Rating: 4 STARS Genre: LGBT/YA/Fantasy Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought 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. Review by Sophie.
TW: Physical (domestic) abuse, homophobia, kidnapping, slavery (selling people), death/murder Rep: F/F romance. Black, lesbian and gay characters I’ve been wanting to read this for a while and was so glad when we chose it for the Turn the Page Book Club this month. This is my first fairy tale retelling and honestly, I didn’t know what to expect! “Do not be silent. Raise your voice. Be a light in the dark.” The book has a really strong opening, and the author does a fantastic job of setting up this dark and cruel, almost dystopian, world where women have no rights, no freedoms, and their only purpose is to serve and obey the men of Lille. In Marseilles, if you’re a woman, your fate is sealed at an annual ball where girls are presented in the image of Cinderella to be chosen as a wife. For these girls, there is no one to turn to and no escape. We meet our main character, Sophia, sneaking around, hiding from guards and trying to find the girl that she loves. Queer relationships are forbidden in Lille and the two girls face a prison sentence or death if caught. Straight away we learn that Sophia is loyal, headstrong and not afraid to fight for her rights as she tries to convince Erin to flee before the ball. “I was twelve when I told my parents that I would much rather find a princess than a prince.” Sophia, like all the other girls her age, is expected to attend the annual ball, so that she can be chosen as a wife. Those who aren’t chosen after the third time are considered forfeit and disappear, never to be seen again. The atmosphere in the story really builds as we begin to see the oppression of Lille's women and hints of something more sinister at play. “The palace underestimates the resourcefulness of women forced into a dark and dangerous place.” Soon, Sophia is on the run. Aided by her very sweet friend, Luke, she escapes the ball and seeks refuge in Cinderella's tomb. Here' we're introduced to the mysterious and seductive Constance, who I loved, even though I had my suspicions about her character! The two then set off on a journey to uncover the truth about the Cinderella story in an attempt to free the women of Lille. “That you try to flatter me when I have a blade at your neck makes me want to slit your throat and spare the world your ignorance.” Constance is totally badass, and I actually love her! I love how sassy she is, but also how collected she is too. She always seems to have it together. She’s quirky, fun, loyal and caring, and she’s got style. Together, Constance and Sophia make a great team, and author does a great job of building their relationship over the course of a relatively short period of time, in a fairly small novel. When we're introduced to Amina, the sarcasm and constant bickering between her and Constance had me laughing out loud, and I loved it. I really enjoyed how the writer created moments of fun and happiness during dark and difficult times. “The pockets,” she says. She puts her hands in them and gives a little twirl. “I love pockets.” I wish there was more of Constance in this story. Yes, she was one of the main characters, but I still kind of feel like I was missing a huge part of her in the book. I wish there was more about how badass she was, and more of what she was doing with her time before Sophia. The same goes for Amina. I loved her character and her personality, and even though I didn’t agree with all of her actions, I thought her character was brilliant and witty and funny. The ending was a little predictable, but all in all I loved this queer, feminist story. The writing was strong and compelling, and I loved the dark, twisted plot. Cinderella is Dead, was a great read and has set the bar for me regarding fairytale re-tellings. I can’t wait to discover others and can only hope they draw me in and capture me as well as this tale did. Comments are closed.
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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