REVIEW: Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

Title: Bound

Author: Donna Jo Napoli
Date Published:  August 1, 2004 

Page Count: 192 pages
Year Read: 2011

Goodreads: YOUNG XING XING IS BOUND. Bound to her late father's second wife and daughter. Bound to a life of servitude as a young girl in ancient China, where a woman is valued less than livestock. Bound to be alone, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Xing Xing spends her days taking care of her half sister, Wei Ping, who cannot walk because of her foot bindings, the painful tradition for girls who are fit to be married. Even so, Xing Xing is content to practice her gift for poetry and calligraphy, and to dream of a life unbound by the laws of family and society. But all of this is about to change as Stepmother, who has spent nearly all of the family's money, grows desperate to find a husband for Wei Ping. Xing Xing soon realizes that this greed and desperation may threaten not only her memories of the past, but also her dreams for the future. 

My Review: Bound by Napoli Donna Jo, this book made the disney cinderella look like she had it good. How "stepmother" would treat her was just wow, I really did not like this lady at all. I know most retellings of cinderella may have a horrible stepmother and cinderella may have a horrible life but this isn't your typical cinderella story. 

There isn't a fairy god mother to help Xing Xing (cinderella) out. He chores weren't as easy as doing just laundry but go into the woods for days to find a doctor a hot doctor to be more specific for her stepsister without having anything to eat. And like most cinderella stories i don't remember Xing Xing being described as beautiful but she was talented when it came to her calligraphy and such a wife worth having. Yet stepmother did not approve of her and as you know really pushes her own daughter to get a wonderful husband and want Xing Xing to never marry.

And the prince charming comes in the last chapter of the book, but what makes this novel worth reading. It's how Jo Napoli writes it and how descriptive she is about how Xing Xing thinks or how she just sees the world and over everything she goes through Xing Xing just wants one thing her stepmother's love and approval.

My Rate: ★★★★☆

 Overall (Goodreads) Rate: 3.62 Stars 

( o u t . o f . f i v e . stars)

Finish Reading on August 22, 2011

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