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Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron



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


Goodreads Synopsis

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.

Review

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.


Rating: 4/5 stars

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