sabthebookeater

This review and more at Sab The Book EaterDon't let the cover fool you. Seriously. I admit to being skeptical about the book at first because of the cover and the Cinderella-inspired plot. But once I started reading it, I couldn't stop!I just love how incredibly well written this book is. I liked that the story incorporated a few Cinderella elements into it without letting them take over. I also liked that the story tackled things that teenagers would normally experience: envy, self-doubt, first love and all the drama that comes between.The characters were truly a delight to read! Mattie may have hated Ella's guts in the beginning, but she was in no way like the ugly stepsisters in Cinderella. Sure, she made a List of Grievances but she never acted out on them. She was pretty cool, in fact, drawing manga and being great a poker. I loved how quirky and snarky she was - it made her all the more relatable. I also liked her sense of humor! I cannot get enough of that. I had to highlight a few of her lines because she was just so funny. Observe:Dad once said that if I hadn't looked so much like him he definitely would have had a paternity test done. The day you found out your mother was a skank was a very sad one.I'm sorry but I found that really funny. Her personality made the story twice as enjoyable. She was never boring and I think she makes for a good example to teenage girls. She's strong and she's passionate. She may have had some stubborn moments when she found it hard to let go of her insecurities (she kept calling herself ugly but clearly she wasn't) but she was able to overcome that eventually. Matilda "Mattie" Lowe is definitely one of my favorite protagonists now.Then we have Ella who seems annoyingly too good to be true. But when Mattie took the time to get to know her, she wasn't the sickeningly sweet girl Mattie thought she was. She was just... Ella. Cinderella and the fairy godmother all rolled into one... only more kickass.Lastly we have Jake. Jake was sort of confusing at first because he's the nice popular jock who everyone adores but he treats Mattie like dirt (we all know why of course, duh). As the story progressed though Jake quit being such a bully to Mattie and showed who he truly was - this sweet, swoon-worthy guy who genuinely cares for her. I loved the all the subtle albeit confusing flirting Jake was doing with Mattie! The anticipation of getting to their happily ever after was actually one of my favorite things about the book. Some scenes really gave me butterflies. Woot! I highly recommend The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back. Not only was it light and fun, it wasn't just a story - it teaches a lesson that I think a lot of young girls/teenagers should learn. It teaches girls to be confident and to come out of their shells............. I'm making it sound cheesy. It's not! Trust me. ;)***I was given an e-copy of this book for review***This review is based solely on my opinion.