Callie and the Pumpkin Seed by Sarah Beran Review

 

Callie and the Pumpking Seed by Sarah Beran is the first book I've read by this author. I discovered the book when I was requesting suggestions for a book with a fruit in the title. Otherwise, I probably never would have discovered this book. And boy would I have missed out. I loved this book and can't wait to read more by this author. I also want to read more of this series, though the books are all written by different authors, so I am a bit hesitant, seeing as they are all new-to-me authors. 

Callie and the Pumpkin Seed is a retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella. Cinderella is a favorite of mine, and I know there have been multiple retellings through the years, but I really enjoyed this one. And for those who have concerns about magic, this book doesn't have any. 

It takes place in the fictional kingdom of Vallens. There are a lot of similarities to the original story as well as some interesting twists, plus a bit that comes from the fairy tale of The Princess of the Pea. Plus there were some things that reminded me of another retelling I love, the movie Ever After. 

I really don't want to mention any of the different details. I think it was fun looking for the similarities and coming across the differences, the twists that made this story it's own. Of course, because it was a retelling, there were some things that were predictable, but that's what made the differences so fun. And I have to say, I loved the interactions between Callie and Ever, and there were some fun puns. And I just LOVED the little jabs at the original story, things I have seen brought up on social media in the past, such as the reality that there would be many girls that would be able to wear the shoe.

This is definitely a book I recommend. It is listed for ages 12-18, and yes it is perfectly fine for that age group, but I feel it can be perfectly enjoyed by adults as well.