I want to start by saying that I really enjoyed this story! I really enjoyed the twist on a beloved fairytale. I think this touched on a lot more than I anticipated, like the eldest sibling dynamic, where parents put a lot of pressure on one child to take care of the others. There was a level of manipulation and abuse inflicted by the “parents” for allowing these kinds of dangers into their home. Try as I might, that is just one aspect I cannot get past.

Told from the POV of Eunice, who was hesitant even before her new stepsister Cinderella arrived. She is thrust into the role of protector to her little sister, while also having to bridge the gap with the very mysterious and terrifying Cinderella. A lot of pressure is put on Eunice, but as she learns the ropes of her new life, she also learns more about her stepsister.

Cinderella in this… was just… so freaking awesome. I wasn’t expecting her to be so monstrous. I love a good baddie and Cinderella is one of those enigmatic characters that you love to hate (though I never hated her)… With a story like this, a lot of expectation to reality has to be set aside. It was definitely a unique experience and I am excited for more.

A dark and completely Grimm re-telling of Cinderella, where out heroine is definitely not what she appears to be. This is something that her new step-mother and step-sisters will find out the hard way. Upon first meeting, Cinderella is delicate and beautiful and poised. But after she nearly bites off the hand of poor 5-year-old Hortense, Eunice and her mother come to understand some very ugly truths about their new family member. 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. For Cinderella is not a normal girl. And this Ball won't end so happily ever after.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Highbridge Audio for this audio e-arc.*

Wow. I love fairy tale retellings, but I feel like this is almost its own genre. It’s a bit like Wicked meets H.P. Lovecraft a perfect blending of horror with just a touch of fantasy. This story is told from the perspective of Eunice, of of Cinderella’s two stepsisters but what if Cinderella wasn’t mistreated because of her new family’s cruelty but to contain the monstrous nature of Cinderella? Eunice is 11 when her new stepfather and stepsister arrive and she quickly needs to learn the rules. She lives her life to help keep the secret of Cinderella and keep everyone safe by following the rules. But nothing stays the same for everything and the night of the ball will change everything. This book was creepy and wonderfully horrific and I definitely will want to read more from this author. I hope they tackle more fairy tales, bringing even more horror than the original tales. I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed it.

Hands down one of my favorite retellings of Cinderella. It's dark, twisted and not at all what I expected. And that ending, makes me wonder if more is to come.


5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow! I absolutely loved this twisted fairy tale. Perfect for spooky season, and fun to boot. I will definitely be impatiently waiting for a sequel.

W.R. Gorman’s We Kept Her in the Cellar has to be the most unique retelling of Cinderella ever. This story completely flips the script on the classic fairy tale and is told from the perspective of Eunice, one of the stepsisters. However in this retelling the stepsisters are not mean and overbearing, taking advantage of poor Cinderella. No, in this story the stepsisters are sweet and caring, and Cinderella…well Cinderella is an eldritch horror! Yes, Cinderella is a creature straight out of a Lovecraft nightmare. As with Gremlins, there are three rules for dealing with her: 1) Always refer to Cinderella as family, 2) never let Cinderella get near rats or mice, and 3) never look upon Cinderella between the hours of midnight and 3 am.

Gorman crafted an absolutely stunning story. The introduction to Cinderella, her first appearance and interaction with her future stepsisters, the first time we witness Cinderella eat the apple, all chilling and compelling. And from there the intensity only builds. This is a masterful and delightfully gore-filled twisted tale. And while there have been countless retellings and reworking of the Cinderella story is is without question one of the most unique and one of my favorites. EJ Lavery does an excellent job with the narration. Her soft voice a wonderful stark contrast to the gore-filled horror of the narrative. I’d like to thank HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audio version of W.R. Gorman’s brilliant We Kept Her in the Cellar.

Cinderella's beautiful exterior hides an absolute monstrosity and if the rules aren't followed, everyone's in danger.

Told through the POV of one of her stepsisters, this retelling delivers on the horror, with a twist at the end that I never saw coming.

The pacing is great. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a fantastic job giving life to the story.

It is definitely worth the read of you're into horror and not squeamish. It was creative and well written.

Before I even saw the synopsis, I had hopes from the cover, for what this could be, and I was not disappointed.

This is a alternative POV of Cinderella, but make it horror.
Maybe it's a cliché troupe but I love it.

I listened to this as a audiobook and I'm picky about narration, so I had a few concerns but they knocked it out of the park.

One of my favorite books as a kid was The True Story Of the Three Little Pigs, and It was from the wolf's perspective.

Not saying Gregory Maguire needs to watch out, but Gorman is absolutely right up there with him on twisting old familiar tales.

We Kept Her In The Cellar is a twist on the well known tale of Cinderella, told from the perspective of one of her step sisters. The story stays true to the original and somewhat horrific tale that involved self mutilation. I thought it was an interesting perspective! Thank you NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC!

I'm a huge fan of fairytale retellings and of Eldritch horror. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book has both! And well done, with some fun references throughout that made me feel clever for noticing them.
Overall, though, this is also an odd combination of YA and real horror. Nobody was safe, and it got pretty gory. I'm going to recommend this to people who don't usually read YA because the storytelling is great, the narrator is wonderful at conveying tension, and there were some shocking moments for me. Thanks so much to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Wow! Phenomenal horror imagination of Cinderella. I loved this book. Super creative and re thought. Great narration. I don’t usually like supernatural horror but this had just the right amount. Definitely graffic and descriptive and 100% horror. And I loved it!

Such a unique and fun twist on the story of Cinderella. It keeps you on your toes with such description. You can smell and feel things as described. Such a good read. You won't want to put it down.

We Kept Her In the Cellar by W. R. Gorman
Narrated by EJ Lavery
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Like many, I grew up with the tale of Cinderella—a classic fairytale of all fairytales. The poor girl’s life is a nightmare, trapped by her wicked stepfamily, until she’s swept off her feet (literally!) by a prince at a grand ball. But as I grew older and was exposed to the darker, original Grimm versions, the Disney-fied story didn’t sit right with me. Cinderella wasn’t just a helpless victim. There was something unsettling about her dark side that always felt overlooked.

Enter W. R. Gorman’s We Kept Her In the Cellar, a much-needed alternate perspective that flips the script in the most fascinating way. Gorman pulls back the curtain on Cinderella’s true nature—because let’s be real, a girl who beheads her sisters and forces her stepmother to dance to her death in molten shoes is no innocent. This retelling gives us a look at the other side of the story, one that we’ve all subconsciously sensed but never really saw.

Told from the point of view of Eunice, one of Cinderella’s stepsisters, this story dives into the nightmare of living with Cinderella, who is not just a mistreated girl but a creature with dark, eldritch powers. As Eunice struggles to protect her family and keep Cinderella’s terrifying abilities in check, she offers a fresh, insightful take on how Cinderella spun her version of events to paint herself as the victim.

I was thoroughly hooked by the twisted, chilling retelling of a story I thought I knew. And the narrator, EJ Lavery, absolutely nails it! Their performance adds layers of intensity to the characters, making the experience even more immersive. If you’ve ever wondered about the darker side of Cinderella, this book is an absolute must-read.

We Kept Her in the Cellar by W.R. Gorman is a gruesome and disturbing Cinderella reimagining that will leave you with chills, and possibly nightmares. I love eldrich horror and this was terrifying. This is a story about what would happen if Cinderella was actually a horrifying monster. The audiobook was beautifully done. The narrator really added a lot of emotion to the story. The gore was vivid and unsettling in the best way. I don't want to spoil much but I will say that you should absolutely read this if you're looking for something vivid, disturbing, and twisted.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This gruesome retelling of Cinderella is NOT the fairytale you remember. I listened to the audiobook version of We Kept Her in the Cellar. EJ Lavery (narrator) did a wonderful job portraying all of W.R. Gorman’s characters. Unlike in the original story of Cinderella, you find yourself championing the stepsisters and condemning Cinderella as you follow this disturbing retelling. If you like the idea of horror mixed with a fairytale classic, read this book! I was entranced from the start! Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This title is well worth the read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

👠Horror Cinderella Retelling
🐁Cinderella is the Villian
👠Sisterly Bonds
🐁Gore

I really enjoyed this book. This take on the story of Cinderella was very unique. She is a monstrous villain.
FMC Eunice (Stepsister) was taught from the age of 11, how to care and handle Cinderella.
There are rules:
1: ALWAYS refer to Cinderella as family
2: Do not let Cinderella near Rats and Mice
3: Never look upon Cinderella between the hours of Midnight to 3am
These rules are to keep everyone safe.

This is one of my favorite Cinderella retellings. I would highly recommend this one. There is some gore so be aware this is not your average fairytale.

The narrator was phenomenal! Her voice difference between all the characters made the story even better. I could clearly picture everything, especially the shoe scene….ekkk!

4.5 ☆
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Cinderella retelling, but make it horror-obsessed. This book is WILD; it started with a bang and kept my attention the entire time. I devoured this book in one day. There are always two sides to a story. This dark and twisted reimagining of Cinderella is told from her stepsister's POV. 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. For years, Eunice has faithfully done so. Cinderella is truly UNHINGED in this story and a very unlikeable character, but she was also highly intriguing.
The audiobook is great; the narrator did a great job. She was easy to listen to and kept me entertained throughout the story.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬
•Cinderalla Retelling
•Horror | Gross Description
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Thank you, Netgellay and Highbridge Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

We Kept Her In The Cellar by W R Gorman

We Kept Her In The Cellar is a horrifying gruesome retelling of Cinderella. Eunice is excited to meet her new Stepsister Cinderella and her Stepfather, unfortunately Cinderella is nothing like she expects. Cinderella is beautiful, but she holds dark secrets, making her truly monstrous. This is a fairy tale flip unlike any you have heard before. This is dark and grotesque, quickly pulling you in, making it impossible to put this down. I wasn’t sure what to expect but that’s ok, because this book would easily have exceeded them.

I loved this twisted dark version. Fans of T Kingfisher will love the gruesome story. I listened to the audiobook version and loved EJ Lavery. From the first line, I found myself drawn in, loving the inflections from her narration. She is extremely easy to listen to, holding your attention until the very end.

An insanely grisly retelling of the Cinderella story.

Eunice must learn to adjust to her new home life with a new Papa and a new sister. When the new sister, Cinderella, arrives Eunice discovers that it is going to be a much more complicated situation that she had originally imagined. Cinderella is violent and has powers that can wreck and horrify. There are rules that Eunice must live by to keep herself and her family safe and she does so begrudgingly but when Cinderella escapes the confines of the cellar one day, the carnage begins and Eunice must decide just how far she is willing to go to save her family.

We Kept Her in the Cellar is a unique and imaginative tale that is guaranteed to satisfy Cinderella lovers and horror lovers alike. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in to this book but it far exceeded any expectations I may have had. It’s not a story that will be for the faint of heart—there’s plenty of blood and gore—but it is sure to entertain.

The audiobook narration by EJ Lavery is expertly executed, brining a fresh and authentic voice to our main character.

Thank you Harper Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review! Available 11/24/2024!