She knows the truth behind the Cinderella story. She’s bringing a revolution to her kingdom.Ĭonstance is a young woman on a mission. Once she meets Constance, she sees a future for herself, and nothing’s going to get in her way. As I got to know Sophia, a tender and gentle side of her emerged. She’s attracted to women, and that’s something else the oppressive rules governing her country won’t allow. She has no control over anything in her life and she’s had enough. She’s angry her friend Erin can’t return her love she’s angry her parents won’t support her desire to break free from the laws controlling her country and she’s angry at the patriarchy that has kept the women of Lille in the prison of forced marriage. She’s angry and let’s face it, we are socialized not to find that trait attractive in women. It took me a few chapters to warm up to Sophia. Will Sophia and Constance be able to overthrow a two hundred-year-old regime, or will they, like other independent young women, become victims of the patriarchy? The Characters They embark on a magical journey to discover how to defeat the ruler and in the process, they learn there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they could have imagined. Together they vow to destroy King Manford. Constance introduces Sophia to the real history of her family and what happened to Cinderella two hundred years ago. It’s there that she meets Constance, the last known descendent of Cinderella and her stepsisters. At the ball, Sophia makes the dangerous decision to escape, and she flees to Cinderella’s mausoleum. Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her best friend than be put on show for the lecherous men of the kingdom. Once she is married, she becomes the property of her husband. According to the laws of the kingdom, a woman has no rights. She’s watched the women of Lille forced into loveless and often abusive marriages. Sophia has nothing but disdain for the tradition. It’s time for Sophia to attend her first ball, and she’s been dreading this day her entire life. If a girl is not chosen after three balls, she’s considered a forfeiture and is never heard from again. The men of the kingdom will select their wives based on the girls’ good looks and displays of finery. It’s the bicentennial celebration of Cinderella’s Annual Ball and King Manford has summoned all the sixteen-year-old girls in Lille to take part in the special occasion. The book empowers and inspires young women to become the heroes of their own stories.

It’s a fun, feminist take on the popular fairytale. Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron is a YA fantasy that takes place 200 years after the death of Cinderella.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron