Review: Cinderella Has a Fella--or Two or Twenty . . .
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 07 12, 2014
The first third of the book presents an interesting variation of the Cinderella story, with a wicked aunt and a scheming cousin and an Arabian desert type setting. The characters, however, have mostly Eastern European names: Anya, Marta, Eva.I get very confused by the rest of the story, which takes place in a seaport metropolis. Where did the desert go? Who governs this city? Where do the posted rules come from, and under what authority do arrests and public executions occur?Do healers operate by mystical power or merely by skilled use of plantlife? Besides her looks and some ability to read, what real talents does Anya have? How can Elma encourage her to have fun and sleep around but then beg her not to become a prostitute?I go back and forth in my attitude toward Anya. I certainly don't understand her relationship with her Shadow. In some ways Eva seems like a sister and a friend, but then Anna claims that Shadows have no feelings or imagination. Anna is surprized to meet someone who considers the Shadows human. To me, Eva resembles a high-functioning autistic. Sort of. She often shows herself much wiser than Anya.Besides these confusing elements and a terribly inconsistent use of verb tenses, the book lacks any overarching thread. We really have three stories, loosely connected, but having very little to do with one another. Anya lives one place and things happen. Then she lives elsewhere and other things happen. Finally she has a third residence and different things happen. And then the book stops. Thud. Other than growing older and prettier and always loving flowers, Anya has little distinct personality or development.This book needs the hand of a professional editor.