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!

This is a shockingly gruesome, eldritch version of the Cinderella fairy tale. The story we know is flipped in Gorman's book, with the step-family being the heroes, and Cinderella an eldritch demon of some kind that must be looked after for the better of all.

As the story unfolds, bad things happen one after the other. It makes for a tense, suspenseful read, especially after a particularly surprising death and the fact that Gorman isn't afraid to let bad things happen to kids, even. This is an indiscriminate evil (who itself is young at one point as well, which was interesting). It really gets going pretty early though and by the second half you won't want to take a break because you'll just have to know what happens. The momentum is great, as is the horror!

Gorman writes the horror both evocatively and plainly, painting the picture of an unbelievable, unknowable horror, and how that horror becomes the mundane for the main character, Eunice. But while it becomes mundane, Eunice rarely lets herself become complacent, which lets the horror continue growing for the reader still.

We Kept Her In the Cellar is a very well done, and well written and effective horror novel. I love there's a little bit at the end to tease a potential sequel, which I would definitely read with where Gorman hints it could go.

As for the audiobook, I found myself a bit annoyed with the narrator early on because she reads so clinically. As the book goes on though, that clinical reading starts breaking places (the death for one, before Eunice gets down to the work of stopping Cinderella and returns to form). It's interesting and by the end I don't hate how the narrator went about the reading of the book but I think I still would've preferred something more... magical, I guess. It would have been interesting to have it read as a normal fairy tale at the start, until things get weird and then we get different. I also didn't feel as much differentiation between the character voices as I'd have liked to make some scenes less confusing if you're not listening at 100% - and I don't mean doing different voices for the characters, but different tones, inflections, personality basically. Everyone in this audiobook seems to have just taken a benadryl or something lol But like I said, I didn't hate it and was more than able to listen through to the end.

I think this is one of my favorites for 2024, easily. What a wonderfully creepy surprise just in time for the spooky season!

Horrifying, spine-tingling, heartbreaking, grotesque, imaginative, dark, beautiful, gory... This may be my absolute favorite Cinderella retelling of all time. W.R. Gorman was an absolute wordsmith with this book, I was hooked on each paragraph and unable to stop.

This book was about 300 pages – and when I tell you that I would have easily read 300 more, I MEAN that wholeheartedly.

My only complaint is that I need MORE. I'm so intrigued and horrified by the story and the bond between Cinderella and her stepsister Eunice, I wouldn't complain at all if I heard there's a planned sequel.👀

Thank you a million times over to Netgalley and RB Media for the audiobook, this is definitely one of my favorites.

This dark reimagining of Cinderella is told from her stepsister Eunice's perspective. Eunice is tasked with caring for Cinderella, who possesses dark and terrifying powers. When Eunice secures an invitation to the ball, she sees her chance to break free from Cinderella's grasp. However, when Cinderella escapes and wreaks havoc at the ball, Eunice must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to stop her. This unsettling and macabre horror story will captivate fans of T. Kingfisher and Naomi Novik.

This is a whole new take on the beloved Cinderella story. It is dark, gruesome, and twisted in a way that will keep you hooked from start to finish. As someone who typically avoids scary movies, I found myself surprisingly drawn to this gory book just in time for the Halloween season. I must admit, I am impressed with myself for stepping out of my comfort zone, and I truly enjoyed this listen.

The narrator did an excellent job of keeping me on edge and unable to hit pause. I'll be honest, there was one particularly gory moment that caught me off guard while I was making breakfast. This audiobook was so captivating that I found it hard to stop listening. It's hard to delve into more details without giving away spoilers, but I can assure you that this story is not what it seems - and that's what makes it even better.

The vivid descriptions of the environment and events in the story added depth and an eerie atmosphere that is perfect for the upcoming season. As you delve into the story, you will find yourself questioning Cinderella's powers and true identity, leaving you captivated until the very end. This unforgettable read is a must for fans of dark fairytale retellings.

Thank you, HighBridge Audio for audiobook ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a wild twist to a classic! Cinderella as an eldritch horror … masterfully executed. I was not sure what to expect but I loved the flip on who is the big evil on this story. It was dark, horrifically graphic, violent, and so much fun. This is the first book in a long time that was so disturbingly graphic at one point that I had to set it aside and come back when I was more emotionally fortified. But like, in the best way. 😆

i went in blind to this book and I'm glad I did. I was a cinderella retelling from the stepsisters pov and if cinderella was a monster. It was very descriptive. Yes it was longer than I wanted but it was well written. Id read more from this author.

I read this a while back and I was in love with this sad story. It was just wonderful! At the time I was wanting a chance to give it a listen. I was so excited to be given this audiobook. Thank you!
I loved this even more than the book! The narration is wonderful! It is a whole experience. This is not a happy or pleasant book. It is an enjoyable listen. It is so creepy.

Thank you to Highbridge Audio and Netgalley for the gifted audiobook of WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR by W.R. Gorman.

WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR is a YA horror Cinderella retelling with a very big twist. The story is written from Cinderella's step-sister Eunice's POV and Cinderella is not the mistreated young woman from the story we all know. In this case, Cinderella is some sort of eldritch creature who must be locked away. Exposure to Cinderella, particularly in the hours right after midnight, leave people under her thrall, willing to do anything for her. It is only her family who has any control over her and Eunice is put in the position of her sister's keeper.

I love a good, creative retelling and this one accomplishes exactly that! It really puts a lot of the concepts of the Cinderella stories we all know and flips them on their head. It is dark and bloody and gory and I had a fantastic time with it! The author did a fantastic job of pulling in recognizable moments and giving them a disturbing and gruesome twist. Do go in forewarned!

This was the author's debut and I would certainly pick up more from them in the future. I really enjoyed consuming this one on audio as well! This was a random pick that caught my eye on Netgalley and I am so glad I picked it up!

This is a fantastic retelling of Cinderella but a much darker vibe. It was creepy, a little disturbing and now t for the squeamish. But I feel like this was almost a missed opportunity though if it were take. Out of the YA perspective. It could have pushed the horror element a little more.

Initially, I was totally enthralled with this story. A horror-filled, gory, retelling of Cinderella-- what's not to love? I will say about 2/3rd of the way in, I was kind of done with the plot. It seemed to play out a little longer than necessary. Overall though, a solid read! Of note, I did listen via audio and I HIGHLY recommend this way of reading this novel. The narrator was FAN-FREAKING-tastic!

Thank you to NetGalley & RBMedia for an auto-EARC of this novel for my unbiased opinion. T'was fun!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an audio ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed the plot of this book but found the characters to be insufferable. I know that is likely on purpose, but it had me constantly questioning if I wanted to continue reading the book. The gore was fantastic and definitely would question reading this if you don't like horror/gore.

5⭐️

I had such a great time with this retelling of Cinderella! The incorporation of Brothers Grimm Easter eggs added a unique twist. While some scenes were quite grotesque, they were described so vividly that I found them perfect despite the initial shock.

I really hope this author creates more retellings like this one. I love stories that reveal the darker side of fairy tales. I’d eagerly read any retelling or cosmic horror they write it was such an enjoyable experience!

I also enjoyed the narration of this book. The narrator brought the characters to life and made it an enjoyable experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for this advanced listener copy. This review is voluntarily my own.

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!

Cinderella meets Lovecraft. In the best way possible. The whole book is told from Eunice's POV where Cinderella is a 'creature from the stars' in the body of a beautiful girl. It was so interesting seeing the Cinderella story from the step sisters point of view, with the added elements of blood curdling, gut churning horror.

The only things that I had a really big issue with were the narrators voice volume, which was not balanced and I had to turn my volume up all the way at some parts, and the lack of real sympathy I felt when some horrible things happened to the sisters. I felt like certain major moments were kind of glossed over which kind of left me scratching my head.

✦ Horror
✦ Paranormal
✦ Creature feature

⚠️ - Yes - lots
👥 - 2/5
🌎 - 2/5
🗡️ - 4/5
💀 - 5/5


Thank you #netgalley and #highbridgeaudio for the ARC of this book and giving me the chance to read and review it with my own thoughts and opinions

Thank you, Netgalley, W R Gorman, and Highbridge Audio for the audiobook. A great listen narrated by E J Lavery. This Cinderella tale is not quite how you remember. This Cinderella will keep you up at night and have you checking if you locked the doors! Read at your own risk!!