--- product_id: 11905131 title: "Before Midnight: A Retelling of \"Cinderella\" (Once upon a Time)" price: "€ 19.14" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.sk/products/11905131-before-midnight-a-retelling-of-cinderella-once-upon-a-time store_origin: SK region: Slovakia --- # Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella" (Once upon a Time) **Price:** € 19.14 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella" (Once upon a Time) - **How much does it cost?** € 19.14 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sk](https://www.desertcart.sk/products/11905131-before-midnight-a-retelling-of-cinderella-once-upon-a-time) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Review: Beautiful retelling of Cinderella - Warning: Spoilers ahoy! I absolutely loved this. After finishing another Cinderella rewrite that left me wanting, I decided to download the kindle version of Before Midnight. The first chapter absolutely drew me in, and I couldn't put the book down until I'd finished. It's a quick read, but the prose is beautiful. The plot is well thought out, and the characters are well fleshed. Like the author, I too wondered what kind of father would allow a step mother to come in and turn his daughter into a servant, and because of this always rather liked the Disney cartoon version (first movie I ever saw in a theater as a child) that left Cinderella an orphan. Before Midnight leaves the father alive, like many of the original stories do, but fills in his story. You are left with understanding for the father, even if you still don't like him very much. I really liked how the step mother and two step sisters were written, the love interests, and Old Mathilde (the stand-in for the fairy godmother). My only complaint is that nearly everyone seemed to fall in love at first sight, I think it might have been nice to have the step sisters take a bit longer. I also would have liked to see the father stick around and try to make up for lost time rather than simply disappearing. But overall, I really enjoyed it and will be reading more from this author. 4 3/4 stars. Review: Thoroughly enjoyable addition to the series... - I am an absolute sucker for retold fairy tales, and even though the Once Upon a Time series is targets teen readers, I look forward to see what new spin each installment brings to old familiar stories. Cameron Dokey is the most prolific and - in my opinion - best author contributing to the series. In order to craft her own version of the Cinderella story, Dokey went back to the Grimm and Perrault versions of the tale. In a nod to the Grimms, there is a tree planted on the grave of Cendrillon's mother, a symbol of her mother's love and influence even after her death. Dokey also retains the French setting & names found in Perrault's tale. And, as found in both versions, Cinderella's father is alive, and plays a much bigger role in her life than modern readers are accustomed to seeing. Dokey then asks two questions - one, what if the father lives and is a negative influence on Cinderella's life, and two, what if her stepmother and stepsisters were not the wicked ones? Dokey's writing has a lyrical style and rhythm that immediately makes me feel like I'm reading an original fairy tale, and in a nod to modern audiences her Cendrillon is smart, assured, compassionate, and not afraid to speak her mind. Before Midnight doesn't take top honors as my favorite retelling, but it's a solid & enjoyable entry in the series. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #1,767,501 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #716 in Teen & Young Adult Clean & Wholesome Romance #976 in Teen & Young Adult Fairy Tale & Folklore Adaptations #1,867 in Teen & Young Adult Fantasy Romance | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 118 Reviews | ## Images ![Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella" (Once upon a Time) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81jkkvmcc0L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful retelling of Cinderella *by N***E on October 15, 2012* Warning: Spoilers ahoy! I absolutely loved this. After finishing another Cinderella rewrite that left me wanting, I decided to download the kindle version of Before Midnight. The first chapter absolutely drew me in, and I couldn't put the book down until I'd finished. It's a quick read, but the prose is beautiful. The plot is well thought out, and the characters are well fleshed. Like the author, I too wondered what kind of father would allow a step mother to come in and turn his daughter into a servant, and because of this always rather liked the Disney cartoon version (first movie I ever saw in a theater as a child) that left Cinderella an orphan. Before Midnight leaves the father alive, like many of the original stories do, but fills in his story. You are left with understanding for the father, even if you still don't like him very much. I really liked how the step mother and two step sisters were written, the love interests, and Old Mathilde (the stand-in for the fairy godmother). My only complaint is that nearly everyone seemed to fall in love at first sight, I think it might have been nice to have the step sisters take a bit longer. I also would have liked to see the father stick around and try to make up for lost time rather than simply disappearing. But overall, I really enjoyed it and will be reading more from this author. 4 3/4 stars. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thoroughly enjoyable addition to the series... *by R***N on February 22, 2009* I am an absolute sucker for retold fairy tales, and even though the Once Upon a Time series is targets teen readers, I look forward to see what new spin each installment brings to old familiar stories. Cameron Dokey is the most prolific and - in my opinion - best author contributing to the series. In order to craft her own version of the Cinderella story, Dokey went back to the Grimm and Perrault versions of the tale. In a nod to the Grimms, there is a tree planted on the grave of Cendrillon's mother, a symbol of her mother's love and influence even after her death. Dokey also retains the French setting & names found in Perrault's tale. And, as found in both versions, Cinderella's father is alive, and plays a much bigger role in her life than modern readers are accustomed to seeing. Dokey then asks two questions - one, what if the father lives and is a negative influence on Cinderella's life, and two, what if her stepmother and stepsisters were not the wicked ones? Dokey's writing has a lyrical style and rhythm that immediately makes me feel like I'm reading an original fairy tale, and in a nod to modern audiences her Cendrillon is smart, assured, compassionate, and not afraid to speak her mind. Before Midnight doesn't take top honors as my favorite retelling, but it's a solid & enjoyable entry in the series. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cameron Dokey A+ author for Once Upon series! *by N***A on December 20, 2023* I love how the author deeply thought about and researched this book to give both a fairytale-enchanting and very human plausible tale. There is much human heart understanding in this book and I enjoyed it in the shall we say -over 39 age range? --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sk/products/11905131-before-midnight-a-retelling-of-cinderella-once-upon-a-time](https://www.desertcart.sk/products/11905131-before-midnight-a-retelling-of-cinderella-once-upon-a-time) --- *Product available on Desertcart Slovakia* *Store origin: SK* *Last updated: 2026-05-29*