Stepsister, written by Jennifer Donnelly, reviewed by Kalie Mehaffy

Summary: Jennifer Donnelly asks "what happens after the happily ever after" and "is it pretty and gentle, or dark and harsh" in her novel Stepsister. This novel follows Isabelle, one of the ugly stepsisters. after (Cinder)Ella gets her happily ever after. Isabelle learns not only what it is like to be truly ostracized, but also how to overcome societal ideals to follow her heart's true desire.

Straight Talk for Librarians: I absolutely adored Stepsister. Twisted fairy tales have always been in my reader wheelhouse, but Jennifer Donnelly used such amazing language and organization that elevated this novel into my top ten favorite novels. I think the decision to look at the stepsister's life after Cinderella was a fascinating one, and I think it provided the story with many teaching opportunities. Isabelle subverts societal expectations and learns how to be happy with who she truly is, and as Isabelle learns, we learn with her. In addition to an abundance of amazing themes, there is also amazing organization in this novel. Every time Isabelle makes a decision that changes her life map, the story zooms out and a third person narrator says a few sentences that are filled with wisdom. There are so many amazing things you could do with this novel in a classroom. You could pair it with another text, or you could include it as a lit circle choice. Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly can be used to teach themes, adaptations, predictions, points of view, and plot lines. This novel will absolutely find its home in my classroom!