The Cinderella Society

March 29, 2010
Sixteen-year-old Jess Parker is a good girl—not that that's gotten her anywhere socially. She's low on status at her new school, until she's plucked from oblivion by the Cindys, a secret society of girls who right social wrongs committed by the popular crowd. Unconfident Jess is shocked by this unexpected attention, but thrilled, too. This debut novel's resemblance to the Cinderella fairy tale ends with Jess's style makeover. It's mostly about an ongoing war between good and evil, mounted by the Cindys against the Wickeds, who “gain power by manipulating and dominating other kids,” as each group “battl for the souls of the Reggies” (the Regular kids). With a largely black-and-white world view and rituals that sound like Sunday mass (talk of commandments, saving, and sacrifice is commonplace), the Cindys and their conflict with the Wickeds come across as a thinly disguised version of Christian spiritual warfare. Cassidy's novel reads like a mashup of a self-help manual for building girls' self-esteem and a conversion tool for a particular set of moral behaviors, with some nods to goddess spirituality. Ages 12–up.

July 1, 2010
When new-girl Jess is invited into the secret Cinderella Society her life takes a sharp turn. As a "Cindy," Jess has opportunities (e.g., dating her crush) easily within reach. Her new status also brings responsibility: she must balance the Cindys' benevolent interests with those of their enemies, the Wickeds. Cassidy's prose can be purple, but the girl-power message makes this a promising debut.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

April 1, 2010
Gr 7 Up-After attending a variety of schools, Jess Parker, 16, is an expert at blending in. However, when she transfers to Mt. Sterling High and takes Lexy Steele's cheerleading spot, Lexy's wrath makes her life unbearable. After standing up to her on behalf of another bullied student, Jess comes to the attention of the most popular girls at school. Soon she is initiated into a secret society of women called the Cinderella Society. When Jess joins her local chapter of the Cindys, she also joins a vast international group that includes many of the most powerful women in the world. The mission of the Cindys is to take down their opposing group, the Wickeds, and protect the rest of the regular population, or the Reggies. The local chapter of the Wickeds is led by Lexy, of course. When Jess joins the Cindys, she is at first only interested in the fabulous makeover that she will get and the opportunity to come to the attention of Ryan Steele, Lexy's brother and the resident hot guy at school. In time, she becomes more invested in protecting the Reggies and taking down the Wickeds. While her move into the elite stratosphere of high school is sudden, the characters are multidimensional and the plot is well paced. This story will appeal to girls who dream of becoming accepted within their own schools. Some elements are not fully explained here, but may be explained in the planned sequel."Laura Amos, Newport News Public Library, VA"

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