ISBN-13: 9780316040099Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: September 2009
272 pgs
Anyone who knows me will be aware that I am a sucker for fairy tales retellings, and that is why I got sidetracked and I have to dive into this book the moment I have my hands on it. That said, that does not mean I do not enjoy the other books I am reading; I do, but it is just that I have been waiting for this book for some time. I even remember featuring it on one of the Cover Attraction post a while back.
Anyway, I shall end my ramblings and share my thoughts with you about this lovely book. Ash is a retelling of Cinderella, but it is definitely a darker tale and though the protagonist in each tale may portray of the same (a young girl who is treated unfairly by her stepmother and stepsisters), their journey and destiny are so much different. And unlike Cinderella, Ash is much more than a happily-ever-after story, besides the story about loss, hope and love, Ash is also a tale about courage and self discovery.
Aisling (Ash) is close with her mother and they always share stories about witches, fairies and the like. So when her mother died due to an illness, Ash felt her world has came to an end. To make matter worse, her father died shortly after remarrying another woman and Ash is stucked with her cruel stepmother and her two stepsisters, who claimed that her father has left them in debts and now Ash has to repay them by serving them and doing all the household chores. With no one to turn to, Ash can only find solace in her mother's fairy tales and through her dreams, she could only hope that those fairies will steal her away or grant her wishes. And it appears that those dreams are true, for Ash met a dark and alluring fairy, Sidhean, who told her that he would not want her to cross the human/fairy borders though he is fairly attracted to her.
It is also at this time that Ash met the King's huntress, Kaisa, and their friendship blossom. Their relationship gradually changes and they find themselves got attracted to each other as the days go by. However, Sidhean has already claimed Ash as his own and Ash felt torn between the two. Ash made a pact with Sidhean in return of spending some time with Kaisa and in the end, she has to make a decision between finding her dream or her true love.
Ash is not your typical happily-ever-after fairy tale, for the protagonist does not end up with the prince. In fact, Ash has no interest in the prince, for her mind is occupied with meeting with her late mother and to be with Kaisa. The love triangle between Sidhean and Kaisa is not as anticipating as it look, and I felt Sidhean's romantic feeling towards Ash is not as great. Though I could feel the strong relationship between Ash and Kaisa, I am not sure how some of the readers might react to their feeling towards each other. For me, I could think of nothing but the simple act of love for another human being and the motivations of pursuing one's dream.
Ash is beautifully written and the author has painted a vivid scene of the fairyland and in the woods and I found myself fascinated and drawn to them during my reading journey. This is Malinda Lo's debut novel and I definitely look forward for more.
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