Book Summary and Reviews of We Kept Her in the Cellar by W. R. Gorman

We Kept Her in the Cellar by W. R. Gorman

We Kept Her in the Cellar

A Novel

by W. R. Gorman

  • Published:
  • Sep 2024, 304 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

There are always two sides to a story. This dark and twisted reimagining of Cinderella, told from her stepsister's POV, is perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher and Naomi Novik.

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. Her childhood flew by in a blur of nightmares, tears, and near-misses with the monster living in the cellar. But when she befriends the handsome Prince Credence and secures an invitation to the ball, Eunice is determined to break free.

When her younger sister, Hortense, steps up to care for Cinderella, Eunice grabs her chance to dance the night away—until Cinderella escapes. With her eldritch powers, Cinderella attends the ball and sweeps Prince Credence off his feet, leaving behind a trail of carnage and destruction as well as a single green glass slipper.

With Cinderella unleashed, Eunice must determine how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice in order to stop Cinderella. Unsettling and macabre at every turn, this page-turning horror will bewitch horror fans and leave its readers anxiously checking the locks on their cellar doors.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"This masterful and horrific interpretation of Cinderella follows the well-known plot in entirely unexpected ways, a welcome addition to the retold-fairy-tale genre." —Booklist

"Delightfully dark and enchanting, this is a Cinderella tale like no other. Gorman lures us into a magical world where nothing is as it seems. Wild, wicked and fay, this is a fairy tale retelling of horror and bewitchment at its best. Gorman is an author to watch!" —Leanbh Pearson, author of Three Curses and Other Dark Tales

This information about We Kept Her in the Cellar was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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More Information

W.R. Gorman attended Macalester College and Hamline University, where she studied linguistics and Hispanic studies, and teaching Spanish, respectively. Her hobbies include cooking, snuggling cats, and reading absolutely everything she can get her hands on. She now resides in Saint Paul with her partner, child, and three extremely mischievous cats.

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