I applied to read Cinderella is Dead because I love retellings and lesbians. This was promoted as the next big thing in YA fantasy because it had a lesbian POC as the main character, Sophia. The blurb also sounded amazing, a Cinderella style cult where girls are forced to attend a ball? Count me in!

However, this book just felt really flat for me. It didn’t seem like it was written in 2019/2020 because the feminism seemed really dated. I think that we’ve moved on from the one note ‘all men are evil’ that every male character in the book suffers with, (bar Luke who has three scenes and is gay, and in the words of Crazy Ex Girlfriend: Let’s generalise about men! Apart from the gay ones).

It also didn’t seem very gay? Sophia talks around her feelings for girls, instead of outright stating that she wants to kiss Erin and Constance. It seemed like the author wanted to write a lesbian protagonist, but didn’t want to actually write girl on girl action. Also, because nobody really had a problem with any of the characters being gay, what were the stakes? There wasn’t a strong sense of heritage or descendants as even the monarchy comes from elsewhere. So why weren’t gay relationships more of the norm? Surely there would be more gay men in Lille?

Also I saw all the plot twists coming a mile off. From the moment the corpse of the ‘old women’ showed up, I realised the King was draining the life from all the women in the kingdom to stay alive. And yet it took Sophia until the end of the book? Sophia, my girl. Figure it out.

I also want to know why Sophia is so special. She escapes from the palace, like a lot of other girls, and somehow the Kingdom is in uproar, and the King is absolutely obsessed with finding her? Yet it’s already stated that other girls have escaped. It seemed like the author was trying to have a Hunger Games, leader of the revolution moment, but Sophia is really average.

In conclusion, if this book had come out in 2013, I probably would have enjoyed it as a small lesbian. However, in 2020, the politics seem out of touch, and the characters are very flat. I probably wouldn’t recommend this to adult readers, more middle-grade.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually did. Part of the reason I've rounded up my rating is because, I'm sure, some of my issues with Cinderella Is Dead are based around personal tastes. (Possibly I just don't like monarchy-based fantasy, YA or otherwise, and I should stop attempting to convince myself otherwise).
That said, I was intrigued by the premise initially - especially as the main character is a black lesbian. I've not read many fairytale retellings before, and I was keen both to see one with wider representation, and to see how this one in particular played out.
The intriguing premise, however, was let down by character development which was rather thin on the ground. Although the narrative was definitely fast-paced, especially in the latter third of the book, and I wanted to find out what happened plot-wise, I just wasn't emotionally invested at all.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kalynn Bayron for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of Cinderella is Dead in exchange for an honest review.

With such a strong title to a novel, it’s easy to predict that an author would struggle to maintain the sense of danger and mystery that is immediately evoked. However, as Kalynn Bayron opens on the revelation that Cinderella has been dead for 200 years and introduces us to two young women hiding from those who are sure to kill them, I think it is safe to say that she has the drama side of things covered!

The kingdom of Mersaille was once ruled by none other than Prince Charming and Cinderella. After her untimely death, Cinderella’s tale is held in almost biblical stature for generations, with young girls reciting it each night in preparation for their own chance to attend an annual ball once they turn 16 and wishing for their own fairy godmother to grant their happily ever after.
However, as the reader enters the town of Lille 200 years later, we witness that life within the kingdom is far from that of a fairytale. The balls that act as a tribute to Cinderella are mandatory meat markets with lecherous “suitors”, domestic violence and the suppression of women is commonplace and the ruler, Prince Manford, thrives on the power, fear and violence.

The reader witnesses this abysmal society through Bayron’s use of a first-person perspective: that of our protagonist Sophia. Sophia is everything a modern protagonist should be: she questions the unjust world around her and, having just turned 16 is preparing to attend her first ball, not with excitement, but with trepidation.
Sophia reveals to the reader that a girl only has three chances to be chosen by a suitor at the ball, after that she is considered forfeit, taken away from her family in disgrace and placed either into a workhouse or service. Men, however, are under no such conditions: they can attend balls when they wish and can choose a number of girls if they want to. Many girls’ singular hope is to be chosen by a good man at the ball, one who will not beat her, perhaps even one who will take them away from Lille. This is not enough for Sophia, she wants more for her life and, as she says herself:
“I don’t want to be saved by some knight in shining armor. I’d like to be the one in the armor, and I’d like to be the one doing the saving.”

At the beginning of the book, Sophia’s main gripe with the society she lives in is that it will not allow her to be with Erin, the girl she loves. As the book continues, the underlying theme of the rights and treatment of women strengthens, along with Sophia, but the first few pages at least are centered on the teenage relationship between Sophia and Erin.
What I absolutely adored about Bayron’s writing style here is the complete lack of shock or awe in this relationship: it is mentioned right from the start and at no point in this novel does Sophia “come out”, there is simply no need. All those around Sophia, who know her and care for her, are aware of her feelings for Erin and, although Sophia is occasionally referred to as “different”, the author chooses to abolish any unnecessary labels within her novel.

Unfortunately, Bayron does not have an easy ride in store for Sophia: reeling from a firm separation from Erin, Sophia is cast a lifeline, an “easy way out” in the form of a local boy who is also “different”. Sadly, this option is quickly and dramatically ripped away from her: forcing her to find her strength pretty damn quickly as she begins a life as an outlaw.
Along her path, Sophia meets two strong female characters: Constance and Amina. Although, wildly different, both these women play a significant role in Sophia’s self-discovery.
Amina is as far from the traditional fairy godmother image as you can get and, although she feels guilt for her previous actions, it takes meeting Sophia for her to recognise her previous denial and to help change the way of the world. Amina is a protector to Sophia right to the end, in her own unique way.
Constance, what can we say about Constance? I defy anyone to read this book and not fall in love with this girl! Constance possesses the strength that Sophia does not yet recognise within herself; she is fiery and, as a descendant of an “evil stepsister”, leads a resistance movement to uncover and publicise the truth about the real tale of Cinderella. Despite, technically saving Sophia towards the beginning of the story, Constance is not Sophia’s saviour: nor is Sophia the saviour; however, the power that they find together is monumental.
Constance is a complete juxtaposition to Erin: whereas Erin accepts the rules of society out of fear for herself and her family, Constance actively rebels against them. It is almost as if they represent the paths Sophia has to choose from. Nevertheless, along their adventure, Sophia and Constance’s relationship strengthens into love. This is no fairytale, love at first sight deal though! If anything, the slow-burning romance between the two made it more believable and I really appreciated that Sophia didn’t just rebound due to Erin’s choices: she had been burnt and she was still unsure of her own feelings never mind anyone else’s.

At the hands of Bayron, Sophia experiences heartbreak, friendship, murder, love and conspiracy: she is on the brink of danger too many times to count and is constantly second guessing who she can trust. Yet, it is clear that the author adores her main character: Sophia’s journey to realise that she is enough is incredible and the strength that she finds within herself is inspirational. Sophia is also surrounded by a cast of strong female characters: there are no Prince Charming’s in this novel that’s for sure!

I wasn’t that far into this book when I decided I need to read more of Kalynn Bayron’s work. I love how there are no chapters in this novel, we are taken on this relentless journey with Sophia: the reader is not given a chance to stop and take stock, reflect or rest until it is all over and this creates the tensest experience. Even we don’t know who to trust towards the end!
‘Cinderella is Dead’ is powerful, thought-provoking and is constantly leaving the reader guessing. On a basic level the novel deals with violence, love, politics and a little bit of necromancy thrown in there for good measure. However, the intelligent writing as well as the massive plot twist and the controversial subjects of LGBTQ love, women’s rights and domestic violence lifts this novel from that basic level into, what I predict could be a bestseller.

Cinderella is dead and the king is using Cinderella’s story as a means to control the female population of Lille. The king created this terrifying and oppressive kingdom where girls are obliged to attend a ball where they are picked as wives. Failing to find a suitor, women will be forfeited. Girls mysteriously disappear and women have no say in their life choices Their only role is to get married and obey their husbands, often subject to horrible aggression and violence. Sophia can’t accept this life. She wants to fight this system and she is not afraid to speak up and question the king’s rules. More importantly, she wants to protect her lover, Erin, from this life.

This retelling of Cinderella story is nothing like you would expect. Kalynn Bayron presents a brilliant, almost dystopian, retake of this fairy tale with fierce queer characters. Sophia has been labelled “different” by the society and her family, because she is in love with her friend Erin, and because she would rather find a princess than a Prince Charming. But when her turn to attend the ball comes, she decides to fight the system and her abusive suitor.

Sometimes the tone of the story is rather dramatic (probably a few trigger warnings should be advised), and it tends to have horror movie kind of moments. Still, it’s a fast paced read with a solid and conclusive plot, with lots of unexpected twist and is well developed. I almost believed that the actual Cinderella story we all know is a lie. Sophia is a strong heroine, she is the knight with the shining armour, but I liked all the characters, especially Luke – oh Luke!! I wanted to see more of him.

I wonder if the writer is thinking about doing something similar with Snow White, as there were hints in the story about things not being what they seem for the evil step-mother. Cinderella is Dead is a powerful feminist retelling with a strong world building and amazing queer black female character that you will not be able to put down.

I loved Cinderella is Dead, it takes the original fairytale and completely flips it on its head. It's not really a retelling, because this book isn't about Cinderella, it's about what happened next, 200 years later. There are some great twists and turns along the way and I was completely captivated.

The post Cinderella era sees misogyny completely dominating society. Women are suppressed in every way, forced to marry whatever man wants them, and then obey their every rule. It seems only Sophia sees how wrong this all is, not only does she not want to enter into an abusive marriage, she's also in love with a girl. The structure of this broken society was believable and there are plenty of heartbreaking moments as the novel progresses.

What I most enjoyed was the fresh take on the Cinderella tale. No stone is left unturned in the original story, with every element reexamined and the rose tinted view removed. I particularly enjoyed this version of the Fairy Godmother, queen of sass!

Sophia was strong, fierce and completely determined to overthrown the tyrant controlling the kingdom. She was exactly the kind of girl I would want my daughter reading about. Comfortable with her own identity, and willing to stand up to anyone trying to take that away from her.

Highly recommend this one, I've already preordered my copy!!

This novel is amazing! It's one of the best YA novels I've read this year. I spent a few days walking around glued to my Kindle while reading it. Cinderella is Dead will be adored by teen readers who love political fantasies and dystopian novels about rebellion.

I love fairytale retellings and this one was completely unique. Sophia's world is a fairytale morphed into a nightmare, bringing a new twist to the saying that history is written by the victor.

Bayron's characters are superb. Sophia is strong, kind and determined not to follow the path set out for her by Lille's cruel king. In Cinderella is Dead, heroines don't need a handsome prince to save them from dark fates - they rescue themselves and tear unjust, patriarchal systems to the ground in the process.

The novel has strong feminist themes, exploring the way society treats women, and the lives we should demand for ourselves. If you like the sound of a queer, fantasy version of Only Ever Yours (with a greater sense of hope) you'll love Cinderella is Dead.

Cinderella is Dead contains plenty of magic and twists that were difficult to anticipate. At its heart, however, is a beautiful romance, and Sophia and Constance's relationship is definitely one of this novel's main strengths.

I know you should never trust a book by its cover, but this is one of the prettiest I've seen for ages. It will be seized eagerly off of bookshop and school library shelves, and I love how striking the title is too. There are definite hints in this story about other fairytales which might have been mis-told, and I would love to see this concept return in future books.

This book, the craft, the writing. Everything was beautiful. Black, Queer girls fighting back and telling the government to do one? This book needs to find the hands of teenagers everywhere. Cinderella is here and she is gay and she is pissed off.

I enjoyed this book, it was a new twist on a classic fairytale. It was a book where we knew how the story would play out from the beginning but took some unexpected turns. I loved the characters and how they were determined to make a change for the better.

I really struggled to rate this book as there were parts I really loved and parts that let the book down a little. Ultimately though, it was a 4* read that provided a much-needed re-imagination of the Cinderella story.

Bayron brings to the forefront a POC LGBT story and in doing so draws out many of the issues with the current format of our fairytales. Sophia desperately wants to marry her childhood best friend in a culture that strictly forbids any deviation from expectation. But, she stumbles upon a secret which drives her to move against the King.

At times I found Sophia annoying - she was naive and ignorant to the struggles of people around her. But, I do feel like this was in-line with her character and that, as a young adult, she was believable. The story was a little rushed, I would have loved to get more detail to help pad out the story - but I still thoroughly enjoyed the read.

Without spoiling too much, the ending was satisfying and is what took this rating up to a 4* read. I highly recommend it and it should be required reading for all YA and teen readers - I'll certainly be sharing it with my younger sister.

“Cinderella’s story is a lie"

This book is more for the Teen then young adult. I have to say the idea of it was great, but it can be a little confusing at times as wasn't sure which Cinderella story we were re-telling the Grimm's one or the Disney one.

The characters where strong women and the LGBTQ+ theme was a well written one.

The romance side of it was rather quick and was all at first sight which was a little disappointing.

But a good quick read if you need a retelling

I love a good re-telling of a classic story and I thought this adaptation of the classic Cinderella tale was very interesting. In this story, the tale of Cinderella is a myth. This is a world where men rule, where girls are brought up trying to emulate Cinderella and get chosen at a ball, otherwise they face forfeit. Or worse. The protagonist, Sophie, is about to go to her first ball and does not want to be chosen. Not only does she also hate the way her life is ruled by men, but she doesn't want a husband full stop.

Sophie as a protagonist, I mostly enjoyed her though I definitely think, especially at the beginning, she could have been smarter in hiding her distaste for the world. The way she acted, she was basically asking to get arrested or worse. And while I'm not saying that's right, and that she should be able to act the way she wanted to, she knew the risks and to try and change her life, she had to not get arrested. Of course, this got better later on in the story.

However, while Sophia got better, the plot...didn't. Whereas the first portion of the book did excite me, the middle just didn't. Nothing really happened and I found myself wanting to read faster just to get through it all and get to the end. And then, while the end was interesting, with some twists I wasn't expecting (and some I really, really was) it was so rushed, I feel like the payoff for this story wasn't explored enough. I would have liked to hear more about what happened to certain characters at the end.

I will say, I'm not the biggest fan of worlds like this. I prefer challenging old-fashioned behaviour and values like this by removing them completely. I'm also not a fan of insta-love, which is seemed this story had. I did like Sophie and her love interest together, but it ultimately just didn't feel believable to me. Overall, I would have to give this story 3.5 because I thought the writing was really good, but the middle bit of the story, and the insta-love dragged it down for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. This book has a fascinating and original concept - it is set 200 years after the death of Cinderella, and her story as we know it is imposed on the people of Marseilles - there is a ball every year, and the women have to dress up, and be paraded around to the men, and the men choose the women they want as wives. However, Sophia, our would much rather be free - and would also much rather be in a relationship with her best friend Erin.

While the book has a great concept and genuinely surprising twists, I thought it lacked in execution. Right from the start Sophia is pushing against the systemic violence, sexism and homophobia she, and other women (and marginalised people) has to deal with every day, but there's nothing to really show us how she became this way. The world is interesting but I wanted a little more - and the characters too, while good, felt a little underdeveloped. All in all, this is not a bad book, I enjoyed it and it is a quick, compelling read, but I just wanted a little more.

This book opens so strongly, that I really wanted to love it. It has such great diversity and representation, but those characters were given very little room to develop and came across as unnecessarily contentious and contradictory.

The middle of this book, from Sophia fleeing the ball until she returns to the castle, was a struggle to read. The writing felt sloppy and rushed and I felt that some characters (like Luke) were quickly disregarded by Sophia despite being drawn into danger for her sake.

Though the end redeemed the read slightly (I do love the overall message of being free to love and think for yourself) there were so many areas where it could have been strengthened by more of Sophia’s internal conflict (she seems happy enough to disregard Erin until it suits her, despite being in love with her all her life).

Cinderella is Dead is a book that basically cements my belief that YA fantasy is not for me anymore. This book, for someone who is still into that genre (and maybe a few years ago that would have been me), is perfect. I am not that someone.

So. Firstly. Why you might want to read this book.

• It is a book that uses a fantasy world to critique misogyny and homophobia and it does it well. I’ve read so many books that have worlds that are both misogynistic and homophobic and don’t even think to confront it. This one definitely confronts it.

• There’s a really creative retelling of the Cinderella story, I actually enjoyed that a lot.

• It’s sapphic! I mean, obviously, given the blurb, but it’s worth saying again. It. Is. Sapphic.

But if you’re interested in why I didn’t get along with it, here goes.

• There is almost more attention paid to using the story as a vehicle to critique misogyny and homophobia than creating an engaging world. To be honest, it’s bland. Except for the whole Cinderella-as-a-creation-myth aspect, there is nothing that really stands out about the world compared to every other YA fantasy.

• It wouldn’t have been a problem, but the plot didn’t really stand out for me either. I mean, I guessed pretty much everything that went down. I started playing a game with myself to see if I could guess right to keep myself interested.

• I’m not a massive fan as putting a bigotry in a story to critique it. I definitely prefer creating worlds where it’s not even an issue and critiquing it that way. But. Each to their own.

• The villain had zero motivation beyond he did it because he could. And okay, maybe that’s realistic, but I wanted more from him. He was very two-dimensional overall.

• There’s not a whole lot of tension in the book. Not that there was no danger, but that I never felt particularly like they were in that danger. Like they went for a walk around town and they didn’t even try dodging guards or anything. There was never any chance they would get captured.

So yeah. While the premise and execution of it weren’t for me, they may well still be for you, so please, feel free to just ignore this review.

This story centres around Sophia, a rebellious young woman who struggles with her place in society and her sexuality in a world where a woman's only role is marry and serve the man who selects her at a royal ball.

The world building in this book is brilliant. It completely twists not only the story of Cinderella, but also the story of her happily ever after in a way that is totally unique and engaging.

I wasn't a big fan of Sophia - I thought she was quite fickle, and found it very easy to forget about people she supposedly cared about. However, many of the peripheral characters were really interesting (especially Luke and Constance) and I would have liked to have more of them in the spotlight!

The plot was fast with plenty of twists to keep you engaged. I hope the author intends to work her magic on a few more fairytales!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and will be submitted to Amazon after release.

Right off the bat, Cinderella Is Dead grabbed me with its interesting premise. Just like in our world, the children of Mersailles are raised on the story of Cinderella: with the help of a fairy godmother, a mistreated young girl attended the ball and won the heart of the prince, the ugly stepsisters mutilated their feet, the prince found his bride, and Cinderella went away to the palace to live in finery for the rest of her days... but what about after the wedding? Fairytales, as much as I adore them, never show what happens after true love's kiss, and Cinderella Is Dead takes the classic story and adds a darker twist.

Here, princes aren't so charming, stepsisters aren't so wicked, and the 'happily ever after' isn't very happy at all. Our protagonist, Sophia, lives in a society cruel to its girls. All households must own a pristine, palace-approved copy of Cinderella, one man must be designated head of each household, women and children come under his ownership and face a curfew early in the evening, and each home must display a portrait of its reigning monarch, King Manford. Most readers of young adult fiction know the 'misogynist fantasy world' trope very well, and I have to admit that I'm getting a little tired of it myself, but I didn't find it stale in this novel. Sophia is by no means a passive heroine; she knows that the way her world treats her is wrong, and when we meet her, she's prepared to do whatever she must in order to leave.

I liked Sophia as a character, and enjoyed how she was immediately willing to stand up for herself and for those around her -- but I feel like the novel's supporting characters could have used more development. As it was, I don't think we really got a proper look at the villain's motivation, and as refreshing as it was to read a lesbian take on the Cinderella story, I wasn't wholly sold on the main romance. The attraction there read as quite physical, and could have been made more compelling with more banter between the two girls (though Constance's quips about proper fighting did make me laugh!), or even more narrative time spent growing their connection.

Certain aspects of the writing were a little sparse for my tastes -- there are times when, rather than describing the specifics of a character's expression, we are told that they 'seem shocked' -- and I would have loved more descriptive language, especially given our glittering setting. Nonetheless, this was a quick, hard-to-put-down fierce fairytale, and the beginning and final confrontation were both well done and a little disturbing in places!

Ultimately, while it might not have shaped up to be a fast favourite of mine, I enjoyed this book. I'm happy that a Cinderella retelling with a black lesbian heroine exists so that more and more readers can find themselves represented in beloved fairytales. I'd be interested to see if the author plans on turning any other tales on their heads -- and not just because of how gorgeous the cover art is here. I reckon there's a lot that Kalynn Bayron could do with Sleeping Beauty!

Cinderella is Dead is a richly diverse and lovely read. It takes a well known and overused story in Cinderella, flipping it on it's head to make a relevant, modern and inclusive story with very likeable and relatable characters.

This story is based on Cinderella and I will admit Cinderella isn’t my favourite fairytale but I was excited to read this book.

The story was okay, it was a little predictable for me but I still enjoyed it. It is set 200 years after the death of Cinderella. I liked how it took the tale of Cinderella and used it as a history for the world. I also enjoyed how it used elements from the fairytale and used them, for example the Ball is mandatory. It twists the tale of Cinderella and shows a different side to the story. I found it easy to read and the writing style was okay. It felt like a fairytale story which I liked.

The worldbuilding was okay. I felt like there could have been more. The kingdom is ruled by one man who believes he is better than everyone and he sets the rules. Men are the ones with power in the world and some of the male characters are misogynistic. The majority of the people follow the kings rules so they won’t be executed and some of them believe the story the king tells them.

The characters were okay. I felt there was more to know about them. I didn’t fully connect to them. The main character Sophia was strong. Sophia resists the current rules because she loves a woman. There are f/f relationships in this which I liked. Constance is another main character who resists the kingdoms rules and these two join forces to take down the king. There are several more characters, including the fairy godmother and some characters are hiding secrets.

I loved the diversity in this we have a black main character who is also a part of the lgbtq+ community. There are f/f relationships and there’s also mention of a m/m relationship. I think the diversity was good and we need more books that are diverse.

Overall this is a good book with a fairytale setting and a queer black main character that takes down the patriarchy.