Ella Enchanted
Gail Carson Levine
SPOILER WARNING
for "As a retelling"
Where to Purchase: Amazon
Official Blurb: At her birth, Ella of Frell receives a foolish fairy's gift—the “gift” of obedience. Ella must obey any order, whether it's to hop on one foot for a day and a half, or to chop off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not accept her fate...
Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse forever.
As a Retellling: This is a slow-burn retelling that takes its time to establish its characters and setting. In fact, it's only within the last few chapters that the Cinderella story unfolds with the ball, glass slippers, and midnight deadline, though many of the pieces were set on the board ahead of time. Ella's curse of obedience provides both a compelling reason for her stepmother and stepsisters to take advantage of her and make her their servant and motivation for her to run from the ball.
Note: There is a movie adaptation of this book, starring Anne Hathaway, but the plot was changed and most of the Cinderella elements removed. It would be considered a general fairy tale parody instead.
Arista's Thoughts: This was the book that taught me what a retelling was capable of. Having read it multiple times, it's definitely one of my favorite books and well worth its Newberry Honor Award. Ella was an inspiration to me in a difficult
True Retelling: Cinderella
Magical
"I'll Save Myself"
Traditional European
Alternative Covers:
Have you read Ella Enchanted? If so, leave a comment below with your own short review to help future readers!
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