Title: Stilettos and Stardust by D.L. Pitchford
Publisher: Straight on till Morningside Prints
Date Published: 19th May 2019
Genre: YA Romance
A modern day Cinderella with a twist…
When high school seniors Noah Barton and Eden Prince’s academic rivalry ruins a thermodynamics demo, their physics teacher decides to help them get along. By forcing them to be lab partners.
As graduation approaches, Noah and Eden are too busy figuring out college to deal with each other. Noah’s football-loving dad sabotages his chance to win a big scholarship. Eden’s traditional mother cares more about finding her a serious boyfriend than encouraging her dreams.
Winning big at the regional science fair is their last hope.
Will Noah follow in his astronaut mother’s footsteps? Can Eden show her parents the environment is more important than any relationship? Will Noah and Eden finally learn to work together?
Follow Noah and Eden’s budding romance in this emotionally charged, gender-swapped retelling of Cinderella.
Review:
I jumped at the chance to read Stardust and Stilettos as Cinderella is one of my favourite Disney movies and just reminds me of my childhood. There’s also the added bonus of being a gender swap retelling too which I’m always a fan of.
Poor Noah, his mum, a famous scientist and astronaut, dies after a mission gone wrong. He gets an acceptance letter for the same university as his mum went to but his father refuses to pay for it, determined to go he goes about trying to win the money.
His only problem standing between him and his goal is his high school competitor and nemesis Eden. He thinks she arrogant, selfish and basically insane.
They are forced to be lab partners but as they find themselves growing closer, is there more to their relationship than they first thought?
Now I went into this thinking it was going to be a light fluffy read but there’s actually a lot more emotional depth in this story.
It’s told from both Eden and Noah’s perspectives so you really get to know the characters a lot better and get both sides of the story.
Yes it does have the trope of a dead/seriously ill parent but I think the author makes this her own, really communicating her characters pain and the different ways people grieve.
I have to be honest it wasn’t until after I’d read it and really thought about it I got a few of Cinderella references but I wouldn’t have said this was an obvious retelling.
Stilettos and Stardust is a really emotional and compelling story and a must for fans of YA romance.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
YA and NA author D. L. Pitchford is best known for her brutally honest stories and realistic characters.
Throughout her childhood, art and literature were encouraged in every form. Pitchford fell in love with The Lord of the Rings, The Dark Is Rising, and Harry Potter. By age ten, she wrote her first fantasy book. Her love of writing grew exponentially.
In 2013, Pitchford received her BA in English, Writing, and Fine Arts from Drury University. During her studies, she focused on the human condition and penned the first scenes of her debut novel. IF WE HAD NO WINTER released April 2017 and has been commended for its gritty tone and character growth.
Pitchford lives with her husband and two sons in Springfield, Missouri, where she continues writing young and new adult novels.
Website: http://www.dlpitchford.com/
Twitter @dlpitchford
Author Page on Facebook
Instagram @dlpitchford
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