Review - The Ugly Stepsister by Aya Ling

The Ugly Stepsister 
By Aya Ling
Published June 12th, 2015

4 stars - Wonderful Retelling!

*I received a copy of the book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.*

When Kat accidentally rips apart an old picture book, she’s magically transported into the world of Cinderella–as Katriona, one of the ugly stepsisters! Life turns upside down now that she’s a highborn lady and must learn how to survive the social season, including how to get through the door in a huge metal hoop skirt. To get back, she’ll have to complete the story, right to the end of happily ever after. But the odds are huge: the other stepsister is drop-dead gorgeous, the fairy godmother is nowhere to be found, and the prince, despite being insanely hot, openly dislikes balls. Can she ever return to the modern world?

Review:

I absolutely LOVE retellings of fairy tales. I just can't seem to pass one up and I'm glad that I didn't pass this one up. The Ugly Stepsister is a retelling of Cinderella and is told in a different and refreshing way. 

Kat is transported into the world of Cinderella when she rips apart an old picture book. Instead of becoming a simple bystander or even Cinderella, she becomes on of the ugly stepsisters. She then has to figure out how to complete the story so she can get back to the real world. 

Kat was an interesting character to read about and I enjoyed seeing her figure out how to finish the story. I think it was interesting that Kat became one of the ugly stepsisters when she wasn't actually a mean girl. Kat is kind and cares for others and that was definitely different than the way she was supposed to act. There were a few other interesting characters that I enjoyed reading about as well. I loved seeing Kat interact with the other characters and mix things up in the story world.

The Cinderella story itself wasn't exactly like the Cinderella we are all used to hearing about. Aya Ling changed things up but kept the reader's attention at the same time. This was definitely an enjoyable read that was a little bittersweet at the ending. I recommend it to lovers of retellings and fairy tales in general. Give it a try! 

Vanessa