Cindy Ella by Robin Palmer



Cindy Ella is tired of hearing about prom. She doesn't care about her dress, date, and shoes. It doesn't help that that's all that her stepsisters are talking about. Cindy turns to the school newspaper to get her opinion out there. After trashing the prom, it looks like no one is on her side except for her best friends. and surprisingly Adam Silver, who just happens to be Cindy's crush. Can she still have her fairy tale ending. I always love Robin Palmer's takes on classic fairy tales. The book felt fast paced and I enjoyed the slight surprises - although they were pretty easy to see from the beginning - they were still interesting when they happened. The ending seemed too happy and unrealistic. But other than that I can't complain about anything else in the story.                                                                                                       My favorite part of the story was Cindy. She is a much stronger and more empowering main character than Cinderella. Even though her stepsisters and her "fairy godmother" still had the same roles as they did in the original Cinderella, they felt quite original.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

It's their first summer apart. After coming across a magical pair of pants that happen to fit all four of them perfectly, they promise each other that they will send the pants around to each other no matter where they are. Lena is going to Greece to stay with her grandparents. Carmen is staying with her father and his new family. Bridget is going to Baja California to play soccer. And Tibby is staying at home and working. Are the pants magical enough to help all four of them deal with their complicated relationships?

The overall tone of the book changed to fit the different girls. It really helped to connect and understand each of them. The story that seemed to stand out the most was Tibby's, it was sweet and brave. I can't think of any significant negatives in the story. Some of the decisions that the characters, especially Carmen and Bridget, made were not the ones that I would make. Overall this book is totally worth your time.

All of the characters were important. Lena, Bridget, Tibby and Carmen are the perfect set of friends but not in an unrealistic way. The supporting characters such as Kostos were important and stories with them as the main character would be interesting to read about.

If you want to hear about my own "traveling pants", you can click here.