It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.
Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .
bookshop.org
Trigger & Content Warnings:
Misogyny (central theme)
Racism
Queermisia, specfically lesbomisia & homomisia
Nonconsensual and coerced marriage of teenage girls to adult men (theme), including ‘corrective’ marriage & nonconsensual polygamy
Sexual assault, on-page
Sexual harassment
Physical & financial domestic abuse, on-page & off-page
Child abuse
Implied suicide
Food deprivation mentioned
Blood & gore depiction
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a friend
Murder & attempted murder
Knife violence
Explosion
Imprisonment
Fire
Animal death
Animal attack
trigger warning database
This was one of the first books I saw trend, on Booktok, back when I joined in late 2020. As a fan of retellings, I knew that I wanted to read it but I decided to hold out for the paperback version. Then like the mood reader, who has ADHD, that I am I bought it placed it on my bookshelves, and forgot I owned it. As I’m trying to read more of my physically owned TBR I was looking through my bookshelves and this stunning cover reminded me that I still needed to give it a read.
This is a fast-paced YA fantasy full of finding your strength, fighting the establishment, and fighting the patriarchy. I love that it’s set in a world where Cinderella did live, 200 years ago, and we learn how much people allowed the story, that was presented to the public, to control their lives. Just because the powers that be tell us a story doesn’t mean we should question it or show resistance if we find something to be unfair or cruel.
Much like reality the people of Mersailles blindly follow their King regardless of how harmful his rules and laws are. Even faced daily with the suffering of others they blindly believe their King only has their best interests at heart. Anyone willing to stand up against those beliefs is told to be silent or, in most cases, handed over to the King for punishment. The few who are willing to speak their minds often disappear or are executed in public as an example for the rest to stay in line.
I really enjoyed reading this story and seeing Sophia find her strength even when it felt like no one else supported her. Sophia kept her hope of a better future where she could be herself and actively fights to make it a reality. If you love a good YA fantasy that is about finding your strength and not being afraid to fight for a brighter future and is also Sapphic…this is a story for you!
NoelleLovesBooks 