While the cover is stunning, the story itself is even more fabulous. Sophia attends her first ball at the age of sixteen. The women in her kingdom grow up reading the story of Cinderella, with the expectation that they strive to be like her. Young women are sent to the palace each year to attend and for a man to choose to become engaged to them. They have three chances, and then are considered forfeit, with a mysterious fate in a workhouse. Sophia, however, does not want to marry. She sees that the women in her kingdom are treated horribly by so many men, even if the men directly in her life have not abused their wives and children. Also, Sophia does not want to marry a man. She is attracted to women, and in love with her best friend Erin. Her family and friends know this, but even Erin thinks it's safer to go with the status quo.

However, Sophia can't do that. During her ball, she ends up running away. In the process, she meets Constance, a descendant of one of Cinderella's stepsisters. From Constance, Sophia learns the truth about Cinderella's story. The version she grew up with is even more of a lie than she suspected. The two plan to take down the evil king that rules over the kingdom, so that no woman has to experience what Sophia and her loved ones have.

To be honest, I found the plot to be predictable, but I'm also an adult reading a YA novel. (Not that YA novels are predictable or juvenile - I love them!) It also is such a mirror for the way women are treated in reality and the white male patriarchy of the modern world. For centuries, anyone who is different has been beaten down. There are also many mirrors of the good men who benefit from the way the system currently works, and while they love the women in their lives, they do not always stand up for what is right. We also see the women who benefit from the patriarchy and disregard other women and their struggles, or turn a blind eye to their own suffering because they have been taught to for so long. Finally, in Constance and Sophia's journey, we meet a mysterious witch with ties to Cinderella, a clear example of someone who has benefited from and even helped the "bad guys" only to relearn and become an ally. (Though without spoiling, there's a twist there that did surprise me in the last few pages!)

Overall, this was a timely, subversive, feminist read that I absolutely adored. I highly recommend this 5 star book. My thanks to the author, Bloomsbury, and NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️Book Review⭐️
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Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
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Cinderella Is Dead is out as of July 7th!!!
If you are able to, please consider purchasing this book from your local bookstore 💙 they need love during these crazy times too.
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I was given an ebook arc by NetGally in exchange for an honest review.
This story sucked me in without my realization. One minute I was opening the Kindle app and the next I was 1/3 of the way through the book. This retelling has the perfect blend of world building while keeping it fast paced.
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Cinderella has always been my favorite fairytale. I love that even though she was forced into servitude in her own home she remained ever gentle and ever kind. Sophia however is not as fond of her as I am. Well maybe not her exactly but the legacy she left.
It has been 200 years since Cinderella’s passing, and in her honor every year there is a (mandatory to all females of the age of 16) ball where the men get to choose their brides without their consent.
Despite having her choices taken away and her whole life planned out for her, Sophia tries to convince the love of her life and best friend Erin to run away with her. But when Erin refused, Sophia reluctantly goes to the ball.
After situations there go terribly wrong, Sophia flees from the ball and seeks refuge from the guards who chase her. Stumbling upon Cinderella’s tomb, she meets Constance, Cinderella’s last direct descendent.
With Constance’s help, along with her step sisters, they divulge a plan to overthrow the King and change the way things have been done for the past two centuries. But our hero’s soon find out that there is much more to Cinderella’s story than they were ever told.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW: abuse, arranged marriages, death, homophobia, misogyny, human trafficking

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and Netgalley for providing me with an arc for review.

"Money, power, class, all those things come into play, but the founding tenet of our laws is that women, no matter their standing, are at the mercy of the fickle whims of men."

Cinderella is Dead is a powerful take on a classic tale.

Sophia is sixteen year old who has questioned the way her world operates and how women within the kingdom do not have any of their own agency. As the story escalates Sophia learns the truth of how the rules came to be. Bayron is very direct towards the horrendous treatment towards women and all the ways that it can manifest. It was a little on the nose at times but that's honestly just a thing that happens in YA.

I really did enjoy this story. Much darker than I anticipated but that does not bother me that much. We got a story of queer teenage girls saying fuck the patriarchy. Another thing that I liked is that this isn't a story that takes place over 3 days. The feelings that they have for each other are something that blossom over time. I read this in about two days just because I couldn't wait to see how the heck this book was going to end.

Rating: 3.5/5

I want to first be clear about one thing, the story fascinated me. I loved the premise of the book and where the author took it throughout the story. I thought the messages being presented were extremely important and great messages to be put into the world, especially right now. However, there was a good amount I didn't enjoy about the book as well.

I found most of the characters to be really one sided or flat. It felt as if they were only the purpose they had in the novel, does that make sense? I just felt as if they could have been developed better. I also felt that the world was underdeveloped as well. There were moments that everything was described and I was brought into the novel in a great way, and then there were times where I couldn't picture the scene in my head. It also didn't help that I wasn't a huge fan of Sophia, as I found her youth to come through often and made her seem a little immature. But then again, she was 16, so I suppose that makes sense.

I really did enjoy the story. It had turns I wasn't expecting and a premise that would keep anyone interested. I still would recommend it to those around me that are interested, it just wasn't perfect for me, and that's okay! It was still a good read.

First, I loved the idea of this story. Just the concept of turning Cinderella - which I've long found the most boring fairy tale - into this Handmaid's Tale-esque queer-black-girls-smash-the-patriarchy dystopia is amazing, and I'm tempted to give 5 stars for that alone. Also, the way Bayron twists the fairy tale and the spin she puts on the fairy godmother is so unique and fun!

The characters did feel a little flat to me, and the physical world felt practically nonexistent. I think part of that is due to the dystopia genre and first-person present tense narrative just bringing you so close to Sophia's view that you can't see much beyond it. But I do wish that there had been a bit more. More details, more fleshed-out characters, more of the story itself. With a little more depth, I would have happily devoured a version of this story twice as long.

I received an early copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cinderella is dead is the reimagining we need, especially in times like these, This book takes the story you think you know (both the original fairy tale and the Disney version) and tells us everything we know is wrong.

Sophia lives in a terrible and misogynistic kingdom in which every year, girls must go to a ball to be claimed by their suitors. She is having none of it and would much prefer to run away with the girl she has been in love with her whole life. Well, things go sideways and our story unfolds. Full of beautiful imagery, great action, and an overall amazing story, this one get 4.5 stars out of me.

Sophia is so strongwilled and firm in her beliefs. WIll she overtake the kingdom and get to be with who she loves? You'll have to read it to find out. Trust me, it's worth it!

Thanks NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for an e-arc for review. I was so excited to read this book, especially for pride month. This is a Cinderella "retelling" or more a continuation set 200 years later with a young girl ready to take on the King and challenge the patriarchy - sounds amazing right?!

This book was really hit and miss for me. First, I did enjoy the storyline overall and it was an easy, enjoyable read. I love fairytales, so anything connected to those is great for me. It's also got a great message - anything YA that is women empowering and discussing relationships that you want, consent, etc are important and this was done in an approachable way.

I just wish the book overall was a little more developed - the characters and their relationships felt really one-noted and a little disconnected. There was just a lot more personality and moments missed that could have helped the readers really connect with the characters. Also, the pacing was a little off for me, I thought the beginning was a little slow, huge build up and then book it was over. I prefer a little more even paced and would have liked to know more after the ending. There was a lot of conveniences in the plot as well, so it felt rushed in some places because the main character didn't have to work that hard sometimes.

I was given a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this remix of Cinderella, teen girls are required to appear at the annual ball. If girls get chosen they are forced to marry their suitors, if they aren't they are never seen again. Sophia would rather marry her friend Erin, however, that is not allowed. When Sophia runs away, she meets a group that figures out how to break the curse.

#cinderellaisdead #diversecinderella #cinderellaremix #netgalley #KalynnBayron

“Do not be Silent. Raise your voice. Be a light in the dark.”
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Imagine a main character in a Cinderella retelling that wants everything but to go to the yearly ball. Living in a kingdom where eligible girls are forced to attend the dance; having to adhere to strict rules of the king and always abide by the word of their head of household and in the cases of our main character, Sophia, having to hide who they truly are.
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The story takes us through so many hot topics, adventures, ups and downs; and can hold a place in a lot of hearts. While this is a retelling of Cinderella, it’s a fresh spin all together, as the “true details” of Cinderella’s history unfold and how it’s been used over hundreds of years to control the people of her town. There’s queer recognition, women’s rights, political power struggles, family struggle, and romance combined throughout.
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I did feel the romantic interests of Sophia felt a bit distracting at times, and almost too convenient to the story line. Her character was a little repetitive with emotions, and her youth showed though; but it did give way to some character growth by the end of the story.
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Overall, a steady fast paced read, that kept me coming back to it, never boring. Of course the amazing message of being true to yourself, and always standing up for what you believe in no matter how hard it may seem, gives you a much happier ending than hiding who you are.
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Rating: 3.5/4

This was so good! I love a good feminist retelling, and this was that + dystopian vibes + activist vibes and sapphic love and I’m there for all of that. Plus the cover is actual perfection.

Cinderella is Dead is a continuation of the classic Cinderella that we all know so well.

There were a lot of things that I liked about this book. Sophia was a fun, determined MC who refused to conform to a reality where she was diminished/kept silent. This story was ripe with representation (f/f, BIPOC, feminist) and I loved seeing the women push back against the patriarchy. Tons of girl power here that I loved. This book started out very strong.

I, however, found the plot to be very one-note. I found myself reading similar passages multiple times across different parts of the book. I would have liked to read less of that repetition, and have the world expanded more to make the reasoning behind the villain more believable.

The insta-love trope is not a favorite of mine, but that’s more of a personal preference.

The ending was peculiar to me. A bit predictable (with one twist I didn’t catch) and it needed more. Everything was wrapped up very fast, and I felt like an additional few chapters of the resolution would have taken this book to the next level. I really am not a fan of rushed endings like that that take place in a letter/diary/journal log of some sort. There were a lot of loose ends that were not tied up.

I also caught a reference to additional fairy tales not being what they seemed, and would like to see if the author will expand this world eventually with more companion books to Cinderella is Dead.
All in all, I would recommend reading this book. It’s very relevant and you’ll love Sophia for sure.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun retelling! I loved the world Bayron built. I would have liked a little more depth from a couple of characters, but overall, this was a great YA novel. The plot was engaging, and I liked the dark and twisty elements of the plot.

I got this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Cinderella is Dead has a wonderful premise where our characters live 200 years after the demise of Cinderella. Sophia our main character is in love with her best friend, Erin - which is a forbidden romance. Each year there is a ball where the women of the city has to attend, and find a suitable match.
In my opinion this was very lackluster because it tried so hard to include various topics that it did not know where to focus. We have homophobia, sexism, racism etc. and it felt like the author tried too hard to include everything.
Sophia was not a lovable character and I found her very annoying, and she was very fickle in her romance.
As this was a short book, I finished it. Whereas if it was much larger, I feel like a) the author could have explored more of the topics better, and b) I probably would have DNF'ed the book.
It was really disappointing to me unfortunately.

Here's a sentence I never expected to type: I thought the slightly goofy premise of a kingdom centered around/driven by the story of Cinderella was pretty well balanced by the serious portrayal of the misogyny/patriarchal structure (which wasn't exactly subtly drawn, but, hey, neither was The Handmaid's Tale, or The Power, or Vox).

However, I would echo other reviewers in the disappointment in regards to the weak world-building (there's very little sense of culture other than the patriarchal laws, obsession with Cinderella, and a vague occasional Frenchiness, and not a lot of information on how the local area is involved with other cities, countries, etc. and what other people who don't live in this kingdom think of the whole Cinderella thing), the insta-love relationship, and the generally poorly defined characters.

I did like that Sophia already had a strong sense of her own sexuality (this isn't really a coming out story) but I thought the two romances were pretty underdone: Erin didn't have much of a personality beyond "Sophia's scared friend who she's in love with," and while Constance was drawn more strongly, just being the two somewhat well-rounded characters isn't really a basis for a relationship.

The twist toward the end did surprise me and brought some extra interest, but didn't entirely tally with the rest of the book, and overall I found the ending a little pat.

Try for readers looking for darker but more empowering fairy tale retellings.

This story gets a 5/5 for diversity that more authors need to find and develop as our times change. That being said, I give the whole story a 3/5 for a couple different reasons. I love the story and concept of a world who follows in the story of Cinderella’s footsteps, it is entirely original. But the center of the book lulled quite drastically and I almost did a DNF. The magic in the book deals greatly with necromancy and the detail given I believe is above the appropriate age level of those who would be reading this story. I read a lot of books that have magic, but this felt altogether too real and made me uncomfortable. The twist at the end of the story is really good, and one most readers will not see coming!

And that is how you do a retelling my friends!
This story starts 200 years after Cinderella died and tells us of how the world was changed by that fateful night at the ball.
Just enough details from the original fairytale to satiate my inner child; she encouraged an entirely new plot-line for me to follow.
This was genius and I look forward to getting to know Kalynn Bayron's back catalogue.
Much love to NetGalley & Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for my DRC.

Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

I had quite a few expectations for this Sapphic feminist retelling of Cinderella with a black girl but it was a tad disappointing. The book follows Sophia, a 16 yr old girl living in the very same Kingdom where Cinderella met her prince Charming, the place which now has a decree in which all girls of age must attend a ball to find their very own "prince charming". It's a book about a black girl that loves girls and wants women to be treated like humans instead of property.

The book is very fast paced and it took me a day to read it, it quickly moves from one scene to another. Sadly, due to that same very aspect it's also very shallow. The author doesn't really develop her characters or setting beyond a name and one defining characteristic, the book feels very surface level and you can't really connect with the characters. Another issue I had is that it's not very subtle, it explains you things that are easy to understand and throws things in your face to make a statement.

On the good side, I feel like this book is great for a younger YA audience! The messages within the book are certainly great and it has a certain feel to it that you can't help but agree with.

I do recommend this book, I was just expecting more from it.

I enjoyed this retelling! I loved the Black and queer rep and the twist the author did with this hugely popular fairytale. It was darker and was aimed toward crushing the patriarchy and misogyny. The treatment toward women from men in this book was horrifying, but not far fetched which is so incredibly sad to admit. I only wish we got to see more action and more of where the story goes/picks up at the end. I think a really good sequel could be made based off of the ending and I would love to read more!

**Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

I love fairy tale reimaginings, but I found Cinderella is Dead to be a bit lackluster. The premise was incredibly promising, but I found the story as a hole was pretty generic and bland. The world-building, the characters, the themes - I just felt like it had all been done before.

This book makes me want to take my (non-existent) girlfriend and smash the patriarchy. Like, more than I usually do.

This is the story of Sophia. Sophia lives in the fairy tale land of Mersailles, which is ruled by the evil, sexist (and I think white) King Manford. Sophia loves girls and has a pseudo-girlfriend, Erin, who Sophia is trying to get to run away with her. Erin refuses, due to the pressures of society. This is the kingdom that Cinderella once lived in, and every year, in her honor, a ball is held where the menfolk can take any woman they like and marry her. Sophia, being an intelligent girl, is all fuck this shit and runs away from the ball. While on the run, she meets Constance and thus begins an adventure to Save the Kingdom from Patriarchy. Go, team!

So, yes, my summary is a bit glib, but it does pretty much encompass the story of the book. I am excited for girls to get their hands on this because: A) our protagonist is a beautiful smart black girl who loves other girls, and B) while at times almost heavy-handed, the theme of smash the patriarchy runs throughout this book is so vital for teen readers of any gender. Sophia constantly points out the discrepancies in power that exist between men and women in the kingdom, and while this is set in a fairy tale land, many of these discrepancies exist in our world today. This book is a great vehicle for opening up and beginning those awkward conversations. It can also serve as an introduction for teen readers to realize that oh, hey, these aspects of life aren't fair and these things should be fixed.

This book's plot does move super, super quickly though, which is why I knocked it down to 3.5 stars. There were times I had to go back and re-read a page or 5 because I had no clue where I was in the story or what had happened. Also, while I will never, ever bitch about there being too many female protagonists in a book, sometimes the use of her/she gets a little confusing because you're not sure who exactly said or did something.