Entangled
Teen is excited to announce the release of, Shonna Slayton’s Cinderella’s
Dress, which readers are already raving about!
About Cinderella’s Dress:
Being seventeen during
World War II is tough. Finding out you’re the next keeper of the real
Cinderella’s dress is even tougher.
Kate simply wants to create
window displays at the department store where she's working, trying to help out
with the war effort. But when long-lost relatives from Poland arrive with a
steamer trunk they claim holds the Cinderella’s
dress, life gets complicated.
Now, with a father missing
in action, her new sweetheart shipped off to boot camp, and her great aunt
losing her wits, Kate has to unravel the mystery before it’s too late.
After all, the descendants
of the wicked stepsisters will stop at nothing to get what they think they
deserve.
My Review:
Cinderella's Dress by Shonna Slayton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Current Rating on Goodreads: 3.14 of 5 stars
Pages: 340 pages
Cinderella's Dress by Shonna Slayton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Current Rating on Goodreads: 3.14 of 5 stars
Pages: 340 pages
Katherine (Kate) Allen is a teenage model of polish descent living in New York City, during the WWII in spring 1944. We start off as Kate, due to her pushy mother, attempts in vain to grab into the acting realm.
While auditioning for a part in a movieeeee.......which goes disastrously might I add *snickers* XDD she meets a handsome young lad with gorgeous blue eyes! *swoons* I luuuvvv blue eyesss *fans face* And this charming young man turns out to be a 18 year old named Johnny Day, born into the rich New York upper class.
In Cinderella's Dress, the story of Cinderella is a real one (duuhh *grins*) Though her name was actually Queen Kopciuszek, a polish queen from long, long ago.
And Kate's family have been safeguarding Cinderella's dress for the Kolodenkos, the polish royalty, for many many years. But the Burgosov clan, the descendants of the evil-stepsisters, want the precious dress for themselves.
Tempers run high, shoes fly, dresses burn, and sparks and insults shoot around at will, but what will happen in the end? Will Kate successfully safeguard the dresses from the Burgosov's clutches as the unofficial Keeper of the Wardrobe? Or will the dresses be lost on her watch?
Kate has a lack of self-confidence, which I suppose would kinda make sense if you're surrounded by all these more mature young glamorous models with more training. It's a sucky career to be in, since everything relies on looks, confidence, and poise. And apparently she only has the first *frowns*
Despite being a model for the company her mother works at, the Allen's have little money and this only extends the other models – in particular Fran Marshall — cruelty to Kate. (since apparently models don't have a nice bone in their skinny bodies o.O *sigh*)
Kate feels pressured by her mum to be a model, tho Kate only sees the weak model qualities she possesses; it doesn't help that everyone other than her mum (including herself), think she's incapable at proper modelling. Plus she doesn't really have any love for it.....not surprised, considering no one actually encourages her :/ Her mum just pushes her into it.
Also, people tend to treat her like a little girl who hasn't grown up and just walk all over her, and it's kinda getting on my nerves because she just lets it happen. Talk about low self-esteem.
“If the goat didn’t jump, she wouldn’t have broken her leg,” she whispered, a sense of dread creeping into her heart.
“But if goat did not jump, she would be having a miserable life,” added a voice behind her.”
We watch as Kate slowly grows a backbone, if you will hehe xD She needs to let go of what her mother wants her to do, and realise what she wants to do.
I really liked how she grew into her passions, and learned to chase after them.
I think one thing that helped this story was the........well, not exactly female empowerment, but female discovery. I mean seriously. We start out in the 1940's. There is quite a bit of sexism in the air *scowls and mimes bashing peoples heads together* XP And we're just starting to hit a turning point in this book as particular females start pushing for jobs that aren't in their 'little corner of acceptable professions'. Kate wants to be an object and fashion-window designer, and yet hardly any females have been able to push their way into such a profession, which is outside of the circle of modelling and looking glam, even tho it's still related to the fashion industry.
It was a bit weird because during the first half of the book, with the constant letters back and forth during the war, the time myterioussssslyyyyyy jumped o.O But it wasn't actually stated straight out *scratches head* Instead, it was like:
One of the charries: It's been years!
Me: ....*crickets chirp*....*silence*....WHAT?!!?!?!
I've never read a book situated in WWII on the Allies side. In fact I've hardly read any books situated in a World War xD So it was interesting to read in that extent.
“I actually feel like time has stopped because of this war. Like we are stuck inside a snow globe, and we can’t move on or change until the war is over. We get shaken up and watch the snow fall, and when it all settles, we get shaken up again. I guess I’m waiting for the glass to break.”
We weren't reading anything to do with the war itself, rather, we read of what it felt like to have loved ones in the war, reading each letter and telegram, the mixture of hunger and apprehension for news. *shudders*
THE ROMANCEEEEE!!!! DUN DUN DUUNNNNN!!!!!!!!!! XDDD It was sooo...........drawn out :P Like, even tho we've totally got sparks and are destined to marry (they don't actually marry XD This is me hoping *winks and crosses fingers*) let's just wait a couple years before we KISS! o.O
But the actual attraction was instant and I admit it was pretty sweet and first-crush-like ;D Except that I'm sincerely hoping it's the first-and-only-crush *grins* So cuuuuuteeeeee! *coos* I luuvved how Johnny kept coming up behind her and resting his chin on her shoulder! *giggles* Tis was just adorableeeeee <33
While it's an endearing story, there wasn't really any suspense *pouts* XDD
Tho the correspondence between the Allen's in NYC and Kate's dad, and then later between Kate and Floyd and Kate and Johnny did lend a welcome change of style to the novel.
Most of the first parts of the story were frightfully slow paced, and downright dreadful for dear wittle Kate *frowns*, but thankfully the feel of the novel started to turn around for me almost half way.
Kate had become more outspoken and while she wasn't by any means an strong charrie, she no longer had that air of pleeeaase-step-on-me, honestly *rolls eyes*. She also started to actively pursue the future she wanted for herself. *faints in relief*
And all that nonsense about 'Ooooowaaaahhhh!!!! The evil step-sister descendants coming to kill for the dresses?!!
Psssshhh! XP All those good-for-nothing descendants did was tie up the elderly, speak little words, and tail Kate like a bunch of creepy stalkers ;P ......which they are!! XD *busts out laughing*
The ending.........*quizzical look* I can't figure out if there's gonna be a sequel or if this was a standalone o.O *taps chin* It could be either I suppose XD It kinda leaves it open to our imagination to what'll happen next, and I wouldn't mind if it stopped there because I'm totally imagining my own swell *winks* ending for the characters! *gleeful look* But who knows? There may be a second book yet :P As long as I get my happy ending.......*narrows eyes at Slayton* XD
It had quite a few flaws, and I found it unrealistic but cute and romantic in a Cinderella kinda way *cracks up* so 3.5 stars :)
Author Bio:
SHONNA SLAYTON is the author of the YA novel Cinderella's
Dress, out June 3, 2014 with Entangled Teen. She finds inspiration in reading
vintage diaries written by teens, who despite using different slang, sound a
lot like teenagers today. While writing Cinderella's Dress she reflected on her
days as a high-school senior in British Columbia when she convinced her
supervisors at a sportswear store to let her design a few windows--it was
glorious fun while it lasted. When not writing, Shonna enjoys amaretto lattes
and spending time with her husband and children in Arizona.
Find Shonna Slayton Online:
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