinda Lo shows promise, and her future books will be worth picking up to watch her talent develop.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 22, 2010 Jessica Saylor rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was definitely not something I recommend. I want to be nice in this book review, but it was very difficult to get through. It has nothing to do with Lo's writing style, even though it was in third person instead of first, because the story was actually told well. It just happened to be a story that wasn't worth telling.

The plot in Ash was boring. I don't like where Lo went with the story and I don't like how she got there. Cinderella retold+fairies sounds like it would be a fairly dece...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 05, 2010 Krystle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There was just something about this book that caught my eye. Whether it was because of its dark mysterious cover, Asian-American author, or a retelling of a fairy tale, I was just drawn to it. But was the book up to my expectations?

Sadly, no.

I never connected with any of the characters. They all felt flat and bland to me, and just as I was warming up to them the book was over. The main problem could probably be attributed to the fact that I just didn’t care for the writing style. It felt rough,...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 27, 2009 Izlinda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-fairy-tales-mythology, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I got this book as a Christmas gift. :) Though I have other books I'm in the middle of reading, I wanted to finish this one quickly so my sister could read it before I left.

I had really high hopes for this book. I heard it was a retelling of Cinderella, but with a lesbian flavor to it. (Basically that Ash does not fall for the Prince but the King's Huntress.)

I've read several fairy tale retellings, but not that many books about non-heterosexual relations/relationships. Disappointingly, this bo...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 03, 2011 Misty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: folklore-myth-fable-fairy-tall-tale, juvenile-ya, read-in-2009, retelling, ya-challenge-2, disappointing-or-excited-for-nothin, excited-for, cover-appeal, lgbt

Ash is one of those books that seemed to catch like wildfire in the blogosphere. One day, you've never heard of it, and the next, it's everywhere, and you have to read it. And like most suddenly ubiquitous books, I have mixed feelings...

Ash is a non-traditional retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale. Ash is a young girl who loses her parents and finds herself thrust into the care of her newly made family: a callous step-mother and distant, spoiled step-sisters. She is removed from her distant h...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 31, 2009 Steph Su rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: debs09, best-of-09, writing-learn, cover-lust, own, signed, favorites-2, lgbtq

ASH is one of those books that I read slowly, savoring each beautifully crafted line, running the words and imagery through my head until they became poetry in action. Malinda’s sensuous writing brings Ash’s world and the characters within to blazing, ethereal life: you can fully tell that you are immersed in a fairy tale world, one that doesn’t just satisfy, but leaves you wanting more.

I've often heard ASH described as a lesbian retelling of Cinderella; in fact, I think that I have used that co...more

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 13, 2010 Lady Eilonwy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fairy-tales, glbt, paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

Ash is in every way a conventional tale as it is unconventional: a fairy tale in the classical sense, with its near-flawless, romantic prose, yet unique in the love story it tells. Ash is a perfect fairy tale romance about Cinderella and the woman of her affections -- young adult readers will adore what they find, while more mature readers might desire a more fleshed out world. Ash is simple, beautiful, but slow-paced, although it makes for a quick read, perfect for curling up in a blanket and r...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 09, 2013 Hailey S rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book seemed interesting in the beginning, but, as I went on reading, I got really bored. I was confused while reading the book because there were parts that I didn't feel we're necessary. The book also didn't capture my attention because it had a plot that didn't interest me; the author talked a lot, maybe too much, about details that I felt wasn't necessary towards the book's meaning. I thought the author talked too much about the hunting between Kaisa and Ash. At this part, you automatica...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 20, 2010 MJ rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I learned that sometimes if you read ABOUT the author, you may just guess where the story is going. I thought of a twist on 'Cinderella'could be a good thing, but not this twisted... and to think this is a YA book! In the review that I read I was advised to read the end before handing to a teen. My advice: don't hand the book to a teen!

5 likes · like · see review

view all 10 comments

Larisa MJ wrote: "Nikki, as far as I know, the Cinderella story was never about being gay/lesbian - so that to me is a bit far of a twist. Last I checked, a...more
Mar 28, 2013 03:36am

Rachel This is not Cinderella, this is Lo's story. If it was just another retelling of Cinderella that would be boring and over-done. This is something new;...more
May 14, 2013 09:54am

Dec 07, 2009 Maren rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

ARG! Had I known this was written as a lesbian romance novel, I NEVER would've picked it up. Readers, be warned...

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 28, 2012 Nemo (the Moonlight Library) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, i-smell-magic-in-the-air-or-bbq, it-s-a-love-story-ruuuuuun, stand-alone, teens-rule-the-world-yo, sts, 2012-read, publisher-6-hachette

See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

When Ash’s mother, full of fairy tales and knowledge of the old ways, dies, her father remarries a woman who brings two horrendous daughters to the household. Well, Ash is a Cinderella retelling, so that bit should be obvious. But this is a Cinderella retelling with lesbians and actual fairies. It’s so cool.

While Ash is different to your average Cinderella story, I would say that it’s inspired by the story, not an actual retelling as such. There’...more

4 likes · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
YA e dintorni: Gruppo di lettura di giugno: Ash di Malinda Lo	13	21	May 20, 2013 03:05am
Fairy Tales, Kind...: Ash	1	3	Feb 17, 2013 09:38am
Fun Reads & R...: Kaisa OR Sidhean??? </3	1	10	Jan 20, 2013 07:14pm
GLBTQ fantasy	1	52	Jan 04, 2013 04:52pm
Young Adult Book ...: Now that you are done...	25	102	Sep 24, 2012 05:02pm

combine
Other Editions (8)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

764 users

Young Adult

535 users

Romance

189 users

Glbt

183 users

Fantasy > Fairy Tales

142 users

Glbt > Queer

87 users

Paranormal > Fairies

80 users

Young Adult > Teen

59 users

Glbt > Lesbian

50 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

39 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Malinda Lo

Hi Goodreads! I've only created this profile to claim my name here, and I don't check messages here or add friends. I invite you to follow me on Twitter or Tumblr if you want to chat, or visit my website at malindalo.com.

BIO: Malinda Lo's first novel, Ash, a retelling of Cinderella with a lesbian twist, was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, the Andre Norton Award for YA Fantasy...more

More about Malinda Lo...

Books by Malinda Lo

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Ash

8 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Ash

“The riders, too, were like nothing she had ever seen before: ethereal men and women with pale visages, their cheekbones so sharply sculpted that she could see their skulls through translucent skin. They surrounded her and looked at her with steely blue eyes, each gaze an arrow staking her to that spot, and she could not close her eyes though the sight of them made her eyes burn as if she were looking at the sun.” — 4 people liked it

“You shall not discover the truth being being blinded to faith.” — 3 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Ash
avg rating	preview: Ash Goodreads rating: 3.54 (8760 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6363322-ash?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342965660l/6363322.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6363322-ash?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Ash by Malinda Lo[/url]

Ash

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website