Cinderella Ninja Warrior by Maureen McGowan (Book #1 in Twisted Tales series) (Review)

Genre:	Fairytale, Adventure, Young Adult
Publication.Date	April 1st 2011
Pages:	320
Published By:	Silver Dolphin Books
Website	Maureen McGowan
	Cinderella Ninja Warrior - Goodreads
My review copy:	Received from the publisher (Thank you!)
Where to get:	Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

     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 read!

(goodreads.com)

"(...) Why would I want to dance with the prince? I've never even laid eyes on him."

     She's imagined love to be the most powerful kind of magic, but thinking about her life to this point, she wondered why she'd ever thought that. Everyone who'd ever loved her had vanished -- her mother, her father, Max -- and now Ty.
      Love wasn't magic. In fact, love was so weak it could be wiped away with a flick of a wand.

     "Don't you want to get married?" Ty ran his hand along the railing. "I mean, someday?"
      He sounded hurt, and the expression on his face matched, so she turned her attention from the competition to him. "Of course I do. Someday. I'd love to be a mother." And she'd love her children and treat them with respect. "I suppose it'd be nice to have a partner in life, too, but I plan to have some say in choosing him. No way I want to be plucked out of field of other girls, like a piece of fruit at the market. Don't you think it's kind of insulting?"

     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 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!