If I Had a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?

by Melissa Kantor

Wicked stepmother? Check. Evil stepsisters? Check. Miserable life? Check.Lucy Norton’s life has all the makings of a Cinderella story. Her dad’s always away on business, leaving Lucy with her cruel stepmother and bratty stepsisters. She’s burdened with chores, and has a hard time fitting in at her new school. So when she sees Connor Pearson, the star player on the varsity basketball team, Lucy hopes her destiny has finally changed. With everything else going on in her life, doesn’t she at least deserve to get the handsome prince?Melissa Kantor’s enchanting novel proves that sometimes the happy ending isn’t quite the one you’d expect. Lucy’s about to discover the truth about finding her real Prince Charming… and finding herself.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Retellings, Teen, Fairy Tales

Hardcover

First published August 26, 2005

Reviews

[Donita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, for someone that claims, contemporary romance is her least favorite genre, I'm sure having a great time with back to back contemporary reads I recently had.

"You're doing a great job," said my dad when he came into the kitchen to get more ice. I was standing by the stove watching to make sure the spinach in phyllo dough didn't burn. "This is what I like to see." He came over and gave my shoulder a squeeze."This is the girl I always knew you could be."

He always knew I could be a maid?

I always had a soft spot for Cinderella retellings, being it my all-time favorite fairy tale.

Only, this isn't a contemporary retelling.

The cover of this book kinda reminds me of this movie:



Mostly because of the converse shoes on the cover, but believe me, that's where the similarities end.

I just couldn't leave this book alone and lonely when I saw it sitting on a Book Sale I passed by. I could just pretend not to see it, but this stupid voice inside my head just won't allow me to walk away.

Me: No I didn't just saw that book with a lame title that seems to be a Cinderella Retelling
Logical Me: Of course you saw that, stop pretending.
Me: I won't buy that-
Logical Me: But it's on sale!
Me: I know, but-
Logical Me: and don't you love Cinderella?
Me: Yes I do! But-
Logical Me: Aren't you a little bit intrigued with the title?
Me: I'am. But-
Logical Me: Just buy it then! What are you waiting for?
Me: Actually I think I'll pass-
Logical Me: By the time you realize you actually want this book, it would be gone. And you'll be sorry.

I obviously lost the internal argument, not that I'm trying really. And I almost regret it. Maybe because in the first half of the book, I saw Lucy as a brat, that just because her father remarried a woman who coincidentally had 2 daughters, she'd like to assume her life has turned into a soap-opera, and she's become a Cinderella, (minus the singing birds and dress-making mice as friends).

Later on, Lucy's struggles with her step-mother has become quite familiar, atleast for me, totally relatable for teenagers. I mean, at one point in my teenager life, I felt like no adult can understand me too, embarrassing I know, but that's all part of growing up, if you ask me. And that's why I liked this book a lot. It focused on the growth of the character. Lucy's personalities, her thoughts and her mistakes, that later on she managed to get over herself and realize that life isn't a fairy tale.

If you love sweet and light read this book is definitely a good pick. However, I think I would just like to warn you, that this book is quite predictable, I was able to predict how everything's going to end at like 30% of the book, but that's fine! You know why? Because the characters were able to keep this book a very enjoyable and hilarious read.

"And as I crossed the ballroom, I felt a tremendous surge of joy. Who knew you could dump your prince and still keep your loyal court?"

Special thanks to the voice inside my head that urge me to buy and read this book. JK.

[Arya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok two stars - why you ask - well because the plot was completely predictable and the author doesn't mind using language as an embelishment to even the simpest statments! Also there was much more "making out" than I would like, even though nothing worse happened. It was enjoyable to read this, unfortunatly after I finished it I thought that there was really not much point to have waded through all of the language and akward make-out scenes.

SPOILERS//

I knew from the beginning that Sam was a great guy, thoughtful and interesting, and that Connor was a jerk who had nothing but sports and lust on his mind. It was all one big "waiting" period for me to see how soon the thickish herione would come to the same conclusion. The step-mother was more annoyingt than truely "wicked" and the step-sisters wre just typical fluffy headed teenage girls. Yes they were fashion concious and rude, but they were hardly "evil". The one thing I really enjoyed out of this book was seeing the family really become a family, and seeing Lucy get some real friends - even if they were a bit (ok a LOT) ditzy. I would have loved this book, except that something about it rubbed my the wrong way. I would have recommended it to younger kids because of the sweet (if somewhat "told before" storyline). Regrettably I cannot because of the language. There was also drug content and casual Heavy drinking. . .add to that the several make-out scenes and it is unacceptable for pre-teens or young teens. It is too outdated by cinderella remakes to be any fun for older kids. All in all a disapointment, and, though not horrible - certainly NOT something I would reccommend. . .

[Candi Criddle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an average Cinderella story, but it had some problems for me.

One, either the author has never been out of the Los Angeles area or knows nothing about basketball. Lucy, the heroine in the story, has moved from San Francisco to suburban New York and her favorite team is the Lakers. Really?!? I maybe could have liked the heroine more if I didn't hate the Lakers so much, they are not a "Cinderella" basketball team. Come on, you couldn't use the Golden State Warriors or the Sacramento Kings? Anything would have been better. Next the author is going to be telling me that she likes Kobe because he is so "humble".

Two, depicting underage drinking as normal is not okay with me and there was SO MUCH. Sure the wrong guy in the story is the one who got smashed on Wild Turkey and Jack Daniels, but the good guy still drinks wine casually and all the girls have champagne. Just the fact that the book mentions so many specific kinds of booze I think is alarming, whether it is portrayed as a bad or good choice I don't think matters.

Also, in my version of the fairy tale, Cinderella is always nice to her family no matter what they do. It was her good heart, not her trials, that qualified her for a fairy godmother. I feel like this version sort of missed that boat.

[Runa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written in a very easy-to-relate, lighthearted way, highly reminiscent of everyone's favorite The Princess Diaries! The metaphors in this were extremely effective, and I'm really not one to say that lightly. When they were used, they were used in such a way so as not to be distractive, but to genuinely contribute to the writing. They don't seem forced in the slightest. The characters frustrated me for a while, and I was unable to see where they were coming from (particularly the basketball loving, popularity seeking main character), but soon, I did grow to tolerate them, some more than others. One thing I really loved about this book was that the main romantic interest was not incredibly obvious from the start. He was introduced subtly, although in the end, he seamlessly blends in to the rest of the story. Kantor not only breaks the cliches, she addresses them quite clearly before doing so, written in a very 'in your face' manner. I didn't like the title, and it wasn't actually the length of it that disturbed me--it was the fact that while, yes, she was looking for a prince, for the majority of the book, she was convinced she already had a 'prince' and the focus was more on the stepfamily than anything. Still, I loved it. I didn't agree with everything the characters said or did, but in the end, everything was adorably charming and thoroughly lovable.

Rating: 4.5/5

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother Where's My Prince by Melissa kantor
5 STARS
Well if the purpose of this book is to make me feel for Lucy it was successful.
My emotions where all over the place even shed a bunch of tears.
Lucy's father got remarried and they moved from San Francisco to New York to live in her stepmother's house. Then her father kept working in San Francisco on a big case for work and flew into New york for weekends.
Lucy's stepmother is busy shopping and cares about redecorating the whole house but not her room. Lucy lives in the basement by herself. Sleeps on a air mattress has no place to put her clothes, because she was not allowed to move with her furniture just being told we will buy more.
six months later she finally gets a bed and then told her friend was comming for a week and will have her bedroom. Lucy gets the couch.
Lucy calls her two spoiled 12 old twins Princess 1 & Princess 2. Lucy feels like she does all the cleaning but they don't have too.
Lucy has no friends at the new school. She did try to talk to a boy Sam in art class but he was rude. One day she heard these boys talking about a NBA basketball game who was going to win. Lucy made a remark about they being so wrong. Next time she saw them they told her good call on the game. Then Connor Pearson started to ask her out. Connor was popular and on the basketball team. Lucy than became popular and had friends and lots of others waved or talked to her in the halls.
The only problems I had with the book was all the drinks they had and was no big deal. champaign, wiskey.beer seemed like the adults did not care either. The skimpy clothes too without comments.
I was lent this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.
03/27/2010 PUB Disney-Hyperion 320 pages

[Miranda Reads (back from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Lucy Norton is living the Cinderella life - minus the glitz and glamor.

Her father is constantly away from the home because of his work. Her stepmother and stepsister suck and Lucy is constantly being made to do chores. She can't even escape at her new school because, well, that sucks too.

Maybe I'm paranoid, but as I walked by, it was hard not to feel that the sole purpose of their daily reunion was to remind me of my utterly friendless state.

That is...until she meets Prince Charming - err - Connor Pearson. He's the star player on the basketball team, super hot and just...amazing. And she begins to wonder...

Because if I have a wicked stepmother and two evil stepsisters, aren't I supposed to get a prince?

But, should she wait for her fairytale to turn around on its own.. .or does she need to give it a little nudge?

I've been reading a lot of Cinderella remakes recently and this was a great take. One of the hardest things about reimagining a fairytale is the balance between new and old.

You need enough of the old to make sure that the audience recognizes it as a fairytale remake, but not too much of the old that your book feels stagnant or stale.

Happily, I can say Melissa Kantor toes that line just right. This was a wonderful remake of Cinderella - full of wit, charm and heart. Lucy was a wonderful main character and I think her development was fabulous!

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[Alaina]

rtc

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was OBSESSED with this as a preteen/teen. I need a reread.

[Abby Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sigh. How did this modern Cinderella story go so horribly, horribly wrong?

At least with the "Cinderella Story" movie series (tiresome as that got) there was an attempt to make the Cinderella characters likeable, or at least actually underdogs of some kind. Literally the only "problem" this Cinderella has is that she HAS a stepmother. The wicked thing is debatable, at best. She does a couple of thoughtless things and she does treat her own daughters a little better, but I wouldn't say she was wicked, nor that this Cinderella bore up under unfair treatment with kindness or even patience. She acted like a bratty teenager every time she didn't get her own way. And she had FRIENDS. At the beginning of the book, she claimed to have nobody, but she gained popularity without even trying so what was up with that?

I also have a pet peeve with fairy-tale retellings that end with the "Step-parents aren't actually evil/wicked" lesson/moral. I often wonder if such writers have ever HAD a stepmother or stepfather. There's a reason those fairy-tales exist. Mean stepparents are an ACTUAL problem for some people. Some kids aren't just whiny teens who don't like their beloved dead or absent parent being replaced by a stranger or someone they see as a bimbo or interloper or whatever. I say this from experience. I have been psychologically damaged by my own stepmother (I developed PTSD from it, it was so severe), I know not ALL kids with stepparents have this kind of experience, either, but it's unfair of books in this vein to constantly rail against the "myth" of wicked stepparents, when I can tell you they totally are a real concern. In a fairy-tale retelling, it's better to flesh out why the stepparent is cruel (if you MUST have their side of it to make it more compelling) rather than try to flat out say they aren't at all and it's just a "misunderstanding". That's called talking down to teens, people, and it ain't okay.

As far as writing and entertainment value of this book goes, I wasn't even that impressed with it at the age when I should have been. As a teen I thought this book had a cool title but otherwise was simply "okay" at best, kind of a poor girl's Meg Cabot knock off novel, if you will.

[Kira · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was all kinds of awful.

Considering this was a Cinderella retelling, I was expecting a truly *evil* step mother instead what we got was a watered down version which was maybe kinda annoying but then the Cinderella of this story aka Lucy wasn't all that better.

The way she keeps wishing for her prince to fall into her lap becomes tiring pretty soon and I found myself wishing for just a tiny bit of substance to this useless tale honestly, I had no interest whatsoever in her love life or her stupid friends.

The only time I felt even a tiny bit of emotion throughout this one was when her dad kept blowing her off considering he didn't want to "hurt" Mara's feelings while blatantly disregarding those of his daughter's.

1.5 stars.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairytale retellings are definitely my cup of tea. I like having the pleasure of reading a story that takes a popular tale and reinterprets it in a way that's fresh and unique, though it might take cues (whether subtle or overt) from the original tale in spurts. That said, "If I have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince" attracted me from the get go, not just for the title, but also the blurb.

Lucy is a young woman who's had to uproot her life in many considerations, so its easy to see why she's a bit bitter about things, and she has a strong, savvy voice to boot. For one, while her father's sporadically on leave with work in San Francisco, she has to contend with her strict stepmother as well as her bratty, younger twin stepsisters. To make matters more complicated, she's not exactly at the top of her social ladder at school, being the new girl. Her situation in itself seems to be, realistically, what a lot of teenagers go through when they adjust to new stepparents and have to fit into a new school environment.

Things start changing for Lucy when she catches the eye of Connor, one of the most popular and handsome guys at her school. That ultimately teleports Lucy up several notches on the social ladder - gaining her a few friends as well as an ideal love interest who shares a common hobby with her, developing into something more. But as events progress through the story, relationships and encounters are not always what they seem for Lucy, and she learns to stand up for herself and her personal interests in the long run.

The story in itself is unapologetically chick-lit, and the lines within Lucy's voice take on heavy tones in the vein of "Cinderella," only Lucy isn't as kind or humbling as Cinderella would have you believe, but still manages to be funny and sympathetic in spurts. In some ways, I felt sorry for her; in others, I felt she was being a bit snotty, and even beyond that, there were some drama points where I had to suspend disbelief (neither of your parents were willing to invest in getting you furniture for your room to put your clothes? Ouch.).

Also, I think the parallels made to the Cinderella theme might've been overused, which somewhat ruined the ease of progression for me, though I did, ultimately, like the story. If it had been toned down somewhat, it still would've remained in good humor and not felt like it was beating me over the head at the end of every chapter, though there were punctuated points where I thought it was clever.

Still, weighing the positives and the negatives, this was a book I enjoyed reading and one I think the audience its aimed for would enjoy. It's mostly dependent if you like stories which you can easily swallow in a blend of light teen chick-lit and fairy tale parallels, albeit loose. There isn't any magic or mysticism to be had here, just the interpretations of a girl with a strongly asserted voice, eventually finding her way to her own "happily ever after."

Overall score: 3/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Disney-Hyperion.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll start with the things I liked. I liked Lucy, for the most part. I like the interactions she has at home with her family, and surprisingly they were more entertaining than her interactions with her classmates. The overall story moved along quickly (although I did skim over some), but was fairly predictable.

I’m trying to figure out what to say without giving away spoilers. I thought it was awkward that Lucy didn’t have ANY friends, and then the hottest guy in school likes her and all of the sudden she has a million friends. She had been at school long enough you’d think she would have made at least one friend; I just thought that was kind of odd. I didn’t really care for the ending. I think things were wrapped up too quickly and didn’t really make a lot of sense. Although I didn’t think Connor was the best match for Lucy, he did seem genuinely interested so I was confused with how everything played out. I also never understood Sam. He was kind of a jerky quite guy who was hardly in the book, then *bam* he’s all over the place. I guess the author was saying that maybe Prince Charming (Connor) isn’t all he’s cracked up to be, and maybe you should be looking for someone who you actually have things in common.

Overall, just okay for me.

[Elisse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well. This book was mediocre in every possible way. The plot was pretty boring. Like, there aren't really too many events. Problems just sort of stew and then abruptly change at the end. The only thing that wasn't too exasperating was encounters with her stepmother, but the rest of the book was a total blank. I finished it a few days ago, and I'm already having trouble coming up with things to say about it. Because it was so boring. Also, it was pretty unoriginal on the Cinderella front, like sometimes there would be a random line about cleaning or Prince Charming, but it wasn't really an involved metaphor that helped the story along, like in Meg Cabot's Avalon High with King Arthur. The characters weren't deep or interesting.
ETA (one year later): Apparently this book is so boring that I have no memory of actually reading it. If you had asked me if I had yesterday, I would have said no.

[Kristyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

My tween daughter started reading this and put it down. Good for her. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under 14. It's all about a bunch of rich, snotty kids who apparently are encouraged in underage drinking by their parents. I'm surprised by the lack of real consequences or parental concern in the book. The cute Cinderella story that was in it was ruined for me by the casual acceptance of underage drinking, making out and dressing sleazy. That's a shame because of the age of readers this is written for.

And would it have hurt for the stepmother to have just been waiting to surprise her with an awesome bedroom makeover in the end? If not, then I tend to still think she did have something against Lucy.

[Gracee Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

*SPOILER ALERT* By: Gracee Jones
The book, If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?, was about a teenage girl, Lucy, who basically had a life like Cinderella. Lucy was new to her school and had no friends. But one day she had the courage to speak to someone named Connor, the hottest boy in school. It paid off because they both liked each other then started dating which gained her a lot of friends. Sadly though it was the opposite at home. Her dad was gone at work most of the time and she was stuck with her stepmom and stepsisters. Later throughout the story there's a plot twist and Lucy starts to think about a different boy, Sam, who is in her art class, but still had feelings for Connor even though at times he wasn't the best boyfriend. Further on in the book they go to prom. Connor and this one girl won king and queen and Connor was flirting with her the whole time. Lucy had enough of his stuff, so broke up with him. As she was leaving prom, Sam came up to her and told her how he felt about her and they both ended up together. As a Happily Ever After!

The main characters in this story are Lucy, Sam, Connor, Jessica, Madison, her Dad, and Stepmom.
Protagonist: Lucy
Antagonist: Mara ("Wicked" Stepmother)
About Lucy:
Lucy is a teenage girl that has a life like Cinderella. She goes through a lot at home with her evil Stepsisters and wicked Stepmother. She gets very annoyed and angry when it comes to them. But Lucy soon finds someone that changes everything and makes her happy... well she thought.

In this book I could relate to Lucy when she got grounded for no reason from her evil stepsisters lying to get her in trouble because that has happened to me before when my sister told my mom that I didn't do any of the chores when I actually did. I also can relate to Sam. The reasoning is because he got mad at Lucy for looking at his painting before he was finished but later on they became good friends. Just like how I can get aggravated easily from someone, but once you get to know me I'm actually very friendly.

I really liked this book because it had a good plot twist and ending.
My favorite part was when Lucy went up to Connor and broke up with him while he was dancing with Kathryn because she finally could get with Sam. But my least favorite part of this book was when her little stepsisters lied to their mother about Lucy because I felt like it didn't need to be apart of the story. The author, Melissa Kantor, did really well on explaining Lucy's thoughts and feelings throughout the book, but she probably could've done better on giving more information about the setting and surroundings.

I would definitely recommend this book because the author puts in a lot of details through the story and surprising turns.
The type of person that would enjoy this book would be someone that's interested in romantic genres and Cinderella related story's.

[Kaija · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 /5
I expected a teen book and I got a teen book. If I was looking for something ground breaking, or something novel I would have been disappointed.

I expected a Cinderella story with a teen girl who as being a teen girl. Over complicating things and sometimes having her own view distort reality of her "wicked" step-mother. That's exactly what I got. Plus, I was able to read the book in 2.5 hours so that was helpful.

Beach read? Yes.
Book for a teen girl? Yes.
Ground breaking? No.
Amazing character development? No.
Complex or interesting/new plot? No.

[ａｎａ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a funny novel about a misfit Lucy who related her life to a Cinderella story.
To be honest, it’s not a type of book that everyone MUST read, in fact, it was cheesy at times and it became kind of predictable towards the end. However, it was so charming and it had a heart.

4 stars- a quick and easy read perfect for teenagers and YA... oh, and the title is hilarious 

[Daniela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is perfect for teenagers and those who want to remember what it feels like being one. Although it's not a literary masterpiece, I really enjoyed reading it and I would recommend it to anyone that wants to sit back and relax while reading a simply written Cinderella story.

[Eunice Velez · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay a little weird at how she was a sophomore and she was dating a senior. I was really frustrated whenever the stepmom was manipulating her dad but things turned out for the better. I’m so glad that she chose the other guy and thank goodness was a junior.

[Riya · Rating 4 out of 5]

good

[Kori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this more than I was expecting🫶🏻 Found it at a book fair and thought “why not”? Jus a cutesy lil YA for ya!!

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've got to say, I was totally amazed by how good this book was! I was expecting some completely vapid, popular people suck, woe is me, hey hot guy, high-school drama bull crap, but Kantor is actually an insightful and talented writer.

First off, from a pure enjoyment standpoint, this is a great teen romance. Yeah, you can see where the story is headed the entire time, but it's the kind of titillating prescience that makes the unfolding love-plot that much more enticing--you can't wait to see how it's getting where it's going. This novel also contains a nice dose of escapism--Lucy lives in the NYC suburbs with a ton of money, so she can have the Gossip-Girl-style glamorous high school experience even us adult ladies enjoy fantasizing about sometimes.

Aside from that, this book is just REALLY well-written. Kantor heard "show, don't tell" in creative writing class and made it an art. There are obvious themes to this novel--there's good and bad to everyone, don't judge a book by its cover, be kind and thoughtful and it will pay off. But she never has Lucy, who is, after all, a teenage girl, say, "OH HEY, I TOTALLY LEARNED A LESSON." We see these ideas play out in the resolving incongruities of the book--what Lucy reports happening (fights with her stepmother, etc.), and her emotional reactions do not match up. We LIKE Lucy--we like her outsider status, her self-expression through her art, her willingness to stand up for all the things she defines herself by (art AND basketball), but at the same time, she acts like a totally stupid, arrogant, rude teenage girl sometimes. And that's GOOD. She's believable, loveable in the way she isn't the perfect antidote to the "popular girl." Not to mention, Kantor is clearly a smarty; she peppers her prose with great references to the arts and really arresting similes.

(Basically I wish Kantor would write a nice ADULT chic-lit-emphasis-on-the-LIT book.)

TL;DR This book is written like literature, with the bubble-gum appeal of teen romance. Yum.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you hear the title – If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where’s My Prince? – what do you think of? Probably the first thing that comes to mind is Cinderella. And you are not far off. The main character in this enjoyable book feels as if she is being treated like a Cinderella; even her new friends think so.

When Lucy’s mother died, leaving behind her husband and young daughter, it meant it was just the two of them for several years. Then her dad remarried and moved them to live in another city with his new wife and her two younger daughters. Lucy was relegated to a room in the basement, a very inadequately furnished room, and her dad was hardly ever home because he was still working in the city where they had lived before Lucy’s life was turned upside down.

Lucy felt unfairly treated, being expected to do chores the other girls were not asked to do and not treated very nicely. She felt like a .. well, the way Cinderella may have felt. Then she falls for a boy and things just get more complicated.

This is a story that holds the reader’s interest, and I think especially young teen girls will like it. I found myself thinking at times, this girl is being so emotional and self-centered … like a teenage girl with the jealousy, the angry outbursts, the drama. But that simply means Melissa Kantor hit it right on. Being on the other side of all that hormonal craziness it is easy to see what should have taken place, and I kept hoping someone would see through everyone’s foolishness and set things right. (Even the stepmother was exasperating.)

I won’t tell you what happened. ** Possible spoiler alert ** What I will say is .. there is some of the normal temptation stuff, but it’s the drinking that becomes the issue for awhile. It is handled well by the author, Melissa Kantor.

This is an easy book to read, interesting and engaging, and not simply a young person’s book. Why not branch out and see what our young people are reading these days? :)

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother Where's My Prince by Melissa Kantor follows Lucy Norton who was uprooted from California when her Father gets married and spends most of her time alone in her room in the basement her new house with her wicked stepmother and bratty twin sisters. She is treated badly by her stepmother and her father is away most of the time and doesn't have any friends at her new school. When the school basketball star (the prince) asks her out she is very excited and finds her life changing.

I loved this book. It was sweet and fluffy and a nice fairytale adaptation. I loved Lucy who grows from an unconfident shy girl into a girl who is finally able to express her needs to fix both her social and family life. I tore through this book reading it very quickly and was sad when it ended.

Appropriateness: Lucy's boyfriend drinks excessively on several occasions (and this is used to make him seem less than perfect). Lucy drinks a glass of wine at an art show but does not drink when her boyfriend does. She's rebellious at times but not in a destructive manner (running off to an art gallery opening instead of going home) This is a perfect book to use as a starting point for what to do if your teen does go to a party where alcohol is served or if their boyfriend or friends are drinking as Lucy is fairly immune to peer pressure when she knows something is wrong. I would recommend this book to readers 12+ (with an encouraged parental discussion with the middle school crowd)

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read this book forever and I finally got the chance to sit down and read it. I loved the fairy tale Cinderella twist. Plus you have to love a happy ending.

Lucy has moved to Long Island from San Francisco, to live with her new step-mother and two step-sisters. While her father remains on the west coast working on a big case. Lucy isn't exactly enjoying living with her new "family" alone. She doesn't really have any friends at school, okay she doesn't have any friends, actually.

Luckily for Lucy her knowledge for basketball helps her catch the attention of senior basketball superstar and hottie, Conner Pearson. Then suddenly everyone wants to be her friend. And even though it seems that her life is turning into a fairy tale at home everything is still difficult. Then to confuse matters even worse she finds her self connecting with the artistic Sam, and wishing her conversations with Conner had such substance,

As her family issues start to resolve, Lucy finds her fairy tale taking on a whole new direction. Maybe her stepmother isn’t so wicked after all, and maybe her prince charming isn’t who she thought it would be.

Any fan of Cinderella will love this book. It is an equal balance of romance, teen angst and real life. Some parts are a little unrealistic, such as the going from a zero to popularity princess in two seconds flat. But overall the story was light and enjoyable.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in ninth grade, but I didn't really remember what happened. When my mom got me this book for christmas I was pretty pumped to read it again! Also, I am in love with the cover, yes, I am one of those people who judges a book my its cover...I can't help it!

Anyway, this is a story of Lucy and her move to live with her wicked stepmother and two evil stepsisters in New York. Her dad is constantly going from San Francisco to New York, so the only times Lucy really gets to see him is on the weekends. However, her time with him is always overshadowed by her stepmother intervening. Lucy feels like she has nothing until Connor Pearson comes into her life and makes her one of the most popular girls in school. She goes from social outcast to having a boyfriend and two new friends. She thinks that Connor is the Prince Charming she has been waiting for, but Lucy soon discovers that maybe having a Prince Charming isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Overall, this was a very cute and quick read. It is a cute little spin on the take of Cinderella. I would definitely recommend it for someone who is looking for an easy book to read that doesn't require a lot of thought. Sometimes I felt that the main character could be a little whiney, but then I remembered she was only a sophomore in high school, and I felt like that was a valid excuse for her lack of depth. I would probably give "If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince" a 3.5/5 stars!

[Leslie (That Chick That Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love any kind of Cinderella twisty book? This novel was cute and some what realistic. I kind of bought this novel without realizing who the author was. I had recently read “Confessions of a Not It Girl” by the same author and completely hated it. The difference between this novel and the other though was that I got into it much quicker and could relate to Lucy a lot more. She’s this girl who has to move from California to New York because his father got remarried, which means dun dun dun a new school. She’s the new kid at this school, with no friends. The only thing that wasn’t really realistic, at least in my eyes, was the fact that she went from zero to full popularity within days. I really did like her character though, she wasn’t very superficial and she liked art. I also loved the art boy in the novel. He was dark and very shy, which is something I like reading. If you don’t like reading something that’s kind of predictable, then this books really not for you. Although some things you would never see coming, trust me. Overall I really liked this novel and I think I’ll be able to give Melissa Kantor’s other novel’s a chance because of this one. Overall I give this novel 3.5 out of 5 paws.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy is the new kid in school. She hates her stepmom and her bratty stepsisters. Not to mention her father is never home; he is always working. School is a living hell for her, she eats alone and doesnt talk to anyone in the hall ways... Nothing is going the way Lucy wants it too! Until suddenly she makes a comment about basketball and she is instantly in with the "cool" kids and hooks the hottest most popularest guy in her school.

From that point on in the book Lucy spends her days shopping, hanging with her friends and making out with her boyfriend Connor, but for some odd reason she can't get Sam Wolf off her mind!

When prom quickly approches her perfect world turns upside down. Lucy realizes that hers and Connor realtionship really had no depth to it... Maybe she would be better off with someone quirky and an art freak just like her, maybe someone like Sam Wolf? But will Lucy's reputation be ruined if she dumps Conor? Will her friends still stick close by?

Full of perdictable "twists" girl talk, hot guys and the story of the new kid at school; If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? Is an alright read. It's kind of cheesy and I bet there have been many books like it before. However, if your into that kind of stuff... Go for it!

[Shannon Hitchcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thorougly enjoyed this book. The story starts with ways our narrarator is like Cinderella. 1. They both have a dead mother. 2. A wicked stepmother. 3. Two Evil stepsisters. and 4. Are friendless. In this modern day version of Cinderella, Lucy Norton's father remarries and moves her from San Francisco to Long Island. Poor Lucy's room is in the basement. She sleeps on an air mattress, and doesn't have a bureau for her clothes because her stepmother is slowly redecorating. The author's teen voice is authentic, and I was caught up in the adventures of Lucy. From buying a sexy dress that requires a thong to dropping sushi down her dress while on a date with Prince Charming, the heroine is one to root for. The surprise twist at the end was not totally unexpected, but it was totally satisfying.

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haha this book had me laughing my lungs out ! its a short read book but its really hilarious ! This Lucy girl compares her life to Cinderella's and she really has some stuff in common . And this Connor jerk face guy lures her into becoming his girlfriend , thus makes her the popular girl because this jerk face is the head football player and he was hot ! they go through ridiculous , funny moments, but at the end she ends up with this other guy from her art class (sorry dont remeber his name)! But if your looking for a good hilarious, romantic, & frustrating book this is the one for you I hope y'all like it !!