Cinder House

In this dark, gothic re-imagining of the classic Cinderella tale, Ella is murdered at sixteen — but lives on as a ghost, trapped within her father's house. Invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters, she remains bound by haunting memories and can never be seen or heard while the living roam freely outside. When Ella strikes a bargain with a fairy charm-seller, she wins three nights of “almost-living” freedom: a chance to be seen, touched, to dance at the ball. But as midnight draws near, she must confront the limits of that freedom. The familiar fairy-tale you know is turned inside out: the ball, the magical shoes, and the handsome prince — all are re-imagined in this haunting, romantic, and fiercely queer retelling.

“A fairy tale by way of Shirley Jackson… dark and appropriately haunting.” — The New York Times

“Gorgeous, whimsical, romantic, and bittersweet, Cinder House both whisks you away and holds you over a flame. I was bespelled.” — Ava Reid

“One of the most unusual fairy-tale retellings I’ve seen in a hen’s age.” — T. Kingfisher