Stepsister - Jennifer Donnelly.

Description:

Don't just fracture the fairy tale. Shatter it.
Isabelle should be blissfully happy - she's about to win the handsome prince. Except Isabelle isn't the beautiful girl who lost the glass slipper and captured the prince's heart. She's the ugly stepsister who's cut off her toes to fit into Cinderella's shoe...which is now filling with her blood.
When the prince discovers Isabelle's deception, she's turned away in shame. It's no more than she deserves: she's a plain girl in a world that values beauty; a bold girl in a world that wants her to be pliant.
Isabelle has tried to fit in. She cut away pieces of herself in order to become pretty. Sweet. More like Cinderella. But that only made her mean, jealous, and hollow. Now she has a chance to alter her destiny and prove what ugly stepsisters have always known: it takes more than heartache to break a girl.

I recently finished reading "Stepsister" by Jennifer Donnelly. This is the first book by her that I've read. I've been on a fairy tale retelling kick lately, so when I heard about this book, I just had to go out and pick it up. My TBR pile of books is rather large though, and it had been sitting on my pile waiting to be read for a couple months. It's always hard for me to pick which book I'll start next - especially when I have so many choices - but since I've been wanting to read this book for awhile I decided to make this my first read of August 2019!

You know a book is going to speak to you when the dedication page says: "To everyone who's ever felt that they're not enough." And speak to me this book did! I found it a lot deeper than I originally expected it to be when I first picked it up. This wasn't just a Cinderella retelling, this was a book that really searched and talked about the deeper issues. It's easy to brush characters or behavior off with the excuse that that's just how the story goes, and they're bad people. But this book took a closer look - yes, they act like this now, but what led up to it? What made them into person they are today? I really appreciated that - I liked getting to look back and see, ah yes, this is why she's acting this way, these are the things that hurt her in the past.

Also, the whole idea of trying to fit in, of cutting away pieces of yourself in order to become someone you're not really spoke to me. It's only natural to want to make those around you happy - your parents, or friends - but are you becoming something you're not in order to please them? Are you cutting pieces of yourself away, and telling yourself that that's just how life is, and yes you're unhappy, but it's just how it goes and it's not going to get better? 

Reading this book has made me start looking back and asking myself - what things that I love have I given up (or let be taken away from me) in order to be that submissive girl, that perfect daughter, etc? What pieces of myself have I cut away or let be cut away? Change can be good, but not when it's thrust upon you. Not what you're giving up something that you truly love, and that makes you more of yourself.

I found this book to be very thought-provoking, and it also left me feeling empowered. Little girls shouldn't be raised to just submit and follow other people's orders. Little girls should be able to grow up into strong, independent, free thinking women! Who are able to pursue what they love!

I also liked, how this story interwove Fate and Chance into the Cinderella story. I definitely give this book 5 stars! Not only was it a amazing story with a great message, but it also kept you engaged and racing through the chapters! I'll be recommending it to all my friends! I now also want to check out more work by Jennifer Donnelly!