Review: Seeing Cinderella by Jenny Lundquist

Goodreads
Magical realism and a modern Cinderella story makes for a fun and relatable M!X read.Sixth grade is not going well for Calliope Meadow Anderson. Callie’s hair is frizzy, her best friend, Ellen, is acting weird, and to top things off, she has to get glasses. And her new specs aren’t even cute, trendy glasses—more like hideously large and geeky. But Callie soon discovers that her glasses have a special, magical perk: When she wears them, she can read people’s thoughts. Crazy glasses aside, Callie has more drama to face when she’s cast as the lead in the school play—and instead opts to be an understudy, giving the role of Cinderella to Ellen. Can Callie’s magic glasses help her see her way to leading lady, or is she destined to stay in the background forever?

Review

This book was pretty cute. I won a copy of this book a while back from
A thousand Wrongs. I just read it and I loved it. haha. The character is in the 6th grade, just starting her first year of middle school, and thinks she is unattractive and dorky. She is frizzy haired, freckle- faced, and now she has to deal with wearing this unbearably hideous reading glasses? life just got complicated. 

Wait. hold up, that wonky eye doctor gave  her a pair of glasses that can read the thoughts of anyone she is looking at? junk just got interesting.

now she can find out why her best (and only) friend is treating her so badly and maybe even make a few new friends while she is at. But with great power comes great responsibility. There are more important things to worry about than spying on your best friend's thoughts or trying to figure out what your long- time crush thinks of you. She has to learn what to do with her new found talent for acting (ere go the role in the school play of Cinderella), her wayward father, and that name calling bully, Charlie. And maybe even get the chance to help with something bigger than she is.

This book is very safe for younger audiences and explores the world of junior high, around that crucial time where you are breaking with old childhood friendships and developing deeper and more lasting friendships. We all remember starting middle school and having crushes. i remember all too well having the friends that were prettier than I was (hey, its true. cannot be helped) and that all the boys went after. I could really relate to Callie. I mean, I wish my dorky glasses served a higher purpose than just vision correction. Okay, I am nineteen, so i can relate to Callie when I was in middle school. lol. 

This book was pretty deep in some senses though. You are sort of opened up to the harsh reality of fake friendships and one- sided friendships. Thinks that can be life changing to girls (and boys) at that age. 

I love how Callie finally stood up to her friend when she was pushing her around and calling her selfish, even though Callie was trying her hardest to be the best friend she could be. You can only do so much in a friendship with a person who thinks enough is never enough. By the way, red hots were my dads favorite candy. :) brings back some memories. I loved that part of the story. torn between whether to rate this book with red hots or silly glasses. :) We shall see. 

I think I may lend this book to my niece when she is just a little bit older. she is almost ten now, so she is around Callie's age. I do not know how my sister will feel about me giving her a book full of such realities just yet, Andi does not really talk a lot about friends. good lord, I do not even know who my niece's best friend is (it's me, of course). I will have to ask when next we talk. very curious, now. veeery curious............

alright. I went with glasses. 8D