What Parents Should Know
Highly imaginative twists on an old tale and a fast pace will keep readers turning the page. This spunky heroine keeps you rooting for her until the end.

Common Sense Media Review
A rich and imaginative retelling of the Cinderella story as a young adult novel. At last readers get a reasonable explanation for Cinderella's meek behavior. Poor Ella isn't a doormat; she is literally cursed with obedience. But she is a strong and intelligent role model--instead of taking her misfortune sitting down, she marches off to rid herself of the troublesome curse.

Ella's story is told in the first person. Learning her worries and dreams gives readers a reason to root for her. Prince Charmant becomes more than a name as we read the letters he and Ella write to each other. Throughout the book a cast of fantastic and familiar fairy-tale figures appear, including the foolish fairy who bestows gifts nobody wants, a wise fairy godmother who refuses to use magic for anything important, and a gnome toddler with a baby beard.

It can be difficult to capture an audience's attention with a story they think they've heard before. Yet, Gail Carson Levine casts a spell and manages to remake a classic tale into something completely new.