"It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder.
…
Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything."
I couldn't stop myself from giggling the whole way. Well, at least from the middle. It is so obvious that those two are in love, and they act like a married couple. Oh, there is a romantic trope! Anyway, there were some parts of Cinder & Ella that disappointed me, but the book was overall very entertaining and so fangirl-ish.
The beginning is the part where everything disappointed me. I was like... Ugh... Another book. Another boring book with shallow characters. At first glance, Brian (Cinder is his other name) seems to be a playboy and bad boy, who simply refuses to just settle down. A bit of whiner, if you want me to be more specific. And Ella is a bit... Ohh... I thought she was going to be a shrew (oh, yes, I'm going to go to that).
And they were both whiners in the beginning, but it is interesting to see her endure. Ella has a much better character than Brian, but they both share a chemistry that made me (nearly) forget about the shallow and boring beginning.
But their character development was great. Especially Ella's. Brian... Ehh... Not much. But the author (Kelly Oram) went in depth. Anyway, it was great to see the characters start opening themselves more. No one likes cardboard chocolates, right?
The fairy tale aspect is a bit nonexistent. Well, no. It isn't. I correct myself. It seems to be nonexistent. At first. Other than the names, it was like... Ehh... Stepsister isn't making Ella do housework. Okay. Stepsister is playing nice to Ella. Okay. But there are a few swaps in the original fairy tale, but yes, it is a retelling.
I do want to point out how similar the book is to A Cinderella Story. It is very similar.
And I also want to point out the cheesiness of the book. Some of you guys might not like how hilarious cheesy it is, but yeah... It is there.
Conclusion.
Cinder & Ella is a very entertaining book with Hollywood, a rich girl, two stepsisters, and a very understanding family. Yes, it isn't all black and white, evil and good. It is a very good book about a lot of things, and it contains more depth than the original fairy tale. Especially towards the ending, though you have to be surprised at Brian's romantic words/speech. It is very... Wow... So chick-flick. And yes, it is a bit drool-worthy.
Rating: Four out of Five
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