I adored this book. I feel like I need to study it to see how she managed to make it so wonderful—I realize at least half of what makes it so good are the voices of the different characters, but how did she do that, make the likeable ones so likeable and the unlikeable ones still interesting and compelling? The voices are all different and yet there’s still an overall unifying quality to the tone/feel of the book as a whole. ( )

Combining elements of Cinderella and Shakespeare, Diane Stanley's Bella at Midnight tells the story of young Bella, abandoned by her father, a knight, after her mother's death. Bella is surrendered to a surrogate family who raises her as their own in a family far lower on the social ladder than her real family. So Bella never learns to read or write or sit like a proper lady. Her family loves her and she is raised to be good and kind and honest.

Until one day her cold and somewhat disturbed father remarries and decides he wants her back. Bella's life is shaken up as she is transplanted into another family different from her own and where no one seems to really want her there. But when a war plot is discovered and Bella is the only one willing to stop it, she will leave behind everyone she knows to try make things right.

I enjoyed Stanley's novel for what it was. There was no over the top drama or huge earth shattering conflict. Everything resolves itself quickly and in a manner that allows good to always satisfyingly triumph over evil. It was a very pretty, catchy book with simple, pleasing characters who, if not exactly full of depth, are at least fun to be around for the duration of this quickly read novel. ( )

I'm in the process of reading as many of the Georgia Children's Book Award nominees as I can, and this was about the 6th or 7th I've read. This version of Cinderella gave some interesting backstory for the evil stepmother and her daughters. I have to agree with the reviewers who said the multiple perspectives got confusing sometimes, but the voices sounded too similar as well. I did appreciate the social commentary about the dishonor of starting an unjustified war. Was this aimed at anyone we could name? Who knows? ( )

http://amiralace.blogspot.com/2008/02... ( )

This was a great new take on Cinderella. In the story, Bella mother dies giving birth. Bella's father is so devastated, that he demands that Bella be taken from his sight. Even though Bella is of noble blood, she is given to commoner who takes care of children. As she grows up, Bella has no idea of her nobility, she thinks she is the commoner's daughter. When she comes up age, her father remarries and decides he wants Bella back.
I'm doing a really poor job at explaining, but basically this is a good story if you are in the mood for retold fairy tale with a nice romance thrown in the mix. ( )