More than a fractured fairytale - was expecting a retelling from the perspective of one of the mice. Not so, this Cinderella is gay. This isn't developed throughout the story, but thrown in at the end. ( )

First sentence: Once upon a time, there was a small gray mouse who lived in a pumpkin patch. It was a quiet life--until the night a stranger appeared.

My thoughts, part one: I did not do my 'due diligence' with this one. The book I thought I was getting and actually wanted--a Cinderella retelling from the point of view of one of her mice. I was up for some novelty--the mouse's point of view. I guess I wasn't expecting every other single element to be changed up in this 'fractured' fairy tale. Some retellings remove the romance and make it pure silliness.

Premise/plot: Fred, the mouse, observes Cinderella's so-called magical night. It's nothing like the traditional tale (as you might imagine.) For one thing, Cinderella can't wait to get away from the whole affair. She did not have a magical evening with the Prince--far from it. She can't wait to go back home and get back to work. So the story does not end with a disappointed prince NOT finding Cinderella...it ends with the marriage of Cinderella and a female farmer--both love gardening and pumpkins.

My thoughts, part two: For better or worse, the book does not address her mistreatment by her stepmother or stepsisters. Not a word--that I could find. In this retelling is Cinderella not being forced into servitude? Is she not being bullied by her stepfamily? If she is being used 'as a servant,' or mistreated/bullied how is this resolved by the end? Why doesn't this come up? I mean Cinderella is usually all about escaping one's situation--miserable life--whether she escapes with or without the prince, she's usually depicted as having a bad home life since her dad died.

For better or worse, the book doesn't show Cinderella ever wanting to go to the ball in the first place. Are we to believe that the fairy godmother just showed up and forced Cinderella against her will to go? Maybe. Probably. If she doesn't want to go, is it because she's self-aware that she has no interest in the Prince OR any guy? But again, we're not told that she doesn't want to go. She doesn't seem cranky until after meeting the Prince and spending time with him. He seems infatuated with her, but it is not mutual.

Are we to assume that when she meets this lady farmer at the fair it is love at first sight? Probably. Apparently. I wasn't surprised that this classic fairy tale has to have a shift of some type--can't send the message that women need men to rescue them, or, that instant love exists. But apparently it's not bad to have insta love if it's same-sex? I don't know.

This lesbian retelling of Cinderella--we don't learn about Cinderella's romantic interest until the second to last page--wasn't my cup of tea personally. I just think there is not much characterization or depth. ( )