Book Review: "The Cinderella Society" by Kay Cassidy

By Nichole Giles

The Blurb:

When the prom queen becomes your fairy godmother…

Sixteen year old outsider, Jess Parker, gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join a secret girl power society dedicated to defeating the mean girls of the world. The Cinderella Society guides all new recruits through its top secret ultimate life makeover. It’s all part of preparing them to face down the Wickeds and win. Determined not to let the Cindys down, Jess dives in with a passion. Finally, a chance to belong and show the world what she’s made of.

… be careful what you wish for.

Jess’s transformation wins her the heart of her dream crush and a shot at uber-popularity. Until the Wickeds–led by Jess’s arch enemy–begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers the real force behind her exclusive society. It’s a high stakes battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys in power need Jess on special assignment. When the mission threatens to destroy her dream life come true, Jess is forced to choose between living a fairy tale and honoring the Sisterhood… and herself.

What’s a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn’t want to wear it anymore?

Okay, so here’s the thing. I liked this book. Didn’t love it, but liked it. It was cute, in a good-girl versus mean-girl sort of way. It didn’t jump out at me as a must read or a read over-and-over again book, but that might be because I really prefer more edgy YA these days. So, my opinion of this book has less to do with the quality of writing and story, and more to do with my personal preferences when it comes to story content.

The storyline is basically all about sticking up for yourself and others, discovering what you believe in, and making sure the number one thing on that list is believing in yourself. Which is always a good theme in any book.

My likes:

While this book touches on issues like self-esteem and bullying, it doesn’t really dig deep enough to be content heavy. It’s a light, easy read in which the outcome of the story is satisfying enough to make the reader feel like it was worth their time. And for those of us who are romance fans, there’s a romantic subplot I thoroughly enjoyed, along with a couple of great kissing scenes. A girl like me can never discount the importance of good kissing scenes.


My nitpicks:

I’m a girly-girl in so many ways. But when it comes to literature, not so much. This particular story felt a little too feminine, and perhaps meant for a bit younger audience than some of the heavier YA books I’ve read recently. But the premise is fun and likely just right for some reluctant teen-girl readers.

But don't take my opinion as law. You be the judge! Be sure to stop by Kay Cassidy's website for a sneak peak of chapter one.

To read a sample chapter of The Cinderella Society, click here.

To learn more about the author, click here.

To purchase your copy of The Cinderella Society, click here.


**FTC FYI I do not know the author of this book—yet—nor was I given a review copy. In fact, I participated in an ARC tour in which one advance copy was sent to me, and then I was asked to send it on to another person. Not only was I not compensated, but I actually paid money out of pocket for shipping to the next reader in order to participate in this review.