As it apparently was for many others on this site, Ella Enchanted was a childhood favorite which I reread frequently growing up. 
 My first introduction to it was when my mother brought it home with her from work (she was a teacher at the time). Now, what you have to understand is that I was Cinderella-crazy as a child; I LOVED all things Cinderella, so the fact that my mother was reading a Cinderella-based book didn't escape my notice. Naturally, when she was finished, she allowed me to read it, too. 
 In this book I discovered a new side to my favorite fairytale. Although I loved the traditional story where Cinderella simply does whatever she is told out of raw kindness, there was something so very sensible and tantalizing about a Cinderella under a curse, FORCED to do whatever she was told. She was also the most relatable Cinderella for child-me because of this and one other reason which I will also bring out in this review. 
 Having Asperger's I've always been a very literal person. I was also taught manners and respect were extremely important from a young age, so disobeying anyone (especially because I had VERY few peers my own age, and almost everyone was older than me and I felt I HAD to do whatever they wanted) was HARD for me. I really DID feel nauseated and dizzy and sick inside when I didn't do as I was told. So many times, in ways both childish and not so childish, I wanted to do something and some adult would tell me no. I watched other children, who seemed to have a kind of brave free will I never did just do whatever they wanted and somehow never get in any lasting trouble for it. Nor did they seem stricken by the "illness" of guilt and misery that made me physically unwell upon disobeying. They played with who they wanted, did what they wanted, even smuggled, into the apartment building we lived in, PETS they wanted when I was denied even the smallest bird or kitten for my own. 
 It was enough to make a timid, obedient girl want to weep! 
 So this book, seeing Ella's struggle, always brought me a level of comfort. Sometimes, I liked to imagine I was cursed by a fairy too. I knew of course it was only play-acting, but it helped me deal with things. The happy ending of the story somehow got into my psyche, letting me know that, hey it's okay, one day you WILL be able to say "NO!" and stick up for yourself. One day, things will get better. There've been times I've wondered exactly when that day is coming, but other times I've realized "maybe it already has, in a way". Sure my tendency is still to do as I'm told, even as an adult, BUT I'm far more assertive than I used to be, and better at (at least once in a while, as opposed to NEVER) getting what I want. 
 The second reason is that I LOVED how Ella was not very close to her father in this version, how he was selfish and distant and she rather disliked him. I had a similar relationship to my own biological father in many ways growing up. I too feel like he didn't want me "getting under foot" and found him self-centered and difficult to relate to. It was so nice to have a heroine who also had this problem. 
 That said, I know what you're expecting me to say next. How much I HATED the movie and what it did, RIGHT? 
 Wrong. 
 Actually, I enjoyed the movie. It just wasn't the same story to me. To me, the movie was just another Cinderella remake as different from my beloved "Ella Enchanted" book as the cartoon Disney Cinderella or confessions of an ugly stepsister was. Sure, it had some of the same names, and this Ella was also forced to obey, but it wasn't the SAME. Movie-Ella's obedience was played for laughs most of the time; such as her freezing in mid-air when told to freeze; MY Ella, the Ella I knew from Gail's book, was so much more tragic and desperate. 
 And what annoys me, though, is how many people watch the film then go to this book expecting a light hearted fluffy piece. 
 It's NOT, get it through your skulls people. This isn't a dancing/singing Shrek-like tale about elves that want to be Lawyers. Ella Enchanted THE BOOK is more like Ever After meets Lord of the Rings. If THAT doesn't interest you, you might be better off just sticking to the movie. 
 This also goes visa-versa. I'm looking at YOU, fellow book fans! Stop bashing the movie already. 
 Okay, do I want a movie version more similar in tone to this wonderful book? SURE! Would love one! But that's not the movie we have. So please stop whining. 
 Oh, going back to those of you who have only seen the movie, I do have one more thing to say: the romance of this story is VERY different from the film. The movie is more rom-com, "they kind of hate each other, get thrown together on a trip, fall in love, LOL"; the book is more friendship slowly growing into something more. 
 Which really is something else I LOVED about this book. Most Cinderella stories (with the exception of movies like "Ever After" and the recent Disney Cinderella) tell you very little about the prince and why he and Cinderella like each other so darn much after a few random dances. It was soooo cute to see Ella meet the prince at her mother's funeral and him be so NICE to her. Yes, I thought, immediately, NOW I get why they'd like each other. And that was the saddest loss of the film, really. This was totally lost on screen. 
 Anyway to wrap this up as I could probably go on about this book forever, yes, I highly recommend this!