This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and whilst I did enjoy it, it wasn't the total winner I was hoping for.

I adore the concept for this one. It's so smart of Bayron to take a well known story and completely flip the contents to show a whole new perspective. The whole idea of queer, Black girls overthrowing the patriarchy is so exciting, and it was this aspect of the book that I loved.

However, the characters lacked depth for me which was why I couldn't love it more. I liked Sophia but I wanted to know more about what drove her, where her desire and strength to fight the system came from. I just felt like I needed a little more.

There is a sapphic romance in here which I loved but it was a bit too insta-love. Sophia's in a relationship with someone at the beginning of the novel who she really seems to care for yet she falls for her love interest so soon after meeting. It just seemed a little quick for me. I do think the romance was cute though so it wasn't too bad!

There's a twist at the end which I found fantastic as I wasn't expecting. For the most part though I found the ending too rushed. It all seemed to happen too quickly.

Overall, a strong YA fantasy novel which I enjoyed but it was lacking in some areas.

Cinderella Is Dead is set in a world where young girls are forced to follow in the footsteps of Cinderella and attend a ball to be chosen as wife. For this is a society ruled by men and at the top is the King and he will not be disobeyed. Those women who break the rules or do not get chosen after attending three balls become forfeit and disappear. We follow Sophia who is approaching her first ball. However she would rather make a life with her friend Erin than get a husband.

I did not have any expectations going into this book and I feel that this was the best way. I really enjoyed myself reading this book. Routing for Sophia the whole way.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Hi pals! It is my stop on the Cinderella is Dead blog tour ran by Faye in collaboration with Bloomsbury. This post will be a spoiler free review of the book. I hope you enjoy my review, and go and check out everyone else who was a part of this tour!
I was provided with a free copy by the publisher in return for an honest review
Synopsis from Goodreads

It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .

This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.
My thoughts of Cinderella is Dead

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron offers a different perspective on the Cinderella fairytale. I am guessing I’m not the only one who was told about Cinderella getting to go to the ball when she is visited by a fairy godmother. But what if that wasn’t the true story? This book makes you think twice about all the fairytales we are told as a child, and how they might not be as they seem. This is what happened to Sophia in this book.
The characters

Sophia is the main protagonist and a spitfire. I love how she knows what she wants and she will do whatever it takes to achieve this. Brought up in a society where she is made to hide who she is, Sophia knows that this is wrong. She knows that who she is shouldn’t be a secret. Sophia is so pure of heart, but also so very much a sixteen year old. We see bursts of emotions throughout this book, and it just makes Sophia that little bit more relatable.

Constance is probably my favourite out of the characters. When we initially meet Constance, I have my doubts about her. However, we soon learn that Constance is fierce and protective and pretty much a badass. She wields a sword with little regard about how womxn are seen in this society, and I just think she is amazing. She is what every young person reading this book needs. Constance is a role model.

The other characters, such as Erin, Luke, Amina and King Manford all play a big part in this book. The book would not be the same without any of the above, no matter how unlikable the characters can be.
Themes

This book is so unbelievably queer and I love it so much. Sophia is undoubtably gay, and we learn from the book that she came out to her parents when she was eleven. She doesn’t hide her sexuality, and this is something that makes my heart melt. Sophia is also not the only queer chatacter, as there are other lesbians, as well as a gay lad. This book is all things queer and I just love it so much.

Feminism is one of the main themes in this book, with this book lifting up womxn on every page (almost). We see the feminist beliefs in Sophia and Constance, who just want womxn to have the same rights of their male counterparts. Furthermore, there was a small mention about two sisters searching around the world for stories to tell. This was in relation to the brother’s grimm, but I loved the mere possibility of two sisters making that journey. This book is very important for all people to read, as it helps make people aware of the privileges that they have.
Overall thoughts about Cinderella is Dead

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot was engaging and kept me rooting for the characters, as well as the characters having depth which then made them likeable. This book offered a unique take on fairytales, and it made a change for it to be a standalone. I will definitely be thinking more about the origins of the stories I read in future.

I do hope you’ll pick up this book, and check out everyone else who made this tour possible.

Until next time,

Bee xo

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

I really wanted to like this book, and I didn’t dislike it - it just fell a little bit flat for me. It was a really interesting premise, and a nice quick read, but I just didn’t find myself getting invested in any of the characters. I didn’t quite believe the relationships, or feel like I cared about what happened to them.

If you’re looking for a quick read that won’t leave you with a book hangover then this is great, but if you want to be more invested this won’t hit the spot.

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

Omg. A Cinderella retelling! I was all up for that!

It's Sophia Grimmins turn to attend the ball to find a husband, well more like be picked by a man who can basically do what he wants.....and Sophia does not want to go.....and I cannot blame her. She lives in a really horrible, oppressive world.

There were so many things I loved about this book, the shops, the games, the fairy godmother twist, Sophia, how she is just who she is and will fight to make that happen.

I would've loved to have seen more world building, I just felt like I didn't get enough and I would've loved to see more development for Amina too (if you read it you'll know why!)

I really enjoyed the authors reimagining of this tale, it was unique and really interesting.....I just felt like I needed a bit 'more'.

This book was enjoyable, but I have to be honest and say for me, there was just something missing. Something that would’ve taken the book from good to great.I love the premise. It was really interesting, and I thought it was such a good idea. I was really invested in the first few chapters. I was ready to explore the world, the story, the history but unfortunately I just can’t but think that I wanted the story to go deeper. Maybe there needed to be more world building? I wanted to know more about the grand Balls, and in the palace walls. To truly get the sense of the evils Sophia was fighting against. I wonder if it focused too much on Cinderella. I know that sounds silly to say as it’s literally called Cinderella is Dead.I loved that this book has a F/F relationship. But again, it needed to be more. It felt a bit flat. I just didn’t feel the connection, I knew there was supposed to be one between the characters but it never happened for me. I loved both of these characters separately, but they didn’t click for me as a romantic pair. They definitely worked as pair trying to change history. But it’s always good to see LGBTQ+ representation in books. I did however love the characters. Sophia is a great character to follow. She was fierce, brave yet had a vulnerability in her bravery that I absolutely loved. I loved Constance too. She was funny and sharp. I cared about them. Towards the end, when they were in a bit of danger, I was genuinely worried what was going to happen to Sophia. Kalynn Bayron has written some fantastic characters. For me, overall this book did need more. It was still good, it certainly wasn’t a bad read. But I just felt at times the author was telling me what to feel, instead of actually letting me feel it. It was a bit lacklustre. And also i felt the story needed a bit better structure. Again, this book wasn’t bad. I wanted to see how the author would wrap the story up and I wasn’t disappointed. And there was a twist that I didn’t see coming and it shocked me. That’s always a good thing. It was enjoyable, I just feel like it had the potential to be great. But I know so many people loved this book. Listen to them, not me. I would recommend this book. I even wonder if I read this again, would I like it more. And I’m excited to see what Kaylnn writes next. Thanks to Bloomsbury UK and Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out now in the UK.

I'm struggling to adequately put how much I loved reading this into words. It was a fast-paced, action packed rollercoaster of a read! I absolutely adore fairytale retellings and this is right up there with my absolute favourites.

There are so many twists and turns in this story, it's sure to keep you guessing throughout. It's certainly a plot driven story and I loved the spin on the original Cinderella fairytale. The characters felt realistic and I thought the romance aspect of the story was really well done.

It makes the reader feel uncomfortable at times because it asks the big questions. The way it shows how society treats females and the expectations upon women to conform to a patriarchal society is, at times, difficult to read. The book sensitively handles abuse and domestic violence.

A powerful novel and one of my favourite books this year.

I am a sucker for a re-imagined fairy tale and this one should have ticked all the boxes for me but somehow just fell a but short. I couldn't really warm to the lead character and in the end I only got half way through before I gave up. Not for me, I'm afraid.

I really enjoyed this retelling if Cinderella and enjoyed the fresh retake on the Cinderella myth.

I fell in love with the characters in this book, I also really enjoyed the plot and the setting of the story and found it flowed really well. I felt when reading this book the the story had the perfect pace to keep your attention , I didn’t feel like it was rushed or like it dragged it was just right for me. I did find the story abit predictable but they was plenty twists and turns that kept me hooked and reading.

Sophia is a bright beacon throughout this story, she shows the girls in the world of Lille how to raise their voices and stand up for themselves and not to hold back.

I really did enjoy this story, from the characters , to the pace of writing and also really enjoyed the authors writing style. I don’t read many retelling stories but have to say the title, cover and blurb caught my attentions.

I want to say Thankyou to netgalley , the publisher and author for allowing me to read and review this arc , this does not affect my opinion and my review is my own thoughts.

Overall, I think this is a really fast-paced and plot heavy book that is pretty entertaining and has some really fun and interesting twists to it. In particular I loved the way the story of Cinderella was weaved into this world and examined and picked apart, and the overall commentary on how we as societies consume and accept stories and how these stories that are so embedded into our consciousness can perpetuate into societal values that can be harmful. However I found that overall the characterisation fell flat for me, with the majority of characters being fairly two dimensional and a lot of explanations for motivations being skimmed over or extremely convenient. I would've loved more nuance and depth to some of our main characters, and I think that the f/f romance in here suffered because of the surface level characterisation. I would recommend for readers who enjoy plot-based books that are entertaining but have some interesting commentary also.

I really enjoyed this, Cinderella is not one of my favourite fairytales but I really enjoyed how the author retold the story here, she really made it her own! It was a gripping story, there were a lot of great twists and the f/f romance was really well done. I'd love to see more retellings like this, with characters of colour taking centre stage!

Honestly what a book! Top 10 for this year for me by far!

A Cinderella story with a MASSIVE difference. Set 200 years after Cinderella met her Prince Charming.

Honestly I was blown away with the plot of this story. How @kalynnbayron came up with this is beyond me but I loved it!

🤞 there might be a sequel... the book doesnt NEED one but I would just personally love one ❤

Im a massive fan of fairytales so this won me over straight away but even if you're not you will still love this!

I went into this with fairly neutral expectations, i wasn't sure what to expect but i was pleasantly surprised.
This was a pretty agreeable read that didn't require too much thinking on my part and meant i could fully immerse myself into the story.

It feels very much on the younger side of YA which i sometimes found a little frustrating but i'm very aware that i am not the target audience and that a younger one might have a much more enjoyable reading experience.

The representation in this is fantastic and definitely something the genre needs more of.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kalynn Bayron & Bloomsbury publishing for my arc of Cinderella is Dead in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Cinderella has been dead for 200 years but her legacy lives on. The women of Lille must live up to her standards and every year they attend a ball hosted by King Manford and be chosen by a suitable husband. It's three strikes and you're out, with the girl who attends 3 balls without being chosen forfeited and sent to the workhouse. But for Sophia being chosen has never felt like a choice. All she wants is to spend her life with the girl she loves, her best friend Erin. Everything changes on the night of the ball when Sophia flees and finds herself in Cinderella's mausoleum. There she meets Constance, last known descendant of Cinderella's step sister and holder of the key to the family secrets and the secrets the people of Lille have forgotten. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all.

I absolutely loved this book even more than I expected to. If you're going to give me:
A fairytale retelling
A boss feminist cast
A down with the patriarchy storyline
Powerful LGBTQ characters
A witch
Necromancy
Dark/evil/foreboding villains
A mysterious forest
Then you've pretty much got me book line and sinker. There are so many wonderfully powerful quotes and ones that I think will definitely resonate with the readers. Kalynn Bayron gets to the heart of the small problems in society relating to feminism as well as the larger ones and I think that's so powerful. Plus it's one of the best fairytale retellings I've read since A Curse So Dark & Lonely so there's that too!

That cover is absolutely, wonderfully stunning. Striking and powerful and one of those images that sticks with you throughout the book. And makes you so damn happy when the moment portrayed happens.

Cinderella married her prince and lived happily ever after, and now her story is told to little girls everywhere. Reminding them they must attend the ball, they must meet a man, they must dress pretty and look stunning to attract someone and if they are good enough, perhaps they will be visited by the fairy godmother. 200 years after the death of Cinderella, Sophia does not want to go to the ball. She does not want to find a man and live the life laid out before her. She wants to run away, preferably with Erin, but there is no where they can go, and Sophia soon learns she is not the only one who doesn’t want the life presented to them through Cinderella’s story.

This book feels unique. It’s not a retelling, and the twists it adds on Cinderella’s story make it feel so fresh and different. As huge a Disney fan as I am, the way Cinderella is idolized here makes for some uncomfortable reading, and it works so bloody well. It’s hard not to see parallels with the whole ‘Disney Princess’ fascination, the way we bring up little girls to believe they should want the life of a princess even when it is completely and utterly unattainable.

The book has some powerful social commentary, moments which make you stop, and think, and absorb, especially in the way society treats women and little girls. In this world, men get away with anything. If they get bored of their wives, they can ‘forfeit’ them. No one bats an eye if a woman is covered in bruises. And little girls are forced to tie their worth into being pretty and wearing dresses, with their parents often using up their life savings so they can go to the ball.

This is a story of rebelling without a rebellion, of two young women fighting against an unfair, unjust system, battling for what they believe is right, and pushing against the tide of popular opinion. Sophia looks around and sees people who are either happy with the system, or content not to tip the scales. But she also sees fear, and the way people who could change things are held down. But she fights on, because she knows it is the only way she can be happy.

Cinderella is Dead is a beautifully powerful novel about finding your own path, and doing what is right even when it feels like everyone is against you. Sophia is a wonderful character, strong and brave, and the f/f relationships are weaved in so well, I was cheering for Sophia to find her happiness the whole way through. This book shows how one person can make all the difference, and if you haven’t read it already, I would only ask, why not?

I went into this book with such high expectations. The premise is AMAZING and I was so excited to read this. I was expecting this to be an easy 5* for me, it ended up as a 4* so its still a really good book, but there were a couple parts I was disappointed in.
The Characters:
I liked Sophia and Constance, however (and this is my gripe with so many YA fantasy's) why do you make the unskilled protagonist be the one to save the day when there are better skilled/qualified people in her group??? Main example of this: its Sophia who's dressed up and sneaks into the cuttilion to murder the king. Constance stays hidden outside the palace. Reasons why this is dumb? 1. Sophia doesn't even know how to hold a dagger, let alone confidently use one, whereas Constance has been trained in hand to hand combat since childhood. 2. Sophia is currently Public Enemy Number One, whereas Constance's face is unknown in the kingdom. 3. Subsequently, Constance literally did nothing in this whole climatic scene and was completely wasted.
On this as well, their love storyline. Yeesh, this girl was madly in love with Erin, then falls madly in love with Constance after 2 minutes of meeting her- can we not just be friends?
World Building:
I liked the world, and I felt it was pretty well described. I particularly liked how other it built on the Cinderella fairy tale as well as drawing from others as well.
Twists and plot:
Overall- pretty good. Yes it was highly predictable what the king was doing and all the other twists relating to him. I was surprised by the twist regarding Amina. One thing that did annoy me was the dropped plots. For example Erin- I'd have liked to understand why she was so angry when Sophia returns, and if she ever did love her. I want to know why all the guests at the ball were asked to leave through the back door other than as a plot device.

So yeah. Good book- I enjoyed it. It didn't live up to my ridiculous expectations but I would read more by this author. 4*
I received an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I felt really conflicted with this book to begin with, after seeing multiple negative reviews and struggling to get in to it myself, I truly believed this was going to be a book I put down, however, I persevered with the slow start and I am so happy I did so because WOW - this book was all types of incredible! The whole premise of this story was extremely fascinating and once it really kicked in, I was completely hooked. It has the right amount of action, romance and tenderness, filled with some gasp-worthy surprises and twists near the end, providing readers with the perfect amount of entertainment.

This was truly a female empowered story, that first began with abusive and manipulative men taking the lead, however, Sophia was having none of it and helped do everything to put her town right. The world truly is a woman's world and this book showed exactly that.

The premise of this was fascinating and well executed: women have been manipulated into believing the sugar-coated version of Cinderella’s love story and anyone who doesn’t fit the strict male-dominated values is imprisoned. Sophia is terrified of the ball, of being pawed and leered at, of being a pawn in a man’s game, so she flees. In the hidden mausoleum of Cinderella’s final resting place, she meets Constance, who is like her and wants to topple the unfair system and the lies surrounding Cinderella’s so-called “happily ever after”.

Unfortunately, I didn’t quite believe the romance between Sophia and Constance. Between Sophia still having feelings for her best friend and the pace of overthrowing the patriarchy, the romance kind of fell by the wayside. Not to say that it was badly written or anything, I just wanted to be swept up in it. But the plot? That was incredible, especially the subtle hints to the original tale and then subverting them, making the women of this story take centre stage, as is right.

There were lots of twists and turns, it was very fast paced and full of secrets waiting to be uncovered. I even gasped a few times with surprise! All in all, a solid read for me, maybe could have benefited from a bit more world-building but the message and the story were great.

I went into this with mixed expectations as i saw the five-star reviews and was wary of people were over hyping this book however i really enjoyed this book and it had the right balance between tenderness and action. I really enjoyed how this blended the original tale and modern sensibilities into something new. The romance was sweet and i liked how it showed the varying attitudes. Overall this is an excellent andreally important fanatasy novel.

Cinderella is Dead was a fast paced story that turned the famous and beloved fairytale of Cinderella on its head. It was much more Christian Anderson-esque than Disney though! What I enjoyed most of all was the fairytale elements mixed with strong feminist themes. The world that this story is set in is a dark and dangerous place, where patriarchy rules supreme and women are treated as objects, playthings and second class citizens. It's much more of a grim, dystopian place rather than a glamorous utopia you'd find in a fairytale.

There were a few things that rubbed me the wrong way though. Sadly, the story fell a little flat for me. It seemed to rush on, with everything told to us really and not shown. The insta love element didn't work for me either and had me rolling my eyes a few times. The characters frustrated me at times and I didn't feel completely invested in them. I liked Sophia as a main character but I didn't connect with her really. Her strong spirit and feisty attitude was compelling but as the story progressed I didn't fully believe in everything she did.

Overall, I liked this story. I liked the fresh outlook on a traditional fairytale and how diverse it was. However, it wasn't for me and wish it had more depth and intrigue.