I finished Flipped yesterday, just as I started it. It is 180 pages long. For speed readers or simply fast readers, an hour is all they need to complete Flipped. However, I am an extremely slow reader, I could re-read a whole page again just to understand what every single word means to the story, I would even go back to previous chapters just to understand the interrelationships between the chapters. Hence, my Flipped review will be up either today, or I hope soon; depending on my mood.
Like I mentioned, I completed Cinder & Ella on Thursday, so without futher ado, here is my review...
Cinder & Ella
By: Kelly Oram
Into the end...
A fairy tale meeting turns out to be a not-so-fairy-tale-like meeting. Ellamara is appalled, that the current, hottest Brian Oliver is her long time best friend slash one-sided crush. As Brian Oliver sit there smirking at her while the truth set in, she cannot help but stare at the beautiful Kaylee. Ella knows what is the right thing to do.
Brian Oliver suspects that lady dressed in Ellamara, the priestess, would be Ella, the moment the discussion panel started, and it did not take long for him to figure it out. She is brilliant, amazing, everything that Brian ever dreamed she would ever be. Brian knows this is fate. Fate is bringing them together! Until... Ella congratulates his beautiful (air-headed) fiancee. Brian knows this is his only chance, so he did the only thing he could think of at the moment. Sign an autograph.
Ella does not want to meet him. She knows no matter what she does, she can never stand next to THE Brian Oliver like she ever belongs there. However, she knows she has to, this is what she always dream of, and it is time Cinder knows the truth about her. Knows the truth of what the accident did to her.
Brian breaks it off with Kaylee. How can he not? Ella is here, right before his very eyes. She is not an instant message, not a voice at the other end of the receiver, not an internet friend, not a pen pal. She is here, in flesh and blood. He just have to make sure no paparazzi catches him dining with the love of his life, and he is 100% confident that they will not. How can they? He covered himself well with a cloak, and blended in the FantasyCon like an avid fan.
He knows now... And he pities me... Ella knows this is the ends. Well, not the end to their friendship but at least the end to anything more she always hope for. Until, Brian (Cinder) leans in for a kiss.
I should not have kiss her. What was I even thinking?! His body reacted before his mind could will himself to think of the consequences before he kissed her. He did it. But, the aftermath is not what he thought it will be.
There is no fairy tale ending.
Ella wants to disappear. To somewhere far far away. If a kiss from a princess or prince is all it needs to turn a frog or a beast to a prince charming, Ella learns that that definitely only happened in fairy tales. Her life is definitely not a fairy tale, because the kiss from her prince making her life a living hell. Brian Oliver's management has officially made her the most-hated-person in America, and Brian is nowhere to be found in clearing up the deception. The only solution for her is disappear. And she did. She moves to a rehabilitation facilities to recover from injuries. Injuries on her skin grafts, on her hip bones, and her broken heart.
Brian ran away. He wakes up not remembering where he was, only recalling Ella's rejection and recognizing that his assistant, Scott is banging at his door. As Scott enters his room with a grim expression, he knows he is in trouble. Deep trouble. Is Kaylee on rampage? Is his life ruined? Is he the the most-hated-person in America? What he did not expect is to find Ella gone. Her number is not in service, her IM is not in used, her twitter is gone, and her facebook does not exist. What is left is her blog- with the message block taken down. He did not become the most-hated-person in America. Ella did. And he must find a way to salvage it before it is too late. The first thing he did: call his lawyer to fired his whole management team. Next, appears on the most popular show to profess his love for her. Then, wait for her answer.
A not-so fairy tale ending.
After one month of isolation, except from the frequent counselling sessions she have with her father, she is set to start new life. Well, a new life after her last session. The last session should be easy. After all, what could Dr Parish probably ask her, besides making sure she is ready to return to reality. What she did not expect was her doctor to bring up the topic that she has been avoiding for a month- Brian Oliver.
Ella insists that they can never get in touch again, but Dr Parish thinks otherwise. "He is your closest friend, Ella, and the strongest link in your support system. You need him" is what she insisted. Ella is confident that there is no going back to the way it was, and Dr Parish knows it too. Instead, she advises, "Let it evolve." Ella is sure, then, that Dr Parish has lost her mind. She is the most-hated-person in America because of a kiss with Brian, letting it evolve is definitely making her dig an early grave. It is not like she had never tried to dig herself one when she slit her wrist. She did not even try when the accident occurred. She has been given a lot of chances to keep breathing and she is going to continue to do that, even if it means a life with Cinder.
Maybe fairy tale ending does exist.
When Dr Parish brings her to a room with a TV, DVR player, and filled with the people she loves. Her eyes welled up with tears. No, not because of the TV nor the DVR player, but because she misses them- the people she loves. As she hugs and cuddles, and finally settling down on the couch facing the TV, she could sense excitement radiating through her Juliette and Vivian sitting besides her. Dr Parish plays the video- the recording of the primetime talk show with popular comedian, except the special guest is none other than Brian Oliver. She knows then, that she is going to have a panic attack.
What she did not know is for Cinder to profess his love for her to the whole nation- calling her his soul mate, that they are meant to be.
Brian is still waiting for his oh wise, mystic priestess of the Realm to let him gives her the ending she has always wanted. They are Cinder and Ella! They are supposed to get their fairy-tale ending! So he waits. For the day of the premium, for his date to show up and deliver the happily-ever-after.
The fairy tale happily-ever-after ending.
Cameras flash. People gasp. The red carpet is beneath her feet. She is here to claim it. Her fairy-tale ending.
Words have passed down to where he is. That she is here. On the red carpet for his movie premium. He has to close the distance between them. Now.
The crowd falls into a hush. Everyone that has gathered here is waiting for this moment. The big, dramatic reunion. Sure enough, it is dramatic, with a red carpet kiss. As they make their way to the theater doors, Ella knows that this moment will go down in Hollywood history.
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I warn you! It is loooonnggg! *wink*
"After seeing that interview, I figure we were striving for dramatic."
"It was definitely that. You managed to cause quite the scene. I bet I can do better"
"Of course you do."
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"Say 'cheese', Ella."
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"Say 'cheese', Ella."
"Brian! Brian! Won't you give us a statement before going inside?"
"How about, 'And they lived happily ever after'?"
So, this is the end of my happily-ever-after review to the modernized fairy tale. Hope you enjoy my spoilers. For haters, sorry for the spoilers!
Rating
★★★★☆
For Cinder & Ella, I gives it a 4/5 stars. I would have given it 3/5 stars but I thought that this book had moved me at times. The conflict between Ella and her father, between Ella and her stepsisters, and also between Ella and her classmates. The author managed to capture Ella's struggles when she moved into a her father's house. She did not fail to divert from the fact that Ella is not perfect, and shown all her flaws throughout the story. I would have find it hard to continue writing about Ella's imperfections on the second half of the story, but the author did it. However, towards the end was dramatic. The author knows it too, noticeably when Brian admit about dramatic-sm. I am pretty sure this book is catered for pre-teens going into their teenage years. Though, I am definitely passed that age, I am still able to understand those feelings. They are like deja vu to me, as previously mentioned at the start of my review for this book. I did also mention, I like that feeling. I think it did a great job for a book catered to pre-teens. Hence 4/5 stars.
As mentioned, I will be starting on Flipped review soon. I will also start reading American Girl on Saturn by Nikki Godwin. For those who heard of the book, it will be something like Cinder & Ella, but hopefully less dramatic.
Until next time...
