Review : If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor

Title : If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?
Author : Melissa Kantor
Publisher : Hyperion Book CH
Genre : Young Adult
ISBN : 978-0786809615
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date : March 27, 2007
Rating  : 3/5 Stars - Good

Description from Amazon :

Wicked stepmother? Check. Evil stepsisters? Check. Miserable life? Check.

Lucy Norton’s life has all the makings of a Cinderella story. Her dad’s always away on business, leaving Lucy with her cruel stepmother and bratty stepsisters. She’s burdened with chores, and has a hard time fitting in at her new school. So when she sees Connor Pearson, the star player on the varsity basketball team, Lucy hopes her destiny has finally changed. With everything else going on in her life, doesn’t she at least deserve to get the handsome prince?

Melissa Kantor’s enchanting novel proves that sometimes the happy ending isn’t quite the one you’d expect. Lucy’s about to discover the truth about finding her real Prince Charming… and finding herself.

Review : 

Lucy Norton might actually have a wicked stepmother, or so she seems to believe.  While her bratty stepsister practically get away with murder, she gets in trouble for the smallest things.  Her father is hardly ever home to know the difference, and merely takes what she says as over reacting.  Lucy believes that her life has seriously gone down the drain, until the day she sees Connor Pearson.  Every Cinderella gets a prince, right?

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? is a cute, quirky, short read.  It caps out at 283 pages, and I flew through them in a matter of mere hours.  I've always had a love for modern day fairy tales, and this one is no exception.  At first I thought this book was going to be a lot about how Lucy was just a drama queen, and for awhile, it really was.  I had to read on to get the full picture.

As far as I'm concerned, the way Lucy's stepmother treated her in this novel was quite wrong.  I personally would have labeled her as a wicked stepmother myself, and it wouldn't have hurt to throw a bucket of water of her head to see if she melted.  Her bratty daughters were no exception, as they were only nice when it benefited them.  And for Lucy's father?, her blood related father?, he rarely listened to his daughter.  I understood why Lucy was as dramatic as she was, and I probably would have acted the same way had I been in her shoes.

Melissa Kantor easily gave the impression of a modern day Cinderella story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  A few other great things about this story are the life lessons that Lucy learns along the way.  It's not only a modern fairy tale, but a coming of age novel about a girl growing into herself, and understanding her place in the world.  I'd highly recommend this title to those of you who enjoy a good modern day retelling of one of your favorite fairy tales, as well as fans of other works by Melissa Kantor.

Where did I get this book? : 

I received my copy from a swap on Bookmooch.

Amazon Affiliates  : 

Clicking on title links in this post will redirect you to Amazon.com.  If you happen to make a purchase after clicking these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Review : The Amanda Project : invisible I by Stella Lennon

Title : The Amanda Project : invisible I

Author : Stella Lennon & Melissa Kantor

Publisher : HarperTeen

Genre : Young Adult

ISBN : 978-0061742125

Series : The Amanda Project Book #1

Rating : 3.5/5 - Really Good!

Description from Amazon :

Amanda Valentino changed everything.

Callie Leary has exactly one thing, and one thing only, in common with Nia Rivera and Hal Bennett: They were each chosen by Amanda to be her guide. When Amanda arrived at Endeavor High, she told Callie she moves around a lot and always picks one person to help her navigate the choppy waters of a new school. Why did Amanda lie?

Following a course that they suspect Amanda deliberately plotted, Callie, Nia, and Hal piece together some cryptic clues. But they find more questions than answers and quickly realize that before they can figure out what happened to Amanda—the girl who changed their lives—they'll need to solve the most important mystery of all: Who is Amanda Valentino?

Review :

Callista Leary, better known as Callie, is an I-Girl. I-Girls are the most popular girls in school, and they don't associate with people of a lesser rank. Callie on the other hand, doesn't judge others as easily as the rest of the girls in her clique. She's smart, gets good grades, and enjoys learning. It's no surprise that when a new girl comes to town, it's Callie who will be showing her the ropes.

When Amanda Valentino comes to town, it's Callie's job to tutor her. She starts as a mere study partner, but soon becomes good friends with the newcomer. Amanda tells Callie that she will be her 'guide' while she is going to school at Endeavor High, and this makes Callie feel special. So it's not unlikely, that when Amanda Valentino goes missing, Callie is extremely upset.

When Callie finds out that she is not the only 'guide' Amanda has, she becomes distraught. Why would Amanda lie to her? Why would she tell her she was special, only to tell another the same thing? It's even worse that Amanda was also friends with two of the biggest freaks in school, Hal Bennett and Nia Rivera. With the clues that Amanda leaves behind, these three students, who are absolutely not friends, must stick together to solve the mystery of their missing friend.

There is a lot going on in this first installment to The Amanda Project, but it all flows extremely well. The story is told in the present, but Callie has flashbacks along the way. During these flashbacks you learn tidbits of her life that she didn't realise were so significant until the current day. Callie learns who she is, all the while learning who she can trust. It's a novel of friendship, and what you will do to protect those you care about.

I really enjoyed this book by authors Stella Lennon and Melissa Kantor. It was full of mystery, including little clues that you could try and decipher for yourself. I particularly liked that there were pictures showing you exactly what the characters in the book were seeing. You can even go to AmandaProject.com and sign up to solve the clues with other readers. I'm excited to read the next installment of this series, as it leaves you on a cliffhanger wanting more. I'd like to thank Barnes and Noble for sending me a ARC of this novel to read and review. It was a quick read, and I didn't want to put it down.