Cinderella is Dead
In Cinderella is Dead, 200 years have passed since Cinderella married her Prince Charming. Teen girls like sixteen-year-old Sophia 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.
Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than attend the ball. When there, she 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.
I love how Kalynn Bayron reworked the classic Cinderella and made it so today’s generation of girls could relate to it. Many young, black, LGBT girls will see themselves in this story’s heroine, Sophia. She’s such a determined person; she doesn’t want to hide who she is, or who she loves. Readers can see the burden it places on her young shoulders. My heart broke for her when Erin refused to fight as hard as Sophia did for their relationship, but it made Sophia’s relationship with Constance that much sweeter. Constance didn’t want Sophia to have to hide how she felt. They worked together as a team to bring down the monstrous Charming and earned their happily-ever-after.
The Fairy Godmother, or witch in this case, was one of my favourite characters in Cinderella is Dead. Her story was so unique compared to the Grimm Brothers’ version. Her manipulative qualities surprised me, as well as delighted me. I like a fairy godmother with an attitude. Although she forced Cinderella to fall in love with Charming, she eventually made up for her misdeeds – in her own way.
Cinderella is Dead will make readers question the stories they’ve been told.
Cinderella is Dead Rating: ★★★★
Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than attend the ball. When there, she 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.
I love how Kalynn Bayron reworked the classic Cinderella and made it so today’s generation of girls could relate to it. Many young, black, LGBT girls will see themselves in this story’s heroine, Sophia. She’s such a determined person; she doesn’t want to hide who she is, or who she loves. Readers can see the burden it places on her young shoulders. My heart broke for her when Erin refused to fight as hard as Sophia did for their relationship, but it made Sophia’s relationship with Constance that much sweeter. Constance didn’t want Sophia to have to hide how she felt. They worked together as a team to bring down the monstrous Charming and earned their happily-ever-after.
The Fairy Godmother, or witch in this case, was one of my favourite characters in Cinderella is Dead. Her story was so unique compared to the Grimm Brothers’ version. Her manipulative qualities surprised me, as well as delighted me. I like a fairy godmother with an attitude. Although she forced Cinderella to fall in love with Charming, she eventually made up for her misdeeds – in her own way.
Cinderella is Dead will make readers question the stories they’ve been told.
Cinderella is Dead Rating: ★★★★