Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron Published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA on July 7, 2020
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Romance, LGBT, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Adaptations, Girls & Women, Young Adult, Love & Romance
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
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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.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Why Did I Read?
Say the words fairytale retelling and I am there. I don’t know why, but I just love fairytale retellings! I think I love the fairytale stories themselves and also enjoy all the possible alternative twists. It’s a lot of fun.
My Thoughts:
If you are a fan of retellings, this is not one to miss! The premise is a very unique take on the classic Cinderella story that is inventive and fresh. Sophia and all the other girls in her town have been raised with the story of Cinderella and are themselves preparing to attend the ball at the royal palace. This is not an event like you’d imagine though. It is required by royal decree for all girls to attend and at this ball, men will choose a wife. If it sounds like a rather barbaric practice and like the girls don’t get much choice, it’s because it is. Sophia is determined to break free of this, despite the dire consequences of any who disobey. She wants to marry her best friend Erin and this poses many problems for her.
I really enjoyed the “fight the patriarchy” message and queer positive plot but had a few issues with the pacing. I think it took a little too long to get going and the beginning felt repetitive, with Sophia bemoaning the societal rules and awfulness of it all. Once things get truly rolling, I was engaged with the twists on the classic fairytale but I wasn’t totally in love with the characters. I think I just struggled a bit with how quickly Sophia ditched the idea of Erin once she meets Constance. There didn’t feel like quite enough depth with the other secondary characters. I felt a disconnect and never really became fully invested in each individual’s plight or journey.
There are definitely some very interesting takes in this story though! Its uniqueness was fun and I enjoyed the tale. I think fans of retellings will also enjoy this spin on Cinderella. A strong debut!
My Rating: 
Are you also a fan of fairytale retellings? Tell me some of your favorites! Have you read this one? What did you think?
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I agree about the pacing – the ending was more jam packed than I expected!