Cinderella is Dead is a addictive read, it’s a book you’ll pick up and not want to put down until you’ve finished. Kalynn Bayron’s writing is intoxicating.

We follow Sophia as she has to navigate a world that only wants to put her down, to control her options, and put her in her place. But Sophia is strong-willed and brave, and very very gay – truthfully I love that for her. I found her relatable and a great narrative to follow. At the end of the day she just wants to be with the girl she loves and take down the patriarchy whilst she’s at it. Who doesn’t want to read about that or for her to succeed?

This world is not one for women to thrive in. It’s one that reshapes Cinderella’s story, uses it as a law, to lie and control. Where women are property, ready to serve and provide.

Whilst Sophia is vocal about her desire for change, others aren’t as quick to trust or follow her. This was a little sad to see, as it suggested no one else was as brave to consider the options of their futures, but it’s likely Sophia just hadn’t met them yet. Everyone feels alone when fighting for change.

Towards the start of the book Sophia is faced with an out, a path that would allow for a quiet life option for her. I got very worried that this would tame the story a little but nope, Kalynn Bayron packed a punch and a kick and gave me the story I really wanted.

Meeting Constance really sets Sophia on a new path, with new possibilites. It’s at this point the story really took off for me, that I truly knew this was going to continue to be a highly rating read for me. It’s got a few twist and turns, with some dark elements present, and fast-paced.

The only real element I wasn’t super fond of is the romance, it felt a little too like insta-love. But it wasn’t a huge issue, especially as I don’t often pick up books for the romance elements.

Throughout the story the queer and Black representation is woven into the story seemlessly, which is always a bonus. So overall I really recommend this as a book to add to your bookshelves.

This story opens with a boom and punches it’s way into your heart, once it gets hold of you it doesn’t let you go. That’s how I felt, when it was over I wanted more and was gutted it had ended. It’s powerful, moving, full of representation and strong women. It has a great story with twists and turns, beautifully written and a lead character you want to run off and go on adventures with yourself. You need to buy this book, you need it in your life. Addictive and amazing, fantastic Kalynn Bayron and more please !

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This book had so much potential with it being a Cinderella retelling of a gay black girl overthrowing the monarchy and the majority of it was actually really good and I enjoyed it but some of the most important moments seemed to be rushed, especially the ending.
Set 200 years after Cindrella found her prince, this is a story that turns the popular and widely known fairy tale on its head and gives a strong female lead to Sophia who stands against everything the King, Manford, has placed upon her home town and will do anything to change things, even daring to risk her own life.
I loved how head strong and certain of herself Sophia was in a time where you aren't allowed to be yourself and her determination to change the terrible ruling was written brilliantly.
Erin bothered me, I understand that she was terrified about doing anything wrong and ending up as a forfeit or dead but the way she treated Sophia, always putting her feelings down and saying it was wrong was cruel.
I liked Constance, she seemed to be the perfect match for Sophia, with her confidence and willingness to help her tear down the oppressive tyranny of the king.
There was a nice little twist at the end which I did not see coming at all which made things more interesting but I felt that the final battle was rushed.
Overall I enjoyed this Cinderella retelling but wish some parts were more fleshed out.

*thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review*

Cinderella is Dead burst into my life and found a special place in my heart. It’s just such a phenomenal book in every way and has easily found itself high up in the running for one of my favourite books of this year. Bayron’s prose just exudes such an entrancing, magical atmosphere that you can’t help but get wrapped up in.

Right from the start, Bayron is not here to mess around with an incredibly strong opening that had me hooked. The writing style just flows so well; it felt like hundreds of pages just flew by in a blink as I became completely wrapped up in Sophia’s story. She is such an incredible protagonist, who I deeply empathised with and wanted to succeed. It’s so powerful to have a story centred around a Black, LGBTQ+ protagonist, which is sadly a rare occasion. Her and Constance team up to quite literally smash the patriarchy and I was loving every second of it.

Fairy-tale retellings are something that I’ve loved for a very long time and this really felt like a fresh and original reclamation of an antiquated, age-old tale. For far too long, those types of tales have excluded and marginalised anyone who didn’t fit their perfect mould and Bayron smashes this idea to pieces. Anyone and everyone not only can be the hero of their own story, but deserves to be.

I would be remiss to not mention the gorgeous writing and vividly imagined world hidden within these pages. It felt so rich and evocative that I could easily picture myself there and the exquisite writing would easily lend itself a cinematic adaptation. Rarely have I been quite so captivated or transported by a story. Bayron has conjured up a dark, twisty and wholly original story out of the dusty ashes of the tales we grew up with.

Cinderella is Dead is an empowering, brilliantly imagined story that I couldn’t help but become obsessed with.

3*

I was really intrigued by the premise of Cinderella is Dead - set 200 years after Cinderella found her Prince Charming, and now every girl is 'invited' to the ball to be chosen by her perfect 'Prince' and live happily ever after. It has a poc protagonist who is LGBTQ+ and who is desperate to find some way to escape the life that is expected of her.

But unfortunately, what I read was lacking. I felt that the chatracters were very one dimensional, and I get this this is aimed at the YA market, but it just read very young if that makes sense. I guessed several of the big reveals pretty early on. I could not understand Sophia's infatuation with Erin, which then moved onto the next girl that she met. The story lagged, she spent dozens of pages in a cottage doing not very much, and I felt like the ending, whilst it lasted for an appropropriate amount of 'pages' it still somehow felt rushed. Conversation was stilted and not all that engaging, I think the book could have done with some more fleshing out.

It may appeal to the actual marketed age bracket, but it wasn't really for me.

Thank you Bloomsbury and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a great set up and I love the idea for the world. It is set in the future of Cinderella's world in which her story has been twisted and worshiped to the detriment of women and anyone who deviates from what is expected. They repeatedly try to emulate the story causing girls and women to be held to impossible standards they can never replicate or compete with.

The main character, Sophia, is black and sapphic and has never prescribed to these ideals that rule her entire life and stop her from being who she wants to be and doing what she wants to do. She resents that she is forced to attend a ball in which a man would lay claim to her or face being forfeited and spending her life in service instead. She longs to run away with her girlfriend and friends, something that becomes more of a reality when she escapes the ball after everything seemed to be going even more wrong than she could have imagined.

I think this book is really clever and the writing really pulls you into the story, making you want to keep reading to find out what happens next. It definitely has the fairytale and fantasy vibe which I love and adds gives so much more with the plot to take down the patriarchy together and the diversity of the central characters. The plot was definitely well established and full of so much history of the world in which the characters were living. It feels like it was the perfect blend of being both driven by the characters and their own stories as well as by the plot and the world.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I look forward to reading anything else that Kalynn Bayron writes!

Cinderella is Dead is a fairytale retelling of the Cinderella story. Set two hundred years after Cinderella's death (an intriguing start to a novel, I was instantly hooked), teenage girls have to appear at an annual ball, hosted by the king, a descendant of Cinderella, where the men in their society choose wives. But if you're unlucky enough not to get chosen, you are disappeared, and no one hears from you again. Sophia doesn't want to be chosen. She would rather marry Erin than any man. So she flees, and finds herself working to take down the king.

I absolutely love fairytale retellings. I don't know what it is about them, but I can't get enough of them. Cinderella is Dead is a feminist take on the tale of Cinderella. It gave me some Handmaid's Tale vibes re: women's rights and their position in society. It also has a lesbian lead character, and a lesbian romance subplot. It's certainly a unique take on Cinderella and what happened after the end of the fairytale. It feels original, bringing something new to the table.

This is a really good YA book. It has an exciting beginning, and then things get even more exciting and dramatic as the story continues. The setting is almost dystopian, just in a fantasy world, with a tyrannical king, a curfew, propaganda and public executions. The tale of Cinderella is like their holy book, and following its teachings women are kept in their 'place' as second class citizens. The rules are also homophobic, causing problems for queer people of all genders. The magic in the Cinderella's story seems to be absent from the day to day lives of the characters, but to question its existence is illegal. The story gets more and more interesting as it progresses, as secrets and horrors are uncovered.

Sophia is a brilliant main character. She's sure of her sexuality, and is willing to fight and question everything, whilst also loving deeply, and she has her own insecurities. Whilst often in fairytales, girls are damsels in distress and the prince comes in to save them, Sophia says 'I'd like to be the one in armour, and I'd like to be the one doing the saving'. This book is a story about magic, adventure, romance, grief, sorrow and friendship. It's about two girls trying to save the world. There are plenty of soft romantic moments, and also plenty of pining. Love is complicated, and Sophia's love story is far from simple.

There's never a dull moment in this book. The story is gripping and I couldn't put it down. This book is empowering for girls, especially black and queer girls, and just all round a great story.

Cinderella is Dead is a beautiful retelling of the classic fairy-tale with an incredibly dark twist. Filled with magic, necromancy, LGBTQ+ representation which honestly ticks all the boxes for a great YA Fantasy novel.

Sophia is a head-strong and fierce character who knows that things are not right in their village and isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She’s also incredibly reckless and does not think about the consequences of her actions. However, I cannot flaw her in her fight against patriarchy and her mission to destroy the world that controls young women.

I found the plot to be really intriguing and I loved the spin on the classic story of Cinderella. I loved seeing these original characters that I grew up with and loved but in a different and much darker light. I especially liked the fairy godmother’s character who quickly became my favourite character in the book.

However this book did have it’s issues. I would have liked a lot more world building and a lot more character development. Whilst I felt like Sophia was a realistic character there was no real development in who she was as a character. I also found myself confused by the speed of Sophia and Constance’s relationship. This was very much an insta-love and Sophia was very quick to forget about her feelings for Erin until the plotline needed it.

Overall this was a magical retelling that I did end up reading quite swiftly and enjoying. Whilst it had its flaws it was also a fun read that I would recommend if you love fast-paced retellings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Genre: YA Fantasy/ LGBTQIA
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
Release Date: 6th August, 2020 (UK)

Why is it that as child when I read/watched Cinderella it was believed to be every girl's 'dream'? To meet the Prince and live happily ever after.

I never liked Cinderella.

Think about it. Rounding up all the young girls in the Kingdom so the Prince can choose a wife! Sounds obscene. Valuing a fancy dress and the perfect appearance as something to strive for. Assuming that every girl wants a PRINCE charming and every boy wants a PRINCESS.

And that's why I totally LOVED this retelling of Cinderella by Kalynn Bayron. It's fair to say that this book smashes all of that; misogyny, ridiculous beauty standards and sexism, right in the face!

The story follows Sophia, a young girl, who is living 200 years after Cinderella married the Prince. Now girls are forced to go to the annual ball, where men from across the Kingdom choose a wife. However, Sophia is in love with her friend Erin - which is forbidden.

At the beginning of the story we meet Sophia and her friends and, one thing I love is, they all have different ways of dealing with the male dominated world they live in. It makes you think; what would you do in that situation? Would you be like Sophia and want to try and escape or overthrow the system? Or would you be more like Erin and just do what's expected of you to avoid punishment and possible death? It really highlights how we are all different and all make different choices.

Throughout the story we are told small details about Sophia's Grandmother, who was killed for speaking out about the patriarchal rule. It would be so interesting to see a prequel to this book following Sophia's Grandmother and then Sophia's father. It does make you think about how Sophia's parent's and grandparent's relationships were almost 'normal' when they were brought together in such an unnatural way.

Similarly, there are other details, that leave unexplored and unanswered questions. Sophia meets Constance, who has a book from her ancestors with other [familiar] stories in it from across the 'world'. Even though this appears to be a stand alone book, I am hoping this is an opening for this 'world' to be explored further. It would be interesting to see Bayron give the same treatment to some other fairytales.

Overall, this was a really fun read. Even though it deals with some disturbing, yet important topics it still maintains a fantasy/adventure narrative with twists, turns and reveals to shock!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for allowing me to read and review this E-ARC.

Book review 🧙🏿‍♀️Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Queer black girl takes down the patriarchy in a twisted YA retelling of Cinderella. What!!! Yes!!! I love the premise of this book and I loved reading it and going into the adventure.

It’s 200 years since Cinderella found her prince … but the fairytale is over. Sophia knows the story though, off by heart. Because every girl has to recite it daily, from when she’s tiny until the night she’s sent to the royal ball for choosing. And every girl knows that she has only one chance. For the lives of those not chosen by a man at the ball … are forfeit.

But Sophia doesn’t want to be chosen. She doesn’t want to go to the ball at all. Not when she’s afraid the girl she loves might be chosen too.

Pushed beyond breaking by a society that denies everything she is, Sophia sets out on a journey that will remake her world … into one where SHE gets to choose.

As a Steiner Waldorf teacher I’ve worked a lot with fairy tales. I love a retelling too see what modern twists have been taken and this is definitely unique.

Ok so there’s a few plot holes and the writing isn’t always consistent. The world building still has scaffolding up around the edges BUT I loved the characters and couldn’t put it down.

I would definitely recommend this book. It’s an enjoyable, fun, fast read with great representation. I’m excited that these stories are available for YA readers and teens. I’m 100% into more 👏🏻of👏🏻this👏🏻. ❤️

Big thanks to @bloomsburyya and @netgalley for my eARC.

Several weeks before I requested this book, I started hearing whispers about it, hyping it up. The premise- a subverted fairy tale retelling, is exactly the kind of YA trope I live for, so I was excited when I received a copy of the book. I also got to buddy read it with some incredible people, so that made it even better.

Firstly, I want to draw attention to the stunning cover. My E-ARC didn’t have the cover image attached, but again I’ve seen it floating around on Twitter and it’s so pretty! I love how the thorns are contrasted so well against the silk dress. And I love that the cover isn’t whitewashed or is a silhouette. We need more covers that feature Black and POC protagonists!

Straight from the get-go, I felt a strong sense of fury. Not at the book itself, which is really well-written, but at the horrible, misogynistic world, Bayron has created. I can’t imagine how awful it must be for these characters going through this situation, and I especially felt bad for the main character, Sophia, because she’s not interested in men, so her chances of finding a good suitor are nil. It was awful to see the allegory here, knowing that historically LGBT people have had to settle for a heterosexual relationship. I also hated HATED the whole ball, and how all the girls have to just hope they get someone who doesn’t abuse them. The whole subverted fairy tale with a feminist theme reminded me quite strongly of Angela Carter’s Bloody Chamber, which is cool. I liked Sophia from the start, but her defiance in the face of all this crap she has to deal with, really made me admire her. She’s sometimes a little naive, which irked me a bit, but some of it makes sense.

Erin is an absolute pain in the ass. Sometimes I felt sorry for her– the women in this book go through a lot!- but mostly I was just annoyed by her. I don’t want to go into too much info here because of spoilers, but I will say that I just wanted Sophia to leave her and move on with her life, because Erin just seems to lead Sophia on a lot. Again, I think the whole ball and suitors thing makes it difficult, but blaming people who are looking out for you is not cool.

The plot is interesting. There’s a couple of twists that are somewhat predictable, but there’s also a few that should keep most people guessing. We had a lot of fun on my group chat trying to guess what would happen next. The addition of Constance and some of the later characters also threw some interesting curve balls in there. And I spent a lot of time speculating what the true story with Cinderella was. It felt so odd that people were being told that she wanted these awful balls to take place.

Mostly though, I was there for the awesome feminist themes throughout the book, and the brilliant characters.

The ending is a little… too clean? I get that Cinderella is Dead is a retelling, but it also just didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, and it felt a bit too perfect and neatly tied off. Especially considering how the world was like before Sophia runs away, it just didn’t sit quite right with me. I really loved this book, but I think this, more than anything, is why I didn’t give the book full marks.

Overall, I’m giving Cinderella is Dead a 9/10 stars. I thought the world was really well-written, even if the sexism made me angry (which was the intention!) and I thought the characters were complex and interesting. And I found the twists were refreshing and kept me on my toes. But I thought the ending was a little sugar-sweet and simplified some of the messages and themes of the book.

The premise is queer black girl overthrows the patriarchy in a fairytale retelling, and it’s interesting as a theory. But unfortunately, for me, the book was one I liked (for the inclusive representation) but didn’t love. The characters felt one dimensional, and the development of them and the world building around it just felt shallow. The pace of the plot was good, and I did like Amina and her story - she was the most interesting character and one that we saw a bit more fleshing out of and I could understand her motivation. But the romance of the plot was lacking and felt rushed.
The books worth a couple of hours of your time, because I do love to see the queer representation increasing now in YA literature, but mainly I loved the idea of it and that I could build my own story through it’s ideas.

This was such a beautiful book, the world building and character development was amazing. I’m so so so sad this isn’t a series, because I’d love to stay in this world so much.

Can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in return for a honest review.

The story of Cinderella is one that everyone knows. But what would you do if the story was a lie? That is the premise of this story, and it was one I was really excited about reading so I was thrilled to get an ARC from NetGalley to read in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Our story focuses on Sophia, a young girl who lives in Lille where everyone abides by the rules set. Every year girls have to attend the Annual Ball - if they are chosen they must be subservient to their husband, and if they are not chosen nobody hears from them again. Though some recognise the problems with such a regime, none seem prepared to stand up to fight it.
Sophia would like nothing more than to live with her childhood friend, Erin. When the time comes for them to attend the Ball, things don’t quite go to plan. Sophia escapes, and takes refuge in Cinderella's mausoleum where she is found by Cinderella’s only living descendant, Constance. Buoyed by their sense of belief, and hope for a different future, the girls take on the challenge of confronting the King. They take on a journey fraught with danger, where nobody is quite what they claim to be, in a desperate attempt to change the lives of girls in the future for the better.
While the story follows a rather predictable path, there were attempts to offer something new. We got strong female characters who weren’t afraid to stand up for their beliefs. There was the odd twist to illustrate the idea that sometimes people can hide their true desires from others, and there were hints that people can change things if they are true to their convictions. Perhaps the Cinderella retelling offers less than it might, but it was certainly an interesting read.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
4.5 Stars
I was sent a copy of this from Netgalley for honest review, but also purchased in paperback.
If there is one thing I gravitate towards in books it is Fairy-tale retellings or inspirations. If it’s based on, inspired by or in anyway related to a fairy-tale, I’m going to give it a go. This one had me on the title alone. It is sharp, to the point and does exactly what a title should do.
Cinderella is dead, in fact it has been 200 years since she went to the ball, met Prince Charming and lived happily ever after. But, the after is not so happy. The kingdom of Lille is a dystopian nightmare. The current King rules a strict patriarchy and every year the young ladies of the kingdom must attend a royal ball, in honour of Cinderella. The intention is to be claimed and become the wife of some man in attendance, with the promise to live their own happily ever after. If not picked, there are dire consequences. We follow the story of Sophia, who does not fit into the world view. She is in love with her best friend Erin, but in this place it is forbidden. With the annual ball looming she lives in fear of being claimed or not being claimed and being taken from Erin.
The world building in this standalone was so good. Sometimes in standalones this can be a bit short, but this was well thought-out. It took the original tale and used it to great effect, so that the world felt easy to understand but also reflected on our own. What would you get if you crossed The Handmaids Tale with Disney? This book.
The action was pacey and really unputdownable. It took twists in directions I hadn’t expected and meant that I was constantly tense for what would happen next. But the resolution felt rounded and all the pieces of the story were wrapped up well.
There were only two points that stopped this from being a perfect read for me.
1) Dialogue. Not so much in the first half, but it was noticeable in the second. The dialogue felt stilted and clunky. Especially between two characters which impacted the second issue.
2) I wasn’t invested in the romance between Sophia and her love interest. Because the world building was so good, there seemed to be no time to develop this slower. It was instalove and I am much more of a slow burn person. The dialogue didn’t help, it felt over written. I liked both characters, I liked them together but the execution of it was rushed.
Overall a fantastic female/female, feminist Fairy-tale.

This is definitely my favourite fairytale retelling to date, however I was still slightly disappointed with the execution of this fantastic concept.

I found that while this book was written from our main character Sophia’s perspective, the writing didn’t include many of her own thoughts and perceptions of what was happening. This made me feel disconnected from Sophia’s character as I sometimes couldn't decipher how she was feeling as well as the other characters in the book. I definitely ended up feeling more attached to Constance and Amina, as they wore their emotions more on their sleeves.

I appreciated that the romance didn’t take over the entire plot and instead moved it forward, creating more stakes and intrigue. Constance was a really strong and charismatic love interest and her and Sophia had great chemistry.

The villain of this story was extremely strong. The extent of his cruelty and violence was gradually revealed to us throughout the novel and this was very effective. However I did feel that the dialogue within the novel was quite juvenile and simplistic at times, and therefore contradicted the more gory and sinister scenes and lessened their impact for me.

The descriptions of the setting were very immersive at the start of the novel, but unfortunately they became a lot more sparse towards the middle, which made me feel very lost and confused at times. I thought the plot was intriguing, well paced and definitely kept me glued to the page. At times there were some conveniences to the story, but I definitely had no problem with the slight predictability of the novel; for me it’s what aligned it with the idea of a fairytale and kept me hoping for a happy ending.

Speaking of the ending, it was fabulous. I loved sense community brewing in the final pages of the novel and it left me feeling hopeful and very satisfied. This novel had themes of solidarity, feminism, activism and hope. It was so empowering and I really enjoyed reading it.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the e-arc!

This was such a good book, I am so sad that it is not a series so I can read more!

This is such a good coming of age tale with a steamy romance and such a social awareness. It was a unique and refreshing retelling of a classic fairytale I am excited for more stories like these!

A fresh take on retelling a famous fairytale, Cinderella is Dead is both thought-provoking and highly enjoyable. Kalynn Bayron combines common elements of Cinderella's story into a book that questions how said story is told and used.

Set in a world where the story of Cinderella is the blueprint for how girls should act, Kalynn Bayron explores the agency that Cinderella has in a historical context, as well as how stories like hers can be used as propaganda to further the agenda of those in charge. There's a duality between the complicit, such as all the men who benefit from this system and though they may find it wrong, they continue to support it, and the women who don't have agency. The warping of stories to suit the goals of the powerful, such as the stepsisters being made into cruel women and the stepmother being depicted as evil for trying to take down the King, was a particularly interesting element of the story, and makes you examine the rest of the story through a different lens. Seeing all of this really interesting analysis in a take-down-the-patriarchy story was really cool.

Kalynn Bayron did a good job of showing how high the stakes were through people that Sophia had encountered already, which helped carry the first part of the plot very well, although it did feel like some of the people used to show that weren't anything more than motivators for Sophia. I wasn't too sure where the plot was going to go at the beginning, especially since the plot thread I thought was going to be followed was discarded very quickly, but there were some very gasp-worthy twists that I quite liked towards the end. Overall I liked how the original story was very much woven into the world, but I did find the pseudo-French setting to be a little off the mark. The names were fairly inconsistent, alternating between French and English (also, Émile is not a girl's name) and the naming for places did get a little tedious, but I don't know that this would be a particularly noticeable thing for a non-francophone.

While I am not usually a fan of 1st Person POV, I found that Sophia's character did shine through in the narration: she is very much that particular type of righteous that teenagers so often are, and her determination to figure out what is going on a what she can do to stop it make the story a strong one overall. Her motives are not the most developed, but in my experience the desire that teenagers have to dismantle the system isn't particularly refined and is mainly fueled by anger and the desire to do something right, which was definitely in Sophia.

Constance was not quite as developed as I normally would have liked, but the relationship between her and Sophia was very sweet. The two of them clicked really well, and while that relationship was not particularly a prominent part of the story, it definitely had its adorable moments. There were several other side characters who played roles in the story, such as the fairy godmother, who I found was particularly interesting; the King, who was definitely bad even though he wasn't seen much; and Luke, who did feel like he was just there to make Sophia feel bad and had a lot more potential, but I still liked what he could have been.

If you find yourself tired of the formulae that retellings follow, or want a more in-depth exploration of what the consequences and context of a fairy tale could be, this is definitely an excellent book for you. It's got a great mix of compelling plot reveals, interesting themes, and determined characters, and though it had its weak points it was all in a very enjoyable read.

Such an original idea! Cinderella - but not as we know it!

Now I have to admit, I took a gamble with this book. I am not usually too into fantasy-style books - but this one has just had so much hype around it (plus the fact I'm a sucker for fairytale link in a book) that I thought I would give it a go. I am so so pleased I did as I ended up really enjoying this!

This book just doesn't let up - despite being 400 or so pages it just relentless with its pacing. I sped through this. So much happens! Immediately it starts with a bang, and just keeps going!
I loved the fact it uses the idea of Cinderella being a point in history rather than just a 'fairy-tale' - it got me thinking about what things in our history are not all that they seem.

I absolutely adored the characters, and really felt for the characters Sophia ended up 'leaving behind' - I was shocked and heartbroken with what happened to her friends during the ball. I wasn't expecting such drama so close to the beginning of the book.

Within this book Bayron writes with some heavy themes (such as homophobia, domestic abuse, and the gender equality & feminism.) and despite the fact that this book is set in a different world - it makes you rethink things in the current climate. It really made me think about what I am doing personally to do something about it!!I hope it does this for other readers too, especially the young people who read this.

I would love to know more about the character of Luke and Liv - and think a prequel would be really interesting! I would definitely be first in line to read this.

I absolutely adored this book, and will definitely be re-reading at some point (despite not being much of a re-reader) and I cannot wait to see what Kalynn Bayron does next!!

Trigger warnings: Homophobia, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, sexism.

Fairytale retellings are something that I adore! I love seeing how authors put unique twists onto something that is beloved by people of all ages. Cinderella Is Dead was one that I just couldn’t resist picking up and even before I go into this review, I will tell you that it is a big contender for my best book of 2020.

Cinderella is Dead is set 200 years after the story of Cinderella and every girl living in the kingdom knows her story off by heart and has to recite it daily. Every year all the girls in the kingdom have to attend the royal ball to be ‘chosen’ by one man, who they will marry. For those not chosen they are forfeited. Sophia doesn’t want to be chosen. She would rather marry her best friend, Erin. On the night of the Royal Ball, Sophia makes a choice that causes her to run for her life, and into the tomb of Cinderella, there, she meets someone who will end up showing her that she does have the courage to remake this world they are living in.

Well, this book was outstanding, and I devoured every single page, and would so again in a heartbeat. As you may know I’m not a big re-reader, so for me to say this you know it’s a good one. Everything about it had me captivated and I found myself struggling to put the book down, so much so that I finished it within a few days, and even found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading. When a book does that to you, you know you’ve found something special.

The world-building within Cinderella is Dead was next to none, and I loved how the author took a well-loved fairytale, and gave it a dark, complex, gritty makeover. The laws of the land are bonded by Cinderella’s story and makes a world that is oppressed and where the women are practically enslaved. This story also isn’t afraid to tackle topics such as domestic abuse, sexual abuse and homophobia. These scenes don’t make for easy reading, but it does open your eyes to things that are happening in the real world today. I commend Kalynn for bringing these topics to the forefront in a YA Fantasy, in a way that is both sensitive and thought-provoking.

Regarding the plot, it was well structured, well balanced and one that kept my interest throughout the book. I loved how it was centred around female empowerment and wanting to fight the patriarchy. Sophia’s determination to fight for a better world was inspiring and seeing her do all that she could to make this happen was honestly, encouraging. The twists and turns throughout the story made for enthralling reading, and I found myself shocked at the climax and would have never had figured it out myself. The romances within the book between Sophia and Erin and Sophia and Constance were different, and I’ll admit I didn’t like how Erin treated Sophia and found her relationship with Constance to be beautiful and although it did move fast, I felt it was right for them. Sophia’s sexuality wasn’t questioned at all throughout the story. She was who she was and she wasn’t going to change for anyone. We need more f/f representation in YA Fantasy and I hope this book is just the beginning.

The diversity within Cinderella is Dead was awe-inspiring. Sophia was a queer, black female and that is something you don’t see a lot of in YA Fantasy either and is one that I hope we start seeing more of. Also, most of the characters were female and I got feminist vibes throughout the story. These female characters were strong, bad-ass and wanted to fight for what they believed in. I feel that young girls that read this will feel like they too can start to make a difference in what they believe in.

Cinderella is Dead was an enchanting, spectacular read that did put an original twist on the story of Cinderella. It is certainly one that you all need to be looking out for and putting on your TBR’s, and I for one can’t wait to see what Kalynn Bayron writes next.