ash

ash
malinda lo
fiction/ya/romance/fantasy
little, brown books for young readers
published 2009

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

A sweet and beautiful spin on the class Cinderella story.  I first saw this book at the San Diego Comic Con and I was captivated with the cover.  You know how I feel about book covers.  It wasn't until a couple of years later that I got the eBook and then now, finally am reading it.

Ash is a sweet, but somber story of a girl who loses everything she holds dear.  Actually, when she loses her mother she seems to have lost everything.  Her father, though there is no doubt that he loves her and she him, doesn't really know what to do with her.  When he marries Lady Isobel things only go from bad to worse.

The writing is magical.  Malinda Lo has set the story on the edge of the Wood, no matter where they are.  With hints and nods towards the Cinderella we've grown up knowing, we are brought into a different and despite the setting, a modern retelling.  Ash is bright and courageous, but she's not the blonde sunny princess from Disney.  She's darker and more determined.  She doesn't expect everything to come from wishes and pleas, but she does dream.

This is the first book by Malinda Lo I've read and I'm sure it won't be my last.