Ever After: A Cinderella Story

by Wendy Loggia

Based on the screenplay by Susannah Grant. A prince in search of a princess, a domineering baroness and her two daughters, and an orphaned servant girl who sleeps in the ashes by the fireplace....

By the time Danielle is eight years old, her mother and father have died and she has been left in the care of her new stepmother, the Baroness Rodmilla of Ghent.  Twelve years later, the baroness and her two daughters have made Danielle their servant, giving her the nickname Cindersoot and ordering her every day to chop firewood, tend the grounds, and clean the manor house.

When Prince Henry of France begins a search for a wife, the baroness intends to make sure her beautiful daughter Marguerite becomes his bride.  But when Danielle and the prince meet by chance one day, sparks fly.  The baroness will do everything within her power to keep her servant from becoming the Queen of France.

Based on the classic story of Cinderella by Charles Perrault, Ever After is a historical romance that is certain to charm and delight modern readers.
https://openlibrary.org/works/OL59463...

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Fiction

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Wendy Loggia is a children’s book editor and has written a number of books for children and young adults.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like reading the movie.



Charming, romantic, and heart-meltingly wonderful!!

[Karlyflower *The Vampire Ninja, Luminescent Monster & Wendigo Nerd Goddess of Canada (according to The Hulk)* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy-read with my fellow genre explorer Heather ..... timing to be determined.



Review

This is only sort of a buddy-read... stupid, Canada Post *boohiss*.

I don't usually read novels adapted from screenplays - I think I've only ever read two, this and Snow White and the Huntsman - because I feel like books tend to loose something on screen and thus the reverse is likely true. However, this book was only ever so slightly less cute than the movie!



I watched Drew Barrymore grace the silverscreen as our MC, Danielle, way back when this film was first released and once or twice since so I'm not sure if the book version follows the exact same sequence of events (I feel like there are a few extra scenes added to the novel) but it does follow the same lovely theme.

Danielle is orphaned at a very young age and left in the care of her "darling" stepmother who turns her into a maid/slave to herself and her two daughters. I love the backstory and character given to this otherwise demure fairytale princess in Ever After: A Cinderella Story.

A bird may love a fish, Signore, but where would they live?

[Steff Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, I am so excited and thrilled that there is a book version of Ever After. Now, I'll posit that the movie is better and there are some weird things included in the book that I didn't care for...but! I loved reading this. It's a quick, short read that incorporates a lot of the movie into it. And there are even these added glimpses into the characters' minds that allowed me to learn some new context about certain scenes in the films which I'd never realized before. Granted, I didn't think all of them captured the true essence of the characters--I'm thinking mostly of Henry, here--but for the most part it was utterly fantastic.

Full review to come.

[Happy Reading Watching · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖&🎬
This book is 97% like the movie & the changes are really small. More like extra information & different POVs.
Loved this read just as much as the film. This is my number one favorite Cinderella story & film adaption! Perfection in my personal opinion. ♡

If you enjoy....
♡Fast reads (184 pages)
♡Sweet Romance
♡Cinderella Story
♡Just like the movie
♡Strong Independent Women

Then I HIGHLY recommend this gem!


🎬
Ever After
PG 1998 ‧ Romance/Drama ‧ 2h 1m

Book/Movie Synopsis:
" This updated adaptation of the classic fairytale tells the story of Danielle (Drew Barrymore), a vibrant young woman who is forced into servitude after the death of her father. Danielle's stepmother Rodmilla (Anjelica Huston) is a heartless woman who forces Danielle to do the cooking and cleaning, while she tries to marry off her own two daughters. But Danielle's life takes a wonderful turn when she meets the charming Prince Henry (Dougray Scott)."

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, this movie I have lost count on how many times I have seen it I think I know the whole thing by heart. To read the book is so awesome to think hey I remember that part, I've have only read it once, I do see a reread in the future. Forget 5 stars for me it deserves a Thousand stars.

Happy Reading
Lisa

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never seen the movie, but this novelization was moderately enjoyable.

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy read with the lovely Karly, sort of. Due to postal delays and non-renewable interlibrary loans, our reading of this book did not sync up! It's quite sad, really. ;(

Review:
I was fourteen when this movie came out, and I learned about it the only way I ever learned about anything important in those days: teen magazines! I can't remember which magazine it was (YM or Seventeen, I'm sure), but they put two postcards with stills from the movie and short inspirational messages in each issue, totaling ten (I think) postcards in all. I only managed to collect six, but I still have them, and they are awesome.




(I'm missing Dream, Desire, Escape, and Promise. My life will never be complete!)

I didn't even know there was a novelization of the movie until the buddy read. I tend to steer clear of novelizations, but this is Ever After we're talking about here.

Anyway, the book follows the movie pretty closely, though it adds little emotionally. Still, it was cute. There were a couple scenes I didn't remember from the movie, which may have been added to make the book flow coherently, but I'll know for sure when I re-watch it tonight.


Le sigh, Dougray Scott has never been cuter.

[Justyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I found out there was a book tie-in for my favourite film of all-time I just knew I had to read it.

Ever After is a retelling of the story of Cinderella, set in 16th Century France. When Danielle (Drew Barrymore’s self proclaimed favourite role in her career!) loses her father she is left in the care of her step-mother (ANJELICA HUSTON EVERYONE!!) and two step sisters. Everyone know the story but I can tell you that this version is such a delightful and fresh take. You’ll never guess who acts as her fairy godmother in this retelling 🤣

I have watched a lot of films based on books but I haven’t read a lot of books based on films so in that sense this was an interesting read for me. I could tell it was written based off the screenplay for the film from the little changes that occurred from the book I read, to the film I know and love.

This book didn’t disappoint. It was romantic, it was sweet, it had the moments that I love from the film. The extra scenes and interactions were cool as I almost pictured them being deleted scenes from the film. This story is just perfection. If you need me over the next little while, you’ll be able to find me curled up watching ‘Ever After’.

If you’ve watched Ever After: read this book!!
If you haven’t watched Ever After: watch this film!!

[Carol Hardesty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I'm kind of cheating with this one since it's a movie novelization. But I read it as an Accelerated Reader book in my school library, so I'm counting it as a book. Now on with the review. "Ever After" is tied with "Ella Enchanted" as my favorite Cinderella story, which is ironic since they're polar opposites. ("Ella Enchanted" being the fantasy extravaganza, "Ever After" being the historical romance.) I guess the reason I love it so much is because it's a fairy tale update DONE RIGHT. It celebrates rather than belittles its genre. The strong heroine isn't there just for the sake of political correctness. The prince is neither an idealization nor a caricature. I wish more modern-day fairy tale adaptations were as thought out and respectful as "Ever After".

[Thalassophile_takemetotheocean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited when I found out there was a book to this movie. This is my favorite Cinderella movie. It follows the movie (or the movie follows the book) almost exactly, but it fills in some of the holes...such as where Danielle got the dresses that she wore when she went to court to buy back Maurice, or the dress she wore to the ball. It also describes more emotion to help connect with the characters better.

When Danielle is 8 years old, her father marries Baroness Rodmilla De Ghent. Along with Rodmilla, she also gains two step-sisters, Marguerite and Jacqueline. Danielle is not a typical girl. She is a tom-boy who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty...and her clothes, which is how she is first presented to her new step-family. Rodmilla is not impressed. When Danielle's father heads out on horseback for a trip, he ends up having a heart attack or stroke before he even reaches the end of their driveway. Before his last breath, her father reaches out for Danielle instead of his wife...this causes Rodmilla to feel more resentment towards Danielle.

Fast forward 10 years, Danielle is now a servant to Rodmilla and her spoiled daughters. Rodmilla and Marguerite is especially cruel to Danielle. They call her CInder soot...and then Cinderella. One day while Danielle was picking apples, she sees someone trying to steal her fathers horse, so she starts throwing apples at this person. Well, this person turns out to be Prince Henry of France. He gives her 20 gold francs for her silence. She knows exactly what she will do with those gold francs....buy back her fellow servant, Maurice.

With help from her friend, Gustave, she dresses up like a courtier and heads to court to 'rescue' Maurice. Here she meets Prince Henry again. They exchange a conversation and he is immediately impressed by her. He begs her name, but she hesitates before finally giving her mothers name (Nicole) before running away from him while he is distracted by the Queen.

The king is trying to marry off Prince Henry to the Princess of Spain, but they come to an agreement. The king agrees to throw a ball in 5 days where Henry will announce his intended wife of choice. Rodmilla is so focused on making Marguerite a queen that she does almost anything for that to happen. Danielle and Prince Henry meet again by coincidence while she is swimming in the lake, (which is pretty funny). The more time Henry spends with 'Nicole', the more smitten he is. She is not afraid to show him how frustrated she is by his simple minded ideas, and she helps open his eyes to those that are below him.

With the help of Leonardo De Vinci, Prince Henry marries the woman he deserves...but not before having to get over some obstacles first. I love this movie and love this book.

[Z Mythos · Rating 4 out of 5]

throwback to when i read this back when i was in like 5th or 6th grade despite my dad not wanting me too bc he saw the cover and assumed this was gonna be too sexy for an elementary schooler when in actuality the book (and the movie it's mcfuckin' based on yo!) had about 0% sexual content lol

good times X3

[Zoey Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just absolutely wonderful!!! Equally as as wonderful as the movie!!!😊❤️😍

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this, but it's meant for people like me who have had this movie memorized since age 8. 😂😂

[Abby Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you loved the movie, you should most certainly read this novelization.

I've read many books based on movie scripts that were not very good, but this one comes across like a solid YA novel. Not to mention there are a few extra scenes in the book that do not appear in the film and give a lot of insight into the characters which is really neat.

I still remember how I got this book/found out it existed. Years ago, when I was doing homeschooling for my middle school years, someone dropped a box of old schoolbooks at our house. I found this book at the bottom. I was delighted because a) Cinderella! and b) I'd already been a big fan of the movie Ever After for a couple years by then, because CINDERELLA.

You know, I wonder whatever happened to my copy of this book. Probably lost from my many moves.

[Winna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't really watched the movie yet, but this book is very refreshing. Once in a while I love to sit back with a simple book that does not require much feelings and emotions. I read Memory Keeper's Daughter and my Sister's Keeper before this, so it's indeed very light compared to the other thought provoking books.

The character Danielle is very attractive. She's young, feisty and high spirited.. in short, likeable. The plot is fast, and it's a very quick read. I'd like to see the movie. I think it might be funnier to watch the scenes come alive on screen.

[Lillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've seen the movie so I thought it would be nice to get more into the characters, like I did with the novelization of Penelope. However, even though I didn't hate Henry as much as I did in the movie, it still wasn't stellar. Perhaps if I read this book before I saw the movie it would be a good experience.

[Emilie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up because the movie is one of my favorites; however, after reading the book I was very disappointed. The book was basically like reading the movie screenplay. There was literally no changes. Save yourself the time it would take to read the book and just watch the movie instead. For once in my life the movie was better than the book.

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing of this book was not good! How many times can an author use the word chiseled to describe a person?!?! This book seems like it was written by a teenager. It is amazing how such a great movie can have such a bad book.

[Nhi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is based on the film/screenplay or whatever you want to call it. If you adore the movie, and have seen it more than once, then please skip this book. It's basically a transcript of the film.

But if you want to kill some time and relive the magic of the film, then give it a whirl.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

the movie was great and this one is the same!!!

[VampireNovelFan]

Loved the movie. Hope I like the book!

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen]

I cant imagine liking this better than the movie (wich was awesome!) but just in case I added it

[Samma Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sad face. This book didn't do the movie any justice at all.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite adaptations of the Cinderella tale and so I came into this book with a bit of trepidation since these film-based books can go either way. And surprisingly this one wasn't too bad.

Ever After first of all doesn't start off as the original film does thus it also doesn't quite end as the movie does. There is more emphasis on Danielle's story being a romantic dream that she wanted to pursue since all of her other dreams were shattered and she apparently needed the romance instead of the romance being a bonus. I must say this is the major part of the book that I really didn't appreciate as I loved the introduction of the film in which the correction of the fairy tale is being told to the Brothers Grimm from one of her descendants.

Otherwise the rest of the book for the most part does follow the book to some degrees although there have been some scenes added to provide more background fleshing to some of the characters, which makes me wonder if any of these may have been originally deleted scenes. Otherwise there were other parts taken away such as the part in which the Danielle told Gustave even though she is royal she can still whoop him or changed such as where the kite is brought in instead of thrown off to float into the heavens to avoid Danielle's being found.

Another thing I found interesting was that years was added to this one but they definitely show more Hollywood creativity than factual information. For instance Prince Henry was thinking about tomatoes in Italy when the fruit hadn't yet been introduced to Europe for another handful of years, the inclusion of divinely sinful chocolate I would also bet probably wasn't in the format as the film suggested and my favorite snub to the English was still twenty-one years in the future, which means Queen Marie was ahead of her time. And another fun glitch in the timeline would also mean that Princess Gabriella that Henry is engaged to would have been more than likely the sister of Catherine of Aragon who was the said still queen of England during the events of the book.

Unlike other film books there isn't a collection of colored photographs taken from the film tucked in the middle of the book, which was another disappointment. Instead the reader is provided with the film poster for the cover, the back cover has a copy of her costume as well as a couple shot while on the inside covers there are included four black-and-white character photographs of the main primary characters in the film. At least why couldn't we have a colored copy of the famous slipper as well?

All in all I would still have to say the movie is a lot better than this book but the book does make for a nice medium for those readers who want to read a traditional Cinderella tale with a bit more body than the usual children versions that one can find by the dozens.

[Emi-Wan Kenobi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this movie with my whole heart, so I was excited when a year or so ago I heard there had been a novelization of the script. Of course the printing was 22 years ago at this point, so it took me a while to get my hands on a copy, but when I finally did I snatched it up immediately.

The book, no surprise, isn’t as good as the movie. This happens with every novelization I’ve ever read—the script gets changed, character motivations are fleshed out as the actors play them and end up being very different than what the author imagines. That’s the case here.

For example, novel!Danielle is much more easily infatuated by Henry in the book. She immediately and repeatedly focusses on how handsome he is, which to me just seemed strange, as that was hardly a factor at all for film!Danielle. She’s also a lot more bitter in her inner monologue than movie Danielle ever came across.

Henry, too, is mainly motivated by a desire for true love, whereas in the film itself his motivation seemed to be more along the lines of feeling trapped and lost, with no idea of his path or his purpose. Yes, he didn’t want to marry without love, but that was just a piece of the problem, not the whole of it.

Rodmilla, so wonderfully played by Anjelica Huston in the film, is pretty much a two-dimensional evil step mother here. She lacks the few small human sympathies we got from her in the film which made her a more compelling character. She doesn’t break down in tears, however selfish they might be, when Auguste dies, and she has no soft side at all. She’s just a basic wicked stepmother here and it does the character a huge disservice.

Marguerite is still petty and malicious but less clever in the novel as well, which I think made her less interesting. It’s played like she’s mostly just following her mother’s lead for a lot of the plot. Jacqueline did have more time though, and we saw a little more of her and her feelings, so that was nice!

Overall it’s a perfectly fine adaption. It’s not a good stand in for the movie itself though and isn’t as satisfying overall. But like I said, that’s to be expected from a movie novelization and is pretty much my experience with any I’ve ever read, so I’m not holding it against the book! I’m glad I bought it and I’m glad to be able to have it on my shelf.

Admittedly the rating of 4 stars comes mostly for my love of the story itself.

Story: 4 stars
Actual book rating: 3.5

Would recommend if you like the movie and just want to give it a read! Probably wouldn’t recommend just in general.

[Joana Almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only books are turned into movies, but the inverse can happen as well, and “Ever After - A Cinderella Story” is a perfect example of that!🥰
The only thing missing from this book, for those who have watched the movie, and one I felt sad it wasn’t present, was the Queen’s introduction of Danielle’s story to the brother’s Grimm, apart from that, the story is just as wonderful as the one I remember from the movie!
This Cinderella retelling is my favorite of all, cause not only is Danielle a sweet, clever and loving girl, but she also has spirit, sarcasm and a temper to her, making her a very realistic and relatable character!
She would not put with her stepmother and stepsisters foolishness and selfishness, saying her mind when necessary, while always trying to protect her friends and the Manor she grow up in.
The way she meet the Prince and how they fell for each other is so magical and romantic, much more than going to a ball and live a slipper behind! In this story we have a background to these romance, and even the improvised fairy godmother in Da Vinci’s form was absolute perfection!
I always loved this movie, and having the chance of also have and read the book is beyond amazing and nostalgic, making me want to rewatch the movie all over again!
Please do give a chance to this book and movie if you’re a Cinderella fan, and if you also believe in love and happily’ s ever after!💗

[Genesis Barrera Robles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novelización realizada por la autora Wendy Loggia de la clásica proyección cinematográfica "Por Siempre: Una Historia de Cencienta" del año 1998.

Una romántica y audaz reinvención del popular cuento de hadas, ambientada en la Francia del siglo XVI... en esta historia seguimos a nuestra protagonista, Danielle de Barbarac, quien, por circunstancias de la vida, desde una joven edad se ve obligada a laburar forzosamente como sirvienta en su propio hogar. Hasta que, por azares del destino, un inesperado encuentro cambiará su vida para siempre.

Tuve la oportunidad de conocer dicha novelización en el año 2019, y me sorprendió gratamente el conocer como una de mis películas favoritas de todos los tiempos tenía una contraparte literaria basada directamente del guión original del mencionado filme, aportando nuevos datos y escenas extras que vuelven la historia mucho más atrayente.

La autora realizó un gran trabajo con las descripciones de los lugares que ambientan esta historia; Danielle es una protagonista increíble y fascinante de descubrir, sin duda alguna es lo mejor que ambos productos, tanto el literario como el cinematográfico pueden ofrecer al lector u espectador.

Como conclusión, una inolvidable historia que te envuelve en sus páginas desde el inicio hasta el final.

Puntuación: 5/5.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I'm not a huge Cinderella fan, I find myself constantly adoring adaptations of the classic. I hadn't watched Ever After until I was already an adult but it still was a magical and wonderful experience for me; the novelization was no different. Wendy Loggia breathes further life into these already feisty and lovable characters.
Danielle is strong-willed and compassionate, after her father dies when she is merely 8, she becomes a servant to her stepmother and stepsisters. Her first adventure is dressing as a courtier and using the name of her deceased mother to free an enslaved servant. It's here she matches wills with Prince Henry. Though this isn't the first time they've met, this is the first time they've talked and she starts to understand his true character. It's when Da Vinci enters the picture and paints (ha-ha) such lovely visions of love do the two start to realize their true affections. Rodmilla will have none of it as she wants her own daughter to be Queen. It's a familiar story but told with a brilliant cast of characters. Fun book to share with the family or for fans to relive the magic.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just like the movie which I really enjoyed as much. This is one of my favorite retellings of Cinderella. Danielle has lost her father and is forced to be a slave for her stepmother and two stepsisters. She gets along with her sister Jacleen, but Margreet and she do not like each one bit. I love Danielle because in the beginning of the story she does what she's told without complaint. But as the story progresses she starts standing up to her step family and gets sick of their bullshit. Danielle at first also does not care for prince Henry. She sees him as nothing more than a rich handsome prince who faces no struggles. Henry is taken back and intrigued by Danielle and wants to change for the better for her and the people. Danielle keeps a heartbreaking secret that she's a servant and no one wants to marry a servant because it's seen as a joke. Danielle wants to tell Henry the truth and live happily ever after with him. But will Henry still want her despite her social status and welcome her into his world?

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was short and sweet. If you love the movie and want to read it, then this is great for any fans. If you haven't watched the movie, then it would still make for a nice read, though I think the book is a lot better when you have watched the movie before, as you can picture everything, which leads to my main issue with the book. There was little description of the surroundings and clothing and whatnot; the book was concise and provided enough description to copy the movie. I just wish Loggia inserted more of her own observations from the movie, added her own twist, was more creative with it. Because of that lack of extra effort, this book would be more suitable for a younger audience.

However, I did find reading it pleasant even with this personal issue, as it brought me to the movie. I could envision each scene perfectly because it was identical to the movie, though there were a few short scenes that were added to give background and clarify the plot. A nice story.