Review: Chemorella

It may be safe to assume that we all know someone who has been affected by cancer. It’s a scary, emotional experience and hardly something to laugh about. This book challenges that notion and takes us to a lighter side, inspired by the Cinderella story.

In lieu of the glass slipper, we find a fashionable sneaker (I’d sure love to review a pair of those). The ugly step-sisters are ugly roommates and the Fairy Godmother is an elderly neighbor who encourages her to attend the charity fashion show. As I read about Vince, the prince and artist, I kept smiling at the clever play on words that kept me thinking of The Artist Formerly Known As Prince.

Chemorella reminds of us the struggles many cancer patients face from diagnosis to chemotherapy and hair loss — and how essential it is to have friends and partners who can love and support them with or sans the wig!

My five and a half year old was lured by the colorful illustrations, but the content was above her level of comprehension. It was simply too wordy to hold her attention. However, I am confident that it will make a great conversational piece when she’s older because she could then make her own connections between the Cinderella and Chemorella stories and ideally, see that there is a lighter side that sees us through the darkest moments. It’s like the old saying goes: “When life gives you lemons… make lemonade!”

Katy Franco is a Latina actress, celebrity, and screamingly funny stand-up comic who has performed throughout the US, Puerto Rico and South America. With her husband, dog bite law attorney Ken Phillips, she is author of “Chemorella” (subtitled “Quimiorela”), a bilingual, beautifully illustrated Cinderella story about beating cancer and seeing your dreams come true (www.chemorella.com).

Disclosure: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.