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Trigger warnings
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Heroine archetypes
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Synopsis
This was supposed to be her happily ever after... It’s a familiar tale: A kind and beautiful young girl, reeling from loss. A doting father, frantic to bring a mother’s love back into his daughter’s life. And the selfish, cruel woman who insinuates herself into that family, a woman so unfeeling, so cold hearted, that when her new husband dies, she makes the girl a servant in her own home. But who is that evil stepmother, that icy lady of the house? How did she become so closed off that, in the face of a child’s grief, she thought only to seek wealth and power for herself and her abhorrent daughters? Before that fateful ball, before the glass slipper and the prince, there was another story, a story of love and grief, of hope and of dreams dashed. It is the story of Lady Tremaine.
Is Cold Hearted: A Tale of the Wicked Stepmother (Villains) appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 10 and up.
This Cinderella retelling explores Lady Tremaine's backstory with themes of grief, loss, and emotional cruelty. Contains mild emotional abuse and the death of a spouse, but no graphic content or romance.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include emotional abuse, death of a loved one, death of parent, and grief.
Who'll love this
Readers who love fairy tale retellings will enjoy seeing the famous wicked stepmother's side of the story and understanding how she became a villain.