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Cinderella's Dress

(Fairy-tale Inheritance #1)

Shonna Slayton (Goodreads Author)

3.69 · Rating details · 1,038 ratings · 226 reviews

Being a teenager during World War II is tough. Finding out you're the next keeper of the real Cinderella's dress is even tougher.

Kate simply wants to create window displays at the department store where she's working, trying to help out with the war effort. But when long-lost relatives from Poland arrive with a steamer trunk they claim holds the Cinderella's dress, life g ...more

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Paperback, 322 pages

Published June 3rd 2014 by Entangled: Teen

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· 1,038 ratings · 226 reviews

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Nov 12, 2014 Shantelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: on-my-bookshelf, reviewed, romance, historical, fairytale-retellings, young-adult, own-on-kindle, read-in-2015, 1920s-to-ww2

Cinderella’s Dress by Shonna Slayton was a sweet, fun, and unique story; it kept me turning pages! From the gorgeous cover, to the captivating era, to the charming characters, this novel had me intrigued. 4.5 stars!

Kate Allen is a teenage girl just trying to cope with her dad off in war and her ambitious mother trying to get her in a movie. She has a special, amber necklace given to her by her grandmother, but she never knew it had anything to do with the strange Polish couple who show up on h ...more

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Jun 10, 2014 megHan rated it really liked it

Shelves: fairy-tales

I received a copy of this book from Entangled Teen (Entangled Publishing) in exchange for an unbiased review. No other consideration was offered, expected or received.

I love historical fiction - there is just something amazing about reading stories based in a time before I was born. I am not, however, a fan of romance, but … mixed in with historical fiction, it has its place … and I actually enjoy it. This book – not just historical fiction, not just a clean romance, but Cinderella. You mention I received a copy of this book from Entangled Teen (Entangled Publishing) in exchange for an unbiased review. No other consideration was offered, expected or received.

I love historical fiction - there is just something amazing about reading stories based in a time before I was born. I am not, however, a fan of romance, but … mixed in with historical fiction, it has its place … and I actually enjoy it. This book – not just historical fiction, not just a clean romance, but Cinderella. You mention Cinderella (or any of the other fairy tales that I love) and I.am.THERE – I am always amazed at the stories that people come up with based on the old classics.

Have you ever wondered what the rest of Cinderella’s story was? What happened to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren…? Where her dress is now? That is what this story is about – and so much more. World War II, family, friends, teen love, window designs, modeling and fashion – it was so much to read.

This story was beautiful. The characters were ones that you wanted to know more about, that you grew close to, that you cheered for when they did good, worried about when they were harmed, hoped the best for when they were in trouble (fingers crossed and all).

I want to know more and, with the way that the story ended – and the fact that there are some things that happened in the story that never came to a conclusion – I really hope there is going to be a second book. The story only barely touched on the father’s disappearance, Cinderella’s step-sisters and the necklace, Kate’s brother is still overseas. I look forward to what comes next.

I loved this book enough to give it a 5, but chose to give it a 4 because of one big thing that I noticed but, after skimming other reviews, it seems to me that I am the only one who noticed. When Kate’s aunt began telling her the story of the dress, she did not know the English translation of Cinderella’s name. Even though the person reading the story knew it was Cinderella (based on the name of the book and the description), Kate did not. Yet, in the book, it is referred to as Cinderella’s dress (16% “Kate leaned forward, eager for a look. She held her breath, wondering what the Cinderella dress would look like.”) long before the translation was remembered by Elsie (21%”A young girl made to be servant, shoveling out cinders for her stepmother. Then she escapes to ball where she meets prince of the land. I found her English name. You call her Cinderella.”). This may not seem like a big deal to you, but to me it is HUGE. It gives away the story. I, as a reader, was anticipating this conversation between Kate and Elsie, and when the conversation finally happened, it didn’t have as much strength as it could have – as it should have.
On a side note, I also feel like the book description gave away too much and, at the same time, gave away misinformation and I really don’t like that. You see, when I read these (which is why I usually skim them or don’t read them at all) and you tell specific things that are going to happen, instead of enjoying the build up to the story, I … wait for those things to happen. And in this one, one of the things that it says – “her new sweetheart is shipped off to boot camp” – is untrue. They are not sweethearts. She is interested in him and there’s a possibility that he is interested in her, they write letters back and forth, but there is no anything really, other than friendship, until the end of the story. (Sorry that I gave this away for those of you reading this, but it was given away already.) Also, the disappearance of her father – why did that have to be shared in the description? I mean, I know you want to get people interested, but the disappearance would have had a lot more impact – just as Aunt Elsie “losing her wits” – if it had been left out of the book description so that the reader could find this out on their own as the story progressed.
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Jun 17, 2014 Summer rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc, fantasy, fairytale-retellings, historical-fiction, dnf

*Thank you Entangled Publishing for providing me a copy for review.*

DNF at 75%.

Slayton's Cinderella's Dress is a lovely example of amazing concept, bad execution.

Go on, read the synopsis yourself. It's trivial how a book with so much promise can be so lacking. You have historical fiction, which I love, fairy tale elements, which I adore, and a hint of feminism. What's not to love?

Perhaps it was the high expectations I had going into Cinderella's Dress. However much I hate DNFing books I receive ...more

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May 19, 2014 Nasty Lady MJ rated it it was ok

Shelves: dumb-ass-heroines, anti-feminist, face-palm, annoying-heroines, ballgowns

To see full review click on one of the following links:

My gosh darn blog

Or good golly my Booklikes page

Once upon a time, there was a reader who saw something that sparked her interest on Netgalley. The book had two things going for it. For one thing it was a historical set in World War II and for another thing it dealt with fairytales. Two things that should’ve made it a slam freaking dunk-ity doo. Unfortunately, this book was a clunker if there every was one and it turned the excited reader int ...more

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Apr 11, 2017 N.N. Light rated it liked it

Shelves: reviews-by-mrs-n, historical-romance, historical-fiction, young-adult, fairy-tales

I so wanted to love this book but the book turned out to be completely different from the premise. I thought I was getting a retelling of Cinderella but instead I got a confusing WWII historical romance. I think the author didn't know how to finish the story either. Disappointing.

My Rating: 3 stars ...more

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Jan 26, 2019 Eva Müller rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, dnf, foreign-language-fail

DNF @ 25%
Look, if you want to use a language you know nothing about in your book you can at least copy paste your Google Translate correctly and spare us sentences like "How was szkota, school?"
The world you are looking for is szkoła.
Szkota is the genitive of Szkot, Scotsman.

An siostrzany means sisterly, not sister. ...more

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Nov 14, 2015 Hannah Rodes rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy

Cinderella’s Dress by Shonna Slayton

Kate is just a normal girl wanting to work with window designs. She loves how they work their magic, and wants to help design. Too bad her mom doesn’t feel the same way, she wants Kate to work as a model. One day an old couple arrive at their doorstep lugging a large hope chest. That supposedly holds the real Cinderella’s dress, and on top of that Kate is to be the new “Keeper of Wardrobe.”

With her brother, father and sweetheart at war she is left to unr ...more

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Jun 01, 2014 Aneta Bak rated it liked it

Shelves: arc

Cinderella's Dress is a beautiful tale that makes you feel like a kid again.

As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book. It's like it was made for me. Not only is it set in the 1940's but the characters are Polish. And who doesn't love Cinderella! Right?

The book was not what I expected, but it was still amazing and I must say that I loved it.

The setting of this story is what I loved the most about it. Which is something I'm not used to, since I usually care about the characte Cinderella's Dress is a beautiful tale that makes you feel like a kid again.

As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book. It's like it was made for me. Not only is it set in the 1940's but the characters are Polish. And who doesn't love Cinderella! Right?

The book was not what I expected, but it was still amazing and I must say that I loved it.

The setting of this story is what I loved the most about it. Which is something I'm not used to, since I usually care about the characters way more, but the setting really got me thinking. Usually when you think about WWII you think about the battles and all the men fighting, but this book gives you the insight of what the women who stayed in the country went through. I found this topic so interesting, how all the women had to do men's job and they were finally able to express themselves. The author did such a wonderful job with this, I definitely give her props for being so detailed and unique with it. Also this probably sounds bad, but I find the idea of war kind of romantic, seeing Kate write letters to Johnny and her brother definitely hit my soft spot. Honestly, hand written letters are so adorable and they just express how much you love someone, way better than texting! And when Johnny would say things like "Don't waste your kisses on any soldier" I just found that to be so romantic and cute. As sad as it is to say, I really wish that I could have lived in that period and experience such romance. Anyways, the author did an amazing job with the setting, it was my favorite part of the book and I wouldn't change a thing about it.

As for the characters. They were all very different and I definitely had mixed emotions about most.
Kate falls into the mixed emotions category. I wanted to like her, I really did. But some of the decisions she made were very childish and irresponsible. I know we all make mistakes and not everyone can be smart, but she really had her dumb moments. I don't want to say what they are just so I don't ruin the book for you, but if you read it, you will know what I'm talking about.
I really liked Johnny. I was a little iffy in the start, but as soon as he started writing the letters I was in love. And when he comes back wearing glasses, that just stole my heart. He`s not only smart, but he is an amazing artist, which I find really awesome in a character. If I lived in the 1940`s I'd want a Johnny of my own.
The rest of the family was okay. There was nothing too special about them though, other than the fact that they were Polish. It just felt really weird because we heard so much about her grandmother, yet she was dead. I felt like if you're going to talk about a character so much, you might as well have them be alive in the book. But I understand the feeling the author might have wanted the reader to feel.
What I found really strange is that no one really mentioned the history of Kate's family. Sure we get the first maid Nadzia, and then we see Kate and her Aunt, which creates a giant timeline gap that no one ever fills. Sure mysteries are great, but they're pointless if you don't find out the answer in the end.
Same thing goes with Kate's dad, and brother. It didn't feel like a true ending since we never know what happens to them. Is the dad found? Does the brother stay in Italy with a girl like he mentioned? Or did he return home? I feel like there was just too many loose ends with her family, and I didn't find it very enjoyable.

The Polish aspect was great in this book. Just being Polish and reading the words written in my language was pure happiness to me. This was another big reason that I enjoyed the book.
Even if you don't know the language, the author made it very easy with translations so that you know what's going on.
The thing I found really weird were the names. Katja is not a Polish name. In the beginning of the book, when the author is talking about name day, she says that Poland has a specific list of names that everyone has. Which is 100% true. No one names their kids Blue Ivy or something strange, there is a specific list of names and everyone has a normal name that falls to a date on the calendar. Katja is definitely not a Polish name, trust me I would know. I'm not sure if the author made it up, or shes trying to sound out the name Kasia but either way this is not a true Polish name, which kind of made me agitated throughout the whole book. Same with Elsie, even thought she mentions her other name, usually Polish people don't do things like that.

This book didn't really have any action in it. We get some during the last quarter of the book, but before that there's really nothing. Which I found quite strange since this book isn't really set on the romance aspect either. But somehow it managed to work fine.

I definitely encourage you to pick up a copy, especially if you love Historical Fiction because this book has a brilliant setting that's going to make you want to go back in time. And if you're Polish, pick it up too, its a pretty great read.

Thank you for stopping by my tour post. I'm very happy to show you this book on the day it comes out, I'm truly honored. Happy Reading.
...more

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May 23, 2014 Ruth Turner rated it did not like it

Shelves: abandoned

DNF

What made me think that I wanted to read this book?

It's not something I'd usually read, but I loved the cover, and the fact that it takes place during WWII. Probably not good enough reasons now I come to think of it. But I have been known to buy bottles of wine because I liked the label, and that hasn't always turned out to be a wise choice either.

I still love the cover but the only reason I know it’s set during WWII is because I was told so. It certainly didn't feel like it.

Flat characters, ...more

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Nov 11, 2014 Kitty Bucholtz rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this book! The prologue pulled me in, and the unusual time and place of the story (a Cinderella book set in 1940s New York City?) made me want to know what happens next. The characters were interesting and real enough that sometimes I was ticked off at them. Then I would remind myself the main character is a teenage girl - acting like a teenage girl! Haha! I loved the best friend and the love interest, and I loved how Aunt Elsie was portrayed. And then the magic of the dress! Ye ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 Natasha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: braille, 2020-5-star-reads

Was this book perfect? No. Was this book a beautiful blend of many things I love-fairytales, adventure, strong flawed female characters, and World War II? Yes! I took my time reading this one in savored the relationships, the character development, and found subtleties in the atmosphere of the book that I would have missed had I read it faster.

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May 26, 2014 Aurélie rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2014

More reviews on my blog, Exploring Pages.

"That shoe was brand-new!" Kate felt her eyes tear up. The shoes weren't even hers-she hadn't earned them. She blinked rapidly. With made-up eyes, she had to be careful, or all that mascara would run down her face."
- Shonna Slayton, Cinderella's Dress

Thank you Entangled Teen for providing me with an advanced reading copy for review.

I am being absolutely honest here when I say that I wanted Cinderella's Dress to turn out differently. It's not like I had high expectations for it. It was just the premise of this book that made me want to read it, despite all the mixed reviews. I can't believe that the book I read is the same one with the synopsis above. I was all in for a Cinderella retelling set during World War II. But honestly, none of those were very clear. I'm disappointed to add yet again another novel to the famous list of: a good premise, but a bad execution.

The first thing I noticed about Cinderella's Dress, was how long it actually took me to get through the entire thing. It has been a while, since I can't even remember when I started it. The book didn't have that many pages, but I never had any interest to continue. There was literally nothing to hold on to and because of that, way too easy to put down. To be honest, there were several moments when I felt the urge to stop reading and call it a DNF. Nothing happened besides the boring everyday life of an American girl writing letters and creating window displays.

The mystery that Slayton was trying to build up throughout the book did nothing for me, because there was little to none. The plot lines that were supposed to do the job and build up anticipation and secrecy, did nothing. Instead of being woven neatly together, they're more like loose strings that don't connect in any way. The promise fairy tale aspect of the book was also nowhere to be found. It was only the prologue that held a bit of that. It's not because Cinderella's dress was involved that it suddenly turns the story into a retelling. When it comes to plot twist, the only surprise I got was how disappointed I ended up being.

It's known from the first line of the synopsis already that the story takes place during World War II. If it weren't for the many references in this book to the War and the pointless letters, I wouldn't have noticed. While reading, there wasn't a moment when I believed I was reading a story set in in that time period. In my opinion Slayton clearly failed in creating an appropriate atmosphere. Even though the centre of the war was in Europe, I didn't think the American citizens didn't notice what was going on. The book portrays as if that was the case. There was way too little influence of the war on Kate's situation, because she lived her life as if she didn't even live in the forties. The book could have easily been set during the sixties or even modern times, because it wouldn't have made much difference. Research is the main key word when it comes to writing a historical novel, and I didn't feel like Slayton did enough research to completely capture the vibe of the war.

I can't even bring myself to talk about the flat and undeveloped characters. None of them develop throughout the entire novel and remain just the same as they were before. In normal cases it's usual for people to change, even just a little bit. Yet when it's during the Second World War and spread over a few years, it amazes me how none of them did. Kate in particular was one dull and flat character. Instead of making things happen, things happened to Kate. She was passive in so many ways and did absolutely nothing for the story but writing letters and complaining. When I started thinking about her, she reminded me more of the forties white girl than anyone else. Like the plot, this girl had interesting stuff about her, such as being a feminist and having a unique passion, that supposedly would make her interesting. Nothing of that happened. Setting that aside, you would at least expect me to have compassion for the characters and their loved ones overseas. I don't. I really don't.

The clichéd romance in this book left me with only a few words in mind: well, that escalated quickly. In the blink of an eye, they went from being strangers to opponents to friends to opponents to lovers, and all of that not even in entire first half of the novel. The development of their relationship suddenly went to insulting to writing letters, and the romance just jumped out of the blue. I didn't care for the rest of their relationship. It felt like yet again one of those forced romances, and I wasn't a fan.

What could have been a great retelling with an extraordinary setting compared to the story, ended up being a slow-paced book with a plot that seemed to head to nowhere and boring characters that did nothing good. ...more

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May 15, 2014 Emily Bradley-dorman rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-challenge-14, r4r-s

I think the first thing that needs to be said about this book that it's NOT a fairytale retelling. It takes the magic of one of our favourite stories, picking out aspects and used to tell an entirely different tale that is, all in all, charming and captivating. It's a slow paced book that lets you saunter through it's pages as you take in the intelligent and, quite frankly, adorable characters and plot lines.

The story itself follows Kate as she tries to follow her dream of creating window displa I think the first thing that needs to be said about this book that it's NOT a fairytale retelling. It takes the magic of one of our favourite stories, picking out aspects and used to tell an entirely different tale that is, all in all, charming and captivating. It's a slow paced book that lets you saunter through it's pages as you take in the intelligent and, quite frankly, adorable characters and plot lines.

The story itself follows Kate as she tries to follow her dream of creating window displays in the department store she works at, but it's the 1940's and this isn't something a woman does. With her family being shipped off for the war effort and her mother pushing her in a direction she finds uncomfortable, Kate has to try and figure out a way to reach her dreams. However, a couple of unexpected visitors arrive at Kate's front door introducing a whole new complication into her life. For you see, Kate's family has a long and tangled history with a certain fairytale princess and with the arrival of her Aunt Elsie and Uncle Adalbert comes Cinderella's Dresses.

I really loved Kate as a character. She was strong willed and knew what she wanted. Of course she made a couple of silly mistakes a long the way but - after a little push - she always made the right decision in the end. It was refreshing to have a leading lady who wasn't all puppy dog eyes and lacking in brain cells. Yes, there is a sweet little love story (with the rather yummy Johnny) but at the same time I felt this book was more about Kate's ambitions. It was about her finding a way to embrace a destiny, uncovering her families past and coping with an uncertain present.

The twist on the original Cinderella story was a really interesting aspect. If I'm being completely honest I would have actually liked more of it in the book. I felt that the story covered a lot of Kate's present with her family and Johnny, leaving chunks of the story that could have delved further into the magical elements of the book. It took a long time to really tell you the whole purpose of the dresses. I'll also admit the ending was a little anti climatic, but not at all disappointing. I just would have maybe liked it to have been a little more punchy.

Now, I'm not usually one for accents in books - they're impossible to read and after a while just get on my nerves. However, the way in which Shonna writes the Polish accent is endearing. The dialogues between Elsie and Adalbert are freaking adorable and out of everything I actually thing their story was my favourite part of this book. It added a raw and emotional layer to the story that will warm your heart. I honestly think Adalbert might have a magic all of his own.

Overall this was a interesting read that left me constantly wanting more. It's a sweet story that had me from the get go. Its rich with a 1940's flare that is well written and unputdownable. The setting was perfect and the character's were enchanting. Cinderella's Dress was like a stroll through the 1940's with a magical twist and a sprinkling of fashion. Highly recommend for all in need of a happily ever after.
...more

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May 17, 2014 Jenea rated it liked it

There are a lot retellings being published, and this is a Cinderella one. The cover is gorgeous, even though this was a little different than I expected, it turned out to be a pretty good read. Kate is a pretty spunky girl, who wants to be part of the team that helps with the display window. This is a job that has always been done by men, and where she meets Johnny, the future love interest. She somehow does manage to get a part in the decorating of the window, but also discovers that her famil
There are a lot retellings being published, and this is a Cinderella one. The cover is gorgeous, even though this was a little different than I expected, it turned out to be a pretty good read. Kate is a pretty spunky girl, who wants to be part of the team that helps with the display window. This is a job that has always been done by men, and where she meets Johnny, the future love interest. She somehow does manage to get a part in the decorating of the window, but also discovers that her family has had this whole secret that they are the keepers of Cinderella’s dress. Kate is skeptical that her aunt is telling her the truth, but with everything else going on she has to make the best of it.

Kate was a great main characters, she was full of fire and didn’t take no for an answer for what she wanted. She was certainly persistent in her quest to decorate the store window. Johnny, the love interest was pretty great, strong and caring and supportive, just what Kate needed. This is full of secondary characters that were just amazing, like her aunt and uncle, and the friend she switches places with for the modeling job Kate’s mother wanted her to do. They each had their own part, some part and some a larger part in everything that happened. All of these characters were different in their personalities, the way they thought and even the way they acted. But made a fantastic cast.

The story takes place in the World War II era, and it was described very well, from the clothes, the building to the way women were treated and people acted. The story was slow to get started for me though, I felt was more of laying the ground work for the whole Keeper of the dress and Kate trying to figure out how she really works into it all. It does work, because the second half was much better for me, the pace picks up and there more going on. The idea behind the Cinderella’s dress being passed down to be protected was an interesting idea, and I did find myself kinda swept up in it all, even if I did confused a time or too. The people who were after the dress were the descendants of the “evil step-sisters” of Cinderella and then there is royal family the dress actually belonged to. There is the romance between Kate and Johnny, that was slow and sweet, and so were the letters that he wrote Kate while he away. The ending had a few unexpected events and some action going on and this turned out to be a pretty good twist to the Cinderella story.

Fans of retellings and the historical setting and slow romances will enjoy this one.

For more review, check out Visit Book Live Forever

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Jun 01, 2014 Megan rated it really liked it

Shelves: ravenclaw-mmp, read-in-2015, new-to-me-authors-2015, review, botg-greek, may-2015-yabrc

Cinderella's Dress was a unique take on the story of Cinderella. I love how it's sort of about the descendants of both Cinderella and the stepsisters, but mostly how it focuses on the Keeper of the dress. One of my favorite time periods for novels is WWII, so I loved that this book was set during that time. I didn't realize before I read this book that it was a series, so that alone changed my rating because this book had a cliffhanger ending and when I thought it was a standalone I didn't like ...more

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Oct 11, 2014 Vanessa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-books

With dystopia taking up space in the bookstores for me to find a young adult historical was almost a needle in a haystack. I found this book on the publishers website, and I knew I had to buy it right away. My feelings for the book was simple I LOVE THIS BOOK! I especially love the fiction storytelling! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

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May 08, 2014 Izzy rated it really liked it

Shelves: stupid-characters, weak-mc, magic, arc-copy, review-copy-from-publisher, cuuutee

*****I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*****

Katherine (Kate) Allen is a teenage model of polish descent living in New York City, during the WWII in spring 1944. We start off as Kate, due to her pushy mother, attempts in vain to grab into the acting realm.
While auditioning for a part in a movieeeee.......which goes disastrously might I add *snickers* XDD she meets a handsome young lad with gorgeous blue eyes! *swoons* I luuuvvv blue eyesss *fans face* ...more

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Jun 11, 2018 Lynndell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: asked-to-blog, choices, family, kindle-book, relationships, author-request, deception, fairytale, suspense, series

Magical historical fiction!
Cinderella is the Queen and is in possession of the dress that holds magic. Her stepsisters have married into a rival kingdom and Cinderella sends her most trusted servant on a mission to protect the dress. Time moves forward to the servant’s descendant granddaughter during World War II, Kate Allen. Kate Allen lives with her brother Floyd and their mother. Mr. Allen is in Europe, during the war, protecting art. Floyd joins up and goes to basic training and eventually o ...more

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Jul 05, 2019 Riley rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, once-upon-a-time

Let's talk about things I really, really love, cause this book has both and it does them well: Fairytale retellings and historical fiction. What a fascinating and lovely translation of the Cinderella story set during WWII. While the story doesn't necessarily follow Cinderella, it weaves the beloved tale into a different story about a young Polish woman trying to remain positive during one of the most tumultuous times in world history. It's odd to say the least, but such an interesting way to tel ...more

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Jan 20, 2016 Kayla rated it did not like it

Shelves: read-in-2016, retold-fairy-tale, young-adult, never-read-again, couldn-t-finish, historical-fiction, disappointment, great-concept-bad-book

Just in skimming over the Goodreads page of reviews for this book, I can see that it's one people either utterly hate or love. I'm DNFing this book at 202 pages because I realized that there's a second book in this possible series, nothing is happening, and apparently no new information about these Cinderella dresses is going to be shown in the next 100 pages. I'm determined to spend 2016 reading as many amazing books as possible--books that I don't feel like I'm trudging through or skimming ove Just in skimming over the Goodreads page of reviews for this book, I can see that it's one people either utterly hate or love. I'm DNFing this book at 202 pages because I realized that there's a second book in this possible series, nothing is happening, and apparently no new information about these Cinderella dresses is going to be shown in the next 100 pages. I'm determined to spend 2016 reading as many amazing books as possible--books that I don't feel like I'm trudging through or skimming over, just on the brief, dim hope that something interesting is in those distant pages.

Cinderella's Dress looked awesome. I had it on my TBR list for a few years. It isn't the typical fairy tale retelling we see today; instead, it takes objects from that familiar fairy tale, that have been passed down through the generations and . . . Well, I don't know what the significance of these dresses would end up being, because nothing ever happens to explain what's going on with them. Why they're so important. Why vaguely evil people are trying to steal them away.

Most of the book has nothing to do with them. Kate, our main character, is pretty interesting because she's struggling to get into a business that is typically only seen as a man's job. I never thought much about window dressing before, and I honestly don't know if it was really such a huge deal in the 1940s as it is in this book, but it's Kate's dream. I can appreciate that. What I can't appreciate are the lengths she's willing to go to in order to try to get this dream for herself. She's willing to insult and isolate herself from her friends, which . . I'm not sure why she thought that was a great idea, and she got nothing out of it. Even worse (the moment that made me stop and finally decide to DNF) was when Kate decided to do something she knew would torment her great-aunt who suffers from dementia. Even in the midst of her great-aunt's fit, Kate isn't even concerned for her. She's just worried about how much attention is being brought to them and thinking to herself Oh, I never expected that kind of a reaction. Yes, Kate. You did. You meant to shock her.

There were some elements in the book that had real potential--I loved reading the letters Kate wrote to the soldiers she knew. But then the war ended, I think, in the middle of the book. There was no real concept of time, for me, because the letters and chapters weren't dated. It was only because Kate mentioned something about years passing (not that she seemed more mature for it) that I realized how much time had been skipped over.

I think that this book was so frustrating to me, ultimately, because it could have been so great. Instead, nothing really happened in the 200 pages I read, so I feel like I didn't even read the book that was summarized for me. ...more

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Sep 16, 2015 Lilian rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone

Cinderella's Dress by Shonna Slayton is a YA fairy-tale retelling set in 1940's New York.
Being a teen-ager during World War II is tough. Finding out you're the next keeper of the real Cinderella's dress is even tougher.
Kate simply wants to create window displays at the department store where she's working, trying to help out with the war effort. But when long-lost relatives from Poland arrive with a steamer trunk they claim holds the Cinderella's dress, life gets complicated.
Now, with a father m ...more

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Jan 18, 2015 Carissa rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015-reviews

A Fairy tale retelling of Cinderella but with a Twist it focuses on the dresses and the family who was assigned to protect it. It's set during WWII and Kate is just a typical girl living on the American home front when relatives arrive after escaping Europe with Cinderella's dress or so her great aunt claims. It was a sweet story complete with a prince charming.

Title: Cinderella’s Dress

Author: Shonna Slayton

Chapters: 41

Pages: 322

Genre: teen historical fiction fairy tale retold

Rating: 4 stars

Ci ...more

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Feb 10, 2015 Mel rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-stars, read-in-2015, library

Edit: WHY is there a second one? There is in no way a need for a continuation this was perfect as a standalone.

I find my thoughts on this book are really hard to put into words. On one hand, I actually enjoyed this book, and on the other hand, it was only okay. This book is about a family that are the Keepers of the 3 dresses belonging to Cinderella. That alone is an AMAZING plot. However, much of the book doesn't really focus on that. I barely know anything about their family, the dresses, or ...more

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Jan 16, 2017 Natalie rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2017, young-adult

This book took quite a while to get moving and was fairly repetitive in the beginning, but once it picked up (just after the 50% mark) it was really enjoyable.

This is not a fairytale retelling - rather it takes the idea that Cinderella was a real person and a special group of people keep her dress safe from the descendants of the wicked stepsisters. It is set in 1940s New York so it was fairly modern whereas I was expecting a fantasy Cinderella retelling.

Kate was a pretty good main character b ...more

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Jul 07, 2014 Laura Stoddard rated it really liked it

I am always SO happy to come across an original story line. No vampires. No angsty, snobby teenage cliques. So two thumbs up right there! It's a historical fiction with a little bit of fantasy woven in. Shonna, it all wrapped up a little too soon for me at the end, but I REALLY enjoyed it and will be recommending it to many. Nicely done!! ...more

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Jun 06, 2014 Cait rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fairytale-retelling, own

I hope this becomes a series, if for no other purpose than to find out what happened to the shoes and Kate's dad. Plus, there's just so much to explore when it comes to her responsibility to care for fairytale artifacts. ...more

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Oct 25, 2016 Deborah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-own

So beautifully written!! This was totally not what I was expecting. It took the first hundred pages for me to understand what was happening and to get into it, but after that, it flowed quite nicely. Not a Cinderella retelling, but a great add-on to the Cinderella story.

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Mar 18, 2015 Noella James rated it liked it

It was...good. A mix of fairytale and life at home during WWII. Definitely something I would read a second time.

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Aug 27, 2015 Cyndel Schafer rated it really liked it

Shelves: own-paper-back-hard-back

Really loved this book. This is the first of its kind that I have read and really enjoyed every minute of it.

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Jul 04, 2018 Serethiel Sequoia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, romance, 2018-reads, canada-the-us-the-americas, fairytales, period-1930s-to-contemporary, ya-market-all-encompassing, speculative-christian-fiction, kindle, ebook-copy

3.5 stars

Full review to come. ^_^

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About Shonna Slayton

Shonna Slayton

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SHONNA SLAYTON is the author of the Fairy-Tale Inheritance Series of young adult novels, beginning with Cinderella’s Dress.

She edited curriculum for an education company before homeschooling her own children using literature-based whole book learning. She’s taught writing using fairy tales in school classrooms and workshops, as well as in public libraries as a writer in residence. Instead of seei ...more