Erin wants Sophia to accept the way things are, but Sophia can’t do that. Erin shushes Sophia when she voices her cynicism, reminding her “If we are diligent, if we know the passages, if we honor our fathers, we might be granted the things Cinderella was.” They must put faith in the story. On the way, Sophia bumps into her friend Liv who is excited to have won a palace-approved replica fairy godmother wand. Little girls cry at those, they don’t want to turn out like them. When they lose, they receive ugly step-sister-themed items. Rushing through the Bicentennial Celebration on her way to the seamstress, Sophia sees little girls playing Cinderella-themed games, winning fake palace-approved merchandise. Sophia wants to run away with Erin, start a life together, but Erin won’t. If they are even caught in the woods, they will be paraded through the streets in shackles, possibly stuffed into a cage in the center of town and be subjected to humiliation for daring to step off the path. They have no say in who they wed, they have no control over their lives, no income, no property, no rights. It is the law that every girl must attend the King's annual ball where they shall meet their husband. Lille follows the traditions of Cinderella laid down in her story. When they finally pass, both girls breathe a sigh of relief, but it was awfully close in ending in disaster. The guards are joking about the most gorgeous girls in a generation who will be attending the ball, perhaps their wives may have an “accident” and they will get to choose another, prettier, younger girl. In the forest on Lille’s eastern border, Sophia presses Erin up against a tree, hiding them both as palace guards walk past. This fresh take on a classic story will make listeners question the tales they’ve been told and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.Cinderella has been dead for two hundred years. 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.

There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters.

At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again. 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. It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Girls team up to overthrow the kingdom in this unique and powerful retelling of Cinderella from a stunning new voice that’s perfect for fans of A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Bloomsbury presents Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron, read by Bahni Turpin.

Cinderella is dead