Jennifer Donnelly – Cannonball Read 17

My first review GULP

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly

January 13, 2021 by NatteringwPride 8 Comments

I’ve been a long time fan of Jennifer Donnelly, reaching back to when she was writing sprawling historical fiction novels (I reread Tea Rose at least once every couple of years). I was delighted when she ventured into fantasy, especially fairy tale rewrites. Her first attempt- Stepsister (what happens to the so-called wicked stepsisters of Cinderella after she marries her prince)- was awesome. I had high hopes for Poisoned, a take on Sleeping Beauty. Overall? A fun read. Great characters. As always for Donnelly, well-written. […]

Two books I had not intended on reviewing together

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly

December 30, 2020 by crystalclear Leave a Comment

The Belles By Dhonielle Clayton In this world, most people are born unattractive – they have grey skin, red eyes, and straw-like hair. There are a few who are not so, and who look like what we think of as regular people. These people are called Belles, and they have the power, somehow, of making other people “beautiful.” They can change someone’s skin color, eye color, hair color and texture and length, and even change bone structure and muscle. But these changes are like […]

Once Upon a Time, a Girl Lost Herself

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

September 7, 2019 by Jen K Leave a Comment

I picked this up due to crystalclear’s review, and since I have a weakness for fairy tale retellings. Stepsister takes place after the prince has chosen Ella, and taken her away from home to marry her. Her stepmother and stepsisters are left behind in a village where they are now hated for their abuse of the country’s future queen. Donnelly decided to use the Grimm’s version of the fairy tale as her starting base so Tavi (Octavia), the older sister, and Izzy (Isabelle), the main […]

There Was Once A Girl Named Isabelle

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

August 23, 2019 by Classic Leave a Comment

Wow this book was perfection. I laughed, held my breath, cried a bit, and cheered. Donnelly did such a wonderful job with this book I can’t wait to read more from her. “Stepsister” follows what happens after Cinderella (Ella) is locked away and her two stepsisters remove parts of their feet (Tavi cutting away her heel and Isabelle her toes) and are found out by a bird singing in a tree. What follows is the two girls and their mother are shunned by their village […]

One of my top recommendations right now!

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

July 21, 2019 by crystalclear 1 Comment

This is a Cinderella retelling focusing on one of the ugly stepsisters. There is magic in this story, but also a lot of realism. We start with Isabelle, the younger of the stepsisters, getting ready to reluctantly cut off her toes to fit into the glass slipper. Her older sister, Octavia, has already cut off her heel and was caught out, so now it’s Isabelle’s turn to try to secure their future. As expected, it doesn’t turn out well. The tale of Cinderella has a […]

A fine finish to Jennifer Donnelly’s YA Mermaid series.

July 5, 2016 by bonnie Leave a Comment

I really enjoyed Jennifer Donnelly’s Waterfire saga, and I’m sad that the last book has been published. I don’t want to say too much about this last book, because I don’t want to spoil you all on the series. So what I’ve decided to do instead of a traditional review is give you a list of Reasons to Read This Series, as affirmed by the final book, Sea Spell. Here we are: *Its emphasis is on female friendship as a means of solving problems. Six […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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