What Age Group Is 'Cinderella Is Dead' Suitable For?

'Cinderella Is Dead' is a great read for 13+ year olds who enjoy a dark twist on classic fairytale stories. The main character is around the same age as most teenagers reading this, and the story moves at a fast pace so they are never bored for too long. Yes, there is lots of violence and mature themes throughout the book but they are never excessively used in a senseless way, they are really thought provoking. LGBTQ+ characters feature throughout the book in a meaningful way but it is not the central theme of the story. It is a really great read which will prompt lots of discussion in book clubs and school classrooms.

I would consider this book to be suitable for teens and young adults, probably 14 and up. There are some heavy themes in this book, including oppression, rebellion, and toxic relationships. I think many younger readers would not fully understand or appreciate the depth of these issues. The main character is 16, and many of the coming-of-age struggles that she faces will be very relatable to high school students. The book also contains a sapphic romance, which is handled beautifully in the story. While I think that most readers will be able to handle this aspect of the book, it may require a certain amount of maturity to fully appreciate. The fairy tale element is presented within a dystopian setting, which adds a layer of complexity to the typical Cinderella story. While there are some scenes of intense emotional abuse and some violence, they are not excessively graphic. I think that this book would be perfect for older teens who are looking for a story with hope and empowerment. The writing is accessible, but sophisticated enough to be of interest to readers who are looking for more than a surface-level story. Fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Hunger Games may particularly enjoy this book, as it is a fairy tale that has been reimagined within a dystopian society in order to critique issues of oppression and gender roles within that society.

Of course, how one reads Cinderella Is Dead will depend on one’s age. Young people will likely enjoy the adventure, Sophia’s growing up and the romance while older people will be able to appreciate the social commentary too and the darker undercurrents of the story. The book’s pace is spot on – not too heavy for developing readers who are looking for something a bit more complex than a straightforward story. Yes, there are scenes where Sophia is in abusive relationships and is forced into marriage but these are handled with great care in order to highlight the injustice of the situation and the feminist message of the story. On the whole, it is a really powerful story about finding your voice against oppression – something that will resonate with most people regardless of age but particularly with those who are just beginning to realize that there are many injustices in the world and are starting to find their own voice.

I compared it to The Handmaid’s Tale and Cinder in the blurb. Cinderella Is Dead is in the middle grade range, while The Handmaid’s Tale is an 18+ read due to its extreme realism and graphic content. I aimed to write a YA protagonist’s story with a similar tone to that of The Handmaid’s Tale, but a more hopeful and conclusive ending. Therefore, while The Handmaid’s Tale is a 18+ read, I’d consider Cinderella Is Dead to be a 15+ read, with a similar thematic content but in a fantasy setting. The main audience for this book would be teens who can see cracks in the fantastical stories that are presented to them in order to understand the world.

This has a very YA cover and marketing, but it is a pretty thick YA novel. I would not recommend this for a younger middle school reader unless they are a very mature reader. There are some very scary and creepy scenes in the palace with the king in this novel. It is a feminist novel that is wrapped up in a lot of fantasy, but it is a very strong critique of women and their roles, so it requires a bit of a reader with some world experience. So, Freshman year and up would be a good age range for this novel. It would be a great novel to read in an AP Literature or social studies classroom as it has lots of great topics to discuss.