Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Cinderella ist tot by Kalynn Bayron

309 reviews

katjacatbeans's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

3.0

This book wasn't for me. It felt really heavy-handed, there was kind of a rush to the end, and the wrap up wasn't satisfying.

there's a strongly established 200yr precedent of subjugation, oppression, and abuse of women - and all queer people, it seems - and the one sentence or so of "we changed everything immediately and fought and drove out everyone who objected" is supposed to reconcile that? Including for folks who are in active DV situations?  Not only is it disingenuous, the suspension of disbelief is impossible for me.  But maybe that's the actual fairy tale.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Domestic abuse, and Death

frawst_disasta_reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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? N/A

4.5

What if the Cinderella story we all know and love became a prison sentence for women?  Men can do whatever they want with the women in town, without fear of repercussions.  Women are measured against the perfect Cinderella, with balls for men to make bids and claims for women.  Anyone different (like anyone gay) have to hide who they are and accept their fate.

Except Sophia refuses to do this.  She runs from the ball and becomes an outcast, and eventually works to overthrow the king.

This book is an adventure, a sapphic slow burn, beautifully written with tough topics addressed.  Sophia is sassy, knows what she wants, and is exactly who this place needs at this time.  She remains a character I love and revisiting the book feels like greeting an old friend for whom you can't stop rooting.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

marnirie's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.0

I really wanted to like this book. 

It tries to be everything at once and fails to do so. On one hand there’s simply too much and a lot of stuff is mentioned as important only to never be mentioned again, while on the other hand there’s actually very little that happens and all the characters seem to say every single thought out loud without any filters. Everything else is explained in every single detail and I found I was able to predict the story from the get go and had to wait over 200 pages before mc did…

I really don’t know why I finished it. I think I hoped that it would become more but it never did. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death and Domestic abuse

Minor: Death, Child abuse, Child death, and Emotional abuse

mirandyli's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

An excellent retelling of Cinderella from the point of view of a sapphic poc. Predictable at times but still a delightful read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Classism, Murder, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Abandonment, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Rape

amazelan's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful slow-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

3.5

c'est la meilleure réécriture de conte de fées que j'ai pu lire !

prendre le conte de Cendrillon, qui est honnêtement l'un des pires en terme de leçon pour une femme "elle doit être belle et son rêve le + grand, son + grand épanouissement est de se marier à un homme" et en faire une version féministe et lesbienne VRAIMENT QUELLE IDÉE INCROYABLE !

Sophia est un personnage principal vraiment chouette, qui évolue si vite dans le bon sens mais sans que ça devienne irréaliste, elle accroît sa haine de Manford et ses hommes mais ne devient pas experte du maniement des armes en 2 semaines par exemple

puisqu'elle n'arrive à le tuer que parce qu'il est déjà affaibli et en galérant.

puis juste slay elle est lesbienne et trop mimi dans sa manière de décrire ses sentiments aaaaaazkdnd
j'ai beaucoup aimé Amina aussi, le grey character du livre et SI BIEN ÉCRITE.
Constance en revanche aurait pu être plus développée, on ne voit d'elle que sa haine des hommes (slay) et sa grande débrouillardise, mais du coup ça n'en fait pas un personnage si intéressant que ça au final.
et Manford est vraiment un méchant en puissance, sa manière immonde de traiter les femmes - et la manière immonde de beaucoup d'hommes du roman à traiter les femmes - n'est pas atténuée ou enjolivée (side eye au dark romance dégueu) : c'est décrit comme ce que c'est, de la misogynie et des VSS.

c'était une lecture empouvoirante dans un sens, et je trouve ça nécessaire de remanier les contes de fées comme ça.
cependant, j'ai trouvé les plots twists et le déroulé général de l'histoire très prévisibles, et c'est assez lent.
je déteste cette phrase mais : "c'est plusse du côté jeunesse du young-adult" (ce qui est une bonne chose!!!! le young-adult ne doit pas être de la littérature adulte déguisée pcq les personnages sont jeunes!!!! mais mes goûts perso font que je me suis un peu ennuyé.e là du coup).

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Classism

Minor: Child abuse and Abandonment

ms_read's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Outing, Classism, Death of parent, Confinement, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Physical abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

littlecatinabox's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, and Sexism

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Minor: Vomit and Slavery

clowngirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse

kickitupanotch7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Body horror, Murder, Violence, Sexism, Child death, Death, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, and Confinement

Minor: Child abuse

tlaynejones's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

This was great. I had read lots of mixed reviews, so I wasn’t sure going in if I would like this. This is my fourth book by Bayron and it might even be my fave. If you’re in the mood for a standalone YA dystopian fantasy about taking down the patriarchy with sapphic romance all wrapped up in a retelling, then I would recommend this.
 CW misogyny, homophobia, lots of violence against women.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Violence, and Homophobia