37 Followers
26 Following
carolesrandomlife

carolesrandomlife

The Ugly Stepsister by Aya Ling

The Ugly Stepsister - Aya Ling

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I had so much fun with this book! I haven't read too many retellings but I was quite curious about this Cinderella story. Unfortunately, I was quickly distracted by other new shiny books and this one was lost in my virtual stacks. I came across the audiobook and decided it was time that I give this book a try and I am so glad that I did. I flew through this audiobook and really enjoyed my time with it.

Kat lives with her sister and mother but she is transported to the world of Cinderella when she accidentally rips an old book. Instead of Cinderella, Kat fills the role of Katriona who is one of the step-sisters. It was a lot of fun watching her try to navigate this new world. She had so much to learn with the differences in manners, language, and fashion just to start. Kat decides that in order to get back to her world she needs to help the prince fall for Cinderella so she starts working towards this goal.

I loved Kat. I loved the way that she couldn't help but try to make the world a better place even if she didn't plan to stay for very long. Prince Edward was also quite wonderful. He couldn't help but be drawn to Kat's fresh perspective. They were really just wonderful together. I couldn't help but cheer this pair towards their happily ever after. 

The audiobook was narrated by Luci Christian and I thought that she did a great job with it. I really liked all of the voices that she used and thought that her reading helped to make the story even more enjoyable. She had a very pleasant voice that I was able to listen to for hours at a time. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to more of her work.

I would recommend this book to fans of fairy tale retellings. I thought that this was a really well-done story that offered a new look at an old tale. I do have to admit that I wasn't thrilled by how the story ended but that would be my only complaint. 

I received a digital review copy of this book from Aya Ling via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

Initial Thoughts
I had sooo much fun with this one! I thought that this story was really well done and it was a very nice twist on the Cinderella story that I know. Kat was such a great character and I loved the way she wanted to make the world a better place. Edward really did seem to be her perfect match. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narration was very well done. I am not really sure about that ending but that is really my only complaint.