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.

Holy crap!

This is the dark, dystopian fairy tale of my dreams! CINDERELLA IS DEAD is a lushly imagined exploration of the Cinderella tale that turns everything we thought we knew on it's head. Sophia is one of my favorite protagonists that I've read in a long time--sharp and witty, full of fire and willing to fight for everything she loves. This book is a relentless look at how the stories we tell shape the world around us, and what we must do to break the chains they make.

In this remixed Cinderella story Sophia is just a girl in love with her best friend Erin and wants nothing to do with the stupid traditions of the Kingdom of Lillie. There is an annual ball that all girls of age must attend and then they must be selected by a suitor or else they can be forfeit. There was so much about finding agency and people sitting quietly while knowing the things that are happening around them are wrong just because it's tradition. I really enjoyed the author's take on these topics and the female/female romance was so cute in the story. I definitely will be recommending this book.

I loved this! I loved the taking of such a famous cautionary tale and the way it was spun to really look at how stories can be spun out of context for the purpose of serving other's. This book really takes the notion of women/female abuse and degradation by men and the patriarchal system. This is a book any girl or boy should read because it's showing how a people/ group can be oppressed by others and how stories can be used to fuel that system is very crucial to understand. It's great writing, great characters , a great narrative. I loved this book and it's so representative, it's a crucial work to have on our shelves.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really liked this book.
This book takes the idea of Cinderella and Prince Charming and considers the idea that maybe there wasn't a happily ever after.
It has been 200 hundred years since Cinderella died and now the girls of Lillie are required to attend the annual ball once they turn 16, they have 3 chances to be chosen before they are forfeit. The women have not power and must be meek and follow their husbands in all things.
Sophia, does not want to be chosen rather she wants the freedom to be with Erin the girl she loves.
This was an interesting book with a surprise at the very end. I figured out how the king was getting his powers pretty early on but that didn't make the book any less enjoyable. I loved how strong the girls were and that really all they wanted was to live their loves on their own terms.
The idea of complacency and just accepting the status quo was important and resontants in our society today.
Great concept and execution.

Cinderella is dead. She has been for over two hundred years. And her legacy of a happy ever after lives on in the town of Lille. Much to the horror of the women who live there. Each year eligible women are to attend the ball where suitors lay claim on them. Id they are not chosen they have two more chances before they become “forfeit” and sent to the workhouse - or worse.

This gripping tale will take hold of you instantly and won’t let go. It was such a relevant story line for times like now where women still have to fight for their freedom . The love story here was a great addition but didn’t distract from a thrilling and important story

What a fantastic book. I didn’t fully know what I was getting into when I got it from Netgalley—only knowing it was sapphic and had something to do with Cinderella. I adore this idea of using the Grimms fairy tale version of Cinderella as the bases of a patriarchal society. The Cinderella story is this society’s bible. What a cool concept! And I loved the execution of it. Sophia is a great character. She’s strong and independent. And Constance is just the coolest. The two perfect girls to take down the patriarchy! Also it’s gay which makes every book better.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not going to lie, when I saw that I was accepted to read Cinderella Is Dead I most definitely screamed and geeked out. I was a giddy kid and weirdly enough wanted to watch all the Cinderella movies known to man. After reading this, I will definitely do that very thing.

In this, you will meet Sophia who is a 16 year old girl. She is stubborn and in love with a girl named Erin. Unfortunately, their romance is forbidden and they are about to be apart of a ball where a man can and will probably claim them. Sophia definitely deserves way better than Erin, friendship and/or romance wise - I'm just saying.

I honestly enjoyed the heck out of this retelling. There was just something about this version and how so many little details could somehow blow my mind. One thing I didn't see coming was the ending, well - some of it.

Along the way, we do get to know some hidden truths and we get a new character to fall in love with. I definitely enjoyed everything about Constance in this book. She was just a little spitfire and I fell in love with her instantly.

In the end, this was such a good book. Definitely a page turner, gives you a couple to SHIP, and it was amazingly addicting to read.

This book had a lot of potential and I would still really recommend this if you are interested in it but I did have some problems with this book. The ending felt a bit anticlimactic and quick. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the romance. I mean, it could have been so fucking cute and amazing but I just think it was very underdeveloped. There were also some moments I wasn't really interested. A lot of the wolrd building was done in an info-dumpy way and just dragged things out a bit. But overall this is a pretty quick and engaging read, set in a dark fairy-taley world. It does very interesting things with the original tale of Cinderella and TRULY switched it on its head. I quite liked out characters and even though some parts of the story were predictable I had a great time reading this. So yeah, it's a not a great book but also not a bad one, an automatic three star.

This is no normal re-telling! This fresh take, a "remix" if you will, was SO. GOOD. It was unlike any Cinderella story I've ever read before. It never stops with the surprises and will leave you gasping at every page!</p>


It's been 200 years and Cinderella is dead. Now the teen girls in the land must go to a ball with the current prince to be matched with someone. If they don't find a match, they disappear, never to be seen or heard from again. Sophia is not satisfied with that. She runs and ends up at Cinderella's grave.... Where she meets someone else that's not supposed to be there. Together they vow to do whatever they can to make some changes around their land.

This is definitely not your average re-telling. I finally REALLY get what L.L. McKinney was talking about in the Juneteenth Bookfest when she called stories like this a "remix." The elements of the story are there, but the story itself is NOTHING like what you saw on Disney movies. And that makes it all the more better for me. I LOVED the things she changed and I loved seeing the way it all tied into the story. This was a very cool, dark, and twisted Cinderella that I fell into. I couldn't stop reading it. I was hooked from the very beginning. </p>


The only thing I had a real issue with was the plot. In the beginning it was very slow going and the only thing happening was what was in the synopsis. And that was until like 50% of the book. But I was still so intrigued by the concept and what else she was going to do with the story that I kept reading when normally I would have DNF'ed. And as cliche as it sounds, I'm so glad I did! This story was super entertaining and really had me sitting on the edge of my seat! It takes a while to get going, but once it does, it REALLY does. I won't tell you what's the in the story, because you won't believe me. You'll just have to read it to find out.

The characters were my favorite thing about this story. Sophia is fierce and feeling wise she seemed a lot like me. She just wanted equity for everyone. And then there's Constance. She was definitely like me from her toughness. I remember writing down a quote of hers and laughing because I could see myself actually saying that too. I saw myself in both of them, and I don't normally connect with more than one character in a book. That showed me that Bayron really fleshed these characters out.


I also wish there was more world building. I know the story Cinderella, and I've watched the movie, and I know what a marketplace is, etc. , but I wanted to see more of this through Sophia's eyes. She doesn't really take a look around her. It's more of a telling versus a showing. But it didn't bother me as much because as I said, I've seen the movies and am familiar with the story and the places that are in the story.


The ending of this story was also a win for me. I remember being scared at about 85% because I didn't feel like there was much book left for the amount of questions that I needed answered and things that needed to happen. But in the end, everything that needed to happen did and though it felt a bit rushed, it wasn't too bad. Bayron still devotes time to the big reveals and I promise you, you won't see most of them coming. But it all came together in the end.

This "remix" of Cinderella was everything I needed it to be. It wasn't perfect, but with original idea and the perfect characters, and the wild twists and turns you never see coming, it came pretty close. I hope to see more of this in Bayron's future. I would really enjoy seeing her revisit all the timeless classics we know and love and making us look at them through fresh eyes.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up!
This was an imaginative and original retelling of a story we all know very well. In Lille, Cinderella is revered for having been chosen by the prince at the ball and for generations women have been forced to follow in her footsteps and attend a yearly ball to be “chosen” by a man. Sophia is fed up with this oppressive, patriarchal regime that allows women no freedom and sets out to destroy it.
tl;dr—queer black girls overthrow the patriarchy.

I loved the protagonist of this story, Sophia. She was a likable person and really had a lot of strength of character.

I wish there had been more development of the romance. Sophia and Constance basically spend the entire novel together and I feel their connection was not explored very deeply. It was that automatic love which came across forced and one-dimensional on the page. I love the representation but it does make me question if the writer is queer herself because many aspects did not...compute romantically.

All of the action occurred pretty quickly towards the end and I would have liked more of a fleshed out ending.

There was a lot of drama for a YA novel and the plot twists were all very interesting and well-done.
Overall, this book was a fun and easy LGBT+ fairytale retelling. I consider it even closer to middle-grade than YA and while I don’t believe I am the target audience, the target audience will love it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. 😊

Thank you to netgalley and Bloomsbury for letting me read this one!

I was so excited for this book, but it did leave me disappointed in a few ways.

I was so ready for these girls to overthrow the patriarchy and shake up the status quo but the first half of this book was just a trigger-fest of throwing every traumatizing encounter women have had with men for centuries all in one place. It was honestly very hard to read. I know this was trying to make a statement and I get it, I do, but it was too heavy-handed and more just painful.

Insta-love. This is really my own personal preference but insta-love drives me up the wall. I need a little more development.

I will say that I did like the main group of characters, but I wish there would have been more development of them.

We need more books that give queer black girls the spotlight, and I hope that’s something I can really look forward to in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the eARC of this book!

So, I've just finished this book, and I'm ready to join my queer sisters in burning the palace of the patriarchy to the ground. Who would like to join me?!

Reasons to read this book:
1. A take no shit main character who looks at everyone around her and thinks 'Woooow y'all are really brainwashed, huh?
2. Said main character being unapologetically and unashamedly queer. She doesn't feel bad for herself. She feels bad for everyone else who can't see how ridiculous everything is.
3. Girls who pine for each other but in a really obvious 'yeah I was checking you out by the fire' way.
4. An actual real life but told in a fairy tale setting about the way women are treated as lesser and commodities, being told that they should be grateful for what they have instead of complaining about what they don't.
5. An actual real life but told in a fairy tale setting about the way queer people are seen to this day as being 'other'.
6. An interesting villain and a surprise twist I didn't see coming, but made so much sense.
7. So many other reasons. I'm perilously close to spoiling, so I'll stop.

Read this book and love this book! I did!

Trigger warning: sexism, domestic violence, internalized homophobia, homophobia, sexual molestation, use of a love potion, threats of violence

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley. Thank you to the author and publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really intrigued about a kind of Cinderella retelling much like Stepsister, where we come to the story after the main story has already happened. In this case, 200 years afterwards, with a queer Black woman leading. In terms of covers, I really like the UK edition a lot better than the US. The art style is more my jam.

What I Liked
--The writing was well-done, although the pacing was a bit off from time to time. It was atmospheric and felt like a fairy tale.

--I thought the twists introduced to the original Cinderella tale were really interesting! I'd love to read a prequel.

What I Didn't Like
--I don't think I ever really came to understand Sophia as a character. I could kind of get why she was so rebellious but it was to a point where I wondered why she couldn't grasp the severity of being so rebellious. She knows how people are treated when they go against the king, and will often be judgemental of those around her who are trying to play it safe. She pushed Erin a lot, so it's no wonder Erin scurried away from her, terrified for her life. And she expects people to fight back when, after 200 years, there's been no proof that the system can be changed. She's a selfish character who doesn’t seem to recognize the damage she could do to others when she’s outspoken, and often makes foolish mistakes in the story.

--Constance, the love interest, was about as interesting as cardboard, which of course translated to a real lack of chemistry between her and Sophia. Their flirting, sometimes at inappropriate times, became really grating as time went on. It was basically insta-attraction and then very shortly after, insta-love. I don't care for these tropes.

--The rest of the characters were really bland, overall. I couldn't even root for a side character.

--The world was so very blatantly patriarchal, it became really cringey to read, and the king himself was just blatantly, cartoonishly horrible. At some point, I stopped caring if they managed to defeat him.

--As I alluded to before, the pacing was weird, and the story began to really drag for me. It was really predictable and basically, once I figured it out, I got bored waiting for the protagonists to figure out the truth, too.

--The thing that most irritated me was how villanized Erin was. She has feelings for Sophia, but because of what she's seeing around her and being told straight to her face by her parents that if she doesn't follow the rules, she'll be disowned, it's no wonder she pushes away from Sophia's rebellious nature and tries to follow the rules. And yet, she's basically called a coward for her actions, and I hate that self-preservation is treated like a coward's way out. I also hate this trope where one queer character is angry at another for not being out--in this case, for not fighting to be with Sophia. Plus, Erin becomes a battered woman for no other reason, that I can see, other than to drive Sophia's story and that really pissed me off. She lashes out at Sophia at one point, and all Sophia can think about is that her heart is breaking--not that Erin is being beaten by her husband. Then she's not even given a mention at the end. The treatment of Erin was really disheartening, and left a sour taste.

Conclusion
Unfortunately, there was very little that I ended up liking about this book, and no one is more disappointed than I am. I was ready to hype this book, but I guess it just wasn't for me.

This was so engaging and exciting, and I sped through this in less than a day! Cinderella Is Dead was fierce and a twisted fairytale of girls taking down the corrupt system they live in, even when everyone else thinks their efforts are fruitless.

If you're looking for a super fast-paced read of queer girls overthrowing the patriarchy, Cinderella Is Dead should absolutely be on your TBRs.

Cinderella Is Dead certainly delivers on its promise to be a story about 'Black queer girls taking down the patriarchy,' and I enjoyed reading it. The story is told in first person from Sophia's point of view, and it starts when she turns sixteen and is forced to attend the annual ball in commemoration of Cinderella. She desperately wants to do anything but attend the ball, however, and this leads her down the path of rebellion, especially when she meets Constance, the last living relative of Cinderella and her family. One of the aspects I related to most from the story (since I am not Black nor queer) was women suffering from the complete power and control men have over society. Some of the lines Sophia quips while at the ball really struck home and made me realize that even though we live in a better society than Sophia and her friends, we are not living with complete gender equality.

My favorite character was definitely Amina because she was the most morally gray and had the most secrets to discover. I can't tell you who she is without giving away some of those secrets, though. ;)

I thought the author was able to take the original Cinderella tale and give it some new and fun twists, both through the version of the tale told in Sophia's world and how that tale has built the world Sophia now lives in. However, I would love to see the author's writing style grow in her next book. Her sentence structures were simple and straightforward, and much of the dialogue and description was on the nose, not leaving as much to the reader's imagination and at times feeling a little too perfect and polished. For me, it meant that I didn't feel as emotionally drawn into the story. Even so, I do think Cinderella Is Dead would make a good selection for someone straddling the line between middle grade and YA. It would provide a story that a younger reader could enjoy in the YA genre without having to worry that the story will get too dark and sexy, as a lot of YA has.

Overall, I'm glad I read Cinderella Is Dead. I would recommend it to younger readers of YA, Black readers, LGBTQ+ readers, and fans of fairytale retellings.

There is something incredibly powerful about a book focused on "Queer Black girls team[ing] up to overthrow the patriarchy in a world where Cinderella was real but has been dead for 200 years".

Sophia Grimmins is a 16 year old girl who is tired of playing by the rules set forward by the King. Years earlier, Prince Charming transformed the kingdom into every misogynist's fantasy, where women have lost their rights. They are required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men select wives and can treat them however they please afterwards. Not every home is full of warmth and comfort. If a suitor does not match, the girls not chosen are never heard or seen again. These strict laws have forced Sophia to make the desperate decision to flee. She doesn't want to marry a prince, she wants to marry a princess, her best friend Erin. Sophia dreams of being free. This unexpected path leads her to meet Constance, the last known descendent of Cinderella and together they vow to take the King down once and for all.

"Cinderella is Dead" will have you engaged until the very end. I did not expect to read the book in one day. Kalynn Bayron's retelling of Cinderella is a refreshing and exhilarating take. It provides commentary on modern issues with women's rights that we are still facing today while keeping parts of the original fairytale.

That said, the story lacked build up and development into the romance of Sophia and Constance. Whenever I come across stories where love happens this instant, it's normally in a weak-written Fanfiction. There is a lot happening in the plot so I understand why it's skimmed over, but it's important to take time to fine-tune the subplots as well, especially when promoted as being sapphic. We want to be shown how they connect.

Like many dystopians, the story followed a basic sequence where the protagonist is frustrated with how they're forced to live their life, chooses to rebel and finally, defeats the governing body. While the ending itself is predictable, the reader is able to travel on a journey with twists and turns before arriving at their final destination. It's an easy and fast-paced read that one is not likely to regret.

I received this book early from #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I’ve decided not to do a summary this time and just jump right in to my thoughts.

I first heard about this book from an Instagram live and knew right away that I was going to have to read it and quickly. I got on Netgalley because I just didn’t think I could wait until its release date in early July. It took a while to get approval, but as soon as I got it downloaded, I started reading it.

First impressions – as a parent, I was annoyed with the main character, Sophia. She wants to change all the rules in their land which is controlled by a misogynistic king who has no problem chopping the heads off those who oppose him. Her parents were first concerned with her safety, and disrupting the societal norms would not make her safe. In fact, there is a point when Sophia asks, “Don’t you want me to be happy?” And the response is no, I want you to be safe [alive]. I felt this deep in my heart as a mom of two girls.

As I read, though, I began to come around to Sophia. No dictator or dystopian ruler is ever overthrown without someone risking everything. Sophia is a strong (and sometimes reckless) main character. She cares deeply about the people she loves, and she wants better for everyone, including herself.

The setting and story building are fantastic. It is very easy to visualize what this society looks like. Every time I picked it up to read, I was transported to this world. This book is very well-written, and I am looking forward to reading more by Bayron.

Upon seeing a queer, diverse continuation/retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale, I was immediately intrigued. This took the original story and turned many aspects of it on its head, which I really appreciated. Although I saw a lot of the reveals coming, I still enjoyed how they came to pass, and am looking forward to seeing more from this author.

TW for human and animal death, toxic masculinity, homophobia, classism, and ableism. FYI, this book does not included genders other than male and female.

3.5 stars; thanks for Netgalley for the eARC.

A subversive, feminist take on the Cinderella myth, Cinderella is Dead is part queer love story, part resisting the patriarchy. There is a lot to like in this debut. It isn't perfect, but the ideas are on point and the execution is reasonably good. Not to mention, I love that this gives a gay Black girl a ball gown and a dagger.

200 years after Cinderella found her prince, girls are required to attend a ball every year starting at 16 where they will be chosen as brides for any men who are interested. Laws are heavily misogynistic, mandating strict curfews for women and children, requiring modest dress for girls, placing all power in the hands of men, including all finances and ability to abuse their wives without recompense. Meanwhile the Cinderella fairytale is a required text that girls must model their behavior and dreams after. Deviation results in swift and brutal punishment by the king.

Sophia is 16 and nearing her first required ball where her parents hope she will gain a husband. But she would rather marry her best friend Erin than any male suitor. If she truly wants to change things, she must uncover the true history of Cinderella and take down the king.

I have to say, I was completely riveted for about the first 40% of this book. We get a world that is horrifying and a MC who wants nothing to do with the life she is supposed to want. All the way up through the end of the ball and transition that follows, I could not get enough and blew through the story. There is teen angst, lots of very creepy men, and characters who are forced to hide who they are, including a cinnamon roll of a gay guy.

After that point, things get admittedly more messy at times. The way we learn about the history of Cinderella is a little clunky, there is a plot twist about the king that becomes painfully obvious pretty early on, at least (view spoiler) some of the messaging is a bit on the nose, and the way the romance goes moved a little fast for me to be fully invested. That said, I really like what this book is doing in asking questions about how fairy tales can be problematic, how history can be rewritten by the victors, why some people are so afraid to stand up for what's right, and the power of women who come together for a cause. It offers a different sort of fairy tale where the girl defeats evil and gets her princess. While it definitely reads like a debut, I think this is one worth trying and I look forward to seeing more from Kaylynn Baron in the future.

Content warnings include murder, misogyny, homophobia, violence, death of a loved one, rituals, necromancy, domestic violence