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Red House Books is going through a bit of a update!

I've always had a pretty clear vision of what I wanted this space to be but I've been detoured from my path by...lots and lost of other people's opinions and ways of doing things...

I'm committed to this little chunk of the interweb but I've also branched out into other places so! Now it's time to think of Red House Books as more of a hub of all things me! And Me is a hell of a lot of book love!

Stay tuned!

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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Book Review: Cinderella: Ninja Warrior by Maureen McGowan

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: April 1, 2011
Pages: 320
Series: sort of :)
Acquisition: received copy for review

Summary:
In this fast-paced story full of adventure and romance, Cinderella is more than just a servant girl waiting for her prince—she's a tough, fearless girl who is capable of taking charge of a dangerous situation. Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read! (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
I have always loved Cinderella as a character. Forced into servitude by her tyrannical stepmother, she is little more then a slave to the wishes and whims of her evil stepsisters. Now, take that classic tale and turn said stepmother into a powerful evil magician, turn Cinderella into a kick ass ninja and replace the glass slipper and ball with more excitement (think actual true love and a magic completion). Win!

I very much enjoyed this book. Cinderella is a strong and determined girl. Never failing and never wavering. She doesn't need a man to hold her up but love will make her powerful.

So many elements added to the original tale and I loved every one of them!  Oh - and no love triangles :) I'm thinking I should start adding this to more reviews - NLTI (no love triangles included ;)

There as always been a magical element to the story of Cinderella but Maureen McGowan has taken it to a whole new level and I think I just might like her version of things even better!

A great mashup with the added bonus of being a choose your own adventure tale. Depending on choices you make along the way. At 3 points in the story, you have to choose what you think our heroin should do. You then skip ahead to that section and read on. This, was pretty cool. I felt like I had some control over the plot AND I can't imagine the organizing skills it takes as a writer to pull this off. The only issue for me though was the fact that the ending is the same for every choice you make. So, while the action plays out differently, in the end there is no choice. But, I was ok with that.

I'm a fan of this mashup and if Maureen has any more Twisted Tales up her sleeves, I'll be sure to read them.

Overall Rating:
4 / 5 Stars

Books in the Twisted Tales Series:
1. Cinderella Ninja Warrior
2. Sleeping Beauty Vampire Slayer
 **they do not need to be read in order as each is it's own tale**

Linkage Love:
Silver Dolphin
Author's Website
Goodreads

2 comments:

  1. I think it's about time we had a Cinderella that is strong and can stand on her own two feet. I never liked the meek and dependent Cinderella portrayed by Disney.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just finished this one! :) It was very... interested. I liked it but there were parts of the story that read a little more awkwardly to me...

    ReplyDelete



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