Helpful Score: 2
Jess Parker is used to being the new girl at school. However, she always has her love of cheerleading to fall back on, even when her new teammates at Mt. Sterling High shun her because of a rumor that her archnemesis, Lexy Steele, spreads. Jess has always skirted the outskirts of popularity and inclusionâ¦until she receives a mysterious invitation at the end of her sophomore year, initiating her into a secret society.
The Cindys consist of girls and women around the world who band together to fight the Wickeds and their negative influences. Recent Wickeds activity has been spiking, and in between her regular Cindy training, trying to work past her feelings of self-doubt, and boy intrigue, Jess is selected to undertake a journey that she doesn't know if she's capable of doing. Her overwhelming number of responsibilities make Jess wonder, is she really destined to be a Cindy, or has there been a horrible mistake?
Wow. Move over, Barbie, Bratz, and other unrealistic portrayals of females. THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY is an unself-conscious call for girl power, shamelessly girlie and endlessly original.
The message of female empowerment prevails throughout the entire novel, and you don't need to simply read this as a fun story. As Jess and her Big Sis work their way through the Cindy training, readers will be happy to pick up the empowering tips as well. By pitching this important but often overlooked concept in a secret society novel, THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY will bring together all types of female readers, from the seemingly perfect Queens of high school to the lonely misfit.
The protagonist, Jess, can be infuriatingly and unjustifiably lacking in self-confidence, but in the end still becomes a character whose story we're interested in, and who we can cheer for. Her worries about being the new kid at the beginning of the story are relatable even to those who have not moved nine times in 16 years. However, her reactions of unworthiness once she enters the Society and her sickening preoccupation with her physical makeover were a little disturbing and left a bad taste in my mouth.
The plot started out great, but digressed into lessons and chapters of explanation towards the second half of the novel, which was disconcerting for me. The uneven distribution of exciting scenes tempted me to put down the novel in various places, and it was only my intrigue with the way rival, fairy tale-like factions of good vs. evil were portrayed as Cindys vs. Wickeds that kept me going.
Despite rather serious flaws in character and story construction, I still give a thumbs-up to THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY for addressing female empowerment in a way that is easily accessible to those who need it most: teen girls. This story just might become your best friend, regardless of what kind of girl you are, and for teen girls who usually flock to Gossip Girl and Twilight, this series will be a different but great addition your shelves. Look out as Kay Cassidy takes the female readership world by storm!
The Cindys consist of girls and women around the world who band together to fight the Wickeds and their negative influences. Recent Wickeds activity has been spiking, and in between her regular Cindy training, trying to work past her feelings of self-doubt, and boy intrigue, Jess is selected to undertake a journey that she doesn't know if she's capable of doing. Her overwhelming number of responsibilities make Jess wonder, is she really destined to be a Cindy, or has there been a horrible mistake?
Wow. Move over, Barbie, Bratz, and other unrealistic portrayals of females. THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY is an unself-conscious call for girl power, shamelessly girlie and endlessly original.
The message of female empowerment prevails throughout the entire novel, and you don't need to simply read this as a fun story. As Jess and her Big Sis work their way through the Cindy training, readers will be happy to pick up the empowering tips as well. By pitching this important but often overlooked concept in a secret society novel, THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY will bring together all types of female readers, from the seemingly perfect Queens of high school to the lonely misfit.
The protagonist, Jess, can be infuriatingly and unjustifiably lacking in self-confidence, but in the end still becomes a character whose story we're interested in, and who we can cheer for. Her worries about being the new kid at the beginning of the story are relatable even to those who have not moved nine times in 16 years. However, her reactions of unworthiness once she enters the Society and her sickening preoccupation with her physical makeover were a little disturbing and left a bad taste in my mouth.
The plot started out great, but digressed into lessons and chapters of explanation towards the second half of the novel, which was disconcerting for me. The uneven distribution of exciting scenes tempted me to put down the novel in various places, and it was only my intrigue with the way rival, fairy tale-like factions of good vs. evil were portrayed as Cindys vs. Wickeds that kept me going.
Despite rather serious flaws in character and story construction, I still give a thumbs-up to THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY for addressing female empowerment in a way that is easily accessible to those who need it most: teen girls. This story just might become your best friend, regardless of what kind of girl you are, and for teen girls who usually flock to Gossip Girl and Twilight, this series will be a different but great addition your shelves. Look out as Kay Cassidy takes the female readership world by storm!
