Fairytales are very powerful. They shape the way we perceive the world. They can give us hope. But they can also confine us. Wreck our self image and make us feel less. They can spark a rebellion that will change the world.
Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for gifting me a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Okay, so I know I’m extremely partial when it comes to retellings, but in this case the hype is beyond real!This is one of those books that will change you. I don’t think you can finish this book and not be inspired. I just couldn’t put this down. I want everyone to read this.
Cinderella has been dead for 200 years.
Following the story of Sophia, this book takes you on an adventure you didn’t plan for. Battling a society filled with prejudice and sexism, our heroine is confronted with life changing choices, fairytales and magic in this epic retelling.
What if the fairytales are just that… a tall tale.
This book has blown my mind. Kalynn Bayron is a queen and deserves all the recognition she has gotten. A story world that had me revisiting all my Cinderella moments and asking myself how, what and why. This phenomenal story will have rethinking your own world and your role in it.
“We are all trapped here, our stories already written.”
Kalynn Bayron, Cinderella Is Dead
In a time where my country faces a massive femicide issue, I wish everyone will stop and pick up a copy of this book. If you are lucky enough to not be a statistic, I think this book will make you even more grateful. Bayron confronts sexism, domestic abuse and the female mindset regarding it head on in an inspiring way. A story filled with so much hurt and pain that left me with so much hope when I finished it.
“Do not be silent. Raise your voice. Be a light in the dark.”
Kalynn Bayron, Cinderella Is Dead
Bayron whisks you away into a world you’d expect to full of magic, glitter and happily ever afters, and lifts the masks to show the dirty secrets high society tries to hide. This world is full of strong contrasts and is so intensely thought provoking I couldn’t let it go. I was hooked.
You’ll find yourself burning the midnight oil with this one. Bayron’s narrative and writing style will swallow you in so profoundly that returning to reality will be much harder than you thought. I just can’t get it enough of it.
This is definitely one of my top reads for the year, and one I’ll make a point of to reread soon
About the Book:
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.
About the Author
Kalynn Bayron is the bestselling author of CINDERELLA IS DEAD. She is a classically trained vocalist and 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.
Reading Caffeinated 