This was A Hobbit's Guide to Adventure's book club pick for February. I want to start off by saying that I know this book is categorized as YA, so let's just say it's more upper YA because of the themes. This world is very pro-man and anti-woman and queer people. Those with higher standing don't have a lot of money but they are afforded a little more privilege.

This story follows Sophia 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but anything is but a fairytale in this world. Girl's begin going to the annual ball at the age of 16 to find a suitable match, lest they are never heard from again. It open's up to Sophia trying to convince a girl that she's been in love with for a very long time to run away with her. That they can escape this life. Erin doesn't believe there is an end in sight and she turns her down and reprimands her for her carelessness for even speaking of such treason. (Erin is a little aggravating throughout the story.)

Fast forward, Sophia's family has put in a lot of work to be able to afford to have Sophia look like she was in fact visited by a fairy god mother before she's sent off to the ball. Things go wrong, so very very wrong and one of her other friends is taken for not dressing up to standards and a man who wanted to help Sophia get out of this kingdom with it's rules is accosted and taken away too. This is when Sophia despite knowing the danger, runs and she meets Constance. Constance is a descendant of one of Cinderella's step sisters and they decide to work together to try and take down the king.

In this world, all girls are required to attend the ball and urged to be chosen to be a man's wife.

This kingdom has some ridiculous rules in place such as:

-A pristine copy of Cinderella must be kept in every household.
-Women and children must be in their homes by the stroke of eight each night
-All activities that anyone in a household wishes to do must be approved by the head of household and that head of household MUST be male
-The Annual Ball is a mandatory event
-You MUST look like a fairy godmother visited you lest the king be insulted. 
-You get three chances to find a husband. Ideally, you better be successful the first time because will your parents be able to afford to make you look good more than once? If you have to attend a third year, you will be scorned and made an example of and if you fail after that well..you, your family, a lot of people have a cost...so to say to pay.

I will say I do think Constance is a better fit for Sophia, but I was flabbergasted by how she immediately shoved aside her feelings for Erin. Granted I think Erin sucks, but it was a weird shift from Sophia constantly expressing her love for her. I think we should have gotten more of a build-up.

On that topic, how Sophia recklessly snuck into town when she was suppose to be in hiding and working on the plot to sneak off and try and convince Erin to leave with her. AGAIN. then came back and told Constance that she was always going to choose Constance over Erin, really gave the vibes of: I tried to get the other girl to pick me yet again, but she said no so I am setting with you. Wait I take that back Constance wasn't a better fit for Sophia because CONSTANCE DESERVED BETTER.

The amount of side characters that did something so loveable only to be given a shitty hand really boiled my blood. Like the friend who truly believed in Cinderella story and fairy godmothers and knew who Sophia really was at heart only to suffer the King's wraith. OR LUKE who is also queer wants to help Sophia escape by betrothing her...only to be bullied by someone with better standing and taken away. Like you really couldn't let Luke be a part of the plans too. Why did you do him dirty like that?

I was definitely very angry reading this one.