I loved the representation of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ characters, as this is incredibly important and something we need to continue normalizing and supporting in YA. While I was excited about the premise of this book, unfortunately it did not deliver. *Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy. Even though this one wasn't quite what I'd hoped, I highly respect what the author was creating with this book, and I definitely recommend you try this one out for yourself. The narrative here felt heavy-handed, as the bringing down of toxic masculinity was more "telling than showing", and the plot plays out pretty much as you'd expect, aside from a really excellent reimagining of the fairy godmother. The idea of a Cinderella retelling that features diverse characters smashing the patriarchy is truly the level of fantasy we need in the world today however, I really struggled to get past the fact that there is hardly any world building in this story, which caused me to feel a disconnect to characters that were keeping me at arms length. I thought for sure that this would be the easiest 5 stars I'd give in 2020, but I think my expectations were way out of line for what this book intended to be.
Another reviewer used the terms "predictable, important, and frustrating" to describe this book, and I have to wholeheartedly agree.
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