Unfortunately I have got 30% in to this and I am not finding that I am clicking with the story. I can see how this might interest people but it is not working for me. I do not want to go any further and give an inaccurate and unhonest review.

"Do not be silent. Raise your voice. Be a light in the dark" - Cinderella is Dead 👸🏽

Thank you to Tandem Collective, Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for sending me a copy of Cinderella is Dead 😍

Oh, my goodness. This book. THIS BOOK! I'm struggling to put into words how I feel about this book. It's so beautifully written and ridiculously captivating. I didn't want to put it down once I started reading. Absolutely not what I was expecting.

Kalynn's writing style is incredible and I'll definately keep my eyes open for more from her in the future. She's taken the original Cinderella Fairytale and flipped it on its head in this beautiful retelling and I don't think I'll ever see the OG story the same way again.

I loved this book so much, cannot fault it at all. If you want a queer Cinderella retelling, this is absolutely the one you're looking for. Huge 5 🌟 from me. If I could give it more, I would 👸🏽

"my mother taught me that I am a whole person with or without a husband" - Constance 💛

This was such a gripping YA fairytale retelling that I feel should be a staple on any young fantasy lover’s shelf. Bayron uses the metaphor of fairytale stories that all girls are fed unquestioningly in their youth, to represent dangerous patriarchal ideals. She packs this book with strong, feminist characters who question the world around them.

The romance between our two female MCs is really tender – Sophia has made the difficult choice to leave behind her first love, Erin, who will not fight for their relationship, to try and find a better life for herself. She quickly begins to develop feelings for the feisty, unapologetic Constance and must deal with the guilt of leaving Erin behind, whilst discovering new feelings and a new relationship. Constance was understanding of this, and never jealous. It was healthy, there was no rushing into the relationship – their love just felt genuine and tender and sweet – yet was also not a key central pillar of the plot.

Our main plot is focused on breaking down the lies in the society of Lille, uncovering difficult truths and breaking down the laws and ideals of this toxic patriarchal society. It was full of twists and turns that kept me guessing, even when I felt like I could predict the outcome and we were heading somewhere predictable, I was surprised. I felt like there were real relevant undertones here to the modern media situation – Sophia discovers throughout the book how misleading the media of her kingdom can be – that the story that has been spun and is considered truth is not all what it seems, and has been manipulated by those in charge.

While obviously widely exaggerated from our society, this book does draw a lot of extreme parallels. It portrays young people questioning their leaders and their history, what they have been taught and know. Sophia is an incredible lead, who knows her own mind and whilst is terribly afraid, acts anyway for the good of herself and her people. I want to put this book in the hands of every young fantasy reader, to show them a strong, questioning, black, lesbian lead character. Cinderella is Dead really is the fairytale retelling that YA needed.

It also does feel to me that Bayron slipped in references to future fairytale retellings that could be a companion to this novel, which I would be so excited to see! She referenced a Snow White retelling within this book and I’m gonna be so mad if she doesn’t write it!

I’d like to finish this review with one final thought: Fuck the patriarchy.

Author: Kalynn Bayron
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: E-Book Advanced Reader Copy
Published: 6th August 2020
Pages: 385 Pages
Rating: 4 Stars

*I received a copy of this via Netgalley from the publisher, however, this in no way influenced my opinion. Thank you to Bloomsbury YA for providing me with a copy.*

Content Warning: misogyny, domestic abuse, racism, homophobia and death.

“When the leader of this kingdom treats women as property, it sets an awful precedent. People think it’s okay to do the same.”

So this novel takes place 200 years after Cinderella found her Prince Charming and every year the girls of the kingdom have to go to a ball where they have to be chosen by a man to be their wife. Those who are not chosen after 3 attempts are taken away and never seen or heard from again. However Sophia does not want to be chosen because she is in love with her best friend Erin.

So, I requested this due to the premise and I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author took the original Cinderella story and made it her own. The Cinderella tale in this was a lot darker than the Disney version and I loved that. This was an intense read from the very beginning which pulled me into the story and setting – it was well-written and the world building was great. My favourite thing about this novel is the main character Sophia, she was very determined and a badass. She stood up for what was right and sought to make change along with Constance. Constance was also an interesting character, I was so happy to find out she had a connection to the original Cinderella story, however I would have liked to hear more of her backstory. One aspect that was enjoyable was the banter between Amina and Constance it was such an interesting dynamic. I really liked the romance between Sophia and Constance, they were so cute and I was rooting for them. The last part of this was really intense and I was so concerned for the safety of Sophia and Constance. There were some interesting plot twists that were unpredictable in my opinion. My only issue with this novel is that sometimes I found it a bit repetitive.

Overall this was an exciting YA Fantasy that turned the original Cinderella story on its head. It has a badass and driven main character and includes a f/f relationship.

This had a great premise, and I think it's a good re-telling of Cinderella. A feisty lesbian protagonist. I found her quite vivid.
At times it was a bit too angsty, but overall gripping entertaining read.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

While I commend and appreciate what this book was trying to accomplish, it just didn't work for me. It tells the story of Sophia, a young woman living in Lille almost 200 years after the story of Cinderella. Every year, the women of the town are forced to attend a ball to be 'chosen' for their happy ever after. The basic plot here was fine and there were a couple of points that I enjoyed, but overall, I thought that the writing was pretty poor. The dialogue was clunky and painful at times and the pacing of the narrative just didn't make sense. I feel like the story would have worked better if the book had been longer, giving the relationships time to mature in a more natural way. I liked the commentary on the role of women in society and enjoyed Sophia as a protagonist, for the most part, but I just didn't vibe with the book as a whole.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The story is quite promising and dark. I really liled the atmosphere, it was dark and very immersive, it kept me reading. However, I lost interest in the story after putting the book down for a while due to some personal reasons ans couldn't connect to the story again.

While I appreciate this retelling for what it is, a POC and LGBT book with a f/f relationship, I can't rate something higher than 3 stars if it didn't hold my attention even after putting it down for a bit.

However, i feel like this just wasn't the book for me right now, it's not bad at all and I'd recommend it if you're the target audience (YA)

Cinderella is dead but her story lives on. Sophia has been raised in a society that owes everything to Prince Charming and Cinderella. The world faced unimaginable famine and death before Charming swept in to rescue the lands 200 years ago – and ever since the kingdom has ruled under a munificent ruler who makes it law to remember Cinderella’s story and her sacrifice. But generosity can only extend so far, and as such every women must adhere to strict rules that leave them completely at the hands of their husbands and fathers. They have no rights of their own, no free speech, and every year at the age of 16 they must attend a ball at the palace to hopefully be ‘chosen’ as a bride. Those not chosen must be ‘forfeit’, and never return home. Sophia is different from those she has grown up with. She doesn’t want a husband – all she wants is Erin. But when disaster strikes at her first ball, she must take a dangerous journey to find her freedom, and discover the true history of Cinderella and her place in this story.

To start with the positives, I really enjoyed the beginning of this. The setup is done really well, with some decent descriptions of the village Sophia lives in to give off an unsettling fairy tale vibe in a dystopian setting. Sophia’s friendship group is also quite sweet, with an obvious close bond with Erin, and affection for best friend Liv. They share a common concern for each other, and in the beginning are all very supportive, and it was nice to see. I also loved to see a strong YA queer black protagonist. Sophia’s is just is who she is, beautiful and strong, and I want to see more YA fantasy novels that explore the black narrative away from that of just the traumas of the past. To make her sapphic, and have Sophia just accept that this is who she is made her even better. More publishing houses need to take note that in 2020, this is the kind of diversity we want on the market.

I also liked Sophia’s character for the most part. She’s brave and strong, someone who knows her own mind. She knows she’s ‘different’, but she doesn’t want a knight in shining armour. She wants to be the knight. She wants to make her own decisions, and not live her life being controlled by a cruel husband. And she’ll do it at any cost. I know some people may see this as selfish, but I prefer to think that Sophia is thinking of the greater good. Change comes at a cost, and it’s one she’s willing to take. She doesn’t want to conform to what one man thinks is acceptable. She also raises some important points about society, and the power men have over women – even good men turn a blind eye to the suffering. However, I do think at times it got a little bit too heavy handed.

In terms of the pacing and plot, I do think at times that the story itself becomes more illogical as it goes along. The small amount of back story we are presented with about Prince Charming, Cinderella and the following king’s feels overly complicated, and after the ball scenes, everything starts to unravel – almost as if the author didn’t really know where to take the story, and had too many ideas. We begin to skip over large portions of time when travelling with Constance and Sophia, meaning I never felt a strong connection between the two, and we never really see the two develop the kind of relationship the author is going for. Their pairing always feels a little disingenuous as a result. Everything also feels a little too convenient, as though Sophia falls into her plans and ideas rather quickly and easily.

The writing is ok, if a little on the simplistic side, and some of the lines used are a bit cheesy, but I think this will appeal to a younger YA audience. It was certainly easy enough to read, as well as being quick. The world building is also severely lacking at times – I don’t feel as though we really got to explore much of Sophia’s world outside of the very limited places Sophia herself visits. I also would have liked to have seen more of a motive and backstory behind the fairy godmother. She was a really interesting character, with a great twist to her tale, but I wanted to see more of why she did what she did. A flashback scene probably would have really helped at a crucial moment here.

An interesting retelling with a lot of great ideas and wonderful diversity, I just think it falls a little flat in execution.

Fairytale is history in this story. Cinderella is the story of this kingdom, however others have different tales. I enjoyed that the story was also a play of the history being written by the victor, and altered to change the narrative favourably towards himself. The changes to the story were fun, and I liked that the author set up multiple sources of information rather than one which throws everything at you.

Let’s first talk about the bad guy… I’m still unsure of the why and his motivations. His plan took a LOT of effort, and we only saw his means to an end, but never saw his end game. However, I liked how he was portrayed and how he reacted throughout the book. He defintely thought out his plans and as said by Sophia he’s “a monster not a fool”. I enjoyed him as a villain overall, especially as part of the Cinderella retelling.

Another switch up from the retelling was the Fairy Godmother. Instead of being a fairy, very early on our characters realise she’s a witch and not too different to other witches. She also has a secret past but is the only way for Constance and Sophia to find out some things about the Cinderella story. I loved the storyline of meeting and beginning to understand the fairy godmother.

Our main character is a non-Cinderella character and is completely new to the tale. I thought maybe Constance or even Amina would have been a better main character though. Unfortunately, Sophia doesn’t feel like she has any link to the story… except she meets Constance at the right time. Plus, she’s not the brightest character, for example at the start of the book another character offers her an out and she ignores it and then is surprised when he acts on it. Whilst she is angry against the sytem and king, she doesn’t quite have the same stakes as Constance or Amina in the overall story.

I love Constance as a character, and I figure she actually has a much bigger story to tell. We don’t find out much about what she was doing before this book, but her family history leaves a lot to be discovered. I would love a spin off where we follow the adventures of Gabrielle and the other stepsister. Plus, finding out about how Constance has been trying to defeat the king over the years just sounds more badass.

The forest and town were the perfect fairytale backdrop. People canntot leave without the king’s permission so they can’t escape to another kingdom (this is questionable… but I’m glad they included this explaination). There’s also mention of other kingdoms and similar fairytale like stories to basically use as life guidebook. I loved the change up of the kingdom from the orginal tale, and it’s even said they changed locations for Cinderella’s house in this book to hide the real history.

In Cinderella is Dead women are to be owned and not heard. If they’re not married before they’re 20 they are forfeit and often never seen again. There’s a lot of themes in this book about women as they’re unable to speak out or act by themselves. Women are forcing other women to conform, from mothers to friends and fairy godmothers. I like that as the world starts changing for the better, men tried to get involved saying they should get an opinion and the response was that they don’t get an opinion when they were the ones participating and allowing the awful treatment to continue.

Overall, Cinderella is Dead has a great cast of characters, a fun plot line and it truly gripped me the entire time I read it. I ended up finishing the book in a day which is almost unheard of for me. I’d recommend it as a quick fantasy read,

Positives of Cinderella is Dead
Feels fairytale like still
Female empowerment
Negatives of Cinderella is Dead
Main character

I loved the premise of this - feisty female lesbian lead in a fairytale retelling.
But it fell short for me. Maybe it was a little TOO YA, a little too immature. Perhaps it was the constant bashing over the head that was the ‘fight against the patriarchy’. It could have been done so with much more subtlety .

That said - moments were engaging and gripping. I really did want to know what had happened to Cinderella.

I love a good fairy-tale retelling and I don't remember the last time I read a Cinderella retelling so I was excited for this one! I think Cinderella Is Dead is SUCH a clever take on Cinderella, I think this will be such a good book for teenagers to read as it completely disregards the whole marrying prince charming is the only way to be happy trope most traditional fairy-tale endings have, which is an important lesson to learn. The plot was well thought of, well developed and well paced. The twists, thankfully, weren't easy to guess so it made reading so much more interesting because I genuinely had no clue which why this story was going to go.

The world building is incredible, it's definitely dark and there are some trigger warnings for things that happen such as homophobia , abuse, sexism, these things are hard to read but Bayron dealt with them sensitively. The diversity in Cinderella is Dead is brilliant, the main character Sophia is a queer Black female in a f/f relationship and this is something we need more of in YA.

“Be a light in the dark.”

What an amazing read! This was such a unique take on Cinderella and I loved every bit of it.

I loved Sophia and her determination. She fought for what was right and what she wanted. She was such a strong character.

Constance was also a strong character and one I loved. I loved the relationship between her and Sophia too.

The story was well written, fast paced and full of action. There were twists that I didn’t see coming, and I loved every second of it!

The plot was really interesting and I found after I finished it that I wanted more. Despite this being a standalone (I think! 🤔) I would love to see what happens next.

Do you like fairytales with a dark twist? If so then this is 100% the book for you. Have you ever imagined how Cinderella really ended? This is your chance to find out in a gripping and twisted story spanning the years after Cinderella died. Find out how she died and what went wrong along the way, in a book I’m so glad to have great! Oh and did I mention, it’s sapphic! Before I get into the nitty gritty though, thank you to Bloomsbury Kids & Faye for sending an ARC and letting be on this blog tour!

“It’s risky…But sometimes that’s the only way to get things done. Take the risk, light the fuse. Onward.”
In Short: Cinderella + A Story After The Story + Gritty + LGBTQ+

“That you try to flatter me when I have a blade at your neck makes me want to slit your throat and spare the world your ignorance.”
The only main fault I had with Cinderella is Dead would be that there wasn’t enough of it. At times it felt rushed and a bit like the author was trying to quickly wrap up the story in a neat bow. Personally, I think this would have worked excellently as a duo-logy splitting at the point where you meet the fairy godmother. But I think this is mainly due to me just wanting more, because I was so engrossed in the story and the world.

“You weren’t selfish. You saw a future for yourself that she couldn’t imagine. You wanted her to believe that the two of you could find a way through all this. That’s what happens when you care about someone. And when you’re brave enough to imagine a different life.”
Apart from that, i’d describe this book as a rush of adrenaline because it never really slows down once it’s started going. I found it a really easy yet quick read it’s one of those books that with every page the intrigue and the fascination grows until you can’t wait to find out all the secrets. I’ve never really been into Cinderella that much when I was a kid but there’s just something about this whole story that’s so engrossingly sinister the more you look at it. As I ended up reading I kept thinking to myself, are all fairytales this dark and we just never noticed that as a kid? Like Cinderella the tale has so much space for it to be really creepy and unsettling and I think thats why i enjoyed it so much because Cinderella is Dead cashes in on all those could be creepy and dark moments and it works so well.

“I think sometimes we make the mistake of thinking monsters are abhorrent aberrations, lurking in the darkest recesses, when the truth is far more disturbing. The most monstrous men are those who sit in plain sight, daring you to challenge them.”
It tackles misogyny and also why feminism and equality is important in pretty stark terms. If you’re someone whose always been on the fence issues such as these please read this book. If you come out after reading this book spouting some sexist and racist bullshit then i’d be surprised. Because everything in this book is heart-wrenching like how would you feel if you were suddenly in a world where you have no rights? Where your every move is dictated by a man and anything they says goes. It’s horrible and disgusting and eye opening when you start to think some places in the world probably are a bit like this (without the whole magic/fantasy aspect of course). Though I guess that’s one of the things I like about this book and YA in general, it gives you food for thought and I bet you that you’ll be want to read this book again long after you’ve finished reading it. I’m so glad I read this book and thank you so much once again to Bloomsbury for sending an ARC!

“Look at your children, your friends, your wives, and your daughters. Don’t do what is right because they hold those titles. Do what is right because they are people.”
Overall, I know this is a pretty short review, but I guess it’s because it’s left me pretty speechless. It’s a really fun book that has a sharper and a more thoughtful side sometimes. But If you’ve even thought about reading this book, stop thinking and pick it up when you can!

I loved this book, a lot of fun and very subversive. The author successfully used the aesthetics of fairy tales and Disney that people find comfort in, while also creating a thought provoking and dark tale. I loved the character of Sophia, although I felt that the conclusion of her and Erin’s relationship was unsatisfying. Amina is a brilliant character too and the front cover to the book is wonderful.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

“The palace underestimates the resourcefulness of women forced into dark and dangerous places.”

This was a fabulous and completely unique retelling of the Cinderella fairytale. I loved Sophia and her feisty personality. There was no dithering here, whether or not to stop the patriarchy - she decided to do it and do it she did!

I flew through this book and really recommend it to anyone.

Trigger warnings for homophobia, domestic abuse and violence, sexual harassment, loss of loved ones, death of an animal on page, implied rape and abuse.

I have to be honest, I couldn't click with this book, I felt that it took me so long to read and I didn't connect with the characters to care what they were going through.

I really hoped I would love this and I'm so sad I didn't.

The story holds many hidden gem within the pages and it was an enjoyable experience overall. I would say it’s more reinvented than a retelling of the classic.
I must admit that it made me think at the Virgin Queen and her appetite for virgins blood to stay young as the King Manford lived his life. I don’t particularly like Sophia because I still see her as a teenager and very unsure about her life and future. It’s an age when you have to feel and discover the world and life’s opportunities so the gay heroine at sixteen is a bit lost on me here. The patriarchy fight has been happening for many years and will still be a long time before we can live in a better place for everyone.
The writing was great and the story overall was interesting but I wouldn’t say it’s a favourite unfortunately.

Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Cinderella is Dead is a book full of rebellion spirit.

The world-building in Cinderella is dead starts from page one, as we are introduced to the cruel patriarchy of Lille. Once I was introduced to the way life is for the female of Lille made me angry. It made me like Sophia straight away as she questions the way in which she lives.  And why she has to hide the fact that she would pick the princess rather than the prince.

The writing style of Cinderella is Dead is easy to read and engaging. I had no problem picking up the book and getting lost in the story.

There is a lot of build-up in Cinderella is Dead, that when I got to the 80% mark of the book I was worried that everything wouldn't get resolved. It did but it all happened very quickly. The book has a good pace but went supersonic in the last 20%.

One of my favourite aspects of Cinderella is Dead is the different ways that characters deal with their sexuality. As it shows how family expectation impact how you express your true self.

Another aspect I liked about Cinderella is Dead is the way in which men react to a woman holding a knife to their throat.

Cinderella is Dead is a lovely reimaging that squashes the patriarchy and gives us great LGBTQ+ Heroine.

My Rating for Cinderella is Dead is 4 out of 5.

Rating: 3.5/5

I’m a huge fan of fairytales retellings. Like many others, I have been raised on the traditional fairytales, and while I have enjoyed them as a child, they had so many issues: starting from being far to perfect (with their happily ever after, and never talking about anything that happens after) and ending the lack of representation of certain groups and sexualities, which has been particularly visible in older Disney version of fairytales. The trend in recent years with the retelling of the classical fairytales, is often to either include more varied cast or retell the story in a darker way. In many ways, Kalynn Bayron’s 'Cinderella Is Dead' is both. The premise of this book is great: gay ‘Cinderella’ overthrowing the patriarchy. What else can you want?

'Cinderella Is Dead' is a good read for the weekend, and I have enjoyed this book a lot. Narrated in the first person from the point of Sophia, a sixteen-years-old girl that has to attend the royal ball for the ceremony of choosing in the Kingdom, where women have only freedoms and rights that the husbands allow them for. The only problem? She’s too strong-headed to allow someone to control her that way, not too mention that she has feelings for her friend, Erin.

As the main character, Sophia has been an interesting and strong protagonist, although I found her sometimes too quick to jump into things without actually thinking through the current situation. But the book, generally, had a good cast of the characters. I have enjoyed the supporting characters a lot in 'Cinderella Is Dead': from scared Erin, charming Luke and of course, another strong female lead, Constance. As retellings of Cinderella go, I particularly liked the representation of varied characters in 'Cinderella Is Dead'.

It has been a good and accessible fantasy, especially for those who know the classical version of Cinderella, and enjoy new spins on well-known story. While in parts a little bit predictable, I found myself reading Kalynn Bayron’s book in less than a day, which says something! Some parts of the book felt a little rushed, and not as developed as the others, but overall I found Kalynn Bayron’s book very enjoyable.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-copy of the book. This review has been posted simultaneously on Goodreads, and will be posted on Amazon after the official release of the book.

Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Warning – mild spoilers in review.

This story takes place 200 years after the original Cinderella story or rather, what we think of as the Cinderella story. This book, however, is a reimagining rather than a retelling. In this world, young girls must attend a ball to be “chosen” by men as future wives. This ball is mandated by the crown and non-attendance is punished by death.

The main character, Sophia, is due to attend her first ball. As a young, gay, black woman, the ball holds nothing but danger for her and her girlfriend Erin. Erin is willing to submit to her fate, but Sophia is not and looks for ways to escape what her parents and society at large have planned for her. I thought the ball was an interesting story technique and although it could have been cheesy and crap a la The Selection, it actually worked.

As a character, Sophia is headstrong and more than a little fiery, but it might have been interesting to delve into some of the consequences of her actions. Some of the choices she makes are downright dangerous for those she professes to care for. Everything she does is framed as amazing and righteous and those characters who were (understandably) more who were portrayed as weak and pathetic. In a truly tyrannical society choices are not so black and white. She is a fun character, but I felt she lacked complexity.

This book also suffers from everyone’s favourite YA trope – Insta-Love. It’s always hard to swallow the “woe is me, why can’t I and my true love be together” aspect of someone’s story when they start drooling over someone else almost immediately. I know this is par for the course in YA but it is still a bit tedious to see it rearing its head over and over again.

The antagonist is also comically terrible and one dimensional. I do not need my villains to be tortured souls who are good at heart but some kind of personality is required. Unfortunately, there was none to be found here. The ending was also a complete hot mess.

The character dialogue also seemed quite banal and the place names were kinda corny – “Mersailles” *shudder*.

Despite the aspects I did not enjoy, this was overall a fun read that kept me engaged to the end. I read it on the wettest, most miserable camping trip in human history and it cheered me up so I’m happy to forgive the not so good parts, but others might not. Not going to comment in-depth on how good the LGBT and PoC representation is because I am not a member of those communities, but I liked how unapologetically gay Sophia was. There wasn’t any angst about her sexual identity despite living in a society that condemns her and there wasn’t any will she/won't she with any male characters which there often is, so that was refreshing!