I loved this book so much. I read it in one night, it caught my attention and was thrilling. There were a lot of surprises and loved it. .

I liked this book a lot!

It has some flaws. There are a few coincidences in the plot which could have been products of skill and determination instead, if the author put some more thought into it. But mostly my problem was was that the writing of the Horrible Oppressive Patriarchal Kingdom was So Obvious. It conveys the horror of the setting, but at the cost of more subtle and evocative writing. I think the misogyny and hopelessness and horror could have been conveyed with writing more like a scalpel instead of a pick axe, if you get what I'm saying. On the other hand, the straightforwardness of it means no one could be dense enough to miss the message. And with its retelling angle and not having sexual content but with the same message, it might be a fantastic The Handmaid's Tale for younger audiences.

I also wanted more fleshing out of the fairy-tales-are-state-propaganda angle! The treatment of Cinderella this way is the basis of the entire book, but the mention of Snow White caught my interest so hard, I wanted to know how so many other tales would go if they got the same treatment. Hoping this was left to be fleshed out in sequels!

Though I wish the flaws were fixed, I am very happy with this book. We got gay girls. We got queer characters supporting each other. We got morally gray characters and heroes and villains. We got a million different ways people crumple under and quietly resist and loudly revolt against the patriarchy, and incredible character development as Sophia learns not to judge people who go quietly because they just want to survive, even though she is a different kind of person. And she does it all while kissing girls.

If you love fairy tale retellings you should read it. There so many twists and turns that this book kept my attention and I didn’t want the book to end. Loved this book!

This Book was in short great.
If you love fairy tale retellings you should read it I absolutely loved the original twist that Kalynn Bayron provided to Cinderella.
It starts out with us learning about the ball and that 200 years after Cinderella and Prince Charming have lived their “happily ever after” and now everyone is under King Manford's rule. Sophia is defiant and doesn't want to complacently follow the king's backwards way of living. So after the ball she meets Constance and they make plans to find out the truth.
There were so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming.

I was hyped for this book as soon as I saw it advertised and immediately logged on to NetGalley to request an ARC. I was so thrilled when I received my e-copy and immediately started to read. This book did not disappoint!!

Retellings are extremely popular right now, so figuring out a story to stand out in a genre so saturated is an extremely difficult task. However, Bayron proved why we all needed one more cinderella story. This retelling is full of female empowerment, a queer black character, adventure, romance, and suspense. Literally everything you could want in a fantastical Cinderella retelling.

The novel is in first person POV, narrated by Sophia. Sophia lives in a repressive society where men are in charge of their daughters and wives. Women have no rights or say in the world. They can work, but all the money they receive has to go back to the head of household. Women are expected to memorize the Cinderella tale and be able to recite it upon request if asked. This was a really interesting part because it was like Cinderella was viewed as a goddess and all of the women are expected to strive to be just like her in order to get their happily ever after.

Well Sophia is in love with her best friend Erin, who is also a female. Erin, though fond of her, is too terrified of the king and his laws to really act upon these feelings and makes that clear before the night of the ball. At the ball, all eligible of aged girls are expected to attend. This is where men find the girl they wish to marry. If a girl does not get chosen, she has the ability to attend another ball or her parents had the ability to "forfeit" their daughter. When a daughter is forfeited, no one hears from her again.

Sophia is defiant, as well as she should be, and doesn't want to complacently follow the king's backwards way of living. This is where the story truly begins. I loved how Bayron structured her plot and how we learned the true story of Cinderella and her step sisters. I typically have a hard time with first person POV, but I found myself loving the writing style and unable to put this book down.

The plot flowed smoothly and I did not anything was pieced together awkwardly. There was even a plot twist that I did not see coming, but loved it. The only complaint I had was that the ending felt a bit rushed, but probably because I wanted more from Sophia and Constance (her companion in her journey.)

I ADORED how the book ended though. It could not have been a more inspirational ending.

Do not be silent.
Raise your voice.
Be a light in the dark.

I'd never been a fan of the Cinderella story but this book made it all feel so eery and dark. There's such a beauty in this book. This breaks down notions and explores love that is true. Pick this book up if you're thinking about it.

Please note: I received a digital ARC of this book (via NetGalley) from its publisher in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron is a fantastic, fierce, feminist reimagining of the Cinderella fairytale. In this patriarchal world all girls must attend a ball to be selected as a wife. This was a super fun and fast read. What originally pulled me in was the cover art. The cover is eye catching and immediately lets me know i'm going to be immersed in a world of intrigue with a gorgeous female protagonist.

Kalynn Bayron has really created a wonderfully lush world with multi dimensional characters. Sophia is such a great heroine. And Constance! What can I say but WOW! She really evoIved throughout the course of this book! We get great female representation, and enough of a backstory to make all of the characters feel real and let you want to root for them to win. It kept me flipping pages all the way through. I have been loving all of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy YA coming out lately, there are so many top notch gems to pick from and Cinderella is Dead is another contender...purely badass! Readers of varied backgrounds will enjoy and be able to relate to this book.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in action, adventure, and queer girls of color smashing the patriarchy! Published by Bloomsbury YA, Cinderella is Dead is available for pre-order from all major booksellers. I give Cinderella is Dead 4 out of 5 gems. I really hope there will be more books set in this universe.

A well written take on an old classic. Unexpected twists and turns abound in this updated fairy tale..

The idea of this book was really intriguing, but the writing style was not for me. Some bits of the plot were kind of cliche too--even though many books do it I guess, but I was not really captured by the beginning of this book and ended up unable to finish through to the end.

This was one of the most original fractured fairy tales I have read. I loved how inclusive the cast was and the author's clever twists on the classic Cinderella tale. Definitely pick it up for the young or the young at heart.

You had me at "Queer black girls overthrowing the patriarchy."
I love fairytale retellings and imaginings and this was such a fresh take on a beloved classic. I flew through the book and thought the twists with the stepmother and stepsisters were so compelling and fun. It was a feminist revamp of the classic "women hating women" trope that's still all too common. It fed into the greater theme of stories and history - who gets to tell the stories, history erasure, and propaganda in exchange for power are a few of the topics touched on in this story. They all continue to be relevant today.
The beginning confused me a bit, but the story was off before I knew it, with Sophia revolting against the outdated rules of her patriarchal world. She was a great character to follow throughout the story, full of fire, grit, and flawed emotions.
It's the perfectly standalone and I had to read the last third of the book all in one sitting because the tension was would so perfectly and the stakes were so high. I highly recommend this debut!

Review will be available on my blog July 2nd, 2020:

Disclaimer: I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Any quotes used may not match it's final copy. 

TW: Physical Abuse (Mentioned & Shown), Homophobia, Death of a family member (mentioned), Poverty,  Bullying, Death, Execution, Necromancy, Death of an animal, Assassination Attempt, Torture, Misogyny (Comment & Society), Sexual Harassment 
Rep: Lesbian Black MC, Gay Side Character

"Do not be silent.

"Raise your voice.

"Be a light in the Dark."

I'm a huge fan of retellings in general, but I think I can finally die happy. I was always a huge fan of fairy-tales-but they were always straight, white people. What about the queer people, what about the POC fairytales? This book was filled with it, and honestly I love this Cinderella retelling the best. 

I loved the feminism in this book! I'm not just saying that because I'm a feminist-but the message of this book on how women could be the heroes of their story and how they don't need a handsome knight to save them. How women don't need men to feel complete, and I really want more girls to realize that.

Right from the very first page-I could feel the misogyny world and how society has believed it. There was nothing more that I could than want to scream at everyone that women could do anything men can do. And having a MC that's a feminist? I was crying 😭, because she hated the society she grew up in, and wanted something more. 

Anyways, I loved Sophie and her attitude. I loved her from the first page because she grew up, forced to listen to the "Cinderella" story about how she had a wicked stepmother and stepsisters-I'm pretty sure you all know the story. She has a fiery spirit that could probably be summed up in this gif.

Her attitude is what made this book unique, and I'm just sitting here saying 'yes girl' to her actions because she is the voice people need. She is a strong character who wants to make her world a better place. 

"I don't dare tell him that once while I sat in her lap she told me that if I ever went to the ball I should set the palace on fire and dance on the ashes."

This sounds exactly like I'd do if I was forced to get married. Sophia is an awesome character that all I wanted to do is bow down to her. I'm not worthy of her presence. She can step on me or do whatever she wants. I'm not worthy of her presence.

This book is seriously amazing with its plot. It's the exploration of the Cinderella Story and making the world a better society. And honestly, its so worth it!! This book is so freaking good and the plot was so nice! It was also a nice exploration what was the real story of Cinderella and how she mysteriously died 200 years ago.

That exploration made me appreciate the story! This retelling was what made think of a better way of Cinderella instead of the ones that we're told about how she falls in love with Prince Charming and lived Happily Ever After. This story was so freaking good and I still don't think I'm worthy of this presence!

Now, let's get into the not so good stuff that I have found-The Ending. What was happening with that? Because while it was good, it was so rushed and made it feel incomplete. I expected a better ending with how there were subtle changes made in the society. The end needed a lot more work.  

At times, there were a few predictable plot-twists that were really obvious and could have been a little better.

What an outstanding book! I loved the hook!! The premise really draws you in and Sophia is such a fun character. I loved being drawn into the story with it's unique worldbuilding. The story is set in and wrapped around the Cinderella tale, most likely Disney's version. It shows the messed up story and the cruelty of others. Sophia is unlike almost all the other girls. She's bold, knows what her standards are, and hates the Cinderella story. She also only likes girls, not boys, and therefore is an outcast, because she wants to be with her girlfriend.

DNF at 25%

Such a disappointment. The premise is fun, but I was not impressed by how quickly the heroine forgot her first love and made googly eyes at a new girl. Love triangles are not my thing, and I'm not interested in reading about fickle relationship development. It's not for me. DNF.

This book was interesting, but ultimately, I'm giving it 3-stars. It was a decent reimagining, but for me, the plot was too slow and there were places where things could have been built up a little better. Cinderella has been dead for 200 years, but what happens when the fairytale isn't all that it's cracked up to be? Especially if you're 16-year-old Sophia, who would rather have Erin, her childhood love, than a life where she isn't even considered a second-class citizen. It is so hard reimagining a story that's been handed down through the ages, but I wish there has been a little more world-building and better pacing. This book contains a lot of misogyny, physical abuse and talk of suicide, so beware if you are sensitive to these subject matters

What if everything you knew about Cinderella was wrong? In this dystopian fantasy, Cinderella’s story has become a twisted tool to subjugate women and children. The kingdom of Lille strictly and harshly enforces laws to ensure that girls participate in a warped version of the Cinderella ball and accept their submissive and controlled roles in life, even when maltreated and abused.

Sophia, the protagonist, rejects these inequalities from a young age. She hates that women are “at the mercy of the fickle whims of men.” Sophia dreams of a life where she can be free – free to make her own decisions, free to love any girl she desires, and free from the unbelievable constraints put upon all women. See witnesses the burdens that women in Lille carry, and she hopes for something better.

Her dreams become a possibility when she escapes from the clutches of the kingdom and meets Constance, the last known relative of Cinderella’s step-sister. With Constance, Sophia learns the true Cinderella story, not the flowery glorified version she learned in Lille. She also meets someone from Cinderella’s past who can help her figure out what is really going on in Lille.

Cinderella is Dead is an entertaining and immersive story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The vivid setting and dynamic characters captivated me from the start, and I was curious to see how the author could “retell” this classic fairy tale.

She did it perfectly.

Bayron took what we know of the story and turned it on its head. Was the fairy godmother really benevolent? Was Prince Charming really Charming? How did Cinderella’s parents really die? The story answers all of these questions and more in a way that creates a fantastical, action-packed read filled with vivid imagery and strong symbolism.

The protagonist is a fabulous young heroine. Independent and strong, Sophia is fearless in her quest for equality. She is young, fierce, and occasionally impulsive, which leads her into some interesting situations. She also refuses to believe that her feelings are wrong. She loves a girl, which is prohibited in Lille, and Sophia rejects this prejudice. She knows her worth and fights to save herself from societal oppression.

Sophia won’t rest at just saving herself, however. She wants to save the kingdom and invoke change in this harsh and cruel society. She wants all women to be free from fear and abuse and to control their future. She wants the boys to grow up knowing that abusing women is wrong and to teach them honorable ways of living and respecting people.

When women in Lille go missing with no explanation, Sophia is even more determined to get answers and invoke change. Ultimately, she wants to stand up for what is right and convince others to stand with her to fight the misogyny of Lille.

Cinderella is Dead is a captivating feminist retelling of the Cinderella story with a cleverly constructed dystopian twist. A wonderful blend of action, romance, mystery, and suspense, this exceptional and fantastical page-turner is a must-read!

This book is not your mother's Cinderella retelling. Combining classic fairy tales with a dystopian future and revolution brewing, Kalynn Bayron combines some of the best storytelling tropes into this futuristic take on the consequences of that night long ago.

In Cinderella is Dead, we see girls forced to relive and repeat the traditions of the past without agency and without hope. All of that changes with Sophia and her chance encounter with Constance, the last living heir of Cinderella, and they vow to bring it all down.

The best description of this book I have seen is, "queer black girls team up to overthrow the patriarchy in the former kingdom of Cinderella" and if that doesn't hook you I don't know what will!

Rating: 4

This book was really entertaining and engaging. I felt pulled into the world and shared the opinions of how messed up the world was with the main character. The characters were very developed and I found them believable. The setting could have used more descriptions, but it was still fairly easy to imagine what the village looked like. The ending of this book was amazing as well!

Sometimes the main character did seem a bit naive and the romance felt kind of sudden. It was a little jarring at times how infatuated the main character was because the romance was so sudden.

This ARC was provided to me by NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA.

A very fun read! I enjoyed the twists and elaborations on Cinderella's tale, and how it was used to build the world Sophia lived in. The cruelty inherent to the system was truly pushed about, and those who saw the jagged edge felt fleshed out enough, not mere caricatures for cruelty.

I enjoyed the twist, and I hope to find other similar stories written by the writer in the future!

I adore retellings of fairy tales. Add in a mystery and a feminist POV and I'm totally there for it.