Trigger warnings for gore, animal death, body horror, gaslighting

Imagine being forced to take care of a monster, having to make certain every word you said, every command given was phrased just so, so that the monster in the shape of a beautiful girl, wouldn’t slip through the loopholes and kill and destroy and consume. For Eunice, that’s her life, and has been ever since she was a child. One of the rules is that she thinks of Cinderella as her sister, because that’s one of the Rules: Cinderella must obey a member of her family. But the instant Eunice or her mother or her sister stops calling her sister, stops thinking of her that way … Cinderella can and will attack.

It’s a creepy idea and, for the most part, this book pulls it off. Personally I would have liked more tension, more buildup, more strain and suffering to show Eunice’s character, but while this has been her life for half a decade or so, she’s fine with it. It doesn't bother her, doesn’t seem to stress her. She even gets so accustomed to the nightmares that she misses them when they’re gone.

For myself, I wanted more of an emphasis on the horror — the conflict of the monster in the cellar and the girl chained to her by obligation. Instead it’s just the Cinderella fairy tale with a twist. It’s decently done with good writing, but the world building is mostly absent and the pace unbalanced. It skips past so much, with Eunice’s sister barely getting a scene and Eunice’s relationship with the prince happening off page.

Cinderella herself is the best part of this book, in my opinion, and it’s always nice to see a new twist on a familiar story. This is more a 3.5 than a three, but Goodreads doesn’t allow half stars, so here we are. I want to thank Net Galley and the publisher for granting me access to an advanced reader copy

I really enjoyed this!
A flipped fairytale where Cinderella is not what we've been told in the past.
I'm not sure if this was intended to be taken seriously or more humorously, I personally found it hilarious and I loved it for that. I do have a warped sense of humour though!
It was a little inconsistent I felt, some parts where treated superficially and I found myself wanting more and then a lot of attention was given to other parts that slowed it right down.
Overall though, great read! Bonus points for treating a parallel storyline as a non issue.

Cinderella meets H.P. Lovecraft. I really think the author missed an opportunity by not calling this book CinderCthulhu, because, I mean, c'mon … that title basically writes itself! But, anyway, this novel is weird and unhinged and gross and I think I probably liked it? It's not my usual type of read (I love horror but it doesn't usually involve tentacles) but overall it was pretty entertaining.

This book is a strange juxtaposition of fairy tale and cosmic horror. One moment you're reading about a ball thrown by a handsome prince, and the next … BAM! … tentacles all over the place. While the storyline does vaguely follow that of the original Cinderella (stepsisters, mice, ball, prince, etc.), it is overall a very different story. Really, if Cinderella had been named something else and glass slippers hadn't been involved, I don't know that I would have immediately recognized it as a retelling. It's certainly nothing like the Disney version – there are no cute cartoon mice or fairy godmothers to be found here.

But, yeah, it's dark. It's creepy. It's gross … so very, very gross. This book is not for the squeamish and not just because of the tentacles. There's rot and death and mutilation and gore and violence.

There were times when the story felt a little YA-ish, probably mostly due to the fact that it's narrated in the first person from a teenage girl's point of view. I don't mind a good YA read so it didn't really bother me, but it's something to be aware of if you're not into such things.

I'm honestly not sure what else to say about this book without spoilers. It's Cinderella, it's Lovecraftian, and it's completely demented. I wasn't particularly surprised by how the climax of the story played out but it was entertaining enough. And the very end? Completely unexpected (and kind of disgusting), but I can't say that there are many books that have left me shaking my head the way that this one did!

My overall rating: 3.65 stars, rounded up. If you like cosmic horror and/or fairy tale retellings, definitely consider giving this one a read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is September 24, 2024.

Quite a different take on the Cinderella story, this version is a horror filled, fun and campy version of the original. It’s done very well, using wonderfully detailed descriptions of Cinderella and her powers with an engaging plot. Throughly enjoyable, this might be my favorite rendition of the old classic yet.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Publishing for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, what a fun twisted ride this book was! We Kept Her in the Cellar is a horror retelling of Cinderella, told from the prospective of Eunice, Cinderella's stepsister. Eunice and her sister Hortense are excited to meet their future stepsister, Cinderella. From the first chapter, you as the reader quickly realize that this is not your typical Cinderella!
I really enjoyed how the story parallels the classic story we all know, but with a grisley twist!
Definitely a fun read for sure!

Oh my... this book... I am speechless.

A delicious newfangled take from the common Cinderella fairytale that we are used to. We Kept Her In The Cellar by W.R. Gorman is horror; a savory long overdue, intertwined with the idea of family and fate, served hot in an anxious yet armored point-of-view by one of the stepsisters of Cinderella.

When I say this is an entirely mystifying story of what reeks beyond the enchantment of evil — I mean it. Although some may say that this terrifying piece of literature is not as brutal, it doesn't erase the fact that its gruesome plot will be relished in its presence forever. Bloody is the word. Trust, it will NOT go soft with you either.

The horror in this book is UNMATCHED, it gave me chills. Definitely a new favourite of mine!

The start was slow but picked up and didn't go back down until the end.
My advice, stick with it! you wont regret it

FIVE STARS!!!!!

this is probably one of my favorite books ever!! While it’s definitely a fantasy, THE HORROR in this book, is top tier! I was scared, disgusted, some parts made me giggle. I loved the details that were similar to the Disney Cinderella. This really felt like a horror Cinderella story. It did not disappoint!!

I have to add, THE FEET was probably my favorite part.

Unsettling. If I had to describe this book in one word, that's what it would be—unsettling.

I will say that it starts a bit slow. But the second half of the book is a dark riot. It is tension filled and extremely graphic. And what I loved most is that it constantly challenges perception. This is a horror book. This is a horror book with monsters. Yet the real monsters in this book are of the human variety—the creatures that know better, and yet still act monstrously.

This book left me wondering... Does this story have a hero? Maybe we're all just villains in our own lives.

Dark and thought provoking. You wont think about family quite the same after this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I am in two minds about this book. On one hand, it is a horror novel, with really well-written violence and gore and a very distinct Lovecraftian influence. On the other, it is definitely not written in a way that makes it an adult book, and unfortunately I didn't think that it delivered on the brief to give a true horror experience in that sense.

I was also a little let down by the fact that it all played out a little on repeat - the routine of the 'sister' position grew a little tired after a quite a few re-hashings of it. I did wish that there was an ending that was perhaps a bit more final too. This book didn't really read like it needed a sequel, but it was left open enough that the possibility was there. Eunice was a little bit of a stereotype, and was just a bit too happy to take things as they came in a situation that really didn't call for it.

In summary, the horror in this was fabulous and really well done, particularly the body horror side. Beyond that though, I didn't connect with it as well as I would have liked. I imagine that there is a younger version of me that would have found this absolutely fabulous.

Creeeeeeeepy! This creepy, horror take on Cinderella was everything and something I didn't know that I needed! I really liked getting a different view of the stepsister and seeing Cinderella as the "villian". This was a well written book and keep me turning pages until the very end!

We Kept Her in the Cellar is a weird little retelling with a simple premise. What if the entire Cinderella story was basically exactly the same beat for beat on paper, only theres something going on in the background. Imagine watching the Disney classic, but one of the ugly stepsisters ends up opening her mouth and saying "look, all of this happened because Cinderella is a monster beyond human comprehension"?

Eunice has lived her entire life knowing that Cinderella is a monster. That she can control rats and mice, bend reality to her will, and even eat people's minds. But Cinderella has rules. You must listen to family. Chores placate her. And don't you dare look upon her at midnight.

I was so impressed with how this book bended the plot points of the original legend to fit the books premise. It was all so skillfully done with quite a lot of attention to detail to thread every element of the story in and add horrific implications.

Eunice is a wonderful and incredibly likable heroine that is easy to get attached to in around 200 pages. I was also taken with the rest of Cinderella's so called "evil" family- W.R. Gorman has very charming prose that beckon the characters right off the page. Cinderella made my skin crawl, I truly was rooting against her at every angle.

Much like T Kingfisher, this fantasy horror has quite a few elements of both- It is not a strict horror and makes a strong attempt to build and play off of a fantasy world- but those moments of darkness rival even the most terrifying tradition horror story.

We Kept Her in the Cellar is a very short and easy read that will absolutely appeal to people who love villain origin stories and "villain side of the stories". This is probably my new favorite in a sea of really great Cinderella retellings I have read.

5⭐️!!! Holy hell that was so good! A dark fairy tale horror retelling of Cinderella. This is a mix of horror and fantasy. But don’t be fooled if you’re only a fantasy reader, this is HEAVY on the horror!

I loved every second of this! This is an arc that comes out in September (got it on Netflix galley) and it is a MUST read if you’re into fantasy retellings and are a horror reader. It’s compared to T. kingfisher, but I think this was sooo much better than the one I read by that author.

I will definitely read more by this author!!

This was really gripping, with fascinating worldbuilding. The cover doesn't indicate the quality of the novel, and should be more sophisticated and elegant.

Anyone who knows the story of Cinderella knows she was mistreated by her step mum and siblings and kept away isolated in a grey space on her own. BUT what if locking her up and isolating her wasn't so much because of cruelty but for the safety for everyone else?

What a scrumptious, horrific retelling of our Disney favourite, Cinderella as a malevolent demon through the POV of her step-sister Eunice (whom in this book is sooo far from being evil). You'll look at EVERYTHING you know about the Disney film with a completely different set of eyes. What that carriage, that beautiful shimmery gown was actually made up of, her beauty, and the real reason she had to leave the ball right before midnight.

Body horror is 1000% on this. Barely started on the book and you'll already get chills ALL OVER. If you're a fan of Junji Ito and the imagery in his horror mangas, this is 10000000% for you. Seriously though, just think about "concentric circles of dentition" :-0

This was exactly what I needed. A dark and twisted Cinderella retelling that is actually told her the POV of her stepsister which was super neat AND Cinderella has these really interesting powers AND our stepsister has to take care of Cinderella…I was SOLD on this book by the description alone.

This book was very much so as referred to…dark and twisted but oh in the most amazing ways! You felt the knot in your throat or your stomach as you read, the heart raced, your mind was going fast, this was a pretty even book, not too fast but not too slow which was nice. I loved some of the characters and a few of them I didn’t care for and could have done without lol. This book will definitely be for you if you love a good retelling that is literally flipped all the way around and love dark twisted stories. Also….dont look at Cinder between 12-3…just don’t…..

Easily a top read for the year for me. The vibe and everything jived with me 100%.

Pub Date: September 24, 2024

Thank you @netgalley ,@crookedlanebooks and author for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

We Kept Her in the Cellar is an interesting retelling of Cinderella with a Lovecraftian spin. I was all in for a dark and twisted fairytale
The story is told theough the eldest sister Eunice whose mother marries a man with a daughter named Cinderella. But Cinderella wasn't a normal girl, she had evil powers, ravaged mice, and couldn’t be looked on between midnight and three. Eunice is in charge of caring for Cinderella as well as protecting the family from Cinderella. But when Cinderella is invited to the ball things go horribly wrong, and it is a battle for who will survive.
we kept her in the cellar

To me this story read like a YA book, aside from the graphic gore. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it in the end, but I can say it was memorable and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. I really wish we were told more about Cinderellas power’s and what she actually was. If you are into fairytale retelling’s with a gory twist this may be what you are looking for. I would definitely read book 2.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

What do you get when you mix Cinderella with Cosmic Horror? You get a gloriously gruesome fairy tale! What a story!

Oh, this is DARK. While there are a few touches of humor here and there, the author has given us Horror with a capital H.

I also love the fact that this is a decidedly non-Disney Cinderella – the author includes all the gruesome bits we love.

A wonderfully entertaining and very squirmy read!

• ARC via Publisher

Unexpected and fun retelling of Cinderella with some Lovecraftian creatures thrown in. Would read a sequel.

What if everything you've ever known about Cinderella was only a small piece of the truth?

Told from stepsister Eunice's point of view, We Kept Her In The Cellar reveals a side to Cinderella you've never before heard. Not entirely human. Part unknown creature with vile powers and a list of rules that must be followed to keep those powers in check.
Eunice's character was so likeable and relatable. Her interactions with Prince Credence were great, I loved their dynamic. I enjoyed the way the family had to come together in many ways throughout the book.
The best part was the details from the classic story line that were pulled in and made to fit this dark side of the tale.
Twisted, gruesome, and dark were the growing theme throughout.
I give this one a high 3.5 stars 🌟

Thanks to Crooked Lane Publishing and net galley for the ARC and chance to give my honest opinion