The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper)

Series: Princess Swap #1

Author: Kim Bussing

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Retelling

Rating: 3.75 stars

Review:

What would happen if Cinderella found herself in the beast’s castle, and Beauty woke up in some evil stepmother’s home? Fairy tales meet Freaky Friday in this series, where there’s a magical mix-up for every princess!

Ella’s spent her life dreaming about adventure, but it’s hard to have adventures when you’re stuck with a stepfamily who treat you like a servant. When she unexpectedly wakes up in a land far, far away, she’s thrilled at the chance to embark on an epic quest. That is, until she finds herself trapped once more—this time in the castle of a dangerous beast.

Belle, meanwhile, has plans. Her family’s trading company is on the brink of ruin, and to save it, she’s going to enter—and win—a royal competition in the prince’s honor. But when she unexpectedly winds up in a cellar with a wicked stepfamily who have their own plans to keep her from the competition . . . things get complicated.

Happily-ever-after couldn’t feel farther away. Can Ella escape the beast’s clutches? And can Belle get rid of this stepfamily in time for the competition? -summary from Goodreads

This was a cute, fun retelling of both Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast.

I have been eyeing these books for a while now and am super glad I was able to get my hands on them!

This is a tandem retelling, with both Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast’s tales getting retold. The fun part is that Cinderella is put in Belle’s tale and Belle is placed in Ella’s tale. Neither know what’s happening, but both are looking for something more, so the change is somewhat welcome.

Belle’s story didn’t really intrigue me. She was a determined and spunky character, and her story was interesting but didn’t capture my attention. She was very intelligent and worked hard on escaping her situation. I especially liked her relationship with Maire. It was nice getting to see a different side of the “evil” stepfamily.

Ella, on the other hand, captured my attention. I loved this portrayal of Cinderella. One of the things I loved so much about her is that she had to work at kindness. I am so used to a Cinderella that is effortlessly kind, but in this version she has to make the conscious decision to be kind at times, which I appreciated. I think this is a better thing to show to kids: that sometimes you have to try when being kind, it isn’t always just there. I also enjoyed her story arc of forgiveness. I thought that was well done, realistic, and relatable.

I thought it was interesting how the stories were told fitting the new protagonists. I had never thought of what would happen if the princesses of each story were switched. The stories still followed the same path, but there were some notable differences. It was also interesting seeing different people reacting to these situations that you have seen in other retellings.

I also really liked how the magic and world was built. It was interesting and perfectly matched the story. The Beast, slippers, and companions in the castle were also retold in new, interesting ways. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My only issue was the slight romantic notions in these books. Now I love a good romance, but not for twelve-year-olds. If the characters were fifteen, sixteen then I would have no qualms, but the characters were twelve and there were romantic hints. Nothing inappropriate happened at all, it is completely PG, but I think it should have been more focused on the characters making friends, instead of having a romantic undertone.

This book is a fun retelling of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella perfect for younger readers looking for a summer adventure!

Quotes:

“Ella wants to be the kind of girl her father expected her to grow up to be. And all she’s done is sit in the corner of a cellar and dream.”