Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

43 reviews

e_riahh's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Death, Gore, Sexism, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Murder, Slavery, Grief, Homophobia, Trafficking, and Fire/Fire injury

bookishkellyn's review against another edition

dark

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Cinderella and the information she took to her grave played a disappointingly smaller part in the plot than advertised, but giving Prince Charming dark origins was imaginative. The plot twist involving the “fairy godmother” (Amina) was unsatisfying. I can’t put my finger on it, but there was something missing from this book. It fell into that YA trap of feeling obligated to send a message instead of just telling a story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Confinement, Abandonment, Homophobia, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, and Animal death

dragongirl271's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Rape, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Animal death, Police brutality, and Bullying

Minor: Gore, Violence, Suicide, Torture, and Trafficking

gbrds762's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Vomit, Physical abuse, Confinement, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Murder, Animal death, Classism, Grief, Death, Suicide, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Trafficking

ladybanecourt's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

✨4.25/5✨

This is the third-ever fairytale retelling that I have read, and let me tell you something: fairytale retellings slap. I can confidently tell you that I found this book to be a wonderful retelling that really just boils down to taking back our control over the narrative. To raise our voice against oppression and not be silent to the plight of our fellow people.

It's filled with interesting characters and a storyline that kept me hooked whenever I read it. Plus, as someone who has a short attention span, the short chapters kept me engaged, so that's definitely a plus in my book.

Cinderella Is Dead is definitely a story that deals with a lot of heavy themes, and though it is fantastical in its setting, it exposes heavy-hitting truths about a society that reflects our own. You'll definitely find out when you read the book, so I encourage you to read it! ✨

P.S. For a lot of reasons, I feel like this book will make for a REALLY good film. I'd definitely watch.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death, Misogyny, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Trafficking

Minor: Homophobia

mariamj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Amazing take in a classic fairytale. It was really dark with so many twists and turns. Love every minute of it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Sexual harassment, Death, and Sexism

Moderate: Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Pedophilia and Homophobia

eni_iilorak's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Gore, Outing, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Animal death, Murder, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Death, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexual assault, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Child abuse, Police brutality, and Body shaming

waywardcrow's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The first 150 pages of this book were very difficult for me to get through, mostly because I was not expecting the darkness of this story. It very much feels like a fantasy version of the Handmaid's Tale Lite. But, once I got past my initial shock, I became very interested in the plot and the characters. In the beginning, I couldn't understand Sophia's actions but by the end, appreciated her unwavering resolve and realized it's necessity to defeat the evil. This is a very unique retelling of Cinderella that in my opinion, more accurately captures the patriarchal society we live in. It is especially timely as I read this after the repeal of Roe vs. 

Wade and the rise in far right conservatism against women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Classism

Minor: Trafficking

majesticisme's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Minor: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Trafficking

The entire focus of this book is systemic womens’ oppression within a fairytale/kingdom/fantasy setting, so if that is a topic which is triggering to you then I suggest you do not read. Women are objectified, harassed, married against their will, etc. but of course described by the author in a negative way. A woman is decapitated as she is falsely accused of assisting the main character. Another thing that may be triggering is a brief horse death as well as a bunny death which is more detailed.

bzliz's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

In a harrowing world where women are commodities to be bought and sold, used and abused, Sophia desires more. She’s memorized the story of Cinderella just as the King has mandated and she has a few qualms with the lessons the citizens of Lille are supposed to learn from it. Sophia’s best friend (and first love), Erin, makes it clear that she’s not willing to go against the grain of society to hopefully live in exile with Sophia. Heartbroken, Sophia attends the annual (mandatory) ball where men get to select wives for themselves and the girls have absolutely no say in anything but she escapes after her friend Liv is singled out by the cruel king and dragged away. She meets Constance while taking refuge in Cinderella’s tomb, who offers her an escape, a chance at freedom, and eventually an opportunity to kill the king and fix their broken society. 

The world is pretty vivid in how horrible it is. Abuse of all kinds apparently runs rampant and people truly just ignore it in hopes that they won’t get executed for speaking out. Obviously some people aren’t chill with what’s going on but they keep to themselves for the most part because they’re punished if they do speak out. I liked Sophia’s connection with Luke but I wish it was more substantial- like they’d been friends for a while and he really had a reason to stick his neck out for her- because when he came to save her at the ball, it felt unnatural. Like he’s been protecting himself for so long but after a few sassy interactions he feels compelled to protect her so they can both be secretly gay together but still stuck in this horrible place. I’m also confused by Erin’s characterization. She breaks Sophia’s heart by refusing to run away out of her own sense of self preservation and wants to follow the King’s terrible laws, but she already broke rules and norms by having a relationship with Sophia. Someone that set on keeping themself safe doesn’t seem like they’d ever admit or act on any gay feelings. 

I enjoyed the dynamic between Sophia and Constance, and I really liked Amina’s murky morality. Even though it was easy to guess at the “plot twist” of the prince’s secret to youth, I did not see Amina’s plot twist coming. Constance wasn’t a knight in shining armor; she was a solid foundation on which Sophia was able to build her own feelings of rebellion against tyranny and I think the message of “we can stand up to things that are wrong and also girls can save themselves” is a pretty good one to put out in the world. 

Mind the content warnings, especially if you can’t stomach descriptions or discussions of misogyny, sexual assault, physical abuse and domestic violence, and implications of pedophilia. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Classism, Homophobia, Slavery, Child abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Trafficking

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia