[Review will be posted on 9/29/20]

This is the fiercely feminist and empowering story of rebellion you’ve been waiting for! This Cinderella retelling has a queer black girl overthrowing the patriarchy and is a must-read! Bayron’s debut YA fantasy weaves together an intensely powerful story that reimagines the fairy tales we all know and weaves them together with the ways society uses story to control people.

“Cinderella has been dead for two hundred years. I’ve been in love with Erin for the better part of three years. And I am about two minutes away from certain death.”

Look at those opening lines! I dare you to show me a stronger and eye-catching opening. I’ll wait. I was instantly drawn into the narrative and on the edge of my seat, a feeling that stayed with me the entire time that I read this book. I just needed the characters to be okay and love it when the plot has real stakes.

“People who don’t fit nicely into the boxes the kings of Mersailles have defined are simply erased, as if our lives don’t matter.”

Reading this book made me so angry in the best of ways! So many of my reading notes are some form of “🔥🔥🔥 burn the patriarchy!” The kingdom of Mersailles is built around the Cinderella fairytale… only she was a real person who lived and died 200 years ago. Her story (the one we all know) is basically the Kingdom’s bible and is used to inform the laws of the land, all of which are there to “keep the women safe”. 🤬🤬🤬

“There is no resisting. We can’t go against the book or the king.”

Mersailles is not a good place for women. It’s an intensely patriarchal society where any dissent is swiftly punished, frightening everyone into complacency. I absolutely loved the world-building and how the author crafted a place both familiar and new. The writing is so descriptive that I was fully immersed, and the pacing of the story didn’t feel bogged down by the lush descriptions of clothing and scenery.

The book is fast-paced and action-packed. I had a difficult time putting it down because I was enjoying the book so much. There is a layer of predictability with the plot; there was one thing that was so glaringly obvious to me for most of the book that got harped on for too long while Sophia caught up to me that dragged my experience down a little. But! I was so focused on that thing that I was completely blindsided by something else. I wish the book was a little longer though because the ending came too quickly and wrapped up very easily. I could have happily stayed in this world with these characters for 100 more pages.

“She must conform, know her place, and do whatever must be done to find a match, and so do you.”

Sophia is a main character you can’t help but root for. She is fierce and amazing and I love her character development arc. However, some of the side characters felt one-dimensional. This wasn’t the end of the world for me as I was incredibly invested in Sophia, Erin, and Constance but I do wish more of the characters felt real.

“All fairy tales have some grain of truth. Picking apart that truth from the lies can be tricky, though.”

I love how kind and patient Constance is with Sophia; Constance models how we all can be better advocates and allies. I also appreciate that while Sophia was rebellious and had her own doubts before everything, she doesn’t simply accept everything she’s told straight away. The author does a great job showing that it’s hard to have everything you believe in shatter and it takes time and effort to unlearn things.

“We come from different places. I grew up knowing all of this. You’re just starting to understand it. But it’s okay.”

A central theme is the importance of one person having the courage to do something and how that one person can inspire many others. Everything about this society is meant to subjugate women and keep them tightly controlled, too afraid to speak up. Sophia’s journey to find her voice and not be silent is inspiring.

“Do not be silent.
Raise your voice.
Be a light in the dark.”

Overall, Cinderella is Dead is a powerful and fiercely feminist fantasy debut that everyone needs to pick up. It’s got amazing world-building, characters you will love, and it’s core theme of thinking critically about stories we are told is crucial. We need stories that empower. Kalynn Bayron is definitely an author to watch and I look forward to what she writes next!

Representation: Black main character (own-voices), f/f relationship, LGBTQIAP+ (gay and lesbian characters)
Content warnings: animal death and sacrifice, bullying, death, domestic abuse, homophobia, loss of a loved one, murder, outing of a character, sexism, sexual assault, violence

I unfortunately decided to DNF this one. I really love the premise and I think that younger readers might enjoy this more than I did, but I wanted a bit more from it and sadly couldn't really get into it. I think a sapphic Cinderella retelling is such a good idea though, and I'd love to read more books with similar concepts!
I also really enjoyed one scene I read where the main character and a boy she live near both had a conversation about them being gay and how this was really not accepted in their society. I love little moments of queer kids finding each other.

I loved this brilliant, feminist retelling of the Cinderella story. Sophia is such a firecracker of a character and I couldn’t help but root for her and her cause. This was an incredibly fast-paced story that was highly unpredictable.

I had high hopes for this based on the cover and premise of the novel, but I hate to admit I couldn't finish it. I got through the first few chapters, but it didn't keep my attention. I felt no connection with the main characters, and im tired of insta-love in books.

I do enjoy a good fairytale retelling. And you have that here with a twist. We have a Black Cinderella who happens to be queer, she overtakes the patriarchy with a friend. I enjoyed the direction that the author went with this book. I want to say more but then I get into spoilers and that’s no fun. So if you enjoy the things that I have listed above then I suggest you read the book.

I love YA! My first YA retelling/remix was A Blade So Black. I loved getting into the fantasy genre by starting with a story I was familiar with like Alice & Wonderland. I love YA but it's usually not fantasy. So, I had to read Cinderella Is Dead. A remix that gives a history of the Cinderella story with queer Black girls on a mission to change their community.

Sophia is 16, courageous, likes girls and is not a big believer in fairy god mother's or the magic that existed. I enjoyed reading Cinderella is Dead! I would think the story was going one way and was wrong! I loved that. Sophia Grimmins is not easily swayed by anyone, even the girl she loves. She wanted to see change in her world and she doesn't just talk about but is ready to risk it all. I found myself rooting for her along the way. I also smiled whenever she was in her feelings towards a couple of special girls.

In this remix to the fairy tale I was glad to continually think I knew what would happen next and be wrong. I enjoyed the reveals as the fairytale story began to be exposed. The same way dissident media can help to expose the truth. The town follows the history of the Cinderella story. However, we know certain lies told and passed down can be accepted as truth until the truth is uncovered.

Sophia knew to create a change in how women were treated she couldn't just try to change leadership, she had to get the system abolished. Read the book to see the truths she discovers about Cinderella's story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this book. It was a solid effort to give a fairy tale retelling that featured diverse characters and a plot turned upside down. Although the book was not what I expected, fans of young adult fantasy featuring diverse POVs will love it.

3 for neutral. Unfortunately I was unable to finish this book. I tried a few times, hoping I would finally be in a mood that allowed me to enjoy it enough to finish up, but it’s not happened yet. Will update if able to finish at a later date,

*Given an advanced reading copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron is a fascinating take on what happened after fairy tale icon Cinderella married Prince Charming and how it’s not happily ever after.

Two hundred years after the death of Cinderella, in the kingdom of Lille girls are forced to attend a ball put on by King Manford. At the ball, a man will lay claim on the girl, and they’ll be married, even if the girl doesn’t want to. That’s the world Sophia lives in, and she hates it because she’s in love with her best friend Erin. But Sophia’s parents are putting everything they have into preparing Sophia for the ball in order for her to marry well, and Erin isn’t on board with defying the system. Sophia tries to get with the sacrifices until at the ball she realizes she can’t do that. In the process, she upsets the king and runs away into the dark forest. When she wakes up, she finds herself at Cinderella’s tomb with a redheaded girl named Constance who claims to be a descendant of one of Cinderella’s stepsisters. Constance tells Sophia the real story of Cinderella and how her life wasn’t a fairy tale, how a far more sinister event caused her death, leading to the kingdom diminishing the rights of girls and women in favor of male domination. Sophia becomes even more determined to be with Erin and works with Constance to take down the kingdom. They head to the home of the fabled godmother for assistance, and from there they learn even more history about their society and receive more fuel to save the girls and women of Lille.

The story opens the reader’s mind about the tale of Cinderella and how it can be interpreted as a failure and not a dream come true. The interpretation of the fairy tale’s legacy of oppressing females resonates in the current environment in different ways around the world, so it’s striking to see this kingdom struggle with real-life issues based on the interpretation of a well-known story. On top of the oppression, Sophia loves a girl and is told she can’t do that; it’s punishable by law. The transformation of Sophia’s love also uplifts the story with her feelings shifting to who supports her goal to take down the kingdom.

Overall, the novel moves with a nice energy, and the story continually interprets the Cinderella story in different ways that add to the uniqueness of this new story.

The premise of this book is so exciting: a queer retelling of Cinderella that features a Black heroine smashing the patriarchy.

I really enjoyed this one! The allusions to the original tale are unexpected and interesting, and one of the things I enjoyed most was seeing how the old tropes and roles were altered, challenged, or subverted; in particular I loved the re-imagined fairy godmother character. I also thought the romance between the MC Sophia and her love interest was really sweet, with cute banter and a chemistry that felt genuine.

I do wish that the world of the story was more fleshed out to expand on the magic system and the realm outside the Kingdom's borders; and I also think certain characters could have been more developed in their motivations and role in the narrative. But overall, it was an engaging retelling with some great twists!

basically the teen book that teen me would have killed to read.

This book was good. It wasn't my favorite read of the year and it wasn't a book i'd probably read again - but it was good and important and different. There were a lot of pieces of it that I loved. I loved that it told the story of queer youth, I love that it was all about smashing the patriarchy. but I felt lost and a little bit confused without the world-building necessary to tell a story of a world such as this.

Overall I really enjoyed this, but wish it had been a little more fleshed out.

I will never look at the story of Cinderella the same way again! I thought because I knew the story of Cinderella, this would be pretty much the same with come minor changes. Yea, NOPE! I was wrong! There are a lot of changes and lots of surprises. I am here for them too! I enjoyed this and really hope we can expect more fairy tale retellings in the future!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

This is a nice, inclusive story for fans of Cinderella and other fairy tales. Great for teens, but entertaining for adults as well. I would definitely recommend this to teen library patrons and include it in "If You Like... Fairy Tales" reader's advisory lists.

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron is not really a retelling of Cinderella. Yes her story is retold but the story really revolves around Sophia and her fight to be herself. A moral story that just because something is tradition does not make it right.

I really liked this story I like how Bayron changed the Cinderella narrative.but did not make it the focus. the narrative was weaved into the main story and it was done well. Sophia is a lesbian and there is that LGBTQ aspects in the book that very well done. I think when you read this story you get see Sophia grow in subtle way. Originally she is very focused on herself and over the book she expands and starts to think of others. There were twists but for me they were good but now completely unexpected.

I am going to give this a five stars because I think this is one of the best "retellings" I have read in awhile. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for the ARC. This is an honest review.

This book tackles all the current events themes when it comes to being a POC & being a female. Cinderella is dead was such a powerful book and I am so glad it’s out in the world for all the readers to devour.

I wish I could say that I absolutely loved this book but that just wasn't the case. However that being said I did overall enjoy it! The writing style was very easily accessible quick to get through. And the themes of women's power, self identity, self love, and cultural acceptance we personified very well in this book. I also love that this book has POC characters and a sapphic romance as the forefront of the story. That being said I just didn't 100% connect with the characters and much as I would have wanted to. And for that reason I just didn't have any emotional invested interest in what their outcomes were.

The ending of this book wrapped up a bit too neatly for me. I know that this is a fairy tell retelling I just wish that it wasn't so clean cut! With all of the talk about the romanticizing stories and how not everything is as it seem you would think that the story would have more of a rough ending!
The twist in this book was kind of predicable. You have this whole fairy tale flipped on its head and I wanted something more to be surprised by.
The pacing of this book was a little bit off in my opinion but overall I think that it was put together rather nicely! This book has a ton of wonderful qualities but it just didn't quite hit the mark for me!

Some stories struggle with making major concepts that we’re dealing with in real life applicable in their fictional worlds. From commentary on police brutality and the Movement for Black Lives, to providing queer and gender-nonconforming characters that feel true to life, many stories stumble when attempting to portray characters and plot in a way that envelopes the reader in their world. Kalynn Bayron’s Cinderella is Dead, however, has no such struggle. Not only does Sophia Grimmins, the main character, leap off the page and into your heart, but the story also does a fantastic job of rebuking patriarchal systems and representing queerness without going off-plot.

As the story opens, we are immediately thrust into the central problem in Lille, the province where much of the story takes place. Namely, that young women have been forced to endure 200 years of sexist rule – from a strict women’s-only curfew that begins at eight at night to being beholden to the choosing of men during an annual ball to gain any advancement. It is this ball that remains the central contention of Sophia’s introduction. She has never wanted to be chosen by a man and resists every component of participation in the ball looming before her in three days’ time. In fact, the book opens up with her having a brief rendezvous with Erin, another young woman whom she has loved for as long as she can remember. Unfortunately, love is not enough to conquer all the ills the girls face, a throughline this story reminds of us again and again. Sophia and Erin must both participate in the ceremony and circumstance that places all the burden on oppressed groups without even the thinnest veneer of hope for equity. This is reinforced when Sophia, after recognizing signs of domestic violence while getting fitted for a dress, bears witness to outright violence against a gay ally while on her way home from the same shop shortly thereafter.

Patriarchal rule holds little space for independent thinking, let alone rebellion – a lesson Sophia is reminded of several times throughout the story, from living with the knowledge of her own grandmother’s execution for being a dissident to what she later learns about the history of her world. Perhaps the cruelest aspect of the tyrannical leadership behind Lille is that they use the story of Cinderella, who in this story lived in Lille and married Prince Charming 200 years prior to the beginning of this book and died at 38, to shame the families of Lille into complying with harsh rule and living conditions. As any unravelling of tyranny is wont to do, we later learn that the true history of Cinderella’s life is very far from what the tale claims and that the public is kept unaware of the machinations of its leader, King Manford, and that the only ones who are clued into aspects of this system are those who seek to benefit from the suffering of others. It is only once Cinderella is Dead reaches its bitter end that we see some semblance of public discontent and Sophia must go through many challenges before then. Her stubborn belief in doing what is right deeply colors many characters’ experience at the ball and sends her on a journey of learning which goals and relationships she must hold close or release herself from.

Much like the classic Cinderella story, there is magic in the story, yet, it is not a central motivation, nor does it magically solve all the problems the protagonist faces. In fact, magic tends to be a cause for more heartache than help in this tale. A lot of the true magic of Cinderella is Dead comes in its ability to explain the ways the people of Lille, as well as those in real life, end up in situations where those least deserving of power wield it toward discriminatory and fatal ends without the world turning upside down to right these wrongs. I sincerely hope that a whole generation of leaders take strength in the plight of Sophia and act in ways that similarly changes our reality for the better.

https://www.statesman.com/entertainmentlife/20200716/rsquocinderella-is-deadrsquo-total-eclipse-of-nestor-lopezrsquo-and-more-for-kids-to-read

I started this book, but ultimately only made it a few chapters before giving up. Part of that was just personal; I wasn't in the mood for the type of story I saw developing in Cinderella Is Dead. However, I would also say that I didn't find the world-building particularly compelling at the beginning of the story. Still, the chapters I did read were well- written And I know there are readers who will love Cinderella Is Dead. I think readers who like fairy tales but wish they were more feminist and queer should definitely give Cinderella Is Dead a try.

3.5 stars