
Reviews:
School
Library Journal:
Gr
5–9 - Likable sophomore Cindy is completely out of place
in her materialistic Los Angeles private school, and her scathing
anti-prom letter to the school newspaper only serves to diminish
her status to pariah. Cindy can't believe that every single article
focuses on the upcoming prom. Where are the articles on global
warming, AIDS, or curing cancer? The student body is appalled
by her missive, as are her twin stepsisters Ashley and Britney
and her overly botoxed, clueless stepmother. The only people who
understand are Cindy's BFFs, India and Malcolm; her IM pal, "BklynBoy";
and, surprisingly, her secret crush, Adam. But to the teen's dismay,
even India and Malcolm elect to attend the senior prom, leaving
her planning to stay home - until she discovers that BklynBoy
has other ideas. This formulaic, fairy-tale-based romance will
be a favorite with girls, mostly because Cindy is such a wonderful
character - thoughtful, intelligent, pretty, and kind. The happy
ending is predictable, but that doesn't diminish the enjoyment.
A particularly refreshing feature is that while current adolescent
issues (sex, drugs, anorexia) are mentioned, giving the novel
greater depth, they're not the focus.
-
Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY
Book
Chic:
Meet Cindy
Ella Gold. Unlike her similar-name counterpart Cinderella, she
does not want to go to the Elegant Ball, nowadays known as the
Prom. In fact, she's written a letter to the editor that passionately
goes against what the Prom has come to stand for, rather than
its original intent. Unfortunately, the letter goes not the way
it was planned to go; instead of becoming a hero, she's become
a social pariah in the school. But even through all of this, with
the help of her two friends India and Malcolm, and surprisingly,
the most popular senior in the school and Cindy's secret crush
Adam Silver, Cindy comes to realize that there may still be a
chance at a happily-ever-after.
Palmer's
debut is absolutely hilarious and such a wonderful concept. Cindy
is a great character and so much fun to read about. The secondary
characters are very well-developed, and absolutely just as much
fun to see in the book. [ . . . ] Cindy Ella is available in bookstores
everywhere right now with a pretty sparkly cover!
Bildungsroman:
All
of her life, Cindy Ella Gold has been aware that her name reminds
people of the fairy tale. However, she's not an storybook princess;
she's a high school student. When sophomore Cindy writes an 'anti-prom'
letter to the editor that gets published in her school paper,
most of her prom-obsessed classmates (and even some of her teachers!)
are shocked and appalled. Luckily, Cindy's friends and family
support her to different degrees, even those who are planning
on going to the prom themselves. Before this contemporary comedy
is through, Cindy finds another way and another reason to celebrate.
Cindy Ella,
Robin Palmer's debut novel, is a modern-day realistic Cinderella
story without the fantasy elements. Instead of battling her evil
stepmother, Cindy battles her frizzy hair. She doesn't have a
horrible home life. In fact, even though she doesn't share their
priorities, she gets along fairly well with her father, her half-brother,
her stepmother, and her stepsisters. The latter are fraternal
twins, popular at their school, anxious to get custom-made dresses
for prom. Cindy's friends, peace-and-yoga-loving India and suave
eighties film buff Malcolm, offer plenty of tongue-in-cheek commentary
about the City of Angels and their affluent classmates. While
the main characters acknowledge their wealth and the advantages
it provides, Cindy herself prefers flip-flops to pricey shoes
and doesn't care at all for shopping.
All
in all, a fun read. The easily-flustered title character has plenty
of embarrassing moments which will endear her to readers. Instead
of scrubbing floors or waiting for her fairy godmother to appear,
Cindy baby-sits her younger brother, hangs out with her friends,
crushes on senior Adam Silver, and chats with her online pal BklynBoy.
She's an L.A. girl, yes, but she's very much an awkward teen,
stumbling over her own feet rather than coveting glass slippers.
Never aspiring for beauty or a crown makes Cindy a real winner.
Recommended for fans of The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot or the
Lizzie McGuire television series.
-
Little Willow

Interviews:
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Bildungsroman
(Little Willow)
Book
Chic
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