Wow.

I didn’t know I needed a horror reverse Cinderella retelling, but We Kept Her In the Cellar by W. R. Gorman definitely proved to me that I did!

Like all good retellings this one follows the storyline well, but adds its own twists and turns and shocking ghastliness! I was surprised and pleased how the horror and grotesque nature of the monstrosity of the Cinderella character came together in this book.

I was literally on the edge of my seat awaiting the next surprise or plot twist to see how Eunice, Cinderella devoted stepsister makes out.

I listen to this in audio narrated by EJ Lavery and found that her voice work was a good pairing for this story. Lavery creates good distinction between her characters and provides an animated reading of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge audio for the ALC of this.

I love a fairy tale retelling and especially loved this one where Cinderella was the villain and her stepsister the hero.

There were some body horror moments that were fairly gruesome, but they were only a couple.

This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last.

The narrator was wonderful and did an excellent job.

This was a great book! I love reimagined fairy tales and Gorman does it in a way that also alludes to the Grimm and Disney stories before. Could not recommend this book enough.

This was an interesting take on the Classic Cinderella that we all know and love! I really enjoyed it even though it is not a book that would typically be in my comfort zone!

I super enjoyed this YA horror retelling of Cinderella! The nods to the classic darker fairytale pair excellently with this new take on a monstrous Cinderella. It’s also an excellent metaphor for living in an abusive household.

Dang! This book was a wild ride. I don’t know what I was expecting (Cinderella is by far my favorite) and this was a wild new take on it. Honestly starting into it I was unsure it was so completely different from what I was expecting but the way the author used all the classic elements and just spun them to her whim was absolutely incredible. I will definitely read this book again I would even read a sequel to this book if that ever happened. The ending totally blew me away and I had not at all anticipated what transpired. I am completely enamored with this book.

We Kept Her In the Cellar BLEW ME AWAY. I entered into this novel expecting a fun, if somewhat forgettable, reading experience. What I found was a razor sharp, innovative, exhilarating thrill ride that had me gasping and practically screaming in disgust. I loved this so much!

I'm a sucker for a good re-telling! This was a dark Cinderella re-telling that I have my fingers crossed there will be another one so we can continue to follow their story. There were many times where I said 'WHAT' out loud while listening. I recommend this to anyone who loves a good dark story.

5 stars

Wow! As soon as I found out this was a Cinderella reimagining with Cinderella being the villain I was on board! I never thought I'd be rooting for the "evil stepsisters" in any way, but wow this blew my socks off.

Perfect way to start my spooky season reading. It was deranged and demented and gross. I don't read a lot of horror (I'm a scaredy cat), but this was perfect. It had all the Cinderella elements we know and love, but with a horrific twist. The climax was honestly not what I saw coming and it was perfect. Eunice was such a complex character to me. Like, trying to save everyone from Cinderella even at her own detriment and villainization. It truly was a great to watch how it all unfolded. The whole ball/glass slipper/prince marriage part of the story kept me on the edge of my seat!

The audio was fantastic! EJ Lavery was perfect. The way she emoted made me FEEL her anxiety and fear. You could feel the doubt and false bravado in Eunice when "commanding" Cinderella. She's honestly super effing creepy I couldn't stand it at times. There are rules that must be followed and bad things happen when they don't.

Honestly, I listened to this entire book in one work shift. I just couldn't stop listening! I didn't want to stop! I had to know what was going to happen next. I set my timer to stop after the next chapter and kept saying, "Oh, no, I can't stop here...just one more chapter." And before I knew it, I was done!

Thank you, NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC!

I love a book that perfectly blends a dark fairy tale reimaging with monsters, body horror, and something that felt new.

I stumbled across this audiobook on the day it was published so I wanted to get this out as quickly as I could, but it was so incredibly good. I consumed this audiobook in about 2 sittings. I hated hitting stop because I was so engrossed in wanting to know where the story was going to take me.

We all think we are familiar with the story of the wayward Cinderella who's been locked away by her wicked step family because they are "jealous" of her beauty. However, in this reimagining, Cinderella is a TRUE monster deserving of being kept from the public. She feeds on energy and I don't want to give away too much more than that without stepping into spoiler territory, she has some truly horrific powers if she gets her hands on an unsuspecting victim.

I loved the twists and turns in this tale and the perspective of her step-sister Eunice who is determined to keep this family together even if it means she has to give up her own freedom to keep Cinderella from terrorizing others. I cannot wait to share this book with other people. It is truly perfect for anyone who loves dark, gruesome fairy tails with not-so-happy endings.

This book was perfectly delightfully creepy. It is a horror book, first and foremost, but it was also a look into the concept of glass children. The step sisters life is examined in a way that shows how they had to sacrifice everything for Cinderella. I also really really like how Gorman goes back into the original mythology of the fae, the evilness and cruelty from the original stories.

I really don't consider myself a fan of "twists" on fairy tales, but this was so much fun. Clever, original, quietly horrifying.

Well this was certainly a gory twist to the fairy tale of Cinderella! In this version of the story Cinderella is a monster who must be kept under lock and key in the basement of her parents home. Eunice, her stepsister is in charge of feeding and caring for Cinderella, a very dangerous job. When Cinderella escapes to go to a ball at the palace all hell breaks loose and Eunice must deal with the fallout, which unfortunately is quite gruesome. This really was a fun is frightening take on the tale of Cinderella and fans of fairytales and horror novels will enjoy this twisted tale. Recommended. 4 stars
Many thaks to Net Galley and Highbridge Audio for a chance to listen to an ARC version of this novel.

WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR
WR Gorman
09/24/2024
Crooked Lane Books

What a twist on the Disney Cinderella story! A dark and gruesome retelling that you will not forget.

Cinderella is the evil stepsister. Yep, you read that right. Eunice, is tasked with taking care of Cinderella because she is possessed with dark and terrifying powers. If the rules are followed for her care, then everyone is safe. Like the story of old, there is a prince and there is a ball and that most coveted invitation is an escape for someone.

This book is nearly impossible to write a review for without spoilers because it starts immediately and to be honest, whether you are reading it, or listening to it, it is a nonstop ride. The narrator made an already immersive ride so much more vivid. I didn’t want to get out of the car at one point! Told from the first person’s POV the details that are provided makes this come to life and the foreshadowing… ahh!

Let me leave you with this, what likes underneath Cinderellas human form is both horrific and terrifying. Horror fans cannot go wrong with this one.

This one is grotesque and delightful!

Full review:

Regardless of the notes I share below, this is one of my favorite horror books of the year so far! Horror fans can't go wrong here.

The author's style in this one was not my favorite, but the story and monster are awesome. I enjoyed this very out of the box translation of my favorite fairy tale, but Gorman did not preserve much of the original story beyond the name and structure of the family. This book's monster, named Cinderella, bore no resemblance at all to the original character of the same name. So I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't feel any of the story I loved here.

However, considered as a horror story that has nothing to do with the original fairy tale, it fairly blew my mind. I loved the rats. I loved the monster. I really could not wait to see what happened next as I read.

And even though I did not like the florid style (so purple!) Gorman chose for this book, her handling of fiction elements and techniques is impressive. This is a well-built story with well developed characters. I appreciate deeply that she evolves the monster. Static monsters aren't scary!

Reading Notes:

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I love the rules for caring for Cinderella. This whole concept is a truly entertaining and mysterious reimagining of my favorite fairy tale. *edit the rules governing the monster get a little preposterous. We also never get any explanation about how this monster came to be or how Mr. Father figured out how to care for it.

2. Dang the monster in this is so creepy! The Thing meets The Exorcist!

3. I love that this little girl, the narrator, is terrified more of the workings of her own imagination than she is of her new sister. It really ratchets up the tension and complicates these already interesting characters.

4. The plot is awesome and so suspenseful! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Gorman utilizes foreshadowing brilliantly.

5. Whoa I did not see that turn coming, but it is well plotted!

6. This is a really good execution of first person POV. The narrating character is mindful and aware of herself and her surroundings, so she can provide a lot of details and share insights on the story.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. There's a great deal of unintended repetition. This should have been caught by editors, in my opinion.

2. The diction waffles back and forth between average contemporary and over proper high English, presumably to mimic original fairy tales. The effect is disjointed and inaccessible.

Rating: 🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌/5 monsters in the cellar
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Sep 28 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle
Read this book if you like:
👻 ghost stories
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family stories, family drama
👭🏽 teenage girl friendships
💇‍♀️ women's coming of age
😵 curses

Thank you to the author W. R. Gorman,  publishers HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for an advance audiobook copy of WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR. All views are mine.

Incredibly creative but somewhat gory retelling of Cinderella. There are parts in the story that line up perfectly with the original tale but for the most part it is an original work. It starts out similar with the girls having to co-exist but from the first meeting, you can tell everything is a little (!) off. I found the first part to be easier to get through than the second part but they worked together well. There were a few things that didn’t make sense to me, however, particularly the name Cinderella, which is supposed to be given to her by her stepsisters but she comes to the house already named. Otherwise, an interesting story that wasn’t really for me.

I really liked this. I picked it up on a whim as I really like dark fairytale retelling and this was a cool twits on a classic tale. I am glad I grabbed this cause I really enjoyed it. It was dark and gory. This was honestly everything I wanted and more. I would definitely read more from this author.

Really good, loved the elements from Cinderella that were intertwined with this retelling. The pace wasnt so fast that it was hard to tell what was going on, or so slow that the story dragged and I was interested throughout the entire thing. This isnt usually a book that I would pick up, as I have an aversion to horror but I’m very glad I did. There were some pretty disgustingly descriptive scenes, but it was all good and I enjoyed the entire experience. Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the opportunity to listen to the advanced reader copy of this audiobook! :)

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook for my honest opinion.

This audiobook was an easy listen. The narrator did a fantastic job and was easy to listen to.

The story was a little odd, in a good way. It was a retelling of Cinderella but from a stepsisters point of view. Cinderella is not your typical Cinderella. She's a monster! Her stepsisters get the burden of caring for her.

The book follows along with all the happenings of your traditional Cinderella, just with a twist. It's a good listen.

This is not your Disney's Cinderella! What a spin on the Cinderella story this was. Now, we all know the original fairy tales were written to scare children, but this takes it to another level! It is both creative and terrifying at the same time and keeps the reader fully engaged. Well done!