Book Review - Stepsister

Hot Key Books are rising stars in the world of YA publishing, releasing numerous fantasy and fairy tale themed books into the market. Last year, they had a major hit with Stepsister, the most recent novel published by the prolific Jennifer Donnelly. Coming to prominence with her 2004 novel A Gath ering Light, Donnelly begun by focusing on historical fiction, but has moved into fantasy over recent years, writing the mermaid-filled Waterfire Saga series and a spin-off novel for Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. Stepsister marks a new direction for her. An unapologetically feminist reinterpretation of the timeless story of Cinderella, it turns the attention to one of the ugly stepsisters. Stepsister has been nominated for literary awards such as the Carnegie Medal, and a film adaptation is in development.

What is it About?

Stepsister begins at the climax of the traditional Cinderella story, with Ella’s stepsister Isabella cutting off her toes in a doomed attempt to get her feet into Ella’s glass slipper. Needless to say, her act of deception is quickly exposed. Whilst Ella gets to enjoy life as a princess, Isabella and her sister Tavi are forced to make her own way in a world where they are regarded with contempt by those around them. In order to improve her situation, Isabelle seeks out the fairy spirit Tanaquill, who tells her to find the “pieces of her heart” needed to become beautiful. However, the ruthless warlord Volkmar is rampaging through the kingdom, and Isabelle finds herself caught in a duel between two powerful entities – the austere Fate, and the roguish Chance. Will she find the confidence to choose her own path and follow her long-suppressed dream of becoming a warrior?

Review

(Warning: This Review Contains Spoilers)

Stepsister is not the first story to reinterpret Cinderella from the point of view of the stepsisters. Wicked author Gregory Maguire did the same thing with his 1995 novel Confessions of an Ugly Sister. However, the time is right for a new take on this premise, and Stepsister is an excellent addition to the growing line of female-led YA fairytale updates. Stepsister is around 450 pages long, but it is an easy read, with around 130 short chapters. It is generally pretty easy to follow, never losing sight of the main story and keeping the focus on Isabelle and her journey. There are frequent cutaways to the battle between Fate and Chance, as they try to influence the direction of this journey, but Stepsister avoids getting mired in unnecessary complexity, allowing Isabelle’s coming-of-age to be front and centre.

The feminist messages of the story are handled in a rather unsubtle manner. This is not necessarily a bad thing – sometimes you must force through a message, especially when writing for a teenage audience looking for guidance and support. There are several moments when Stepsister provides powerful observations about the destructive effects of a patriarchal society where women are judged for beauty and politeness, with characters who don’t fit in (such as Isabelle and Tavi) being mocked, patronized or bullied. However, there are also times where the messages stop the story in its tracks, with chapters sometimes ending on moralistic platitudes that feel pretty overbearing at times. The strongest expressions of the feminist sentiments come from the female leads, as they come to terms with the way in which the everyday sexism they encounter has fueled their bitterness and disillusionment. Stepsister is perfectly suited to the post-#TimesUp world, and its messages about challenging the patriarchy, finding self-confidence, and learning that you do not need to be “pretty” to be beautiful are definitely worth the heavy emphasis.

Isabelle, the protagonist of Stepsister, is a compelling and relatable main character. Even at the beginning where she is the bullying stepsister we all know and hate, the main focus is on her vulnerability as she cuts off her toes for a royal life she does not particularly want. Immediately, we get the anger and inadequacy that have caused Isabelle to reach this point, but see that it is mixed with the tenacity and bravery that will lead her down a better path over the course of the story. Her self-inflicted disability is a major weakness for her at the beginning, but one she learns to come to terms with until it no longer holds her back. Isabelle’s redemption is handled skillfully, as she slowly develops the courage to stand up for her own beliefs and do what is right for the kingdom. This is a story of a character learning to turn her flaws and insecurities into strengths, and in doing so, gaining the confidence to become the heroine she always wanted to be. The opening page reveals that Stepsister is dedicated to “everyone who’s ever felt they’re not enough”, and Isabelle’s character arc provides excellent inspiration for the readers who have struggled with feelings of inadequacy over the years.

Isabelle is surrounded by a memorable supporting cast. The other ugly stepsister, Tavi, proves to be a standout character. An aspiring scientist who takes full advantage of her declining circumstances to do all sorts of strange experiments, she lacks social skills but possesses an enthusiasm for her interests that makes her into quite a likeable supporting player. Tavi also has a snarky streak which makes her the main source of humour in the story. Cinderella herself (Ella for short) is mostly absent until the final quarter, but her return to the story is the point where it truly begins taking off. With the kingdom in danger, Isabelle needs to repair her relationship with Ella as effectively as possible - a task made harder when Ella reveals an unpleasant secret about a terrible trauma which started Isabelle’s slide into meanness. Giving Ella a destructive streak is actually an inspired idea. Most modern reinterpretations of Cinderella (including the 2015 Disney film) have emphasized her kindness and compassion, but it’s good to see a story explore the other side of this and show that Ella (whilst still a good and kind character overall) is prone to the same anger and jealousy that corrupted her stepsisters. Isabelle repairing her broken relationship with Ella is a key part of the climax and provides an emotional depth which goes deeper than the self-empowerment messages promoted by the rest of the story.

Despite the traditionally French setting (full of classic baroque chateaus, mansions and cobbled markets), Stepsister’s reinterpretation of Cinderella is far closer to the Brothers Grimm vision, with darkness and cruelty hovering round the edges, and the wild power of nature driving the action. However, the local bullies and the sexist (sometime lecherous) dukes and dignitaries who constantly harass Isabelle are upstaged by the all-too real horrors of war. The hospitals full of wounded men, and the villages being burned to the ground provide some disturbing imagery, but the day-to-day pressures of conflict – all the fear, uncertainty, and inconvenient visits from uncouth troops – are just as unsettling. Volkmar, the villain responsible for all this destruction, is pretty much a typical warlord, more of a symbol of masculine evil than a fully defined character. However, a late twist revealing the exact aims of his rampage, and the higher-ups enabling it for their own nefarious purposes, works effectively. It raises the stakes dramatically and means that Isabelle is going to be the one responsible for saving the entire kingdom. For Isabelle to complete her redemption, she needs to come up against an enemy dangerous enough to make her reassess her priorities, and Volkmar and his collaborators meet these requirements.

The battle between Fate and Chance gives Stepsister a pleasingly mythic dimension that elevates it above fairy tale conventions. These two personifications are a bit stereotypical - Fate is a sinister crone and Chance is a dashing Marquis. Chance finds various ways to encourage Isabelle, whilst Fate uses various unethical acts of sabotage to ensure that our protagonist fails. However, the two characters generally avoid the hero/villain dichotomy and are most interesting when the story gets beneath the familiar archetypes to find a level of humanity and vulnerability in them. Fate gets some pleasingly cynical observations about the dark side of human nature, whilst Chance is haunted by guilt over his role in enabling Volkmar’s rise. They also get supporters to aid them in their duel – Fate has a shapeshifting, insect-eating young assistant called Losca, whilst Chance is aided by a collection of flamboyant entertainers – mostly female, this group of singers and performers are more than mere eye candy, as their history of struggle gives them a personal investment in seeing Isabelle succeed. Whilst Fate and Chance are both strong characters, the two are upstaged by Tanaquill, the story’s reinterpretation of the Fairy Godmother. Eating live animals and using insects as fashion accessories, she represents a force of uncontrollable nature, even more powerful than both Fate and Chance. Tanaquill is far more dangerous than the typical fairy godmother, but like her cosier counterpart, she has an instinctive understanding of what Isabelle truly wants in her heart of hearts. Tanaquill is a totally unique addition to this world and her presence elevates the fantasy subplots of Stepsister considerably.

With the exception of Chance, all the best characters in the story are female, but the two other male characters fulfil their role in the story effectively. Isabelle’s old flame, the artistic Felix, returns to her life, and the two begin a pleasantly low-key romance. Felix’s likeability and warmth provide a strong contrast to Isabella’s faults, and his creative, sensitive personality makes him a model gentleman. In contrast, Hugo is a sullen, obnoxious farmhand who initially hates Isabelle and Tavi, but eventually starts to show hidden depths as he develops a secret relationship with Odette, a blind young woman from the nearby town. In a story where the biggest obstacle is the stifling force of the patriarchy, Hugo learning to respect (and even admire) Isabelle and Tavi represents a much-needed contrast to the unrelenting toxicity of other males in the world of Stepsister – a male who changes his mind means one less enemy for Isabelle to fight. Ultimately, Felix and Hugo do enough to be involved in the central story without being true scene-stealers, and that is the way it should be…

There is a lively, “trashy” streak to Stepsister, which is full of elements that are almost impossible to take seriously. A mischievous pet monkey, model soldiers and an extremely mouldy cheese all play key parts in the story, and Chance persuades Isabella to fight for her dreams by staging for her a show about all the great female warriors throughout history – in other words, Rejected Princesses: The Play. This is all part of the fun, contrasting with the darkness of the story whilst also enhancing the fantasy elements. For all the darkness and violence surrounding Isabelle, Stepsister is fundamentally a piece of wish-fulfilment, and these bursts of silliness help keep the tone of the story positive.

For all the positives, there are a few relatively minor faults with the story. The “wicked stepmother” figure, Maman, is as vain and harsh as usual, but her slide into senility is sometimes portrayed for questionable comedy which does not land. The final chapter also contains a major missed opportunity, as Ella’s husband (who barely appears in the story at all) is the one who rewards Isabella’s heroism when allowing Ella to do this would suit the messages and arc far more. However, this last mistake does not diminish the thrill of the final battle, when Isabelle leads an enchanted model army into battle to vanquish Volkmar once and for all. The whole book builds towards Isabelle coming a full-on heroine, and when this finally happens, it is satisfying enough to put a smile on the face of even the most jaded fantasy fan. Stepsister may have its fair share of flaws, but it is forceful, imaginative and (most importantly) enjoyable, with an excellent protagonist and powerful feminist messages that are worth pushing hard.

Conclusion

Stepsister is quite a bit of a “guilty pleasure” but there is nothing wrong with this. It is over the top and unsubtle, but that gives it plenty of charm and energy. Stepsister is a simple story with colourful characters and a dark, violent edge that generates enough tension to keep us turning the pages. Ultimately, the messages of self-empowerment and inner beauty are powerful enough to resonate, and the emotional core of the story is surprisingly moving, as Isabelle turns from “ugly stepsister” into a powerful action heroine. Stepsister is a crowd-pleaser which provides fans of YA fairytales with a lively escapist read. Donnelly’s next novel, Poisoned (due to be published in October) will apply the same formula to the story of Snow White, and it is certainly one to watch out for. If Stepsister is any indication, then Poisoned will be an enjoyable addition to the long line of Snow White reimaginings.