Cinderella Is Dead
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4.3 • 196 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"Wholly original and captivating." - Brigid Kemmerer, New York Times bestselling author of A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Girls team up to overthrow the kingdom in this unique and powerful retelling of Cinderella from a stunning new voice that's perfect for fans of Dhonielle Clayton and Melissa Albert.
It's been 200 years since Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over.
In the kingdom of Lille, young women have two options: arrive at the ball to be selected as a wife, or forfeit their lives.
Sophia's options are even more limited, especially when she'd rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. Tonight, she'll make a desperate decision to flee once and for all. She never expected that running for her life would open a new door with a girl named Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her stepsisters.
Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all--and light a spark that could change the world as they know it.
Perfect for readers seeking out:
- Fairy tale reimaginings
- Queer stories
- Powerful female main characters
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Two hundred years after Cinderella's death, the kingdom of Mersailles is a totalitarian patriarchy: women have no rights and live with children under a strict curfew, while young women must present themselves to prospective suitors at the annual ball. Those who aren't selected in three years married by 18 are considered forfeit and destined for lives of servitude; some vanish altogether. In the city of Lille, headstrong Sophia Grimmins, 16, wants nothing to do with marriage unless it's to her girlfriend, Erin. But while Erin succumbs to fear and social pressure, Sophia refuses to yield, fleeing the ball. On the run, she encounters beautiful Constance, a descendant of Cinderella's vilified stepsister Gabrielle, who knows the truth behind the official legend. Determined to overthrow the corrupt system, the two decide to trace the rumors behind another storied figure: Cinderella's fairy godmother. While the budding relationship between Sophia and Constance fulfills an emotional component, logistical failings and a hasty conclusion weaken the novel. Even so, Bayron's deconstructive reimagining of the classic fairy tale is ambitious, replacing the happily-ever-after with a tragic legacy and a defiant, feminist tone. Ages 13 up.
Customer Reviews
WE’RE HERE WE’RE QUEER AND WE LOVED THIS BOOK
Amazing read!!!! Everyone I showed it to loved it!!! ITS SO AWESOMEEEEEE AND THE GAY GAY GAY SO GOOD
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️✨✨✨✨
A retelling worth re-reading.
Amazing storytelling. Riveting combination of action, heart and fantasy. Thank you for a fun read I couldn’t put down. I will be adding this to my re-reading list.
huge letdown (possible spoilers)
was excited for this because the sample and description drew me in. it was marketed as a YA horror (horror nonexistent) with a Black lead (outside of one sentence it isn’t mentioned at all). the story itself is great in the first 10ish chapters, the characterization amazing and great tension between Erin and Sophia but after the ball, the writing goes downhill and FAST. the rest of the characters are flat stereotypes with no inherent traits except to help Sophia in the story. the end is shoddy with loose ends all tied abruptly within a chapter. i figured out the king’s secret power the moment i read the description of liv’s body.