I am a SUCKER for fairytale retellings. And when you add in horror and gore.... Say Less!
Thank you so much @NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Starting off with my rating... Solid 3 Star, maybe even 3.5, but I just can't bring myself to round up.
This was FUN. And so, so very gross. And I loved it! Graphic gore. But in a way that I think will entice my 13 yo son to actually pick up a book.
There is no poor, mistreated stepdaughter. No Fairy Godmother. No moments of spontaneous singing with the woodland creatures. There IS death, blood, pain, gore, rot, and disgust. And a prince. But, there is no "fairytale" ending here.

I did find that sitting too long thinking about how I wanted to write my review I was left with several questions and I was poking at holes when it came to Cinderella's powers and abilities and how she was "bound" to family. It seemed that the "rules" weren't followed throughout the story and that can cause the reader to disengage at times. So, my advice to you is to simply Enjoy The Ride. This one is Out There.

A dark horror reimagining of Cinderella from her stepsister's POV. You've heard of having a monster of a step-sibling... except what if she was a literal horrifying monster that is barely contained and if she were to get out she'd kill people? Cinderella might look like a doll with beautiful looks and charm but beneath that is a horrifying monster complete with blood curling screams, mind control powers, tentacles and claws. When Eunice's mother marries a new man and he brings his daughter Cinderella into the new family, Eunice was excited to have a new step-sibling only she never expected a literal monster to be in her family. Her new stepfather now has made Eunice part of guarding Cinderella and now Eunice has to keep Cinderella locked in the cellar and make sure she is controlled, or else bodies will start dropping. Cinderella's care is demanding and Eunice has to look after her own sister and mother from Cinderella. Yet as the years go on all Eunice yearns for is escape and when she runs into a prince who seems to fall for her, it might be the perfect chance... but fate has other plans for her and with a step-sibling trying to claw her way out, Eunice has her work cut out for her. This was such a dun retelling of the classic and leans in on the horror and toxic family dynamics. I loved the twist and turns and Eunice was such an interesting character to read from. Cinderella was a literal horror monster and she made this book such a fun horror read. I would absolutely recommend this book for spooky season!!

Release Date: September 24,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was definitely darker and weirder than I was expecting. A very unique and disturbing twist on the Cinderella story; I felt physically sick a few times while reading. I really liked Eunice though; her voice was very clear on the page and I appreciated her perseverance.

CInderella meets RL Stine...well maybe more so Stephen King.

Cinderella is a MONSTER, and I'm here for it. She controls mice and rats and she can eat people's minds!

There is a lot of gore in this book. I have to say, it is a little satisfying to see Cinderella go dark and crazy. Made my dark Disney heart so happy.

I love a good retelling of a classic fairy tale, especially one that brings horror into the plot line. Being told by one of the stepsisters, they expose Cinderella’s true identity and why she was really kept in the cellar.

I’m honestly not sure how to review this book. I have given it 3 stars for now because at no point did I want to DNF. I picked it up thinking it was a dark retelling of Cinderella and then was pleasantly surprised to find it was horror-horror. It’s disgusting and it’s dark and I loved that but there was something missing. It didn’t really have a point, just a whole bunch of gross stuff happened and I still don’t really know why. There are nods to the original gruesome tale but mostly this book just left me wanting more. I will be very interested to see what this author brings out next though.

This was a dark and gory retelling of the well known fairytale, written from the point of view of the eldest stepsister. I at first thought it would be the same vibes as 'Stepsister', but this one is way more dark!

I adore retellings of fairy tales, and this one stood out for its innovative take on the original tale's darkness.

This story is told from the perspective of Eunice, Cinderella's elder stepsister. With her evil abilities, mutilated mice, and forbidden gaze between midnight and three in the afternoon, Cinderella is not your usual girl. Eunice is in charge of taking care of Cinderella and defending the household from her. But when Cinderella receives an invitation to the ball, everything goes terribly wrong and becomes a struggle for survival.

This imaginative retelling of what is likely the most popular fairy tale was really well done. The atmosphere in the book is unsettling, with a strong whiff of mold and rot. There were a few extremely graphic scenes at the end.

It's such a wonderful twist to make Cinderella the villain; her monstrosity was both delightful and horrifying. The "evil stepsister" stereotype was given new life by Eunice and her sister, who made for an excellent main character. I believe the story really shines on this theme, but I was also captivated by the language from the first page on, and I found myself practically staring at the pages till the end.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys dark retellings of fairy tales or violent horror in general. Definitely not for readers with a weak heart.

We Kept Her in the Cellar was fantastic! This was my first time reading this type of book , but will not be my last! It was dark and gory and I loved the writing style. Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was so gross. I did enjoy the creativity and Cinderella is horrifying! There are some elements from the fairy tale like the stepsisters, the mice/rats, Cinderella's beauty. But that's about it. The rest is just a gruesome nightmare. There is no happy ending in this one--for any character. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

What a great twisted Cinderella! Aaaagh. Threw everything on top of its head. Loved the tale - so much fun. At times it was skimmable - things just continued and we're easily skipped. Would have liked the prince' character (who actually had a brain) to be fleshed out more. Also, what.the.hell.is.wrong.with.the.parents???? RUN!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

We Kept Her in the Cellar by W. R. Gorman is a first person-POV eldritch horror reimagining of Cinderella. When Eunice’s mother becomes engaged to Cinderella’s father, Eunice isn’t too pleased but willing to make an effort because her younger sister, Hortense, is excited to have a new sister. That is, until Cinderella bites Hortense during their first meeting and it’s revealed that she’s a nightmare in a pretty package.

This was such a creative spin on what is probably the most retold fairy tale in the Western world. It’s never made clear exactly what Cinderella is and all we really know is that her mother was also a bit odd and she’s bound by three rules, including the rule that she must listen to family. Maybe she’s part fairy, but maybe not. The use of rats later on was disturbing and a real twist to the 1950s Disney film that many of us are familiar with.

Eunice is trying so hard to do what is right by herself and her family and Cinderella isn’t really helping her but neither is Hortense. Hortense never forgives Cinderella for the bite and said bite leading to Cinderella siphoning off Hortense’s life force until the wedding, leading to Hortense and Cinderella in a constant cycle of ‘she’s not my sister’ followed by Cinderella feeding off of her and then Hortense gives in. And the one stuck forcing them to make-up is Eunice, the middle sister of this blended family. Because Eunice was the oldest sister until the wedding and essentially becomes Cinderella’s caregiver, this feels like a book for all the sisters who had to keep the peace.

The atmosphere is quite creepy, focusing on the scent of mold and rot and how Cinderella’s green eyes look like a green apple left out too long when her true nature is shown. There’s dark, heavy doors, information left out, and tentacles and so many teeth. And top all that off, Eunice tells Cinderella what to do in highly specific ways to act normal and yet Cinderella still cannot resist finding ways to not act normal. In short, the prose is very effective and evocative.

I would recommend this to fans of Cinderella reimaginings and horror, readers looking for a eldritch spin on fairy tales, and those looking for a darker Cinderella story from the step-sister’s POV

This book was such a fun read! When I saw Cinderella, but she is an eldritch monster I thought yes! Sounds amazing! And luckily this story did not disappoint.

This story is told from the point of view of Eunice, the elder of Cinderella's stepsisters. I loved how it felt like a children's story at first, how it is YA feeling (which makes sense as it is a fairy tale/told from a teenager's POV), but it gets really gross. It does have most of the things you would associate with Cinderella, the mice, the chores, the pumpkin turned stagecoach, etc but they are all so wonderfully disgusting I loved it. There were a couple of parts towards the end that were so gross I turned away for a moment which I don't know that I have done before. I was amazing.

Really this is the story of if there was a reason why the stepsisters/stepmother did everything they did for a good reason. There are rules for Cinderella and oh, it was wonderful. I loved how it ended as well. This is the author's first book so I can't wait to see what they come up with next!

Blending families after a remarriage is always difficult and Eunice is right to be worried when her new stepfather and stepsister arrive at the beginning of the harrowing new novel from W.R. Gorman, We Kept Her in the Cellar. Eunice doesn’t just have to worry about her mother’s attention being split three ways instead of just two or differing disciplinary styles because it turns out that her sister, Cinderella, really is a monster.

Shortly after the new family members arrive, Cinderella bites Eunice’s younger sister, Hortense, before anyone can say a word. Eunice’s stepfather whisks his offspring away to a cellar room with metal doors that has been specially prepared to house Cinderella. Over the next few days, Eunice learns the rules: Eunice must believe that Cinderella is her sister, otherwise, Cinderella will eat her; Cinderella must be kept occupied with busy work; Cinderella must never have access to mice or rats; and, under no circumstances, is anyone to be alone with Cinderella between midnight and three o’clock in the morning. Eunice hardly needs any more proof of how dangerous her new sister is when Hortense’s wound refuses to heal.

The plot of We Kept Her in the Cellar really begins to race after events jump ahead some seven years. Cinderella and Eunice would be old enough to make their debut among the aristocracy if it weren’t so dangerous for anyone to find out about Cinderella…except, that’s exactly what happens. Before Eunice can catch her metaphorical breath, a prince shows up and invitations for a ball arrive. A monstrous version of Cinderella’s helpers turn up to break her out of her cellar room and take her to the ball. And Cinderella’s stories of being kept in a stone cellar and made to do menial tasks, fed on rotting food, only help her worm her way into the palace.

I was delighted by the way that Gorman was able to take elements from the original Cinderella story and twist them into this tale. The color of the glass slippers hints at the way Cinderella relishes in rot and decay. Her beauty is a skin-deep cover for an eldritch shapeshifter. Gorman really flipped that fairy tale on its head. Readers who enjoy horrific, imaginative retellings of classic novels will find a lot to enjoy in this book. (The only reason I didn’t rate this book higher is because there are some jarring word choices and occasionally juvenile dialogue.)

WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eunice lives her life by three simple rules: 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.

Cinderella has dark and terrifying powers. As her stepsister, Eunice is expected to care for her and keep the family’s secret. Her childhood flew by in a blur of nightmares, tears, and near-misses with the monster living in the cellar. But when she befriends the handsome Prince Credence and secures an invitation to the ball, Eunice is determined to attend.

When her younger sister, Hortense, steps up to care for Cinderella, Eunice grabs her chance to dance the night away… until Cinderella escapes. What follows is an unsettling, macabre swathe of terror—headed straight for the throne.

🐁🐁🐁

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump recently. WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR ripped that slump to bloody little shreds.

Don’t let the cover fool you; this isn’t YA. (Seriously, imho, the cover does this book *such* a disservice. When I first saw it, I fully thought it was YA and almost skipped it over.)

From the first stroke of midnight I couldn’t look away. Eunice’s complex relationships with her family members (yes, including Cinderella) paired with my particular cup of eldritch body horror tea means this book is one I’ll be recommending for any fairytale horror-fantasy lovers. (Seriously, the body horror here is not for the faint of heart. The second (yes, there are two) foot scene literally dropped my jaw. I loved it.)

I believe that this is Gorman’s debut novel, and I’m looking forward to see how she will grow as an author (especially if she chooses to write more in WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR’s world; I’d love to see Eunice return!!).

WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR publishes 24 September 2024! Thank you to @crookedlanebooks for providing an eARC via @netgalley. As usual, all opinions here are my own!

An interesting twist in the Cinderella story. I found it quite dark. I felt for the characters and what they were going through

3.5 Stars

It’s difficult for me to decide for which audience to recommend this book. Most of it reads as if it was written for teenage readers, but the graphic violence and gore makes it more suitable for adult readers. Hmmmm.

Anyways, “We Kept Her in the Cellar” is a very unique and dark take on the classic fairy tale, “Cinderella”. As I’m an absolute sucker for dark and twisted retellings of much-loved fairy tales, the cover, title, and book description had me excited to delve into this novel.

However, it took a very long time for me to really get into the story. It did not really pull me in until about halfway through. I found it hard to connect the youth-lit-like prose with an evil Cinderella. I was also put off by the sheer amounts of angst throughout the story. It was simply too much for my liking.

But in all honesty, those are really my only complaints. As much as I didn’t enjoy this book as I was hoping I would, I think that it will certainly attract a lot readers and appeal to the tastes of fans of horror literature. It really has a lot going for it.

Even though I feel the prose isn’t what I’m used to finding in books for more mature readers, there is nothing else “wrong” with it. The descriptions of the characters and the world they inhabit are thorough and done skilfully. There are a few plot holes, but they’re easy to overlook once you really get into the intense parts of the story. The gore and graphic violence will make any horror fan’s heart beat a little faster, and getting to see this fairy tale from one of the stepsisters’ point of view, makes it a must-read.

Two things I really loved about this book:

The first is that the author did not shy away from putting her main character, Eunice (the stepsister telling the story) through the wringer. I love it when authors don’t treat their MCs with kid gloves, and trust me on this, Eunice didn’t have it easy. The second is the magnificent ending. It was absolutely the best way to end Eunice’s story, but at the same time it’s enough of an open ending to turn this into a series down the line if the author so wishes.

I can easily see this being made into a horror movie and the creators going wild with the CGI. Even though this fairy tale retelling wasn’t quite what I had expected, I can say with certainty that the author shows a lot of promise if she keeps coming up with such unique ideas as the one for this book, and I’m looking forward to seeing what she’ll surprise us with next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an eARC of “We Kept Her in the Cellar”.

I found the book to be somewhat lukewarm. It had its moments of interest, but overall, it felt rather ordinary. The characters were decent, and the plot moved along at a steady pace, but there was nothing that truly captivated me or set it apart from other reads.

What a fun take on a classic. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns. Making Cinderella the evil stepsister is such a great change, and her monstrosity was truly terrifying and delightful.

Oh the creativity! And the excellent Horror! The creativity! Delicious. Brutal.
Upon their parents' marriage, Eunice must help maintain Cinderella and the family connection. Especially as her younger sister, Hortense, renounces all connection consistently - resulting in long, mysterious illnesses.
Because in this world Cinderella wears the perfect skin - blond, lovely, oozing charisma. As you get closer, those multiple rows of teeth push through the mirage.
Excellent retelling! Cannot wait for more from this author.