Cinderella Is Dead
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4.3 • 189 Ratings
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- $7.99
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 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls 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.
Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia 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 . . .
This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they've been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.
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
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.
Loved it
I’m a huge fan of fairytale stories that have great twists to them. I loved this book , reading it was like watching an episode of Once Upon A Time. I just had to keep reading until I got to the end. In the book there was mentions of the Evil Queen from Snow White. I would definitely love to hear her story, wrote by the author.