Cinderella is Dead has only been released for three days and it already has over 400 reviews. So I am going to do my review a little differently today.

Kalynn Bayron takes their version of the fairy-tale and puts a twisted yet historic retelling spin on something that is familiar to readers. Every year King Manford has all of the girls who are sixteen-years-old and over go the ball to be married off. It is mandatory. Every family must comply or have to forfeit everything they own. They must dress according to his rules. The girls must memorize Cinderella. Every home must have his picture hanging and live by his rules. If you do not live by his rules, he will behead you in front of everyone.

Doesn’t this sound familiar? Slavery. Everyone has to pay Manford exorbitant taxes to work and to live. They have curfews. Women are property and nothing else. When attending the ball, the girls are paraded out in a line like a cattle call and looked over. Then the men, no matter their age, get to choose their product. The girl gets no say in the matter. Her family gets no say in the matter. He owns her from that point on.

Manford is the obvious villain in this piece. Yet so is the society of Lille. They stand by and some even grovel and let this abuse happen. Just like we do today. Bayron retells the history of yesterday and today. Bayron has prettied it up into a fairy-tale retelling, but it is still the same story told time after time.

Cinderella is Dead is not the usual retelling of the same ole’ tale, it is one you want to read.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

Those who follow my blog know that I love fairytale retellings, so it was a given that I would want to read Kalynn Barton’s feminist Cinderella retelling, Cinderella is Dead. As the title states, Cinderella is long dead when this story opens but her story is being used by the King of Lille to control his young female citizens. Girls are required to commit Cinderella’s tale to memory and they are taught that they should want a happy ending just like Cinderella’s.

There’s a cruel twist to the King’s version of the fairy tale, however. Once they reach a certain age, the young ladies are required to attend the King’s annual ball. They are to dress up in the finest gowns and present themselves to potential suitors, who are then charged with selecting a mate. Girls who aren’t chosen are allowed to return to the ball twice more but then after that, their lives are deemed forfeit and they are never heard from again. Being chosen isn’t necessarily a happily ever after either as the men in the kingdom view their wives as property and often beat and verbally abuse them.

Sophia, the protagonist, wants no part of this dystopian disaster. She’s not looking for a Prince Charming and in fact would much rather marry her childhood best friend, Erin. She decides that she will not take part in this sick ritual and makes it her mission to not only escape from the King’s ball, but to also come back once she finds a way to bring the whole patriarchal system crashing down. I really loved Sophia. She’s bright, fierce, independent, and she’s loyal. She’s also not perfect, which makes her all the more likeable and relatable. Once she makes her escape, she meets up with an unexpected member of the Resistance and that’s when the story really takes off and takes turn after unexpected turn to shake up the original Cinderella tale.

Sophia is definitely the shining star of this story, but what I loved most is just how unique and fresh the story is even though it uses so many elements from the original fairytale. The author will have you questioning every aspect of the tale you thought you knew so well. Were the stepsisters really evil? Who was the fairy godmother? Was Prince Charming all that charming after all? What really happened to Cinderella? Did she really have a happy ending?

Cinderella is Dead is a quick and entertaining read that I breezed through in less than a day. If feminist retellings, queer protagonists, and smashing the patriarchy are your thing, then this is the book for you!

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you like twisted tales and retellings, you need to give this a go. I really enjoyed this take on Cinderella. It isn't anything like the fairy tale we are all used to. It does however read like many other YA fantasy novels out there. This has a diverse cast of characters and takes on some serious issues.

Sophia doesn't want to live by the kingdoms rules for women. She doesn't want to attend the ball and be chosen by a man to marry and serve. In fact she wants to run away with her best friend and live happily ever after with her. Unfortunately, the kingdom doesn't support same sex relationships, women have a curfew, and they are the property of their fathers or husbands until they die. Sophia doesn't want to pretend to be happy in this type of life, and when the ball that Cinderella herself found her Prince is at hand she finds herself faced with an opportunity to escape for good. Sophia encounters Constance, a distant relative of one of the "evil stepsisters" and learns that the tale of Cinderella may not be entirely true and the laws that the King has imposed may not be what Cinderella wanted for her subjects. Determined to stop the King for good they seek out the Fairy Godmother to find out what the true story of the famed Cinderella really was and if there is a way to save the kingdom from the tyrant King.

This does lack the world building you expect from a fantasy or fairy tale. While the setting is not that important to the story, It also lacks the character development I expected from a book that takes on such important topics. Our main character, Sophia, is set in her ways from the very beginning and that never changes. I appreciate that she never loses focus on taking down the patriarchy and never stops fighting against the wrongs that are done to the women of the town. She is immature and impulsive throughout, but I would have liked to see her develop a little bit of maturity throughout her adventures. While the plot was a bit predictable, especially if you've read a ton of YA fantasy like I have, I still enjoyed this. Cinderella is one of my favorite fairy tales and I really liked how the author spun this. I also really liked how she took on the social issues.

3.5 stars
*Thanks to Bloomsbury YA for sending me an ARC via NetGalley*
TW: Domestic abuse, sexism, homophobia

I appreciated this as a fun romp with a serious message. This story is basically two sapphic girls taking down the patriarchy and how could I not be here for that. I had a good time reading it even if I found faults with the construction of the story.

The story definitely felt fast paced, although I could've used more world building. Or maybe more development in general. It just felt like we rushed from plot point to plot point with not a lot in between, the main characters hardly had any true obstacles. I could feel this way because I did find the story to be pretty predictable. There was one plot twist at the end that did surprise me, but basically once you know the synopsis you know how this ends. I found the writing to be simplistic, but not in a particularly bad way just in a way that makes this read for the younger end of YA.

I thought the Cinderella retelling aspect was interesting, and I thought how the fairy godmother was used was definitely innovative and unexpected. I can see how others might find the main character and her love interest were insta-lovey, but to me it felt believable. Sophia spends her entire life in love with someone who will not quite show it back, so when the next girl she shows a slight interest in is unabashedly interested in her I can see how their relationship would form. Not to mention that girl did just save her life. Their moments were cute.

The world this book is set in is horrifyingly patriarchal. This story definitely made that obvious and some might say the discussions of feminism and feminist ideas throughout the story were a little too on the nose, and there really isn't a lot of subtlety, but honestly I didn't mind and a lot of great quotes came out of it. As a YA book it's possible that it could be a teens introduction to those ideas and I think it does well when considered that way.

If you want an easy, fun read about taking down the patriarchy I'd recommend it.

I loved the premise of this book! And the cover is gorgeous. It fell a little short for me in the writing and carrying out of the plot bit.

3.5 stars. This was an interesting twist on the Cinderella story. I liked the twists the author put on the fairy tale. I liked Sophia's character, and Constance's family stories and their impact on the fairy tale were great.

The romantic pieces didn't click for me, but I think that will vary from reader to reader. I struggled during the first half or more of the book to figure out how a kingdom so wedded to the Cinderella story (making girls memorize it, etc.) developed in the way that it did. I didn't get a good sense of the thread that pulled that part of the story along. There are a couple nice twists in this that will keep readers flipping pages. If you enjoy fairy tales with a twist, give this one a try. (Language, LGBTQ+: f/f relationships and reference to m/m relationship)

4 out of 5 👊Cinderella and her #metoo story

A little disclaimer first: The original version of Cinderella is problematic with strongly patriarchal worldviews, yet didn't mention any actual abuse and forced marriage. Cinderella seemed very happy with the story plot and her life choices. In 'Cinderella is Dead', we got to know new facts about her life and the kingdom that added a whole new female-abusive layer. Hence my title.

Two hundred years after Cinderella fairytale and the glass shoe incident, the annual ball gathers young women 16 to 18 years old and 'eligible bachelors' with no age limit to pick their new treasure wife. Female participation is obligatory and failure to attend (or not being picked) equals atrocious consequences.
Since her early childhood, Sophia was reading Cinderella's story but would rather marry a princess than Prince Charming. Although her family accepted the relationship with her childhood friend Erin, they knew she must marry whoever would choose her on the annual ball.

The first two chapters soaked me right into that dystopian world. I loved how twisted was the idea of annual balls as the heritage of the first one. That story you won't find on Disney+!
I enjoy Sophia's character, how fierce and persisted she was while being loyal and carrying for others. Although relationships between characters were rather flat, there were full of mutual respect and honesty. The major advantage of the book was how entertaining it was, fully packed with action, adventure, and plot twists (even if quite predictable).

On the other side, the story is surprisingly dark but all the characters are so Disney-ish. Sophia is a great heroine and seems like she's the only one who sees how corrupted her kingdom is. All men comply with the rules even if they disagree, enforcing the laws on their daughters and wives. Yet - spoiler alert - Sophia accomplished to change that in lickety-split, within just a few pages. From YA book I expect something more than good vs evil single-layered plot.
Furthermore, I don't like pure evil characters, it's not realistic. Everyone has their truth, even if we fully disagree with it. Forcing others to comply with you by violence methods, makes you no better than your oppressor. I wish 'Cinderella is Dead' had acknowledged that.

Overall, this is a fun and exciting title with an activist-wannabe vibe. For me, it's 5/5 on the entertainment side and 3/5 as a feminist book.

<i>Thank you Netgalley and the publisher Bloomsbury YA for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and feelings are my own.</i>

Love this take on the classic story of Cinderella. Great main character. Queer Black girl smashes the patriarchy. Let’s goo.

I really enjoyed Sophia as the main character. She's stuck in a world she can't control and has no power, but she's not okay with just sitting idly by and making do. She wants to be happy and knows what it will take to get her there.

Enter Constance. Another great character who is a descendant of Cinderella's family and ready to take back the narrative.

While I did like both of those characters, it was really the spin on the Cinderella story that intrigued me the most. The world post-Cinderella, ruled by an evil king who uses her tale as an excuse to control women.

I found the story to be a bit predictable, though, and at times heavy-handed. The romance happened pretty quickly and, outside of the Cinderella story, there wasn't a whole lot of world-building. A little more showing over telling would have made it five stars for me.

Still a very important story that I enjoyed immensely.

Two centuries after the prince slipped the shoe onto the foot of Cinderella, the fairy tale is dead and buried. Girls are paraded like chattel at the annual ball to be selected as wives, and those unfortunate specimens who do not find a match disappear mysteriously. Sophia, a beautiful sixteen year old girl, wants nothing to do with this ritual, and hides in Cinderella's mausoleum. Sophia meets another girl there, the last descendant of Cinderella, and they both want to break the monarchy and its unfair "romantic" ritual. Unknown to either of them, there's more to the monarchy than they know, and the history of what came before in Cinderella's time will affect them both in ways they cannot yet understand.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Right up front, I don't like insta-love in general, and I didn't like it here, so that definitely dampened my enthusiasm for this story. I felt like the pace alternated between glacial and hyper, and some aspects of the main characters felt a bit monotone. I do like when fairy tale retellings get a bit twisted, so that was a positive aspect, although I did feel like things wrapped up a bit too neatly for my taste. Ultimately, I feel like the premise and some of the plot beats were extremely promising, and Cinderella is Dead should have been very easy for me to like, but the execution left me feeling less than magical.⁣⁣

4 STARS


If you thought you knew Cinderella's story, you're wrong.


We all know Cinderella went to the ball and married Prince Charming. What we all assumed, though, is that her story ends in "happily ever after."

And Cinderella is Dead is here to prove otherwise.

Following Sophia as she tumbles through the restrictive, misogynistic world that exists in Cinderella's wake, this book rewrites the old and refuses to back down from the new. Challenging tradition and tearing down restriction form the core of Sophia's story, and I loved every minute of it!


A lot of the story's charm lies in Sophia herself.


Strong-willed and clear-eyed, Sophia can see that the society she lives in is a cruel one, its primary design to keep women under the thumbs of men who operate based on their cruelty first and foremost. She objects so strongly to the traditions she's expected to keep, and feels so sharply the consequences of breaking those traditions. Honestly, I think it would be difficult not to root for her efforts to change the kingdom for the better. Despite the odds in her way, she clings to the belief that life doesn't have to be like this. And of course, when she meets Constance, she has the support she needs to go all the way.

Also, I'd be remiss not to mention that Sophia is a lesbian. That complicates her already tenuous relationship with the kingdom's laws, and gives her clearer sight than most other folks on just how dangerous and oppressive those laws can be. Plus, she also gets a cute romance, and I almost never say no to good sapphic content.


I do wish, though, that this were a duology.


Not that I can control the whims of publishing, sadly. But I think Cinderella is Dead has a strong foundation, one that could have been even stronger if only there was time to spool it out. On the one hand, it works well as a standalone, carrying that fairy tale air to it. We don't necessarily need books and books of deep diving into characters and world-building when this is based off a fairy tale most of us are familiar with in some form or another. 

And on the flipside, I think so many of the plot twists and personal motivations for the characters could have held a stronger punch if only this were at least two books instead of one.

Ultimately, it is what it is, and this is truthfully a bit of a silly criticism in some ways. I can't change it, and I still thought it made for a mostly enjoyable read, which is what truly counts! But I can't help but feel I would have enjoyed it more with deeper digging into the characters and world, and that thought lingers.


Thankfully, there's no need to wait to read Cinderella is Dead!


Since Cinderella is Dead is out as of this Tuesday, you can read it now! Or, request it from your library, if that's more your thing. You'll get a dark spin on a classic fairy tale, sapphic love and heartbreak, a main character battling fear with all her heart, and...

Well, I won't tell you exactly what else you get. But whatever you're expecting, it's not that. It's weirder in the best way, as far as Cinderella goes, and it makes for an excellent fresh element! 🦋


CW: nudity, domestic abuse, homophobia, violence, slavery, sexual harassment, animal death, gore, body horror

[This review will go live on Hail & Well Read @ 10 am EST on 7/9/20.]

The idea of Cinderella's story being completely wrong and further twisted to control young women in society is interesting, even compelling. It makes you think about that saying the winners write the history books. I enjoyed how nothing was as it seemed, all the "known" parts of the Cinderella story were extremely different. That was by far the best part of the story- how nothing played into your expectations of the Cinderella story. Oh and Amina, she was the breakout character in my mind. I want to read her story, as she was the most intriguing "fairy godmother" ever.

My issue with this book was the main character Sophia. She was not a heroine that I found myself really captivated by. She was merely a vehicle for the story. The love story between Constance and Sophia was very much a side note, it didn't seem to really add to the story. Sophia's interest in girls was clearly here to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights (which is great) but it felt like that was the sole reason for Sophia and Constance's relationship. So it ended up diminishing the love story. This book should of been great but the writing was heavy-handed and the story suffered for it.

The Great: Simply put, the themes. This story definitely showcased a majority of the ways society has negatively impacted women/females. In Cinderella is Dead, Cinderella's tale is akin to the likes of the bible. And citizens of Lille are expected to know and recite the tale, in reverence and worship. For it is the conditions of their lives. Sound familiar? Also, misogyny played a major role in the general story. The nobility and peasantry alike delights in oppressing women and young girls in this story. And the anger I felt reading and witnessing how oppressed and sheeplike the citizens were rolled off me in waves. It sincerely frustrated me to no end. And that frustration made me realize just how much of that mentality still exists in today's society.

The Good: I absolutely loved the plot of the story. This was not so much a retelling, but instead a remix. A, What if Cinderella's happily ever after, was a big fat lie? And Kalynn Bayron spun a story that I couldn't have created in my wildest dreams.

Also, I seriously loved one of the main characters, Constance! She spilled onto the pages with fiery hair and glory. I'm a sucker for female characters who exhibit strength both physically and mentally. And let me tell you Constance is not one to be messed with.

Next, I enjoyed the romance. I loved that it didn't play out exactly as I'd thought it would. And in the end, the main character, Sophia ended up with who was right for her all along.

Finally, the pace of the book was phenomenally done. Especially for a YA Fantasy read. It didn't take long to understand the world/world-building. And for the most part, information was written seamlessly throughout the story instead of having chunks of info-dump. I enjoyed the fast pace action-packed scenes as much as the slower moments. It felt steady and really pulled further into the story.

The not-so-good: As much as I enjoyed reading this, I had this constant desire for more. It felt like an element was missing. And I just couldn't and still can't put my finger on it.

Also, most of the big revelations were predictable. I'd guessed what they were long before it was revealed to the reader. However, there was one big one that I absolutely didn't see coming and it's a good one.

Overall, I recommend this book to lovers of fairy tale remixes and YA Fantasy! Cinderella is Dead definitely takes you on a journey you won't soon forget.

I was really looking forward to reading “ Cinderella is Dead” by Kalynn Bayron . I am fairy tale obsessed. While Cinderella is not my favorite fairytale, I was super interested in seeing how the author would add her own spin to it. I loved the premise of the story, but the execution was a bit off. I felt that both the worldbuilding and the characters were underdeveloped. We only touch the surface. I do not feel as though I connected with anything or anybody in the book. The plot was a little predictable at times. Overall, I thought this was an ok read.

This book was, something. I don’t even know how to describe it. I buddy-read this with a friend of mine (Hi Vee) and we both disliked this book, so I’m glad I’m not the only one with these feelings for this book.
Honestly, I almost DNF’d this book, but I was desperately hoping the story would improve, or we would get an ounce of character development, but nope.

Let’s start with unrealistic.
Sophia, our narrator, is in love with Erin, her childhood best friend. That’s fine, of course it’s fine. In fact, I would have loved if it stayed this way—what’s not fine is how quickly Sophia falls for Constance. She falls like its love at first sight, and she immediately trusts this stranger that has been introduced to us while they are both in Cinderella’s tomb. Talk about sketchy.
It may be set in a fantasy world but this kind of thing doesn’t just happen. It is never the way of this book, where both characters feel an immediate attraction to the other and then that’s it. It just, isn’t how it happens. I cannot stress that enough, and that made me resent this book.
Sophia is too trusting, and while that may be a flaw for some people, in this story it just doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t feel like this is the right character trait for our narrator, it’s forced and that’s one of the many problems with this novel. Trusting Constance is one thing, but then trusting the ‘fairy godmother’ after a short story-time of how the original Cinderella story went… it just doesn’t make sense. I don’t understand how someone can just believe someone’s every word despite meeting them less than 10 minutes ago.

Writing style is another flaw with this book, It’s almost like Bayron didn’t want to continue this story, so they skimmed the surface of the actual story in their head, and wrote that down instead. There is no depth to the story.
In the words of my buddy-reader Vee, ‘I can so easily see the feminist agenda at play, and the story is just a means to convey it … there is no real effort made into the story, when it could have been amazingly done.’ And I agree, this could have been beautifuly done, has there been character/plot development along with the feminist aspect of this story. (For those who haven’t read it, Sophia believes men and woman in the story should be made equal, and not forced to marry the opposite gender, which, yeah, its good, but the author keeps thrusting this ideal at us, every chance they get, without actually developing the story or characters).
I know nothing about our narrator, other than she’s a woman who loves woman and hates the king/men.

There’s a few plot holes int his story too, for example, When the king visits the witches house, after he leaves, someone mentions that the king is tracking them, with no reason behind it, like sure, he could be tracking you, but how? Expand on this, but alas, it was never mentioned again until the big reveal at the end.
Also, the main character seems to forget everyone but her and the king exists, Luke, her friend from the beginning, only pops into her mind when its convenient for the plot, same with Erin, her childhood love, and don’t get me started on Liv, the one who died to progress the plot, which honestly, didn’t do anything.
THEN, all of a sudden, Sophia decides to go back and see Erin, stopping at Liv’s parents’ places first. Then, after this encounter, we never hear about or from Erin again.

Plot twist time, the witch that they trusted so easily after the story-time, is the kings mother. Which, to be honest, I didn’t see coming, but it was so poorly done, I feel like Bayron did it to have a reason for the king to know their plans. Constance then said ‘I knew something was off’ but didn’t think to confide in Sophia, or voice her concerns that something was off???? Make it make sense, please.

I am so DONE with this book, half of the things don’t make sense, there is no character development, there is barely a plot. It frustrates me so much.

2/5 stars, because it was terrible, but it could have been so much more had the author paced the book correctly.

As soon as I heard about Cinderella is Dead, I knew I had to read it. A retelling of Cinderella about queer girls trying to overthrow the patriarchy? Yes, please.

Cinderella has been dead for 200 years. But the town of Lille and the surrounding Marseille still follow a set of rules set forth by Prince Charming. At 16, all girls must attend the annual ball to be claimed by men. Girls only have three chances to be claimed, and if they aren't, they become forfeits. And it's unknown to where those girls disappear. But Sophia is having none of it. She wants nothing to do with the men in Lille. She'd prefer to marry Erin, her childhood best friend, and leave Lille forever. So the night of the ball, she escapes, where she meets Constance, the last living descendent of Cinderella, and together they band together to try and destroy the patriarchy that is Lille.

I really loved this book. I thought the story was really great and I would love to revisit with Sophia and Constance and get to know them better. I thought they were both so strong-willed, though at times hard-headed and stubborn. They were both flawed, but their attributes really complemented each other.

I really liked the premise of the book. Unlike an adaptation, this retelling is based 200 years after Cinderella’s story ends, though within this book, the reader learns more about the “true story of Cinderella.” The world is very different than that is which we know from traditional fairy tales (the sweet ones, not the old gory ones!). Men control this space. Girls are basically sold to men once they reach 16, and if they’re not desirable, they disappear. It’s a horrifying world that is very realistic in some parts of the world today. But Sophia is smart, brave, and while she seems to come to trust easier than I’d expect, she isn’t a naive character. I really liked that she was so strong-willed, but also very soft and human too. I love when stories show that women/girls can be both strong and emotional, and this was very much one of those books.

Now while the story was great and I really enjoyed the characters, I will say that, at times, the dialogue was a bit confusing and messy. I noticed it more at the start of the book, then less and less as the story progressed. There was also this epilogue-style wrap up that did not do the story justice. I think the ending could have been left a bit more open, thus setting up a second story that I would’ve loved to see, and I think other readers would have loved as well (of course, I’m speculating here). It all just felt like it wrapped up too quickly and I hated that. It made the end seem less real and less aligned with the rest of the book.

"Just because they deny us doesn’t mean we cease to exist." - Cinderella is Dead, Kalyan Bayron

Overall, I really loved this book. I loved the queer love stories entwined in the pages. I love the interracial relationships. I definitely loved the smashing of the patriarchy. This book was a really great, engaging story, and I’d love to see more in line with this theme.

Wow I loved this retelling of Cinderella so much! Although much of it was slightly predictable it kept me flipping pages and totally changed my perspective from how I felt about Cinderella all these years! I enjoyed Sophia and her desire to not conform to what was expected of her but to strive for her own hearts desires no matter what the cost. Stubborn and Spunky I adored her.

I am a fan of a well crafted fairytale retelling, and Cinderella be one of my very favorites. I submit, though, that this is not in any way a retelling. The fairytale is turned completely on its head. This is a reimagining of Cinderella for today. I read an earlier review that likened it as Black Cinderella falling in love with Merida and working to crush the patriarchy. That’s as accurate as you can get...And I loved it. It kept me engrossed to the very last page!

Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this gem in exchange for my honest review.

Cinderella Is Dead is a super unique retelling that is truly unlike any other that I've had the pleasure of reading! I love retellings and I have read many and so I always expect there to be something predictable but this was not the case here, everything was so original and I could not put it down! It completely changes everything we think we know about Cinderella.

I loved that the girls in this book were fierce and themselves! The queer rep was also amazing to see in here and I loved the relationship the girls had and seeing it grow and change throughout the book. The friendships were also sweet and I adored it.

Overall, I loved this book so much and I am so glad it exists now. Truly one of the best retellings I have read ever!

Cinderella Is Dead is a new brand of retelling. It doesn’t just simply tell the tale of Cinderella through a new lens, but engages with it critically. The novel critiques the original by discussing the implications of such texts in society. The tale of Cinderella is misogynist in nature, it’s a tale that focuses on finding a husband and female competition. As child one is enthralled by the fairy godmother and we all want her to turn us into beautiful princesses.

These are all the aspects of the story that Cinderella Is Dead critiques the original and as it does so it constructs a new kind of fairytale. One where the main character takes matter into her own hands, who knows that the world she lives in isn’t what it’s supposed to be, and where she can love who she wants to love.

Lille is ruled king Manford who controls the land in a very Handmaid’s Tale fashion. Women have no rights, nothing to their name, not even their bodies or minds. Our main character, Sophia, is done with all the rules. She wants to love and be with her best friend Erin and be her own person. She will do whatever it takes to obtain her freedom. So when she has to attend the ball in order to be chosen by a man she escapes and thus a new tale takes form.The world building in Cinderella Is Dead is not handled in a typical fantasy way and it doesn’t need to. Many of us are familiar with the tale of Cinderella and while the narrative presents the reader with its rendition of the story it does so in steady manner. There is no information dumping. Bayron unfolds the world at a steady pace and doesn’t rush the reader. Cinderella Is Dead discusses how stories can be twisted to benefit the storyteller and encourages readers to engage with stories critically, to question them, and not take them at face value.

Cinderella Is Dead features a Black queer girl smashing the patriarchy, reclaiming a centuries old narrative, falling in love, and learning that she is deserving of that love and a better world.

If you love retellings or are looking to read one pick up Cinderella Is Dead, trust me you won’t regret it!!

I thought that this take on the Cinderella story was really cool and unique. i loved the premise of the novel, queer black girls overthrowing the patriarchy, which is totally awesome. The take on the Cinderella story was interesting and showed another side of the time-old story. I also liked how the author continued the story while also giving off the Cinderella feel, even with a drastically different version than the Disney one we all know. I thought the plot was really interesting to read and loved the take on the fairy godmother. I wished that there had been more worldbuilding in the story, as it felt very basic and glossed over, which also created some disconnection with the characters. I also felt that at times the messages were heavy-handed and i wished that it had been woven in more naturally. Despite that, I really enjoyed reading this book and loved the overall premise and message of this book!