Review Wednesday: Cinderella's Dress by Shonna Slayton

Title: Cinderella's Dress (Cinderella's Dress #1)

Author: Shonna Slayton

1st Date of Publication: June 3, 2014

ISBN: 9781622663408

# of Pages: 322

Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Rating: 13+

Buy on Amazon

Book Description: 
Being a teenager during World War II is tough. Finding out you're the next keeper of the real Cinderella's dress is even tougher.
Kate simply wants to create window displays at the department store where she's working, trying to help out with the war effort. But when long-lost relatives from Poland arrive with a steamer trunk they claim holds the Cinderella's dress, life gets complicated.

Now, with a father missing in action, her new sweetheart shipped off to boot camp, and her great aunt losing her wits, Kate has to unravel the mystery before it's too late.

After all, the descendants of the wicked stepsisters will stop at nothing to get what they think they deserve.

Setting: 1940s (WWII), New York

Point of View:  3rd Person- Kate Allen

Goodreads Rating: 3.61

My Rating: 4.0

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: The dress on the cover is absolutely beautiful and so is the girl modeling with the dress. It is mesmerizing for me to look at.
View on Title: I love reading fairy tales, which was intriguing because it only concentrated on Cinderella's dress rather than her shoes which I believe is the most important part of the original story since it continues the plot line of the original tale.

Pros:

• I love how it is set in World War II era. Many of my favorite historical fiction books are written in this time period because there are so many aspects of society that can be shown. This one specifically shows a couple aspects of World War II
• The fashion world while rationing in efforts to support troops and the war effort. It truly shows how people appreciated the little they were able to have while trying to make things beautiful during a time of struggle.
• This also shows immigration of those oppressed during the war through Kate's great uncle and great aunt who ran away from Poland. The United States became a refuge for those who were oppressed by the Nazis and their followers.
• Some of the things teens did for fun or dates are shown through going out to get shakes and trying to do little things to impress each other but in a 1940s way.
• The concept of "Keeper of the Wardrobe" was interesting because it is a royal duty given to a servant girl who knew and loved the real Cinderella who is Polish and has a complicated name that starts with a "K." The duty is handed down to each generation but it's a dangerous task because the step sisters' descendants come with a vengeance for the dress themselves.
• Kate Allen's character is an excellent way to show a young woman who is fighting for her own rights while fighting for the country she loves.
• I also love that I got to see some of the Polish culture and language that was most likely used during that time.

Cons:

• The only thing that bothered me was that I wanted more from certain characters. I felt that it concentrated so much on Kate Allen rather than some of the other characters such as Johnny Day, her brother Floyd, and her mother.

Shonna Slayton's Website:

http://shonnaslayton.com/

Other Recommendations:

The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki
Between the Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Children of Willesden Lane by Mona Golabek