Thank you Crooked Lane Books , Netgalley and W R Gorman for the eArc of We Kept Her In the Cellar..

A deliciously twisted retelling of the Story Of Cinderella told from the Step sisters POV. This is my first book by W R Gorman and really liked his writing style. There are some great horror elements within this story which gave it a nice dark twist and loved the ending.

4 stars

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was a fun, grotesque, retelling of Cinderella. It's not for the faint hearted, and it's pretty graphic at times. Trigger warning for animal deaths. It's hard to give a description or review without spoiling the fun of the retelling, but it takes a lot of the classic elements of the fairy tale (including some of those that were already on the dark side) and twists them to be all the more dark and disturbing. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with a strong stomach and a penchant for fractured fairy tales.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We Kept Her in the Cellar by W. R. Gorman is a creative Cinderella reimagining with interesting plot points.

I think I'm just the wrong reader for this story. I liked the concept of hearing about an evil version of Cinderella. Unfortunately I just didn't love the fairy tale language. I'm sure others that are more well versed in fairytale retelling will have a great time with this one.

hey so this was insane!! a super dark and twisted cinderella reimagining. the body horror in this was insane so if you’re squeamish and don’t like that maybe stay away.

We Kept Her in the Cellar is a dark twist on the Cinderella story, focusing on Eunice, an 11-year-old girl who becomes the reluctant caregiver for her powerful stepsister, Cinderella, who is kept confined in the cellar.

Now 18, Eunice seeks freedom and dreams of attending the Prince’s Ball, but when Cinderella escapes and wreaks havoc, everything changes. W.R. Gorman crafts a gripping narrative filled with body horror and clever twists on the classic tale.

Though the ending felt a bit rushed, it left me wanting more. I highly recommend this to fans of horror and dark fairy tales!

I love a good retelling. I rewatched Ever After (yet again!) while I was reading this book and I adored it even more than I did when I first saw it, oh, about 25 years ago. This is not that retelling.

This Cinderella is the family secret for entirely different reasons.

“Cinderella, when she comes, will show no mercy.”

Cinderella is 12 years old when she arrives at the manor and meets her new stepsisters, Eunice (11) and Hortense (5). Told from the perspective of one of Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters, you’ll quickly learn why this Cinderella comes with her own set of rules.

“To see her, as she truly is - it would undo you.”

You see, this Cinderella story has teeth. She’s actually kinda bitey so you might want to maintain a safe distance. Beware of loopholes and be especially careful after midnight.

Kept underground, this Cinderella is more often than not out of sight. She is rarely out of mind.

With copious amounts of vomit splashing across the pages, this is not going to be everyone’s happily ever after. The body horror was everything I hoped it would be and I had so much fun racing through this book.

Hortense, my favourite character, brought the attitude and bugs. She also managed to snag the best lines.

Favourite no context quote: "Stop, you're getting tears in my hair!" protested Hortense. "If you're going to be throwing your bodily fluids around, you could at least have the decency to put them in a glass jar, so I can look at them more closely later."

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company, for the opportunity to read this book.

**4.5-stars**

We Kept Her In the Cellar is a wildly-imaginative and uber-dark Cinderella reimagining. As it turns out, it's also the Dark Fairy Tale of my slightly-disturbed dreams.

This story follows Eunice, who at the beginning of our tale is just 11-years old and her mother is about to be married to a man who has a daughter, Cinderella. The blending of the families is rife with unsettling occurrences from the very start.

Eunice learns the rules for dealing with Cinderella, but it's not an easy life. She basically takes on the role of caregiver, even when she herself is a child. Cinderella has dark and terrifying powers. It's almost impossible for her interact with the rest of the world. She needs to be handled at all times. Hence why the family keeps her mostly imprisoned in their cellar.

After Eunice, now 18, befriends charming Prince Credence, she begins to see the possibilities outside of their home. Why should she be shackled within like Cinderella? She's done nothing wrong and wants a life. Eunice even receives an invitation to the Prince's Ball and is determined to go. This could be her chance to break free. However, on the night she's set to go, it's actually Cinderella who breaks free with disastrous consequences.

Using her vast eldritch powers, Cinderella ends up attending the Ball and enrapturing the Prince with her beauty and grace. At midnight, she leaves behind a trail of destruction and a single green glass slipper. I think you know a bit of what happens from there, or do you?


I read the synopsis of this so long ago, that by the time I got around to picking it up, I had actually forgotten it was a Cinderella reimagining. I was expecting Horror and I certainly got that, but I also got enough of my Dark Fairy Tale fix to last me a good long while. This one is going to stick in my brain, that's for sure. By 5% in, W.R. Gorman had my jaw on the floor. This story waits no time to take off. It's 0-to-60 with this one.

I loved Eunice as a character and loved learning all about Cinderella along with her. To think, Eunice had a fairly normal life until her mother needed to remarry. That's the choice that changed her life forever. Eunice's younger sister Hortense was only 5-years old when Cinderella arrived. Cinderella's needs required a lot of Eunice's time and I felt bad for poor Hortense, who didn't really understand why her beloved older sister, Eunice, no longer had the time to play with her.

It really did a number on this family. I liked Cinderella's father. I felt for him. It seemed like he was also doing the best he could, and he did really seem to care for Eunice, Hortense and their mother. Cinderella was like nothing I had ever read before. She never ceased to surprise and amaze me with her powers and actions. When I say this, read it as, she's terrifying.

This story was so engaging. It sucked me in. I loved the choices Gorman made as far the connections with the original Cinderella story and how twisted they are here. It's incredibly clever and inspired. The Body Horror is fantastic and there's a lot of it, which we love to see. I'm talking super cringe, toe-curling moments on the regular. Also, I did listen to the audiobook which was fabulous. It is narrated by EJ Lavery, whose voice work definitely added to the dark whimsy of this tale.

My only complaint is I felt it was resolved a little too easily. After this gloriously-grotesque and dark build-up, I was a wee surprised at how quickly it wrapped up. I did like the delightful little tid-bit we learned at the end though, regarding the aftermath, or lingering result of it all. In a way though, you could just look at this as a compliment. It just means I wanted more. Honestly, I could read another entire volume following this cast of characters and set within this world. C'mon, Gorman, how about a sequel!?

Thank you so much to the publishers, Crooked Lane Books and HighBridge Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I would absolutely recommend this story to Horror Readers, and Dark Fairy Tale Readers, particularly if you love a lot of Body Horror. I can't wait for more from this author!

I am OBSESSED with this story!!!

I need to get my hands on a physical copy asap so i can highlight all of my favourite parts because this kept me HOOKED from page one and i am completely obsessed with the writing, the story, these characters, just everything about it!!

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑪𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉...𝑪𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆. 𝑻𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒔--𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

As a teacher of myths and folklore, this book was everything I needed! The traditional story of Cinderella that we all grew up with is turned upside down with this dark, sinister retelling. In Gorman's version, Cinderella is not the victim of jealous step-sisters; she's a monster that inspires fear. The Cinderella relegated to cleaning the fireplace, wearing only rags, and the epitome of charm and innocence is NOT the princess of this tale.

Told from the point of view of Eunice, one of the step-sisters, she must now live her life by three rules now that her mother will be remarrying: One, always refer to Cinderella as family. Two, never let Cinderella gain access to rats or mice. Three, never look upon Cinderella between the hours of twelve and three a.m. Eunice and her younger sister Hortense struggle to accept their new "sister," but they know they must try for their own protection.

The tension spikes when Cinderella escapes from the cellar to attend the ball and enchants Prince Credence, leaving behind a trail of blood...and a single green glass slipper. I absolutely loved the nods to the Brothers Grimm with the glass slipper scene. It was gruesome and horrific, and I loved every bit of it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this copy! This book is available now!

This is the most chilling, haunting, and disquieting rendition of Cinderella that I have ever experienced, and it is likely the most horrific version in existence.



I confess that I was utterly unaware of the depths of darkness that awaited me when I embarked on this literary journey. I naively anticipated a conventional retelling, embellished with subtle hints of horror. However, the intensity of this book far surpassed my expectations.



Initially, I grappled with the book's radical departure from the traditional Cinderella narrative. It seemed to veer so far from the familiar tale that I questioned whether it should have embraced an entirely new concept. Yet, as I delved deeper into the book, an unexpected realization emerged. I like it more than the original.

This book was an excellent retelling of the classic Cinderella tale with a horrific twist. Cinderella is a monster and will only be controlled by those she considers family. Her father marries Hortense and Eunice's mother, the two "stepsisters". Eunice tells the story and works hard to keep her status as Cinderella's sister. In doing this, they form an almost unbreakable bond that will help Eunice in the end. The Brother Grimm's original tale of Cinderella speaks of the Stepsisters cutting off their toes to fit into the iconic glass slipper. This scene and more appear in this story, bringing a sense of nostalgia and horror-engrained scenes that leave you wishing you weren't eating lunch while reading! In short, "We Kept Her in the Cellar" is a top-notch horror novel with a touch of whimsy that will leave you wishing there was more to come.

We Kept Her In The Seller by WR Gorman is a an ingenious rettelling of Cinderella from the viewpoint of her stepsister Eunice. When the book starts Eunice Hortens and mom Bettina, are waiting for Bettina‘s fiancé mr. Fitz William and his daughter Cinderella. Six year old Hortense couldn’t be happier she’s getting a sister and although Eunice is closer in age to Cinderella she is more reluctant but when they arrive the whole family is apprehensive because it seems Mr. Fitz Williams showed up not in a carriage but a horse drawn metal box unlike anything they’ve seen before. It seems their apprehension is valid especially when Hortense wants to greet her new sister Cinderella and the older girl tries to take a bite out of excited Hortense. This totally changes the mood of the families first encounter. This is just the beginning of the strange events that happen after beautiful Cinderella moves in. First of all they have to keep the girl behind locked doors deep in the cellar and this causes villagers to think poor innocent Cinderella is being abused and victimized and although the family knows this it is preferable to the truth getting out. I’m going to stop the review here because I don’t want to give anything away this was such a great book when I first read the summary and then started reading the book I kept thinking but what about this and what about that and how are they going to explain different things I knew about the Cinderella fairytale but let me just say it all gets explained and then some. If you like retellings and or horror stories then you will definitely enjoy this one they do have some very disgusting parts in the book and I never thought I would say this but it is so apropos to the story. There really isn’t any negative I can think of except for the whole thing with Mr. Colton and his son because I really thought they would’ve been bigger characters in the story but that’s just a personal preference and not negative towards the author or the novel. What a great read! #NetGalley, #CrookedLaneBooks,#WRGorman, #WeKeptHerInTheSellar, #FairytaleReimagining,

absolutely WHAT IN CREDENCE'S NAME DID I JUST READ magnificent

I realised pretty early on that this was going to be a 5 star read for me; I was just waiting on how the author delivers the climax & deliver she does.

So let's get into it:

1. THE PLOT
Although the synopsis describes it as a retelling of Cinderella, this is quite beyond that. Basic elements of Cinderella like the slipper, mice, ball, step family feature in this story but the entire story takes an INSANE diabolical turn. I thoroughly enjoyed this plot actually & the author did not hold back at all.

2. THE CHARACTERS
A fundamental flaw many 'YA books' tend to face is the actual likeability of the main character. Eunice nails the main character role, with me hardcore rooting for her. The writing does a good job of making you feel good or bad (let's be honest, mostly bad) for side characters as well. Mom, dad, Hortense, Lilia, Leo - I think I was invested in their arcs, they served their purpose adeptly.
Though I thought it was outrageous to name the prince Credence (I see the rationale for it though), the Prince was a pretty decent character too who I wish we got to see more of.

3. THE WRITING
It is pretty obvious that this author grew up watching movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre - man, she doesn't hold back. The amount of gore, violence, weird bloody scenes were UNHINGED to say the least. This book is not for the weak of heart and I actually loved this bold aspect to the book. The author bravely ventures into making a beloved Disney princess an absolute monster, brownie points from me for that!

"My mind shies away, not wanting to dwell on the details of our time together, and yet it’s that very togetherness that makes me the most qualified to tell our story." - what an intro

4. THE CLIMAX
Featuring good callbacks, neatly tying the story, the climax is predictable yet cool. It doesn't leave the reader unsatisfied.

5. umm also excuse me but this book is actually laugh out loud FUNNY?

"I would come to learn that Mr. Fitzwilliam was a great believer in trying to teach Cinderella about productivity and contributing to the household, although I am not sure if any of his lessons ever took." - CACKLING

5. Great prologue & epilogue - I have the entire prologue highlighted.

In conclusion, my heart goes out to poor Eunice (that ONE scene traumatised me forever). My heart goes out to all the people who'll read this for the first time - you'll never be the same. I'm extremely grateful I got to read an ARC, this is the kind of literature I want to feature on my blogs & social media. BONKERS!!

When there is a retelling of a fairy tale I have to read it. This was such a book. This book is told from the POV of one of Cinderella’s stepsisters. What we read about Cinderella is all wrong according to this book. All the same characters are in the book only Cinderella is not the sweet, nice little girl. In fact, she really is a monster. To keep the family safe, she must be hidden away in the cellar. She is not mistreated she has an extensive wardrobe, beautiful furniture and all the activities provided to keep her from becoming bored. Now there is a ball that requires all young ladies to attend but for the safety of all people; Cinderella must be kept a secret from the kingdom. This Cinderella is not having it, she takes it upon herself to create her own carriage. But this is not your normal pumpkin for a carriage and mice for horses carriage. What Cinderella creates is something straight out of a horror movie. The description of the process to procure her transportation is quite grotesque and horrifying. The rest of the book is filled with torture and death that was quite gruesome. Excellent read and I give this book 👻👻👻👻👻.

If you love horrifying retellings of cartoon classics, this book will be perfect for you! This is also perfect for fans of H.P. Lovecraft.

Like the description says, this is the darkest and most disturbing retelling of Cinderella that I have ever read and possibly the most horrific.

I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into with this book. I thought it was going to just be a retelling with some horror elements, but I didn’t think it was going to be this intense. At first I struggled with this book being so out there and not even close to a Cinderella retelling. I kind of thought the book should have just gone with a whole new topic, but it actually worked out the longer I read the book.

I do love horror novels, so I was so excited to actually have some true creepy scenes throughout the book. I will definitely be reading more of her books!

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book officially publishes on 9/24/24!

This was a very fun retelling of a classic fairy tale story, embedded with horror and shocking elements. Even though large parts of the “core” story were changed, the author wove in fun callbacks to the traditional Cinderella story. I will note at times there are gory graphic depictions that may not be for everyone. This book is told from a single POV and is a relatively quick read. Giving this one 4 stars because I did find a few elements to be repetitive. If horror is your thing, though I would recommend giving this one a read.

Posted on Goodreads:

4.25/5⭐️

From the very beginning you learn that Cinderella is different. Eunice, her new step sister, her mother and sister have to learn to adjust to their new lives. There are rules to follow, important things to never forget and sacrifices to be made. For nearly a decade things run as smooth as you can expect until the anticipated ball happens. And then things go very awry.

I really enjoyed this new horrific take. Genuinely felt for Eunice and you’re not supposed to like the ugly step sister. And reading how alluring and beautiful Cinderella can be and then flip to monstrous was fun to read. It followed the original nicely. Not the Disney fru fru version, but the original. You know with the sacrifice the step sister does to fit her foot in the glass shoe. *shudders*

Thank you netgalley, crooked land books And w.r. Gorman for the opportunity to read this arc.

What if Cinderella wasn't the victim of cruel and wicked stepsisters? What if...things were a lot more complicated than they looked from the outside? In _We Kept Her In the Cellar_ W.R. Gorman provides us with a masterful retelling of the tale of Cinderella, one which is at its core deeply human even if in this case Cinderella is not. Told from the point of view of Eunice, the oldest of the two stepsisters, we see the story from a perspective that provides us with insight into the characters before and after Cinderella enters their lives. We understand the complex dynamics and negotiations necessary to safely integrate her into her new family. And let's be clear, Cinderella is dangerous. Most egregiously, a vast amount of responsibility is quickly situated on Eunice at age eleven and is done so by her primary caregivers. Not only is she is she responsible for Cinderella's care but for potentially saving her younger sister's life. And like all the family members she is charged with keeping Cinderella's true nature a secret. In this last point we have the crux of what Gorman's novel is about.

While it is most definitely an impressive retelling and one I enjoyed more than I expected, it is thematically a novel about family, shame, and the secrets and silences that we are meant to keep for them and the subsequent damage that they can inflict. From early on Eunice becomes known as the jealous and less attractive stepsister because of actions that she had to take to protect Cinderella's secret from being revealed. She has no friends because she fears revealing the secret and because so much time is taken up with Cinderella. Her younger sister, Hortense, resents Cinderella and lashes out at Eunice further isolating her. Many of the servants similarly believe that she abuses her stepsister given that she often takes her meals to the cellar. All of this sets the stage for how Cinderella comes to be seen as the innocent victim of a wicked stepsister jealous of her beauty. In her careful manipulation of her story, she accounts for how an outsider might hear gossip about the story of Cinderella and retell it getting the fundamental facts wrong because the truth has been guarded so assiduously by the family and later the King.

Secrets don't stay hidden indefinitely and locks don't hold forever. Telling a child to keep something secret for the sake of her family's safety is a heavy burden and not to be undertaken unless absolutely necessary. The lengths that Eunice takes to protect the secret are heartbreaking and the way that keeping the secret has drained her of life. If we read Cinderella as the metaphorical secret locked in the basement, then there is much more to be said about the impact of private sphere trauma on children. However, sticking to the more literal aspects of the story, the deep wrongness of keeping a "problem" locked away rather than addressing the issue is clear.

As with all good sci-fi and fantasy fiction, I believe that _We Kept Her In the Cellar_ is more than just an enjoyable story (and it is a well-plotted, well-written unique retelling of the Cinderella story) . I believe that it provides us with a medium to present accessible social commentary on important topics. In this case, as you read Gorman's novel ask yourself questions about what constitutes a healthy family? What kinds of secrets should we ask children to keep? For that matter, what kind of secrets should we be keeping? And why, if something is harming our family or its members would telling be considered an act of betrayal? Moreover, what does Cinderella represent? Who is the villain here? Or contrary to the narratives of Grimm & Christian Brothers is there in fact not a villain after all? I certainly intend to read this again. At the end I was left with a number of questions, most notably how to categorize Cinderella. Because in spite of my teaser line, I don't think she's a villain or necessarily a victim. Fantasy it may be but _We Kept Her In the Cellar_ is also deeply human and thus resists easy binaries and dichotomies like good/evil or villain/victim.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.