Representation: Black lesbian protagonist, f/f romance, black side characters, black sapphic li.

"The most monstrous of men are those who sit in plain sight, daring you to challenge them."

Cinderella is Dead certainly brings unique twist to a beloved fairy-tale as two girls - one with her heart set on defying the rules that make up her kingdom- and, another -who wants nothing more than to avenge her family, team up to destroy their evil monarch.

While there were many things I enjoyed about this novel, I do feel the lack of villain characterization, and hard-to-believe romance, let it down.

I adored the characters of both Sophia and Constance. Both girls showed different kind of strengths- Sophia with her fearlessness and Constance with her knifes- they seemed like opposites and yet they made an unstoppable team. Their friendship I loved. Their romance? Not so much. Honestly, it wasn't bad. They were cute- there was just no build up. We had more romantic build up between Sophia and her ex, Erin. It felt like the moment Constance and Sophia's eyes meet they're in love and that was that.

Now keeping in mind that this is a retelling of a fairy tale, so maybe that kind of romance was expected. I did like that we have a black lesbian protagonist who gets her girl.

I loved the world building and the plot was interesting. The beginning truthfully had me hooked and there were many twists and turns to keep the book entertaining. My biggest issue revolved around the villain. I can't say much without spoiling and I wont do that. However, the big ending, villain origin story, and face-off were underwhelming.

Overall, Cinderella is Dead wasn't my favorite read but I do think many young adults are going to enjoy this distinctive retelling. Sophia was an interesting/ slightly unreliable narrator who I adored; the novel is really strong in characterization ( minus the villain), plot, and setting the story.

Content warnings: Murder, grief, on page death of a horse, gore and violence, domestic abuse, misogynistic language, violence to gay side character.

( Review will be live @Shans_Shelves (instagram) and ShanShelves.wordpress.com, closer to the release date.)

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Bloomsbury YA, and Kalynn Bayron for giving me an ARC in exchange for review! This review will be published on my Goodreads account (immediately) and my Instagram account on the day following publication: July 8th, 2020.

Cinderella is dead. The women of Lille live only in hopes of being chosen by a man at the ball. Sophia doesn’t want to be chosen, she does not want to marry a man at all.

The set up for this world is cruel. I expected it to be horrible and sexist, and it really really delivered. I do appreciate how far and extreme it took this aspect of the novel because all other aspects felt a little young for older YA readers (dialogue/characters/etc...) but the darkness of the setting provided some juxtaposition for this. Though, I would still recommend this to younger readers as well! This mix of a darker, serious setting amongst more simplistic writing felt very Hunger Games-esque. I feel a lot of readers ages 11-14 would greatly benefit from reading this novel, the conversations it could spark, and it could be the rebellion nostalgic novel for their generation!

By the end of the novel, I really enjoyed the plot overall and found it intriguing, I wanted to keep reading! However, I struggled with a lot of the dialogue feeling cheesy, and many obstacles felt overcome far too easily. I think in such a dark world I expected darker, more harrowing things to happen. The main challenge our heroes faced was conquered within thirty pages. I also was not too keen on the characters, none of whom underwent much development throughout the 400 pages I read. I think the idea behind this book was very strong, yet some aspects of the execution did not meet my expectations.

Awesomely written tale! The story grabs you from the first few pages with the main character's, Sophia, wit and sass. This was a great spin on the Cinderella tale as the gender roles are reversed and women's rights are at the forefront. This novel takes you on a wild ride that does not end until the last page! Very well written!

Cinderella Isn't Dead is about a small town who believes everything about Cinderellas story and lives by it everyday. Men are feared because they have every right to send someone to the palace to be killed. In this story we're following Sophie as she tries to hide her identity, and ends up fleeing from the palace to be claimed to a suitor.

I ended up really enjoying this book! It's different from anything I've read and it was fast paced. I liked how brave Sophia was to stand up for herself in a place that doesn't allow women to do that. She wasn't afraid of learning what was wrong with her country and wanting to change it.

I'd def recommend this book and will be reading more from this author!

4 stars!

I got an ARC of this book.

I got this because it sounded liked it might be the queer dystopian book that bridged the gap between what my partners like and what I like. How did I end up dating two people who prefer fantasy?

This book was more fantasy than dystopian. It was very much a sequel to Cinderella that went further and made Cinderella into a badass. It reads very much as a “what if history wasn’t written by white rich cis men?” version of a fairy tale. What if Cinderella didn’t magically fall in love and submit to a man she didn’t even know? What if her step-sisters weren’t awful, but were shown that way to take more power away from women? These are the sorts of questions that made this book possible and is the reason why I liked it.

The action was few and far between. There was a lot of talking. There was a lot of traveling. There was not a lot of things actually happening. For all that talking the romance did not make any sense to me. It was so flimsy and just felt like “if they are gay they will immediately like anyone else who is gay”. I needed a bit more there. There was no way I was buying into getting over a first love that quickly and falling in love so deeply that quickly. It did fit in a fairy tale story, which is why I can’t even get mad. It worked and I am just going to be grumpy that the author both annoyed me and impressed me with the same idea. Bayron clearly was a step ahead of me the whole time. The tone and the feeling was always fairy tale and everything fit so well. So even though this is a complaint, I am also impressed.

I found the ending was a bit rushed (again perfect for a fairy tale). The last 15% was pretty much the entire plot. Everything was revealed and wrapped up much too nicely for me. I wanted a bit more struggle. I wanted a bit more something here. I did enjoy the big twist. That was fun for me. I am always down for a twist like this. So I am mollified in that aspect. It was fast, but it was good.

Overall, all my complaints are really that Bayron managed to keep the fairy tale feel which stifled some of what I wanted from happening. I have no doubt that Bayron could write exactly what I wanted and blow my mind. The skill show to control the story as strongly as it was outweighs my complaints for more.

There is more to the stories of our past than meets the eye. This is the story of Cinderella, but not the one you know, as it is 200 years later and life is not great if you are a woman. Starting on your 16th birthday you are required to go to a ball at the Palace where the men choose their wives. If you don't get chosen after three tries you are forced into servitude and if you are chosen your new husband is probably abusive.

Sophia is desperate to leave and at the ball makes the decision to flee away. When she runs away she meets Constance, a decedent of Cinderella, who knows a much different story of history and together they try and change the future.

This book was exciting, sad, and hopeful. I really loved Sophia as a character and loved how the book worked in the story of Cinderella and how the stories that we are told are not always the full story. I was surprised throughout the book and overall really enjoyed it.

The premise of this book, that a young girl fights to overthrow the patriarchal kingdom 200 years after the death of Cinderella promised a captivating story.

The alternate telling of the Cinderella story was very creative, and the final twist to the story was surprising.

However, the story was told through 16-year old Sophia. She is dead-set on escaping her fate of being married off at the mandatory ball that all young women in her kingdom must attend.

She is supposed to be rebellious, but comes off as a selfish brat, with no forethought going into her vague plans for escape. Not surprisingly, this supposedly strong character ends up being a damsel needing saving. And, her savior ends up being the person she falls for instantly, despite the fact Sophia has been in love with her childhood friend for years.

The dialogue between the characters is unnatural, since it is mostly a vehicle for info dumping history and preachy feminism ideals. Therefore, the characters don't feel "real", and I couldn't connect with them. Even when characters die, it is of little consequence.

The pacing was slow, with no real tension in the story to help it along. 60% into the book, all that has happened is that Sophia she went to a ball, ran into the woods and met a witch.

Unfortunately, for me Sophia was a shallow character, ruled only by emotion and was thoughtless, impetuous, and reckless; she doesn't exhibit any growth or intelligence. She takes unnecessary risks that result in predictable results where others pay for her actions, which was really frustrating to me.

This book could have been fantastic had the characters been more believeable and sympathetic. But the twist in the Cinderella story was truly unique and is worth the read.

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and Netgalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
When I heard about the premise of Cinderella is Dead, I was so excited to read it—Sophia lives in a world where girls are forced to go to a ball and get picked by suitors, but Sophia dreams of running away with Erin, her childhood love. Things go super wrong and Sophia comes across Constance and they form a plot to kill the king and take their kingdom back. It’s awesome.
So, I had some pros and cons with this one. I loved the premise and the pacing was really great. The last half felt super fast and it was addicting to read because, plot wise, I was gripped by the need to know what would happen. Plus, the chapters were relatively short which I adore anyway because it makes me feel like a fast reader. Very addictive to read.
What I wanted was more from the characters and the world. I wanted more of a vivid feel of where I was in the story. The three most vivid places were Amina’s cottage, Cinderella’s room, and Cinderella’s Mausoleum. Those three places I could reach out and touch the space in my mind. It felt real. I just wanted that to extend to the outside world. As for the characters, I just wished we knew one or two tiny things, like a favorite color or a hatred of socks—something that would make me feel more connected to Sophia and Constance. I was connected to their cause and driving force but felt distanced from them because of that lack of personal information. My one other issue was that I sometimes felt like I wasn’t trusted as a reader. Sometimes things were stated that I understood from the dialogue or the actions happening. This could be due to the first-person present tense or a focus on a younger YA audience, but I wanted some things to be a little less stated outright if that makes sense.
What I did love was the relationship between Sophia and Constance. It felt lived in and I believed their romance. While the attraction was quick and might be seen by some as instalove, it made sense to me and their connection grows over the pages. I liked that Bayron talked about Sophia’s relationship with Erin and how while Sophia loved her, she deserved someone who was at the same place in life as her, who wanted the same future as her. The story really shines in the pockets of that relationship! I also loved the parts about Sophia’s grandmother. Whenever she was mentioned I felt such a glimpse into who Sophia was as a person and I would have loved even more of those moments.
This was a 3.25 stars book for me, which means I liked it, I just kept being pulled out by the cons and couldn’t totally sink into it. I think within the pages the Bayron had, it was an enjoyable read and can totally see it becoming a series of stand-alones in the same world. As always, my issues with it could be different for another reader, so take what I say with a grain of salt and definitely give this book a read!

Cinderella Is Dead had a great premise and fascinating world building but the writing style and characterization felt flat. It was a fun read but did not stand out to me as far as the writing was concerned.

This was a fantastic take on the Cinderella myth with a fierce, feminist stance. In a country that has been ruled by kings who throw balls just to see the girls get dressed up and parcelled off to his buddies, we find Sophia who has had enough of this crap. She has been in love with her best friend for years, but the night of the ball it doesn't seem to matter-- the only thing that matters is being a good girl and getting a husband, even if he's cruel to you. It is what it expected. So Sophia does what is not expected. She runs away and finds a girl in the woods. The many times great granddaughter of one of Cinderella's evil stepsisters, only it turns out, they weren't so evil, and there are a lot of other lies in the myth of Cinderella, perpetrated so the king can keep the kingdom firmly in his control. That is until Sophia and company come to tear it all down. A great mystery, some lovely romance, and a whole lotta fierce coming at you with this read. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced E copy.

This fairytale retelling with a Black, lesbian protagonist was as delightful as it's villains were ghoulish.

This book was good. It didn't hit it WAY out of the park, but it was definitely good. There are a few world-building questions I had and I feel like the love interests were a little controlling. Like she could have done everything that happened in this book by herself and having love interests may have just dragged her down. But overall, it was a good book. I would recommend it to people who enjoy dystopian fairy tales and pleasant lesbian fiction.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron is a dark twisted tale of the classic fairy tale story Cinderella. 
In the kingdom of Lille 200 years after Cinderella found her Prince Charming women are treated as possessions having no power or respect. Where they are forced to attend an annual ball in hopes to be chosen for marriage. They are given three chances after which they’re considered unworthy, often forfeited to the palace and never seen or heard from again. 
During the story we meet Sophia who doesn’t want any part of the traditions of Lille, instead dreams of living a free life with the one she truly loves, her childhood friend Ellie. Disgusted by recent events she flees her first ball accidentally entering Cinderella’s mausoleum where she meets Constance, a descendent of Cinderella’s stepsister. As Sophia gets tangled up with Constance she begins to learn the true tale of Cinderella’s story that is hidden from the kingdom all these years.
I really enjoyed the read overall, I thought it was a creative take on the fairytale we grew up knowing. I appreciated the important topics discussed as well as the representation and diversity. I admired Sophia's character, especially her boldness and being unapologetic about who she is. She wasn’t afraid to stand up and fight for what she believed in or wanted for herself no matter the pain it caused her. I wish the author took the time with the pacing of the story better, it felt rushed and some scenes unfinished at times especially towards the ending. Although I admired the characters I would have loved to see more character development as well as the romance develop on a deeper level. The relationship felt Insta love to me with no depth. Thank you again NetGalley and Bloomsbury publishing for this beautiful arc 3.5/5 stars

Wow wow wow. Cinderella is Dead was a wild ride. From beginning to end, I was intrigued. I absolutely devoured the story. The writing was so fresh and well paced and I loved every single character. Sophia was so strong!

Be prepared, the setting will piss you off! Women are treated so disgusting and horrible I could hardly take it. But despite this, Sophia was so strong and brave and knew exactly what she wanted. She wasn't going to stop fighting because a man told her too.

I loved how this story is based off of the real life tale of Disney's Cinderella, and I love how the story is a lot more twisted then we ever could have thought.

This book was really engaging and i was right away hooked and couldn't put it down.
Fairytale meets dystopia and "Queer Black girls overthrowing the patriarchy" which are books we need more of!
This books was fast paced, dealt with real world problems like classicism, sexism, and homophobia. I loved that the MC was Black and didnt want to conform to the world she lived in which was being forced to go to a ball to meet a suitor. This is probably my new favorite retelling and I loved how the original story of Cinderella was not as it seemed.

I do wish it was longer maybe even a Duology to flesh out some characters like Luke, the king and some others but honestly the story line alone and the twists and turns was EVERYTHING and more.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for allowing me to read and review this book early.

The premise of Cinderella is Dead sounds like so much fun, and is much needed right now. I know a lot of women and marginalized people have had a lot of rage recently toward the patriarchy and the government and whatnot, and what better way to challenge them than by revisiting a classic tale like Cinderella?

I like the idea that this is a world where the original Cinderella story as we know was essentially propaganda, and the people alive in the present time the story is set continue to perpetuate that system of power and corruption.

However, this book does put the importance of the message over character or world development. I can’t think of much that stands out about Sophia or Constance. I can admire them for their devotion to the cause, but I don’t know that I cared about either of them.

Also, despite being a fantasy, the world building is very thin. There is some discussion of the history as far as the lineages of both the king and the stepsister, but nothing else that really gives a sense of place. I can understand wanting to maintain a bit of the abstract fairy tale quality to the story though, so I don’t hold this aspect against it too much.

While this book wasn’t a winner for me, I think it’s still worth trying, especially if you love fairy tale retellings (particularly Cinderella), and are looking for a fun, subversive take on it.

THE GOOD

unique retelling
Cinderella is Dead is a refreshing reimagining of Cinderella. It’s honestly one of the more creative retellings I’ve read. I really did not expect the story to go where it. Just the way elements of the age-old fairytale were reframed to fit into the world of this book blew my mind. It’s been a few days since I’ve finished reading it, and I’m still amazed at how Cinderella was retold.

Sophia, our lovely main character, is not quite another edition of one of my favorite princesses, but yet still embodies (what I believe are) Cinderella’s best qualities.

important read in today’s world
Sophia lives in a world where all girls must attend a ball to be chosen by a man to become his wife. Girls who leave the ball without being selected risk their reputation, and that of their families, and may face exile or death. As such, Cinderella is Dead addresses many modern-day issues like sexism, freedom of choice, LGBTQ+ rights, oppression, and a little about race (subtly?). These struggles were all nicely woven into the story, and while maybe slightly overdone, I cannot imagine this book without these points. Some of the passages and quotes hit particularly hard at this time, especially given the United States’ current “leadership”.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD
Lack of development pretty much accounts for everything in this section, especially the characters, world-building, and romance. If any of the three were more fleshed out, Cinderella is Dead could have been at least a 4-star read for me instead of a 3.5-star one.

flat characters
First up, let’s talk about the characters. The characters were fun to read, and I liked how they were all so different from one another. It was especially fun to see them bicker with one another. That said, most of them were pretty undeveloped. Like, I know more about what Sophia stands for than who she is.

quick world-building
It didn’t take me long to understand the world Sophia lives in or the standards she has to conform to in this society. Which would typically be a good thing except most of the world was built through “telling” and not “showing”. It sometimes felt like I was reading a history textbook, but Sophia is not supposed to be a history teacher. On top of that, all the world-building in the first few chapters caused the beginning of Cinderella is Dead to be slow and awkward, which is not exactly the best way to start a book.

sophia’s love life
Sophia’s love plays a significant role in getting the plot rolling in Cinderella is Dead – she’s willing to risk it all for the chance at a happily ever after with her girlfriend. However, their romance doesn’t read like some great love, and their friendship feels tenuous.

Sophia’s love life later in the book is sweeter, but I wish I could have seen more of their romance unfold in the story.

IN CONCLUSION…
Cinderella is Dead is an important read and a unique reimagining of Cinderella. But it could have used some more development in some areas.

A really exciting, engrossing story with a fresh perspective on the fairy tale you thought you knew. More queer girls and f/f pairings in YA fantasy, please! I picked this up and finished it in a single day because I was just that captivated by the story. I’m so impressed by the future of YA; heroines like these are exactly what I would’ve wanted as a younger reader and they’re so fun to read even now that I’m older. Pick this one up if you’re even gently thinking about it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love a good re-telling and while some fairy tales have been overdone, like Cinderella, I think there’s also always ways that writers can change things up and create something new. On that front I think Bayron accomplished that with Cinderella is Dead. Unfortunately this particular re-imaging wasn’t the right book for me.

I’ll say it now that I’m over stories where the fictional society is built around female oppression and that’s the basis of the story. There’s a reason I have no desire to try The Handmaid’s Tale and other stories like it. But that’s what this book is. Two young women smashing the patriarchal order that has kept them all but captive. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but it’s one of those types of stories I’m not really interested in reading, not without there being a larger plot beyond that.

But I like re-tellings and had hoped this book would be an exception.

Unfortunately that wasn’t my only issue. One of the aspects I struggled with the most was the lack of character motivations. I knew they wanted to overthrow the patriarchy. Everything in this book seemed to be designed to tackle that goal rather than tell the story of a specific character. I never really understood Sophia, or why this was her story. What made her, specifically, the right protagonist for this story.

I know she’s stubborn and headstrong, and doesn’t always think before acting. Which is fine. But that’s all I really know about her as a person. And the same for Constance. And the villain for that matter. I didn’t understand what made them special beyond their role. The companion. The villain. This book read much like a fairy tale in that regard, where everything lingers on the surface to lead the reader to some final understanding.

So as I read, I didn’t always understand the decisions the character made. The relationships they built. Everything was missing that emotional connection I thrive on as a reader. That character development that really strikes a chord with you as you read. It’s what I look for in stories, and I didn’t find it in Cinderella is Dead.

That said, this book is fast-paced and definitely a quick read. I liked the idea of Cinderella being the foundational story upon which an entire culture and kingdom was built around. It’s not something I’ve seen before and definitely made this book stand out in that regard.

More importantly, this book is needed. Here is a diverse cast of characters burning away a harmful, oppressive way of life. The message is a strong one and I applaud this book for bringing it to light. And for those looking for a F/F romance, you’ve definitely got one here! I liked that it didn’t consume the plot but acted as a true subplot (which isn’t always the case in YA fantasy).

I’m not sure I would recommend Cinderella is Dead for the execution, but I do think a lot of my reading experience came down to a disconnect with the characters and the overall theme so take from that what you will. If you’re looking for a unique Cinderella re-telling, this may be the book for you.

This was so much fun. I loved every minute of this book, I enjoyed the writing, the story and the characters so much. The spin on Cinderella’s tale was one I hadn’t encountered before, and I loved all the reveals of what really happened to her.
I can’t recommend this book enough, and am so excited for my finished copy to get here!