Three books I read last weekend!

 

  

I had a lot of free time this weekend, so I decided to delve into some books that have been sitting on my TBR list for a while. They were satisfying to read and I even made a blog review of the three books. 

1. Cinderella is Dead: Bloomsbury|2020

38 chapters

261 pages

Subjects: CYAC: Fantasy. | Lesbians—Fiction. | Feminism—Fiction. | Sexism—Fiction. | Blacks—Fiction. | Characters in literature—Fiction.

On top of the list is Kalynn Bayron's Cinderella is Dead. An intriguing title yeah? I feel like the title is very metaphorical. Cinderella could represent old time women repressed and suppressed by patriarchal ideals, Cinderella could represent the conventionalized society,misogyny,etc.

And well it just tells us. Wake up! Cinderella is dead! Can't you see? Stop being so stuck up. Oh yeah and the cover is dripping in  gorgeousness. The skin(I am not being racist! I complimented The Selection series covers too) the hair, the dress, lest I forget the butterfly hair clips too. 

The story centers around the main character, Sophia Grimmins living in the kingdom of Lille. The kingdom of Lille is grounded on capitalist and patriarchal ideals. Women are treated in a barbaric manner and are expected to be mute and submissive and have no voice of their own. Women are killed without mercy, given up as a fortitude to the palace or worse made slaves. And every girl who has turned sixteen is expected to report at the palace in her best dressed, regardless of her parent's economic and financial capacity. Failure to do usually result in grave consequences. All these are in accordance with the so-called legend of Cinderella and Prince Charming. Sophia in a bid to escape and find a better place for the love of her life, Erin, stumbles into the truth. 

   It was a page turner and it was a really interesting read, It was a peculiar boundary breaking book, soiling rge Cinderella tale, lesbian black main character, more than three queer characters, lots of unexpected of twists, which later turned out to be unnecessary in a way. But still it was an interesting read. Giving it a 70/100.

Subjects: CYAC: Fantasy. | Lesbians—Fiction. | Feminism—Fiction. | Sexism—Fiction. | Blacks—Fiction. | Characters in literature—Fiction.

2. Royals: G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS|2018

240 pages

35 chapters

Subjects: | CYAC: Conduct of life—Fiction. | Publicity—Fiction. | Dating (Social customs)—Fiction. | Princes—Fiction. | Kings, queens, rulers, etc.—Fiction. | Scotland—Fiction.

Royals, by Rachel Hawkins (Author of Rebel Belle and The Hex hall series) is an interesting take on princess fiction. The Princess Diaries meets , To all the boys I have ever loved. 

Daisy's Sister Eleanor Winters is getting married to the crown Prince of Scotland. And Daisy is freaked out, because she doesn't really want that sort of big change in her life. You get it? But even bigger changes come when she falls in love, and she wasn't even looking to fall in love.

NB: The title was changed to Prince Charming. Well, it is like every Princess Fiction in a way, except she suddenly doesn't realize she is a Princess, she suddenly finds out her sister has been engaged to the crown Prince of Scotland. So she isn't really a princess. Okay… I realize now that it is not a princess fiction, because she is not the princess, but still it is like most princess fiction so… and it was kind of a disappointing read considering how much I enjoyed Rebel Belle and The Hex Hall series which I read recently.  I am making a vlog discussing the Hex hall series soon and might as well write about it too. But really I wish I had read Hex Hall earlier than now, it was really really good. 

We shouldn't digress too much…

Royals...wasn't really much of a page turner,but still I enjoyed reading about Scottish extravagance, which involved a lot of plaid and horses but well…

Also the romance and the lovey dovey parts weren't satisfying enough! I know it was a love-hate relationship thing, or is it hate- love since the lobe comes first? Anyways I wish I saw some real emotions, read I mean, and you know some tensioned scenes and kissing passionately too. But well too bad we didn't get enough of that. I had enough of Daisy's sense of humor tho, more than enough and really I thought it would be annoying, but no. Actually it was the only thing that made her a likable character. I found myself laughing at most of her jokes and silky statements and I am Nigerian. Let's say 50?

3. Daughters who walk this path:

Penguin|| 2015

22 chapters

263 pages.

Warning: In case you read this book, don't ever think Yejide went overboard. Worse happens to young women and young girls everyday in Nigeria. It is realistic and heart searing.

Described in the book as a coming of age novel the book majorly centers around Morayo's life as she grows in a feminine hostile environment like Nigeria. Set in the late 20th century to early 21st century. It is an emotional book that every woman should read. It is really hard to discuss this book without giving any spoilers. Although the book wasn't really satisfying, it derails women oppression and struggle but didn't glorify women's achievements or feminism. Which made the book confusing, I thought it was feminist literature but I wasn't so sure what it was anymore at the end of the book. Let's just say it was Morayo's  story and how she chose go tell. It isn't exactly a page turner,but this book should have been off my TBR list for a long time, so I couldn't bring myself to abandon it. But still it was nice to read. A 60?