By Hillary A., Chesapeake Science Point Middle/High School
If you love feminist retellings of classic fairy tales, this book is for you. The story follows the teenager, Sophia, in the same kingdom where Cinderella attended the ball 200 years ago before her early death. The women who reside here are treated more like property than people, and teen girls are required to attend an annual ball so men choose one to wed. Knowing that she wants to live and love freely, Sophia joins forces with a descendant of the evil stepsisters, Constance, to break the oppressive system haunting them.
I enjoyed seeing the cultural behaviors formed from the clear power imbalance women face: how excited girls are for the ball, the indifference to domestic abuse, and the worship of Cinderella's story. Sometimes Sophia's monologues regarding her world views felt unsympathetic towards different living situations, but she is quite young so her brash sense of justice is understandable. The conversations she had with villagers and the events she saw in town also made it more bearable. How heavily Cinderella's story is ingrained in the town's way of life was fascinating to read about, and the overall word choice and imagery were engaging.
This book reminded me of This Poison Heart, also by Kalynn Bayron, because of the strong-hearted queer main characters. Both texts are great for anyone who loves cheesy, empowering narratives that are a bit predictable at times, especially Cinderella is Dead. It's a cute, fun read if you're not looking for anything too thought-provoking or serious that still gets the message across.
Click here to check out Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron.