ARC Review: Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

Okay, guys, I have had this book a few months and I am already well into a re-read because it is just such a perfect mix of empowering and heart-warming, so I may ramble more than usual in this review. All I can say now is go buy it! I usually put that at the end but I will say it now because it is seriously an amazingly powerful book, that I think everyone really needs to read it.

Here it is:

'In an ancient city by the sea, three sisters - a maiden, a mother, and a crone - are drawing maps by candlelight. Sombre, with piercing grey eyes, they are the three Fates, and every map is a human life . . .'

Stepsister takes up where Cinderella's tale ends. We meet Isabelle, the younger of Cinderella's two stepsisters. Ella is considered beautiful; stepsister Isabelle is not. Isabelle is fearless, brave, and strong-willed. She fences better than any boy, and takes her stallion over jumps that grown men fear to attempt. It doesn't matter, though; these qualities are not valued in a girl. Others have determined what is beautiful, and Isabelle does not fit their definition. Isabelle must face down the demons that drove her cruel treatment of Ella, challenge her own fate and maybe even redefine the very notion of beauty . . .

Cinderella is about a girl who was bullied; Stepsister is about the bully. We all root for the victims, we want to see them triumph. But what about the bullies? Is there hope for them? Can a mean girl change? Can she find her own happily ever after?

You will probably know by now that I love a good re-telling or re-imagining of the classics, and as soon as I saw this was a retelling of one of the Ugly Stepsisters I knew that I needed to read it. I was lucky enough to get given a free ARC copy for review by Hot Key Books, and I powered through the first read in a few days it was so good - I actually even went on to re-read the book within a month of my first read because it really resonated with me.

But, when you first open the book to a dedication that says: "To anyone who's ever felt that they're not enough.", you know that there is definitely going to be something interesting within the pages - and I was most definitely not disappointed.

I could actually speak about this book for ages, there were so many passages and so many quotes that just jumped out at me and really resonated with me, so much so that my book was covered in little sticky notes during my re-read (I'm current about 2/3 of the way through the re-read and so far there are 10 sticky notes). I've never actually sticky noted a book before, so you can tell how much I loved it just from that.

I really connected with Isabelle as a character - and I think anyone that ever thought they weren't enough, or who thought that they shouldn't/couldn't be who they really are, or even those that tried to fit into the box that they were put in growing up will connect with her too. Isabelle is strong, and slowly learns to believe in herself and who she really is through the book - you see her push through her problems and self-worth issues and decide she is no longer going to be who her mother wants her to be, instead she is going to be who she was supposed to be all along. It's such a powerful transformation and Jennifer writes about the struggle of the transformation beautifully, adding in one of my favourite characters of Tanaquill the Fairy Queen to help Isabelle find the missing pieces of her heart.

Okay, I have probably rambled enough - it's been a while since I've rambled so much for a book - but I don't want to have you reading forever, so I will sum up this book in one sentence: This is a beautiful story about learning to carve out your own path when everything is against you - even Fate.

(p.s I just have to say I have found a new book crush in Chance, and I think everyone who has read this will agree with me he's such a charming character)

Stepsister is out in a few days (May 15th) and I think you should all go buy a copy, this is going to be one book that I will definitely read again and again, and I think this is going to be one of my top reads of 2019! I give this: 5 Cats (and so many more if I could)

Blog Tour: King of Fools by Amanda Foody

So today on my blog I am part of the blog tour for the amazing King of Fools by Amanda Foody! I was part of the previous tour, and as soon as I was asked I knew I wanted to be a part of it as Ace of Shades was such as amazing book.

I was lucky enough to get an extract of the book for you all to see, so here it is:

This is a key beat from Jac's opening chapter--his first ever point of view in The Shadow Game series. Now that Enne and Levi have been made notorious by the events of the Shadow Game, Jac has become a wanted man entirely by association. And Jac has spent so many years as Levi's friend, listening to him go on about his destiny for greatness, knowing that Levi wanted this, that Jac has to unpack how he has now become collateral damage in his best friend's story.

**************

Jac struck a match and watched it burn like a votive candle. 

“I can turn on the radio, if you want,” Lola offered. “But Levi’s probably fine.” 

“I’d rather you didn’t.” 

“Afraid you’ll hear your name?” 

He inhaled his cigarette deeply. It was no secret that he worked with Levi; that he lived on 125 Genever Street in Olde Town, apartment 4C; that he covered the Wednesday through Saturday shifts at the Hound’s Tooth tavern. The whiteboots had probably already interviewed his boss, already rummaged through his home and what little he had. He tried to imagine what conclusion they could’ve drawn from his possessions. A loner, this one, they’d say. No decorations. No sentimentals. Jac had lived there for two years and still treated his place like it was temporary—a side effect of someone who’d never really had a home. 

“I wasn’t in a good place not that long ago, but I have been lately, or at least in a better one,” he explained. He didn’t normally share these details with anyone, even ones so vague. But he needed to unload his thoughts on someone other than Levi, someone who could feel sympathetic without also feeling responsible. “I guess that’s gone now.” 

Levi and Enne had made sure of that last night. 

He squeezed his hand into a fist. He knew Levi hadn’t wanted to start that shatz investment scheme that got him invited to the Shadow Game. And Levi had looked out for Jac time and time again, so Jac didn’t feel he had a right to be angry. Hell, he was angry at himself for feeling angry. 

But Jac also knew Levi and his reckless dreams. And if Levi was safe right now, then Jac would swear some part of his friend was mucking pleased—even if Levi had put everyone around him in danger. 

But he didn’t say that. Instead, he bitterly spat out, “I hate this casino.”

Lola pursed her lips, and Jac waited for her to say something about how, while he’d sworn his allegiance to Levi willingly, she’d been forced to give Enne her oath with a knife at her throat. Or how good people did bad things, and bad things happened to good people, and neither they nor their friends could really call themselves good people anyway. She was annoying and wise like that. 

But all she said was, “Deal the cards. You’re clearly very vulnerable right now, and I intend to take advantage of that.” 

Jac snorted and tapped his cigarette ashes into the rim of a teacup as he slid back into his seat. 

“Enne will hate that, you know,” Lola told him. The teacup was porcelain, covered in some floral design that Enne would find pretty. Jac realized Enne, who’d only lived here for ten days, probably didn’t possess much she could call her own, so he retrieved his cigarette guiltily and pushed the cup away.

Lola leaned over and slid it back toward him. “But fuck them.” The corner of her lips slid into a smile. 

Jac barked out a surprised laugh, and the knots in his shoulders loosened. Over the next ten minutes of Tropps, the teacup’s bottom steadily grew coated in ash. 

*************

And that is all for the extract post, now I'll share a few thoughts on the book before this blog tour post ends!

First, I can't believe how action packed this book was, there were so many points all coming together I seemed to spin through reading all of the action - but it was written so well that I never felt like I was being overloaded or left behind with the plot.

Secondly, I just have to mention that there are now 3 POVs in this book - and one of them is Jac. I adored Jac as a character in Ace of Shades, and I was so excited to find out that he had his own POV in King of Fools, which is why I was so glad I got an extract of his first chapter in the series. Now, it wasn't only because of how much I love Jac that I was glad he got his thoughts out in this book - I think it was really good to get in a POV that shows just how Enne's and Levi's plans have effected the others in the books, and even how much it will effect them as the plans change.

On that point, I think Enne is such a complex and beautifully written character - warring with herself as to whether she should be the woman she was raised to be - or if she should accept that she enjoys being a street lord and living in New Reynes. Watching her change and grow is definitely one of my favourite things about the series, and I think she's going to grow even more in the future, which I can't wait to see.

I could write so much on this book, but I think leaving you with a small extract, and a small review is for the best, so I will just say this: GO READ THE SERIES. It's such a unique series, with a setting that I've not come across before and absolutely love, that I think everyone will get something from reading it. I can't wait to see where Amanda takes the next book after it was left where it was - I don't know how I'll be able to wait!

Overall, I give this book: 5 cats.

Make sure to check out the rest of the stops on the blog tour, below!