Melissa Kantor's If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince tells the tale of Lucy who is a tenth grade girl living with her new 'wicked' stepmother and her 'princess' stepsisters on Long Island. With her father still working on a case in San Francisco, Lucy is lonely. As a brand-new student at Glen Lake High School, she buries herself in her artwork so she doesn't have to face the friendless atmosphere of the cafeteria alone. Lucy's life changes one day when she is invited to a basketball game by the star player, Connor Pearson. As Lucy's personal life finally falls into place, her home life sometimes prevents her from moving forward. While dealing with a new familial situation, Lucy's introspective view of a teenage girl is genuine, comedic, and honest. As Lucy struggles with her home life, she must figure out what will make her happy.
Kantor tells the story from the point of view of the protagonist as she relates the common, contemporary challenges in a teenager's life of balancing family and social life. Lucy also deals with the sensitive issue of remarriage and becoming a stepdaughter/sister. One can see a change and growth in Lucy's character when she begins to refer to her twin stepsisters by their names, Emma and Amy, instead of Princess #1 and Princess #2. Kantor effectively creates a humorous tale with a serious undertone through witty lines and funny situations. The language is flowing and uses some sophisticated vocabulary words. The entire novel acts as a modernized analogy to the timeless Cinderella fairy tale. Readers who enjoy fairy tale-esque stories with a present day feel are recommended to read this novel.
