CINDERELLA AND THE BEAST (OR, BEAUTY AND THE GLASS SLIPPER) (THE PRINCESS SWAP), by Kim Bussing, Random House Books for Young Readers, Jan. 7, 2025, Paperback, $9.99 (ages 8-12)
What happens when Cinderella and Belle switch places? Find out in Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper), by Kim Bussing.
Ella’s spent her life dreaming about adventure, but it’s hard to have adventures when you’re stuck with a stepfamily who treat you like a servant. When she unexpectedly wakes up in a land far, far away, she’s thrilled at the chance to embark on an epic quest. That is, until she finds herself trapped once more—this time in the castle of a dangerous beast.
Belle, meanwhile, has plans. Her family’s trading company is on the brink of ruin, and to save it, she’s going to enter—and win—a royal competition in the prince’s honor. But when she unexpectedly winds up in a cellar with a wicked stepfamily who have their own plans to keep her from the competition . . . things get complicated.
Happily-ever-after couldn’t feel farther away. Can Ella escape the beast’s clutches? And can Belle get rid of this stepfamily in time for the competition? —Synopsis provided by Random House Books for Young Readers
Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper) is a fractured fairy tale that should appeal particularly to fans of princess stories.
The premise of Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper) is sound enough — the two main characters swap places and must live out each other’s tales. For context’s sake, it would have been nice if there was more of the “before” and some clarity as to the swap’s “why.” Instead, you are dropped straight into the mixed-up tales and need to discover that information on your own. However, if you know the basic premises of the stories, you won’t have any issue following along.
Author Kim Bussing’s writing is sound and she diverges enough from the source material for her story to feel fresh. The book moves fairly quickly and is a fun read.
Bussing’s second book in the series, Snow White and the Dragon (or, Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarfs) releases on March 4.
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