Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
My Thoughts:
Cinderella has been dead for 200 years. But her story has been turned into a mythology for the totalitarian regime of King Manford and his "ancestors." Women have no power. And teens must attend an annual ball and have a man pick them to be his wife or risk becoming a "forfeit." Forfeits are not seen again.
Enter Sophia. She's Black and a lesbian. She loves her best friend Erin but they can't be open about their relationship. The ball is coming soon and her parents are doing everything they can to get her a husband. Sophia is not one to follow along. On the night of the ball she flees the castle. She ends up at Cinderella's tomb and encounters Constance...she reminds me of Merida from "Brave." Constance is a descendent of Gabrielle, one of Cinderella's stepsisters. She tells Sophia the true story of Cinderella and how her family has been maligned in order to control the narrative and keep Lille under the rule of King Manford and his family.
They set out to find the "fairy godmother" and find out how to defeat King Manford and save their people.
I love the characters. I wish we could get to know them a bit more, though. The books is quick and some things suffer for it. The world-building is pretty nonexistent. It only serves to set the characters on their way. I wish we could have explored Sophia and Constance's relationship a bit more as well. I enjoy their budding romance but I wanted more.
The plot was a bit simplistic but it was what I needed right now. Stamp out the patriarchy! A Black lesbian punches it in the nuts with her lover! Yes please. It's not a perfect story but it's fun and flirty and full of energy.
Here's another cover for this book and I love it!
Veronica indeed looks scary. Possession kinds of stories ... like the Exorcist freak me out! I still watch that movie if I see it on .... whoa. It's well done.
ReplyDeleteI need rewatch that one this year! It's been a few years since I've seen it.
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