If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? - Softcover

Melissa Kantor is a teacher in Brooklyn, New York, where she lives with her husband, the poet Benjamin Gantcher, and their son.

Grade 8 Up–Teen readers will relate to Cinderella Lucy Norton's woes. Transplanted from San Francisco to Long Island because of the marriage of her father, who continues to spend working weeks on the West Coast, she grapples with a pseudo-family existence with her step-monster, Mara, and her magpie twin stepsisters. Lucy's dual passions of basketball and art characterize her and help her make connections. Negotiating that minefield of adolescence, the high school cafeteria, she often takes a sandwich to the art room, where she enjoys the kindness of her teacher and meets Sam, a talented but rude artist. An astute remark about basketball gains her the attentions of Connor, the team star and all-around hunk. With his notice come Jessica and Madison, as friends. Lucy enjoys her rapid ride on the social surf, featuring drinking parties, melt-away kisses, even the much-sought-after prom invite, but her home life is still difficult–her stepmother is trying to win some kind of bitch-of-the-year award. To confuse matters, she feels an artistic connection with Sam, whose conversation and interests make Connor seem more ornamental than substantial. While savvy readers will anticipate Lucy's ultimate pairing and improved family relationships, most teens won't be disappointed in the pleasant confection of wit, teen angst, shopping, girl talk, and flirtation. Kantor caters well to the witty-romance, girl-power book market, supplying a worthy offering for many who might not read otherwise.–Suzanne Gordon, Richards Middle School, Lawrenceville, GA
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