Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon

2.5 stars
YF
VERY dark
(Local author)

I wanted to love this book.  I love Cinderella retellings.

But I struggled with the first half or so... I found the characters difficult to like and the plot poorly developed.  It was compelling enough, but if I stopped to think about any of it, it started falling apart.  Nothing held up under closer scrutiny.

And then, a little past half-way or so, the symbolism reached right out of the book and smacked me upside the head.

Once you see it as a strictly symbolic tale, I guess it's not as bad.  At least a lot about it makes more sense.

Assuming you like that kind of thing.

Which I don't.

So really, it didn't get better for me.  Possibly it even got worse.  Realizing that the characters are meant as types rather than actual people didn't help me like them more.  It didn't make their relationships work any better.  It explained why they were written that way, but that didn't help.

Now, I'm making a lot of assumptions about the author's intent here.  Everything I'm saying seems crazy in-your-face obvious to me, but literature is subjective.  So maybe it's just me.

Either way, be aware that this is a very dark tale.  I don't intend to have Boo even try it.  I think it actually should possibly be classified as YA instead of YF.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go read something nice and fluffy...