Just Ella - 2012 Book #6

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix is a continuation of the famous Cinderella story. It starts shortly after Cinderella has tried on the glass slipper and has been whisked off to the castle with Prince Charming. It's like a dream come true, for just a short while. Ella has escaped the clutches of her wicked stepmother and stepsisters and is now free to do whatever she likes... As long as she doesn't lift a finger to do work except for needlework, finds time to do anything outside of her many sessions with her tutors who are there to teach her everything from etiquette to religion, and never steps outside the castle. She longs for the day when she can marry the Prince and live her real happily ever after. Right now, she only gets to see the Prince for a few moments every other day with a chaperone.

Life grows boring, until the day that one of her tutors suddenly collapses. She is astounded when her other tutor Madame Bisset seems unfazed by this incident. She says that women shouldn't be told about things like that, but Ella is worried about her tutor. She finally hears news from one of the young maids that works at the castle, Mary. The following day, she wonders if her tutor is well enough to come teach her lessons. Just when she thinks she might have an hour to herself to do whatever she pleases, a young man shows up to teach her lesson. His name is Jed, and his father was her previous tutor. Jed is the only tutor who will actually talk to her like a normal person without all the "Yes, Princess," "No, Princess."

She soon grows to realize that she doesn't even like the Prince. She finds him to be boring, but how will he react if she tells him what she thinks?

This story brings an all new look to the well-known Cinderella story. After a short while of her stay at the castle, Ella is surprised by the rumors she hears about how she came to be in the castle. There are rumors of magic and a fairy godmother among other things. None of them are true. This is the story of a girl who does what she can to accomplish what she wants. This was a great new look at the story of Cinderella.