Cinderella Is Dead, (Hardcover)

CW/TW: Homophobia, physical abuse, verbal abuse, toxic masculinity, body horror. This book has an incredible premise. In a world where Cinderellas story is law, Sophia dares to be different. Lille is a kingdom where toxic masculinity rules everything and the women have no say. This book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I cant lie. The majority of it disappointed me. The execution felt off, most of the book just felt like buildup for the final 10%, and so much of what happened was predictable. But that aforementioned final 10%. Oh man. Struggling through 90% of that book was worth that. I finally felt invested and excited to see what would happen, and things finally started happening that WERENT predictable! It was amazing! I wish the rest of the book had been that interesting and intense, but I will settle with the ending making me cry. Although the pacing of the story felt off to me, there was one thing that I adored: the characters! I dont want to be saved by some knight in shining armor. Id like to be the one in the armor, and Id like to be the one doing the saving. Sophia is an absolute ICON. I adore her. She is headstrong, passionate, and never gives up on what she believes in. At the beginning of the book, I wasnt sure about her character, because I wished she could just go along with things until she found the opportunity to rebel. But Sophia made her own opportunity, regardless of what the world around her told her. Once I got used to her willingness to throw herself into trouble/danger with no second thought, I found myself admiring her. Thats how things happen sometimes. Something small. A choice we make because, in the moment, we needed to make it. But that doesnt mean its any less important. I believe that things happen for a reason, Sophia. Constance is the reason I continued reading this book, and I am so glad that I did. Her character sucked me in from her introduction. Something I loved about her was how she is unafraid of showing her feelings. From her first meeting with Sophia, she flirts with her. She is unabashedly crushing on Sophia from the first moment their eyes meet, and it is BEAUTIFUL. She is also patient, strong, and a leader. I love her so much. Weve also rarely heard about people like us and yet here we are. Just because they deny us doesnt mean we cease to exist. My darling Luke. The first time Sophia ran into him, I knew I would want to protect him with my life. Even though he is not in much of the story, he is definitely one of my favorite parts of it. In all, while this book was a chore to get through, I loved it. Dont let my 3-star rating fool you, this book is something special. Huge thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA for the ARC!