Status
Available
Series
Genres
Publication
Silver Dolphin Books (2011), Edition: Reprint, 314 pages
Description
Fantasy. Folklore. Young Adult Fiction. In this fast-paced story full of adventure and romance, Cinderella is more than just a servant girl waiting for her prince�??she's a tough, fearless girl who is capable of taking charge of a dangerous situation. Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next�??but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever
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User reviews
LibraryThing member BookAddictDiary
Cinderella: Ninja Warrior follows in the well-worn footsteps of fairy tale retellings and mash-up novels. After the unexpected success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and other Quirk Classic novels, the mash-up/humor genre has exploded. Though Cinderella: Ninja
Oh, and did I mention this book has a choose-your-own-adventure type of format? I know, I wasn't expecting that either. Though it can be construed as gimmicky, I thought it was really fun to resurrect this style of storytelling. Not only does it help re-read value, but it makes the reader feel like there is a little more interaction with the book, plus it helps keep the mood from getting too heavy.
As with any Cinderella story, Cinderella works as a servant girl for her oppressive stepmother and stepsisters. But this time, Cinderella is the daughter of a once-powerful wizard, and her stepmother ruthlessly pursues Cinderella's mother's magic wand for herself. When the ladies of the house are invited to a ball, Cinderella isn't sure if she'd like to go. She would rather spend her time training, improving her magical skills or with her good friend Ty, who may just be something more...
The title of Cinderella: Ninja Warrior, however, is deceiving. It should actually be Cinderella: Magical Girl. I mean, I was expecting there to be more high-octane, ninja-fighting, martial-artsy action, but instead the reader is treated to pages and pages of discussion of Cinderella's magical talents, magic competitions, court wizards and the magical skills of Cinderella's mother. Sure, there was some ninja-style action thrown in, but the book was far more weighted toward magic and wizardry. If they had just changed the title to more accurately reflect the book, I wouldn't have felt so deceived.
Though there are better mash-up and fairy tale retellings out there, Cinderella: Ninja Warrior is a decent representation of the mash-up genre with some unexpected, fun elements of old-school choose-your-own-adventure books that could be fun for younger readers who are just looking for a quick, cheesy read without much depth and could go for a few giggles.
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Warrior isn't a true mash-up by definition, it's obvious that the overall tone and feel of the novel is inspired by mash-ups. It doesn't take itself seriously, which helps readers enjoy the humor more, but it's lack of effective characterization and unique plotting can be a little frustrating for some readers. Despite this, Ninja Warrior does have enough juice for readers to stick with it up until the very end, and enough twists on the original story to bring forth chuckles. Oh, and did I mention this book has a choose-your-own-adventure type of format? I know, I wasn't expecting that either. Though it can be construed as gimmicky, I thought it was really fun to resurrect this style of storytelling. Not only does it help re-read value, but it makes the reader feel like there is a little more interaction with the book, plus it helps keep the mood from getting too heavy.
As with any Cinderella story, Cinderella works as a servant girl for her oppressive stepmother and stepsisters. But this time, Cinderella is the daughter of a once-powerful wizard, and her stepmother ruthlessly pursues Cinderella's mother's magic wand for herself. When the ladies of the house are invited to a ball, Cinderella isn't sure if she'd like to go. She would rather spend her time training, improving her magical skills or with her good friend Ty, who may just be something more...
The title of Cinderella: Ninja Warrior, however, is deceiving. It should actually be Cinderella: Magical Girl. I mean, I was expecting there to be more high-octane, ninja-fighting, martial-artsy action, but instead the reader is treated to pages and pages of discussion of Cinderella's magical talents, magic competitions, court wizards and the magical skills of Cinderella's mother. Sure, there was some ninja-style action thrown in, but the book was far more weighted toward magic and wizardry. If they had just changed the title to more accurately reflect the book, I wouldn't have felt so deceived.
Though there are better mash-up and fairy tale retellings out there, Cinderella: Ninja Warrior is a decent representation of the mash-up genre with some unexpected, fun elements of old-school choose-your-own-adventure books that could be fun for younger readers who are just looking for a quick, cheesy read without much depth and could go for a few giggles.
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LibraryThing member theepicrat
Somehow I missed the memo that this is a choose-your-own-adventure book, so I'll warn you now, dear Readers, that you are in charge of Cinderella's fate! She can be as bold and daring as you like her to be, or she can play fiddle to her wicked stepmother who keeps her on a tight, enchanted leash.
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Whilte there were no crazy ninja sequences (which, I admit, was why I wanted to read this book), I still enjoyed the characters and wished there had been more time to explore their personalities! Show Less
LibraryThing member wakela
So this brought me way back to the 80s. I used to love those Choose Your Own Adventure stories back then. This one was no different.
One thing I really loved was the fact that Cinderella was no longer a wimpy girl who was just sitting around waiting for her prince to come. Instead, she finds
I love the twist that is thrown on the old story that we all grew up with. This is one of those stories that can be read several times so you can see all the different plot twists that each choice gives you.
In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
One thing I really loved was the fact that Cinderella was no longer a wimpy girl who was just sitting around waiting for her prince to come. Instead, she finds
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strength within herself. I love the twist that is thrown on the old story that we all grew up with. This is one of those stories that can be read several times so you can see all the different plot twists that each choice gives you.
In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
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LibraryThing member Lovez2read
In this fast-paced story full of adventure and romance, Cinderella is more than just a servant girl waiting for her prince—she's a tough, fearless girl who is capable of taking charge of a dangerous situation. Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja
I am greatly impressed with this story. I love that finally, Cinderella is not just a - too peppy little girl prancing around in rags, happily at the beck and call of her stepmother and stepsisters. Finally, Cinderella is more down to earth; and her feelings, and fears are very realistic. I love the little twists and turns the story takes. The choices the reader gets to make in the story is reminiscent of my favorite “choose your own adventure” books I read as a pre-teen. The author takes Cinderella on and adventure, but the reader gets to choose the way she gets from rags to riches! Definitely a must read for ages 8 and up (including adult!)
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skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read!I am greatly impressed with this story. I love that finally, Cinderella is not just a - too peppy little girl prancing around in rags, happily at the beck and call of her stepmother and stepsisters. Finally, Cinderella is more down to earth; and her feelings, and fears are very realistic. I love the little twists and turns the story takes. The choices the reader gets to make in the story is reminiscent of my favorite “choose your own adventure” books I read as a pre-teen. The author takes Cinderella on and adventure, but the reader gets to choose the way she gets from rags to riches! Definitely a must read for ages 8 and up (including adult!)
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LibraryThing member mt256
Cinderella is a beloved classic story. It has captured the hearts of many. However this Cinderella is different from the other stories. You see this Cinderella possesses certain skills. I'm not talking about cooking or cleaning, I'm talking about Kung-Fu Panda, kick-butt ninja skills. No, that
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wasn't a typo. That's right. Cinderella has some serious skills. Not only is she a ninja warrior but she also possesses the skill of magic. She needs both skills to help her deal with her misguided stepsisters and her truly evil stepmother. Cinderella Ninja warrior is a fun book to read. It's a choose your own adventure sort of book. You get to choose Cinderella's path at pivotal points in the book. There are eight different paths you can take with this novel. This is a twisted tale so it's not the same Cinderella story that you're used to. Maureen McGowan did a great job twisting this story into something new. The characters in this book resemble the original characters plus a few new ones. McGowan amped up the evil for the stepmother quite a bit. Overall this is a good book to read. I truly enjoyed choosing Cinderella's path. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
When I was a kid I used to love those "choose your own path" books. I felt like no matter the decision I made, the story would come alive and I'd have consequences or rewards based on the path of my choosing. Sometimes, when I was in a feisty mood, I'd make the bad choices, or if I was feeling
Cinderella: Ninja Warrior is a "choose your own adventure" book - but with one slight exception. What I remember of those books was that the ending was always affected by your choice - whereas in Cinderella: Ninja Warrior the ending is the same, no matter your choice. So yes - you can have eight different paths through the book, but no matter the path you choose you end up in the same exact spot as all of the others.
This, folks, defeats the purpose of a "choose your own" adventure.
Now, granted, I should have expected something silly and mildly entertaining from a book titled Cinderella: Ninja Warrior - and I think had I been a middle-grade student reading through the book would have been highly entertaining and lots of fun, but even as a pre-teen, I would have been disappointed by the predictable ending. The adult in me was hopeful, thinking if I made the right choices, if I gave Cinderella the opportunity to show that life isn't always about marrying the prince, that the story would change a little bit - but I was disappointed.
So, in short, cute book, but does not live up to the potential that could have been there.
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particularly good, the right choices - but either way I was highly entertained.Cinderella: Ninja Warrior is a "choose your own adventure" book - but with one slight exception. What I remember of those books was that the ending was always affected by your choice - whereas in Cinderella: Ninja Warrior the ending is the same, no matter your choice. So yes - you can have eight different paths through the book, but no matter the path you choose you end up in the same exact spot as all of the others.
This, folks, defeats the purpose of a "choose your own" adventure.
Now, granted, I should have expected something silly and mildly entertaining from a book titled Cinderella: Ninja Warrior - and I think had I been a middle-grade student reading through the book would have been highly entertaining and lots of fun, but even as a pre-teen, I would have been disappointed by the predictable ending. The adult in me was hopeful, thinking if I made the right choices, if I gave Cinderella the opportunity to show that life isn't always about marrying the prince, that the story would change a little bit - but I was disappointed.
So, in short, cute book, but does not live up to the potential that could have been there.
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LibraryThing member Evie-Bookish
Cinderella Ninja Warrior by Maureen McGowan is the first book in the Twisted Tales series brought to us by Silver Dolphin. This fast-paced and action packed story is so much more than the classic fairy tale we all know! Loaded with magic, kick-ass ninja actions, adventures and romance, this
First and foremost, this is not a book that you'll read once and then put on your bookshelf to collect dust. You can read this book over and over again, as this is a choose-your-own-adventure novel. There are 3 key points during the story when you get to choose what Cinderella will do next. Each time you reach these points you get two choices, and once you decide which path you'd like Cinderella to follow, you're directed to the next section in the book. You know what this means? In one book you get 8 different stories, 8 unique ways the plot develops. And even though the ending stays the same, you still get the fun of deciding how the story evolves.
I haven't had the time to re-read the book yet and try out the alternative scenarios, but I will most definitely do that, as I'm very curious of the differences! I never actually had a chance to read a choose-your-own-destiny novel before. This was my first one ever, but certainly not the last one. I know for sure that I'm in for the whole series. There's just something absolutely intriguing about the re-told fairy tales. After all, these were the stories I grew up with. As a kid I read all the fairytale books I could find and watched all the Disney movies. They were fueling my imagination and brightening even the cloudiest days. I loved them! And now Maureen McGowan makes these stories even more enjoyable to read. How could I possibly pass this up?
Now, let's talk about the plot a little bit.
Our heroine has just turned eighteen. Her mother, one of the most powerful wizards in the kingdom, had died at her birth. Her father died few years later, only days after he remarried. Just like in the original story, Cinderella is now forced to live with her stepmother and her two stepsisters, who treat her more like a servant than a family member. Unlike in the original tale, though, our made-over Cinderella is not a weak-willed heroine. She still has to follow her stepmother's orders, do all the house chores and endure cruelty and abuse, but it's no longer attributed to her weak character. She's imprisoned in the house. Her stepmother, an evil wizard, has used black magic to keep Cinderella confined to the cellar, except to do chores during the day and to tend the garden at night. Why is the wicked stepmother determined to make Cinderella's life a living hell? Because she's after a magic wand that belonged to Cinderella's real mother. Convinced that Cinderella knows the location of the wand, she'll do anything to extract the knowledge from her.
Cinderella, although still pure in heart and romantic, is not shy and blindly obedient anymore. She's fully capable of making her own decisions, she doesn't sit around dreaming about the prince charming to come and rescue her. She's strong, brave and tough, and she's determined to find her way to freedom. Through ninja training, she improves her concentration, balance and strength. She also trains to improve the magical abilities inherited from her wizard mother. She's a true kick-ass character and that makes following her adventures more fun than ever.
The story continues with prince Tiberius looking for a bride. There will soon be a ball held at the palace in the prince's honor and two contests will be held in order to find the perfect girl for him. There will be a beauty contest and a magic competition. The winner of the beauty contest will get a dance with the prince, but Cinderella, not interested in the prince at all, is more excited for the magic competition, winning which will grant her a year's training with the royal wizard. She believes it to be her only chance to escape a life of servitude and humiliation, and she's determined to do everything in her power to try and win the contest.
Cinderella Ninja Warrior is an excellent adventure book. Maureen McGowan did a great job retelling this classic tale and I dare say her version of the story is even better than the original. I like how Cinderella stands up for herself and fights for her freedom, she's still a sweet and likable girl, but she's no longer weak and unable to take matters into her own hands. I just love the fact that she doesn't sit around hoping for someone to come and rescue her one day. The depth of this story made me realize how shallow the original was. Cinderella doesn't go for the beauty contest, she's not trying to enchant the prince with her looks, she doesn't even care if she meets the prince or not! She's not interested in getting the wealth and the power, and the prince charming. All she wants is to earn her own freedom and start a new, happy life.
I enjoyed the twists a lot, especially the magic and the ninja skills. I do, however, think that the title of the book is a bit misleading. Sure, Cinderella has some awesome ninja skills and she's not afraid to use them, but we only get a handful of the kick-ass ninja actions in the book, whereas the magic seems to be the leading theme of the story. Perhaps Cinderella the Wizard would have been a better choice?
In my opinion, Cinderella Ninja Warrior is a fantastic, entertaining and super enjoyable read. If you like fairy tales, you'll love this one! I highly recommend it for a summer read. I can't wait to read Sleeping Beauty Vampire Slayer, which is the second novel in the Twisted Tales series!
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fairytale is nothing like you've ever read before.First and foremost, this is not a book that you'll read once and then put on your bookshelf to collect dust. You can read this book over and over again, as this is a choose-your-own-adventure novel. There are 3 key points during the story when you get to choose what Cinderella will do next. Each time you reach these points you get two choices, and once you decide which path you'd like Cinderella to follow, you're directed to the next section in the book. You know what this means? In one book you get 8 different stories, 8 unique ways the plot develops. And even though the ending stays the same, you still get the fun of deciding how the story evolves.
I haven't had the time to re-read the book yet and try out the alternative scenarios, but I will most definitely do that, as I'm very curious of the differences! I never actually had a chance to read a choose-your-own-destiny novel before. This was my first one ever, but certainly not the last one. I know for sure that I'm in for the whole series. There's just something absolutely intriguing about the re-told fairy tales. After all, these were the stories I grew up with. As a kid I read all the fairytale books I could find and watched all the Disney movies. They were fueling my imagination and brightening even the cloudiest days. I loved them! And now Maureen McGowan makes these stories even more enjoyable to read. How could I possibly pass this up?
Now, let's talk about the plot a little bit.
Our heroine has just turned eighteen. Her mother, one of the most powerful wizards in the kingdom, had died at her birth. Her father died few years later, only days after he remarried. Just like in the original story, Cinderella is now forced to live with her stepmother and her two stepsisters, who treat her more like a servant than a family member. Unlike in the original tale, though, our made-over Cinderella is not a weak-willed heroine. She still has to follow her stepmother's orders, do all the house chores and endure cruelty and abuse, but it's no longer attributed to her weak character. She's imprisoned in the house. Her stepmother, an evil wizard, has used black magic to keep Cinderella confined to the cellar, except to do chores during the day and to tend the garden at night. Why is the wicked stepmother determined to make Cinderella's life a living hell? Because she's after a magic wand that belonged to Cinderella's real mother. Convinced that Cinderella knows the location of the wand, she'll do anything to extract the knowledge from her.
Cinderella, although still pure in heart and romantic, is not shy and blindly obedient anymore. She's fully capable of making her own decisions, she doesn't sit around dreaming about the prince charming to come and rescue her. She's strong, brave and tough, and she's determined to find her way to freedom. Through ninja training, she improves her concentration, balance and strength. She also trains to improve the magical abilities inherited from her wizard mother. She's a true kick-ass character and that makes following her adventures more fun than ever.
The story continues with prince Tiberius looking for a bride. There will soon be a ball held at the palace in the prince's honor and two contests will be held in order to find the perfect girl for him. There will be a beauty contest and a magic competition. The winner of the beauty contest will get a dance with the prince, but Cinderella, not interested in the prince at all, is more excited for the magic competition, winning which will grant her a year's training with the royal wizard. She believes it to be her only chance to escape a life of servitude and humiliation, and she's determined to do everything in her power to try and win the contest.
Cinderella Ninja Warrior is an excellent adventure book. Maureen McGowan did a great job retelling this classic tale and I dare say her version of the story is even better than the original. I like how Cinderella stands up for herself and fights for her freedom, she's still a sweet and likable girl, but she's no longer weak and unable to take matters into her own hands. I just love the fact that she doesn't sit around hoping for someone to come and rescue her one day. The depth of this story made me realize how shallow the original was. Cinderella doesn't go for the beauty contest, she's not trying to enchant the prince with her looks, she doesn't even care if she meets the prince or not! She's not interested in getting the wealth and the power, and the prince charming. All she wants is to earn her own freedom and start a new, happy life.
I enjoyed the twists a lot, especially the magic and the ninja skills. I do, however, think that the title of the book is a bit misleading. Sure, Cinderella has some awesome ninja skills and she's not afraid to use them, but we only get a handful of the kick-ass ninja actions in the book, whereas the magic seems to be the leading theme of the story. Perhaps Cinderella the Wizard would have been a better choice?
In my opinion, Cinderella Ninja Warrior is a fantastic, entertaining and super enjoyable read. If you like fairy tales, you'll love this one! I highly recommend it for a summer read. I can't wait to read Sleeping Beauty Vampire Slayer, which is the second novel in the Twisted Tales series!
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LibraryThing member A_Reader_of_Fictions
When I was a kid, I absolutely loved choose your own adventure books. In fact, they were the only Goosebumps books I could bear to read, since I have always been a complete and utter wimp when it came to anything remotely horrific. Additionally, I adore fairy tales, so this new series that does its
Unlike the choose your own ending books of my youth, these books aimed at teens or adults have many less decision points, a sacrifice made for story and plot. On the one hand, this is a good thing, but, on the other, I really wanted to make all the choices. Oh well. I only read one of the eight possible outcomes (along with one of the other sections, just to get an idea), because my reading pile is ridiculous, but it was pretty good. I imagine it would probably be my favorite of them, should I read all of the others.
Actually, this book reminded me, rather strangely, of The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver, which has nothing to do with fairy tales or choose your own adventure. In this book, you see two possible courses a woman's life could take, based on whether she decided to have an affair or not on the night of her birthday. There are two story lines in all but the first and last chapters, where everything comes together again. Here, too, all roads lead to the same place. Again, that's cool, but not altogether realistic, I feel. Some of the plot lines always feel forced to get you back to that specified ending.
All that aside, this was a charming, fun way to spend an afternoon. It was nice seeing a powerful Cinderella; in fact, my favorite parts were the ones that were off book, where she was doing magic. If you miss having a say in some of your main character's choices, give this a try!
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best to combine the two was impossible to pass up.Unlike the choose your own ending books of my youth, these books aimed at teens or adults have many less decision points, a sacrifice made for story and plot. On the one hand, this is a good thing, but, on the other, I really wanted to make all the choices. Oh well. I only read one of the eight possible outcomes (along with one of the other sections, just to get an idea), because my reading pile is ridiculous, but it was pretty good. I imagine it would probably be my favorite of them, should I read all of the others.
Actually, this book reminded me, rather strangely, of The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver, which has nothing to do with fairy tales or choose your own adventure. In this book, you see two possible courses a woman's life could take, based on whether she decided to have an affair or not on the night of her birthday. There are two story lines in all but the first and last chapters, where everything comes together again. Here, too, all roads lead to the same place. Again, that's cool, but not altogether realistic, I feel. Some of the plot lines always feel forced to get you back to that specified ending.
All that aside, this was a charming, fun way to spend an afternoon. It was nice seeing a powerful Cinderella; in fact, my favorite parts were the ones that were off book, where she was doing magic. If you miss having a say in some of your main character's choices, give this a try!
Show Less
LibraryThing member chaoticbooklover
Remember those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books that were so popular in the early 90's? Well, I loved them, and Maureen McGowan has brought them back with a great twist on Classic Fairy Tales.
Cinderella: Ninja Warrior, is the twisted take on a classic fairy tale that is a perfect mix of modern
I love that Cinderella isn't the push over that she was in the Classic Fairy Tale, and that the Prince gets more development than the original. Although there aren't a ton of ninja moves in the book, there are enough to keep you interested and really, how can you not want to read a book with ninja's and magic??
Cinderella: Ninja Warrior, is the twisted take on a classic fairy tale that is a perfect mix of modern
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paranormal with the classic telling. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book, and by being able to choose which path you think Cinderella should take makes for a great read and re-read!I love that Cinderella isn't the push over that she was in the Classic Fairy Tale, and that the Prince gets more development than the original. Although there aren't a ton of ninja moves in the book, there are enough to keep you interested and really, how can you not want to read a book with ninja's and magic??
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LibraryThing member bookbrig
I've decided this needs to be my first book of the year. Choose your own adventure AND Cinderella with a sword? Clearly, a necessary read.
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Pretty fluffy, but this Cinderella is a clever and resourceful girl and I think there can't be enough of those in books teens read, so yay!
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Pretty fluffy, but this Cinderella is a clever and resourceful girl and I think there can't be enough of those in books teens read, so yay!
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
314 p.; 7.5 inches
ISBN
1607102552 / 9781607102557