Ella

by J.L. Higgs

Celebrity TV Reporter Sylvia Stark is determined to find a real investigative news story instead of the fluff she usually covers. She discovers just what she's searching for in the most unlikely person: Cinderella's evil stepmother, Charlotte Johansson Baker. Sylvia decides it's time this infamous old crone tells her side of the story, since everyone knows all about Cinderella.

Since the story broke twenty years earlier, Cinderella has become society's image of female perfection. She is the lowly, downtrodden young maiden who suffers the injustice of others with grace, never getting angry--always beautiful and yet also dignified. She embodies the ideal values of goodness and ultimate virtue, as well as finding true love.

However, what if all that's just a bunch of bull? After talking to the cursed stepmother, Sylvia's world is turned upside-down. Then, she and her cameraman are kidnapped and rescued by--who else?--Humpty Dumpty. Sylvia is now more determined than ever to find out the truth of what's really going on in the magical land where fairy tales began.

Genres: Retellings

222 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2016

About the author

I was born in Tampa, Florida but grew up in Outback NT Australia. During my 50+ years, I have been married and divorced, a single parent, a mother and a stepmother, in full-time employment and then unable to work at all due to a chronic illness. One important thing I have discovered is that no matter what I face in life, having a twisted sense of humour helps immensely. This is what I bring to my writing.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea is fascinating and interesting, but the writing style is very boring.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed classic tales retold from a different perspective. This time it’s the Wicked Stepmother’s turn to speak out. The examples she reveals made me rethink the entire story.

In the world of reporters, the goal is to uncover truths. Instincts need to be followed. Leads need to be tracked down. Questions need to be asked. Answers need to be taken with a grain of salt. Final stories are supposed to be complete and unbiased. Sylvia Stark, Celebrity reporter, is no different. She uses her wit and intellect to dig into the truth of the Cinderella story.

This story has many perfectly-timed twists as Sylvia moves closer to discovering the truth. However, the more puzzle pieces she uncovers, the fuzzier the picture becomes. She insists she isn’t good at solving puzzles with too many pieces. The truth quickly becomes more difficult to uncover when she realizes she doesn’t know who can be trusted.

With the aid of Stuart, her camera man, Sylvia is determined to interview anyone tied to the story. Is Ella really the poor neglected creature portrayed by so many books and movies? Are her stepmum and stepsisters the cruel beings bent on making Cinderella’s life miserable? What will happen to all the hopes and dreams of the young girls all over the world who idolize Cinderella if the story is outed as a fake?

I loved this retelling of Cinderella. I never came close to solving the mystery. I saw all the moving parts as they clicked into place, but my own sleuthing skills barely made out the outer corners of the puzzle. (This statement will make more sense after you read the book).

[Alexis Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this, but I struggled to stay interested and invested in this story, especially after every interview whereby Sylvia categorizes herself as a "bimbo" or "dumb blonde." For this kind of journalistic approach, we need to be rooting Sylvia, and it is hard to do that when she downplays her own expertise and skills. Similar to this are her asides that are totally distracting and not necessarily fundamental to the story. While some of them were plain funny and offered us a real glimpse of her personality, others felt less than revealing and like heedless ramblings (like her aggravating dismay at her underwear showing instead of her hostile predicament with Stuart and his injury).

I did enjoy the pacing of the story, although at times things felt to be happening too quickly (in regard to interviews with Charlotte and the case thereafter), but especially in the last thirty pages with the investigation of Humpty Dumpty, and the revelations that follow.

Similarly on the fence (for me) was the overall story-telling itself. While it is clear that our author can tell a story, our characters cannot, as learning the Cinderella story over again began with "once upon a time..". While this is charming in the way that fairy tales are, it feels cliche, especially in a world where Royal bodyguards are travelling via Hummers instead of carriages, and carrying guns instead of swords. This juxtaposition between staying "magical" and true to the "once upon a time in a world..", mixed with the super-millennial, TMZ-like approach to this, just conflicts in a way that I had to ignore in order to get through the story.

I also disliked the incessant desire to bring a MORAL to this story. I like to read pieces and figure those things out for myself, or read between the lines for the message it is trying to share. To place a moral on the very last page of the work just felt like an injustice to the entire story. It was quite clear that we were to learn to be humble, to respect others' opinions, and learn every side to a story; I didn't need to have it shoved down my throat as a last "hurrah!"

All in all, I would say that the author is skilled in crafting entertaining and original stories, but the methodology should be reconsidered. Three stars for keeping me entertained (although not always in the best way) and presenting a surprising twist to fairy tales.

[Kayleen Holt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on the premise, I wanted to love this book. Who doesn’t enjoy a good fairy tale retelling, especially when it reveals that the villain has been misunderstood? But I found myself distracted by inconsistencies, plot holes, and tired, overused phrases (for example, someone is constantly “plastering on a smile”)—and that’s overlooking the many typos.

This is an easy read, so it should also have been a quick read, but because I was bored with the story, it took me more than a week to make myself finish it. I didn’t find the characters believable or even interesting. Attempts at humor fell flat for me. I quickly tired of Sylvia Stark’s many daydreams—all while she insists that the “ditzy blonde” is merely a character she plays while reporting on “fairy floss.” Instead of chuckling at her silliness, I was annoyed by it. And her hard-hitting investigative reporting consists of asking questions to people who have good reasons to lie, and then believing whatever they tell her—occasionally arriving at conclusions by “light bulbs” going off, without digging for evidence to back up those conclusions.

I was also confused by the universe in which the events happen. Supposedly the fairy tales happened “somewhere in the beginning of time,” but Cinderella and all the other key players are still alive, and the princess is not too old to still be stunningly beautiful. In that short amount of time, modes of transportation have gone from horse-drawn carriages to cars and Hummers. There’s even a line in which the character feels as if she has “stepped out of Fairytale Land and into the real world.” Aren’t they supposed to be one and the same in this book?

Overall, I found the premise interesting but the storytelling less so. It is mostly dialogue without a great deal of action to ground it.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Sorry I couldn’t post a better one.

[Completely Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent the ebook version of this for review. I was not paid, and these opinions are my own. This book was so much fun to read! If I could give it a 4.5 I would! This is a retelling of Cinderella mostly but a few other fairy tale characters have a place in this story as well. It starts off with a reporter interviewing "The Wicked Stepmother" and then it just spirals out of control from there! Apparently Ella has been defaming her step-mother for years! There is this whole court battle. There's naked twister and sexy party times! There's gunfire and high speed chases and a kidnapping! Humpty Dumpty comes to the rescue but turns Humpty Dumpty could actually be a spy! I truely enjoyed this book and would definitely read the sequel!

[Gunjan Mittal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairy tale is loved by all the girls. I have not met any girl who, when she was young did not want to be a princess. I was one of them as well. I still am drawn towards books and movies based on fairy tales. They transport you to the world of magic and give you the confidence that everything is possible.

I received this from the author as a digital copy and I’m glad that I got an opportunity to read this!

Read the complete review - https://wp.me/p9jhDF-11z

[Julie Ramsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good storyline, good premise, good writing but a little slow for me. I liked the way it made you look at a traditional story that we all know, and see it differently. Unusual idea and cool concept.

[Skyler Boudreau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Retellings are difficult to write. The original story has already been told and more often than not, by the time an author gets to it, a number of other retellings have been written as well. Coming up with a fresh take is challenge, and the premise of Ella drew me in immediately. I’d never seen Cinderella taken in such a direction before.

All of the ideas in this book are new and innovative, something the retelling genre is in desperate need of.

Though this fantastical story is portrayed in humorous ways it is able to tackle a very real and very serious issue in journalism: the challenge of being a woman in the field.

Sylvia desperately wants to report “real news” and produce hard-hitting investigative pieces. Instead she is used as a pretty face to handle the lighter celebrity topics. On camera she plays a comedically ditzy character and that is how most people view her off camera as well.

I’ve never read a book that’s had something to say about female journalism in that regard before, and I really appreciated seeing it in this one. It’s something more books should discuss.

Unfortunately, my main problem throughout this novel was actually with Sylvia as a character.

She constantly insists that she isn’t like the person she plays in her reports, but off camera she isn’t very different at all. Most of her big revelations while covering the Cinderella story come through “light bulbs” and are reached without a logical conclusion. There isn’t a visible path she follow to get from Point A to Point B. She just connects one random piece of evidence with a random idea and ends up being right. If she wants a career in investigative journalism, she really needs to step up her game.

There is a single chapter from the stepmother’s point of view throughout the entire novel, and I would have enjoyed reading more from her. It’s very jarring to be thrust into a character’s point of view and then pulled out of it for the rest of the story. I was tired enough of Sylvia that I would have taken any new narrator.

Ella: A Stepmum’s Tale is a book of plot twists. All of them took me by surprise, but mostly because they didn’t make sense. No hints were dropped and oftentimes it seemed the story completely changed direction without warning.

I did enjoy the idea of the plot twists. Had they been handled differently I think they would have gone over much better. As a mystery, Ella leaves much to be desired.

Was I a little younger, I definitely would have enjoyed this book more. As it is, I think I’m outside the target audience, and I completely understand that.

As it stands, I have to give Ella a 3/5 stars. The overall premise was great, but I think some of the story elements could have been handled a little better.

Thank you for letting me read your novel and write a review. 😊😊

[Tianna Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a downloaded version of this book in exchange for an honest review and I really enjoyed it. I liked watching as the mystery unfolded itself and feeling like I was involved. However the whole book was written in a way that I would expect a Jr. fiction novel to be written. In fact I found myself wanting to recommend it to my 1o year old niece many times, but I was unable too because of some of the topics discussed. There were some important plot points that circled around adultery and sex, though not in an extreme way. All in all the whole book was fairly innocent but still because the subjects are brought up I cant recommend it to her or it would raise some questions. More than once I got the feeling that the author would have made an excellent Jr. fiction author, but chose to be a YA author instead. The MC Sylvia Stark is a little confusing at times but is also pretty adorably blond. And I liked her cameraman Stuart and her interactions with each other. The book had a decent plot and it felt like it was doing a good job building up to the big reveal at the end but when the end was revealed it didn’t make as much sense as I was hoping. I didn’t really like how Humpty Dumpty was brought into the book. It felt like Chapter 26 ended the book, and chapter 27 began the next one. I think it would have been better if J.L. Higgs had introduced Humpty in the beginning of the book. Even if it was just a brief mention. She could have re worded the first page in a way where Sylvia could be upset that she was reporting on such a week topic and Stuart could say something like,
“Hey, its better than reporting on Lullabies and Nursery rhymes like Humpty Dumpty, or Twinkle Little Star”
That way it would make Chapter 27 ironic and it would make the whole thing feel more connected. It would also indicate that reporting on Nursery rhymes was for the lowest reporters, and would really make us feel for her in 27. So, even though it wasn’t my favorite book in the world I still enjoyed it. It was a very easy read and so much fun! I definitely don’t consider reading it a waist of my time, and I am looking forward to reading the second one. I am sure I would read it again.

[Corrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited when I won this book from a Goodreads First Reads contest, because I love rewritten fairy tales, and I have a soft spot for the villains. I wrote a short piece defending Cinderella’s stepmother myself for a high school assignment. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t that great, due in large part to a main character who is a complete twit. Reporter Sylvia Stark keeps claiming she is very bright and deserves to be an investigative reporter instead of a celebrity news reporter, but she misses every clue and sounds inane both on camera and off. Her asides to cameraman Stuart (who is as smart as Sylvia thinks she is) are unprofessional and annoying. Sylvia claims it is all an act, but when she’s not “acting” for the cameras she behaves exactly the same. At one point, she thinks “I try to sound as intelligent as possible.” But the next sentence is “Hey, I am blonde and beautiful so why do I need to be brainy as well?”

And as an aside, she wants us to believe that photography didn’t exist just a few years ago when she was in school, but now she can do on-location camera spots for television as a young reporter? Either understand how technology develops, or say it’s magic. As it is, the world-building is a mash-up of fairy tale and real world that just doesn’t work.

And the scene with Cinderella and the stepmother playing naked Twister is just plain weird. And that is not a euphemism or a joke.

I wish this book was better than it is, and it has an interesting premise, but it desperately needs a good editor.

[Michelle Arredondo]

Any fairy tale story is a story I want to get my hands on. Always excited to read these kind of books because they are, for the most par,t so much fun. However, although I found this book fun, the concept even funner, I think that maybe because I have read so many re-tellings of many fairy tales that they are starting to become a bit predictable.

I wanted to like this book more...I really did. The fact that we are getting the view of the antagonist and not the usual protagonist really had me excited. Writing style is okay..could be better...but not bad at all. I love the title..the cover. But again..what got me nagged was the predictability somewhat. It just fell a little short for me. It was not the more I would have wanted and expected from an evil "Stepmum".

Still, I'm the kind of reviewer that always recommends YOU READ THE BOOK FOR YOURSELF. I really think that someone that has not tried fairy tales all that much, someone who has stuck with other genres and wants to try something new, something fun and light, could maybe find this book entertaining. If you've read a ton of retellings..then you might not be as impressed.


thanks as always to the wonderful peeps of goodreads and to J.L. Higgs for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave.

[Ruth Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting unusual read! I read this book in a night, and have to say it made me smile and chuckle out loud multiple times...a unique, funny take on the old Cinderella story that I definitely did not see coming. The lead character, a journalist, is lovable yet confusing at times....I am left wondering if she is just playing the ditzy blonde, or if this is genuinely the case but with flashes on intelligence & inspiration. The book takes a bit of a turn in the middle, and seemingly tackles a new story, leaving me a little confused... but trust me, persevere because it all comes together in the end!

This book is laugh out loud funny, and perfect for an evening of light relief with a glass of wine and a box of chocolates.

I think my 14 year old daughter would love it too (lingerie parties and all!!!)

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a stepmother of two, I was immediately attracted to the idea of Cinderella told from the stepmother's point of view. We've all grown up thinking that Cinderella is the poor, mistreated young woman and we embrace her grace featured in the typical fairytale. If you love fairytales, then you'll want to get your hands on this fun book. I found myself giggling at the twists and turns that J. L. Higgs took with the story and love the overall lesson held within the pages. It's a wonderful tale that relieves some of the anger we've had toward the wicked stepmother all these years and reminds us that things aren't always as they seem!

I received a complimentary copy of the book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

[Aricka LL Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A "Stephen King" of Fairy Tales, J. L. Higgs accomplished the impossible! Ella: A Stepmum’s Tale is utterly scandalous and jaw dropping, it will have you questioning how much you think you know about Fairy Tales. Perhaps Cinderella is not as innocent as we think!

Packed with action pumping adventure mixed with some suspense and side splitting humor, J. L. Higgs does an amazing job at keeping the reader captivated and wondering what will happen next. The use of imagery kept me right in the middle of it all throughout the entire book. I really felt like I was in Sylvia Stark’s shoes.

A must read for anyone that wants to know the “real” Cinderella. I absolutely LOVED Ella: A Stepmum’s Tale!