A review by earlgaytea711
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

adventurous mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

 Y’all, I had such high expectations for this that it probably wasn’t fair. I wasn’t disappointed per say but I forgot what I was signing up for when reading this story and I might have liked it more if I had remembered. I enjoyed it for what it was once I readjusted my lens but I wish it had been everything I hoped. 

I still really enjoyed this book despite my expectations being too high. I loved the premise so much. I already read a ton of fairy tale retellings so of course I still enjoyed that aspect. Especially since it was such a unique spin on Cinderella. 

I really loved the way Sophia expressed her queerness. Of course a fantasy setting wouldn’t use the same terms and labels we assign ourselves. It helped me feel more immersed in the story that she never explicitly labels anyone including herself. The focus entirely is on love as it should be. 

In general I liked most of the characters I was supposed to like! They were supportive and interesting. I wouldn’t exactly call any of them fully fleshed out, realized characters but this is a plot focused book not a character focused one so I didn’t mind it too much. We knew what we needed for the plot. 

I also really liked the twist! I had a small feeling but to be honest, I didn’t trust it. I thought Bayron couldn’t possibly do it but she did and honestly the moment was really incredible while I was reading. I enjoyed it a lot. 

I think the overall message of the story was a little heavy handed. Everyone except the main character and her friends was sexist and homophobic to an extreme. There was no spectrum. I understand why Bayron did this but it made the story feel flat. There was no room for nuance. It might be because it’s a YA but it felt like Bayron was beating me over the head with the message she wanted to convey. 

My other issue is that some parts of the plot just straight up don’t make sense. Not enough to take the enjoyment out of reading it but enough to jarr me out of the immersion and question it before diving back in. It was a bit off putting. 

Overall, I think this was a pretty solid YA Fantasy. I’m not sure I’ll go on to read her other work simply because the more YA I read the more I realize why I kind of fell off of it. I’m not sure it’s for me anymore.