Michael Barnes
Victoria Thomas at the Book Raven summaries the story thus
"In Mersailles, “Cinderella” is more than just a fairy tale: It’s the basis for a harsh monarch’s throttlehold on his kingdom.
Sophia is turning 16, the age at which young women must attend King Manford’s annual ball, at which they are scrutinized by and married off to male attendees. Any young woman who has not been claimed after her third ball is destined to spend the rest of her days engaged in hard labor. But being chosen can be its own curse in a society where domestic violence is common. Sophia is a beautiful Black girl in love with dark-haired Erin, one of her best friends. While racial diversity is a natural part of this world, the same acceptance does not exist for those who defy rigid gender norms: Anything other than heterosexual desire is strictly forbidden, and while Sophia wishes to escape as a couple, Erin is too fearful. After fleeing the ball, Sophia stumbles across Cinderella’s mausoleum, hidden in the woods. There she meets rebellious Constance, an attractive young red-haired woman with a very personal motivation for sabotaging the monarchy. As the two grew closer—and sparks fly—they discover secrets that could end Manford’s cruel reign. This promising debut deals with themes around rebellion and empowerment as well as the toll that rejecting the status quo can take on relationships. The atmospheric setting is a particular strength, and the twists and turns will keep readers in suspense".
Reading the book within 24 hours is a testimony to it readability and the retelling of fairy tales has become a genre in its own right. This also tells a story about how 'history' and record keeping is written by the winners. I liked how those aspects of the tale like 'the wicked step sisters and wicked step mother ' are shown to be constructions even down to the woodcuts used to create the images in the books. The twist involving the 'fairy godmother' was another positive addition to the narrative.
I shows young adults Sophia is 16 challenging a dystopic government based on historical lies leading to wide spread misogyny and brutally enforced heteronormative standards. YA fighting oppressive governments is a staple in publishing these days so why was Cinderella is Dead the target in a number of censorship challenges in schools throughout the United States, including but not limited to Granbury and San Antonio, Texas. It was removed from school libraries after Rep. Matt Krause (R ) published a list of books that he deemed would cause students "discomfort" for addressing sexuality and race.
So the protagonist Sophia and other characters are black, she is also gay, which seems to be the criteria for Representative Krause's complaint but I wonder if the focus on the mistreatment and disregard of women in this story which is central to why Sophia and Constance resist is another significant reason why those such as Rep Matt Krause who benefit from hegemonic masculinity would not want young people to read these narratives. (Honestly I don't think Rep Matt Krause thinks that much about literature and it relationship to culture given their attitiude to removing anything about history, writing, photographs which hint at anything that doesn't suit their world view.)
In a review for The National of Scotland, McLaughlin called the book "the perfect mix" of a dystopian world and a new take on a classic fairy tale so I will include it on the Dystopia challenge list though I have already begun to read my choice for that category which I had borrowed from the library before the challenge was finialised.
Victoria Thomas at the Book Raven summaries the story thus
"In Mersailles, “Cinderella” is more than just a fairy tale: It’s the basis for a harsh monarch’s throttlehold on his kingdom.
Sophia is turning 16, the age at which young women must attend King Manford’s annual ball, at which they are scrutinized by and married off to male attendees. Any young woman who has not been claimed after her third ball is destined to spend the rest of her days engaged in hard labor. But being chosen can be its own curse in a society where domestic violence is common. Sophia is a beautiful Black girl in love with dark-haired Erin, one of her best friends. While racial diversity is a natural part of this world, the same acceptance does not exist for those who defy rigid gender norms: Anything other than heterosexual desire is strictly forbidden, and while Sophia wishes to escape as a couple, Erin is too fearful. After fleeing the ball, Sophia stumbles across Cinderella’s mausoleum, hidden in the woods. There she meets rebellious Constance, an attractive young red-haired woman with a very personal motivation for sabotaging the monarchy. As the two grew closer—and sparks fly—they discover secrets that could end Manford’s cruel reign. This promising debut deals with themes around rebellion and empowerment as well as the toll that rejecting the status quo can take on relationships. The atmospheric setting is a particular strength, and the twists and turns will keep readers in suspense".
Reading the book within 24 hours is a testimony to it readability and the retelling of fairy tales has become a genre in its own right. This also tells a story about how 'history' and record keeping is written by the winners. I liked how those aspects of the tale like 'the wicked step sisters and wicked step mother ' are shown to be constructions even down to the woodcuts used to create the images in the books. The twist involving the 'fairy godmother' was another positive addition to the narrative.
I shows young adults Sophia is 16 challenging a dystopic government based on historical lies leading to wide spread misogyny and brutally enforced heteronormative standards. YA fighting oppressive governments is a staple in publishing these days so why was Cinderella is Dead the target in a number of censorship challenges in schools throughout the United States, including but not limited to Granbury and San Antonio, Texas. It was removed from school libraries after Rep. Matt Krause (R ) published a list of books that he deemed would cause students "discomfort" for addressing sexuality and race.
So the protagonist Sophia and other characters are black, she is also gay, which seems to be the criteria for Representative Krause's complaint but I wonder if the focus on the mistreatment and disregard of women in this story which is central to why Sophia and Constance resist is another significant reason why those such as Rep Matt Krause who benefit from hegemonic masculinity would not want young people to read these narratives. (Honestly I don't think Rep Matt Krause thinks that much about literature and it relationship to culture given their attitiude to removing anything about history, writing, photographs which hint at anything that doesn't suit their world view.)
In a review for The National of Scotland, McLaughlin called the book "the perfect mix" of a dystopian world and a new take on a classic fairy tale so I will include it on the Dystopia challenge list though I have already begun to read my choice for that category which I had borrowed from the library before the challenge was finialised.