Saturday Snippet Reviews | The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back, Elegy & Dare You To

There are times when Heather, Aly & I finish a book, but don’t have time to write a full, comprehensive review… or even a shorter “flashbulb” review.  BUT we still want to share our thoughts with you on what we’ve been reading. That’s why every Saturday we’ll be featuring 3 “snippet” reviews — short, sweet, to-the-point reviews that we’ll try to keep to 2-7 sentences.  So we hope you enjoy these!!

 

 

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back is another indie gem I ran across while trawling through Amazon’s “you might also like” lists looking for my next indie read. The indie market has become so overly saturated with mediocre reads that while I love reading and supporting amazing indies, I must admit to a greater feeling of apprehension at times. However, this book put those fears to rest immediately as I found it to be exceptionally well-written and executed. It’s laugh-out loud funny with fantastic humor; it’s sweet, it’s heart-warming, and it charmed the virtual pants right off me. Mattie, in particular, made this book for me. She’s stronger than she thinks, and what Wilson does with this self-proclaimed “ugly stepsister” – her growth and realizations – is absolutely wonderful. Her inner monologue is the kind of addictive narration that made this novel a one-sit read, and it made Mattie the kind of character I cared about and connected with instantly.

Overall, this book is a super-cute, hilarious, modern, and creative spin on the Cinderella fairytale.

 

 

Bittersweet. That’s the word I keep coming back to each time I think about this novel. When I won an ARC of Elegy from the lovely Tara Hudson at RT, I was torn between starting it immediately and burying it for a while to avoid knowing the ending. I love this series so much and have enjoyed watching Joshua and Amelia and even Jillian grow into super awesome, fantastic characters. It was hard to watch this series end. I was afraid for the characters and the emotional turmoil I knew was ahead for them (and for me). 😉 The plot and imagery were just as beautiful as we’ve been accustomed to in the first two novels. Everything wrapped up beautifully, if tearfully, and the ending was utterly thrilling. This was an absolutely exquisite ending to a wonderful series. Well done, Tara. Well done!

 

 

 

This story was beautifully broken. I’m not sure I was really prepared for the harsh realities of Beth’s life, but I’m so glad Katie took us there. I think I liked this even more than Pushing the Limits, but it’s been a while since I read the first. There’s nothing gentle about most of this book, but the love story is perfect.

*For mature readers.

 

Happy Reading!