Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Hey everyone!

The next book on my list is Confession of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire.

We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty ... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks? Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household -- and the treacherous truth of her former life.

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

O

Book of Lost Things (The)

R

A

S

I love the concepts of Gregory Maguire's books. I've read the Wicked Years series ( I highly recommend) by Maguire as well. This book is a take on Cinderella, it's the "other perspective this is how it really happened" story. Let's start at the very beginning. The beginning was so confusing, specifically the prologue. Maguire has a tendency of using very "fluffy" language. I find myself having to use a dictionary to read the book. That kind of adds to the confusion. Maguire is very blunt in his books and very harsh to some of his characters. I love this! We don't need beautiful, perfect protagonist all the time. This book isn't 100% Cinderella either. It has hints of Cinderella, so you're not getting the same jaded story you've heard time and time before. Or its alternative version that you've also heard so many versions of. Like I mentioned earlier I love the concepts that Gregory Maguire creates, but he doesn't always execute it properly. This story was executed somewhat poorly but I still really enjoyed the story. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie