I am that person that refuses with a passion to stop watching princess movies, or, for that matter, any kind of Disney/Dreamworks animated project. However, am I a fan of retellings? They're not usually my first choice, but as soon as I read the description for Cinderella is Dead, my little gay heart gave a flutter. A sapphic retelling? Badass, black main character? Tearing down a patriarchal society? Hell yeah.
Taking place 200 years after the events of Cinderella, the book follows anger-fueled Sophia in a society that forces women to attend the annual royal ball as soon as they turn 16 for them to be chosen. That is, to be married off to whoever wants a claim on them, or face the consequences. When the night comes, however, Sophia chooses to escape, finding cover in Cinderella's tomb. There, she meets a descendant of Cinderella that might be the push she needs to make this horrible system crumble down to ashes.
Book: Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron.
Release Date: July 7th, 2020.
Representation: Black MC written by a black author, wlw romance, mlm character.
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.
(Description taken from Goodreads)
4/5 stars
This book is a quick and easy read that completely devoured. And honestly? I wouldn't quite call it a retelling of the beloved tale of Cinderella—if anything, I think, it is a subversion of said story; it burns down its foundations to build something completely new. It takes what we know, spinning and deepening the universe. It is an act of destroying the old, the dusty, the rotting. It is the book for little girls to find hope in a world that threatens to silence them.
The author creates a unique take on what happen's after Cinderella's time. It is the kind of world that is meant to anger us and stirr us into action. However, as much as I was motivated by what the book intended to do as a feminist retelling, I found that I wanted... more. The story is mostly told through telling; I felt that a lot was happening and that nothing was happening at the same time, stumbling through pages waiting for the book to pick up. I do want to say, though, that recently I've made the decision to allow myself to read books more as a sensory experience—more heart, less head—so whatever technical faults I can find in this book, I cannot deny that it made me happy. Giddy, to find myself back in a tale I loved so much when I was a wee youngling.
Sophia's resilience is remarkable. In the face of her crumbling world, she walks away from her family and the girl she loves in order to create a better future. Witnessing the sacrifices she makes—and her willingness to do what it takes to save her people, I believe we should ask ourselves why is it always teenagers standing up in the face of injustice. An unimaginably heavy load to carry. Sophia does it without a second thought; selflessly, brave and strong like a roaring fire. As a book written in 1st POV, I highly enjoyed her voice. Whenever I encountered those bits that didn't move me as much, I was glad for Sophia's presence. I was always rooting for her. She is the unlikely princess that we all need in our lives.
The character development isn't its strongest suit, but it overall does have a good cast of characters, from Sophia's family to Constance and Amina. I think my only "big" issue was Erin's character.
The romance was pretty sweet and well developed, but it isn't quite the main focus of the book. It's an ongoing theme present throughout the story, but if you came to this book expecting something grand, you might find it disappointing. I enjoyed it, and I'll admit that perhaps I wanted more out of it, but I recognize how it is not the core element of Cinderella is Dead. I giggled, smiled, and felt my heart flutter, and that for me, was enough. I won't go into much detail because I don't want to spoil the not-so-unexpected twist. I'll leave it to you guys to pick up the book, read, and enjoy.
I loved that the book went beyond the character of Cinderella. I won't spoil anything, but I will say this: I know a lot of us loved Anastasia's character in the second movie. Cinderella is Dead brings her back in a unique way that I'm sure everyone's to adore.
As a feminist tale and socio-politic commentary, it's the kind of book that talks about censorship, rebellion, standing up to the authorities, and tearing the big, old patriarchy to the ground. In a world ruled by a tyrant that allows men to stand above women, what Sophia and her companions do is nothing short of inspiring.
Fairytale retelling indeed, this book has its well deserved happy ending. However, there are some loose threads I wish got a better resolution. In a way, it still ended the way I expected a princess story to end. There are characters I wanted to see more of, like Constance and Luke, and the book gave them little chance to develop a greater arc. Still, I'm satisfied with the ending; a pretty good plot-twist, some badass moves, and bibbidi bobbidi boo we have our hard earned happily ever after, in a way that's uplifting and filled me with hope.
I 100% believe this is a must read, not just because of its LGBT+ representation, but also because of what it means to take a european tale, make its main character a black girl, and completely transform the story to serve a higher purpose. This book is a statement. Where we try to find a feminist message in an ancient tale written by a man, with Cinderella is Dead we don't need to dig as deep because the message is clear as day. It is the perfect opportunity to relearn fairytales, to deconstruct them, and find (or create) a new meaning.
Animal death, arranged marriage, corpse description, death, domestic abuse, homophobia, kidnapping, misogyny, murder, human traffic, physical assault, nonconsensual kissing.
Kalynn Bayron is the bestselling author of CINDERELLA IS DEAD. In addition to being a writer she is also a classically trained vocalist. When she's not writing you can find her listening to Ella Fitzgerald on loop, attending the theater, watching scary movies, and spending time with her kids. She currently lives in San Antonio, Texas with her family.
Comments