Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

High School Fiction

VG/A. Donnelly, Jennifer. Stepsister. Scholastic Press, 2019. 342p. 978-1-338-26846-1. 17.99.

Stepsister is Donnelly’s darker and more nuanced reimagining of the classic fairy tale of Cinderella, told from the point of view of the “ugly stepsister”. Isabella may be considered ugly, but she’s fierce and strong of will. Isabella was also good and brave once upon a time, and she, Octavia or “Tavi”, and Ella were once friends. What happened to the three that made them so jealous and resentful of each other?  Now that Ella has married the prince, Isabella and Tavi, are left behind to deal with the derision and scorn of the villagers in the aftermath of their desperate and failed attempt to marry the prince. When the girls and their mother lose their home, they are forced to beg for a place to stay, finding work in the fields of a nearby farm.  Isabella can’t help but think that if only she were pretty, her life would be easier. Isabella meets the same fairy queen Tanaquill, who had helped Ella, but instead of giving Isabella gifts of a carriage and beautiful gown, only agrees to help Isabella, if she can find the missing pieces of her heart.  Isabella has to unravel the riddle, and in doing so, rediscover herself and forge her own path lest, she forever remain known as the ugly stepsister. Recommended for YA collections.

Camille Campos, LAPL, Benjamin Franklin Branch Library

Vanishing Girls

High School Fiction

VG/A  Oliver, Lauren.  Vanishing Girls. Harper Collins, 2015.  368p.  978-0-06222-410-1.  18.99.

Sisters Dara and Nick are no longer on speaking terms. After a terrible accident left popular Dara scarred and more responsible Nick feeling guilty, the sisters won’t even be in the same room at the same time. As Nick tries to make amends with her sister and come out of her shell at her new job at the amusement park, Dara goes missing. Now Nick is determined to find her and thinks her disappearance is related to another local missing girl. But not everything is as it seems and the plot twist at the end will surprise you. Teens (and adults) will devour this book. Loren Spector, LAPL, Memorial Branch 

Born Wicked: The Cahill Chronicles Book 1

High School Fiction

G/A. Spotswood, Jessica. Born Wicked: The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book 1. Putnam’s Sons, 2012. 336p. 978-0-399-25745-2. $17.99.

Cate’s mother dies, making her promise to take care of her two younger sisters.  Cate and her sisters are harboring a terrible secret—they are witches and if they are found out by the Brotherhood, they will be sent to an asylum, to a prison to do hard labor, or be put to death.  In six months, Cate must come to a decision, either to marry or to join the Sisterhood. She must announce her decision at her upcoming Intention Ceremony or else the Brotherhood will choose for her.  Her best friend from childhood, Paul, returns to court her, but Cate’s attention is fixated on Finn Belastra, the new gardener.  Her mother’s diary also reveals that she and her sisters may very well be the sisters of a prophecy predicted to bring great power back to the witches, but also usher in a new time of terror.  Cate is faced with heavy decisions. Will she choose between her two suitors or join the ranks of the Sisterhood?  How will she ever find the means to save everyone she loves? 

 

-C. Campos, Angeles Mesa Branch Library, LAPL