Fishbone Cinderella

by Elizabeth Lim

A mother and daughter must break their family’s curse through trials of war and immigration, love, loss, and redemption in this riveting multi-generational saga with a shimmer of magic, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Forgery of Fate.

1940s Hong Kong
When Japanese soldiers invade her hometown, Ha Yut Ying makes an unlikely escape—by turning invisible. But her miraculous survival is only the beginning. After the war is over, she’s sent to Hong Kong to live with her distant father and glamorous stepmother, who end her dreams of becoming a singer and turn her into the family’s servant. As the years pass, Yut Ying learns the hard truths of betrayal and ambition, of forbidden love and devastating loss, and discovers that sometimes the only way to endure is to disappear.

1960s San Francisco
Marigold has always had a knack for uncovering secrets, but nothing prepares her for the day she accidentally witnesses her mother vanish before her eyes. The moment fractures their bond, leaving questions that shadow her entire childhood. But when her mother’s condition suddenly deteriorates, Marigold is convinced she’s the only person who can save her. To do so, she must journey into the secrets her mother never shared and uncover the tragic, fairytale-tinged history their family has fought to forget.

A story of mother and daughters, the scars they inherit and the magic that binds them, Fishbone Cinderella is a tender and enchanting exploration of what it means, at last, to be seen.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Retellings, Historical, Adult, Young Adult, Romance

Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 23, 2026

About the author

Elizabeth Lim grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, "Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that's kinda cool!" But after one of her teachers told her she had "too much voice" in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English.

Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel -- for kicks, at first, then things became serious -- and she hasn't looked back since.

Elizabeth loves classic film scores, books with a good romance, food (she currently has a soft spot for arepas and Ethiopian food), the color turquoise, overcast skies, English muffins, cycling, and baking. She lives in New York City with her husband.

Reviews

[yuvi]

━━━━━
❀pre-read❀
━━━━━
i received the arc 4 days ago. okayyy that's it. ig it's finally time for me to start it. sigh. it's now or never (lowk scared atm😭😭😭) not me being dramatic ash. but honestly, im scared lol
long story short basically everyone and their mother is losing their ever loving mind over it. i've only read 2 books by elizabeth lim and as far as i rmbr i really liked those. suffice to say, my expectations are sky high rn. this better deliver or i'll srsly cry

[Saranya ⋆☕︎ ˖ [hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

.✦ ݁˖ 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔

I have never felt such a deep connection to a story like this before. I could not stop shedding tears. I have a bit of knowledge about the cruelty and monstrosity done during the World War done by the Japanese soldiers. As someone aware of the time, I know that being a girl or a woman could be like a curse.

Beyond anything, it was incredibly emotional. The story starts with Yut Ying as a child facing the dangers of the Japanese invasion. As we move forward, we see the hardships she faced in her childhood. It is absolutely devastating and I believe no one should ever go through something like that. Every page- every line made me cry so bad. This felt so realistic despite the theme of Magic Realism. The fantasy aspect felt so minimal that the whole story felt very real.

ᯓ★ 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 follows the parallel journeys of Helen(Yut Ying) and Marigold(her daughter) that knits together the lives of Helen and her daughter. Shifting through time and memory, the story shows the grim realities of war and the crushing weight of tradition, offering an intimate look at how love and loss reshape the soul across decades of upheaval.

Yut Ying- the mc had such an emotional and heartbreaking background as we see her growing up that I was crying my heart out throughout. Watching her navigate such cruelty is an exhausting emotional gauntlet. Her story is a heartbreaking study in endurance.

.☘︎ ݁˖ The 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 is extremely beautiful, exquisite. It was so immersive that it was as if I was going through the same pain as the characters were.

The novel contains 4 parts and the first part was incredibly emotional- so devastating that it felt physically suffocating. The prose is so heavy with heartbreak that it left me breathless as if the air itself had been pulled from my lungs.

ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅
𑣲⋆｡˚There were a very few 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 I had grown to love while I hated most of them. This was crueller than the story of Cinderella. The Chinese have their own version of it and it made me want to learn more about Chinese Literature.

˚⟡˖ ࣪Nothing could have prepared me for the emotional weight of the sibling dynamics.
Lily and Helen's sisterly bond was so beautifully presented that I wanted to keep them with me forever. This novel excelled at finding the 'extraordinary in the ordinary.' Helen's regret over a simple, unreturned smile from her brother was somehow so devastating.

The bond between Yut Ying and this guy 'A' is portrayed with such tenderness that it makes the reality of her journey impossible to stomach. I was consumed by a sense of foreboding for them- a mental 'sear' that would not fade. It is a haunting realization that what we see on the page is likely only just the top of an iceberg.

𓂃۶ৎ I loved how this novel showed the relation and complexity of the relation between a mother and daughter. It is very heartbreaking and touching, be it Yut Ying and her mom or she nd her daughter, Marigold.
ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅

Despite the barriers between them, the connection between Helen and Marigold is deeply touching. Helen is a pillar of maternal strength and Marigold is a remarkably intuitive daughter. I hated how different Yut Ying had turned into after becoming a mother. She had turned into a ghost. But upon reading her perspective, I realized that it was far beyond that. At times, yes, I wanted her to be softer but then I realized how circumstances change a person. Their relationship proves that we do not need constant proximity to have a perfect, silent comprehension of one another’s hearts.

Kenji was such a sweet guy. I was so happy that in the middle of all the chaos, there was something to root for.

This is a book that will stay with me till the very day I take my last breath. This soul-stirring book is now my nost favourite book of all time and I would just suggest that everyone should read this masterpiece once in their lifetime.
────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────
┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊
┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ˚★⋆｡˚ ⋆
┊ ┊ ┊ ⋆
┊ ┊ ★⋆
┊ ◦
★⋆ ┊ . ˚
˚★
𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝

"Why are you crying so much? It's just a book!"

Hello? JuSt A bOoK?!!"

ꫂ❁ ˖᯽ ݁˖𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: 🦋

OMG! I got the ARC!! Isn't the cover just stunning? This is my first time reading something by Elizabeth Lim. I'm so ready to get my heart ripped open!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: 28 July 2026

[vxmpslibrary [exams hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

.5 stars.
⤿ 💌 ⌗ publishing date: 28 July 2026.

.my thoughts.
Fishbone Cinderella is a story about love, loss, hope and curses. The sweet passing down generational curses. [And not the mental ones.]

After finishing this book I cried for an hour straight knowing I had school the very next but I had a hard time sleeping without thinking about this book. I became a cold hearted person because this book made me cry😔

This is what we call a masterpiece, a phenomenon, the intense emotions, everything was done beautifully. And I may just hate the author a little bit for that ending. [jk love you author]

I have always liked Elizabeth Lim books, whether it's Six Crimson Cranes or A Forgery of Fate, if she writes it, I would most definitely read it. I was hesitant to pick this book up because I was scared if I would be the same person afterwards or I would be a changed one.... I'm a depressed one now if you are wondering. I cannot stop thinking about this book.

The story is been told from dual perspectives following Helen in her younger years and Marigold who notices her mother disappearing every then and so. Sensing something is wrong, she tries to help her mother, and find the very shadow that she left behind.

Helen, has went through a lot, it makes me sad, it makes me angry so much that I want to throw things. It makes me want to cry a lot. A girl who just wanted to be a singer, and it kills me, it would always kill me that the younger Helen's photo when she fell in love, she would never able to depict that picture again. Whenever I think of the picture that was taken her looking at him, it makes me so emotional. And the results that happened made me cry even harder.

The writing was lyrically beautiful, the first perspective from Helen still drew me in, from the start there was something about this book that told me to keep going till the very end. And so I finished it in one setting.

The siblings bonding hit me hard. No one could have prepared me for the moment with different people. When Helen talks about how she saw his sick brother smile at her and how she wished she had smiled back because the connection was strayed. They never got to talk every again and never would.

But the other brother! I disliked him quite in the starting with the way he used to behave. But there was something quiet about him when he would do the bare minimum for her sister and I would just wish there was something more. And you are supposed to tell me they also don't meet again.

Lily, for a second I thought she was going to be rude all the time, but beneath all these layers of facade, was a girl insecure and wanting to get noticed by her mother just by being herself. It made me cry so much the way Helen would act as a real mother than the actual mother ever did. Am I supposed to be okay now Elizabeth Lim? Because my heart broke in multiple pieces.

I will just say this book broke me but forgot to put the pieces back together, they are now lying down somewhere far, hoping another story would heal them and they would move on.

Sometimes when we watch and read about love, a thought of a character doing loveless marriage after being in love with someone else sounds abnormal.

The reason I cried so much, was because of this. Am I supposed to start reading fanfictions about them meeting now? Am I to make the fake scenarios about it huh? Or am I supposed to take it like a woman matured.

No, I cannot. I rooted for them, and the idea of what would happen seared at the back of my head. I brushed it off, I wish. He waitedd!! A part of me desperate wanted her to meet him! I still wonder after those 20 years what he would be doing, or if he remarried someone else. Or if he stayed waiting for her. This made me stay awake at night for an hour straight.

Marigold was such an academic achiever, I loved her so much! The way she was focused on grades, the middle daughter of the family. And the way she saved her mother.

But maybe I loved Kenji more, he was such a great man!! He wrote letters for her! And he waited for her!! He had a crush on her back then and then when they were rivals like when she would be first and he would be second. But they would debate about topics like 'Romeo and Juliet' if selected in class or if it's about history. Or the way when they became best friends he taught her driving, and maybe when he drew her in secret. AHHH <33.

I hated some characters while I loved the others. I rooted for some and watched something happen the opposite. I watched and cried almost 6 times while reading. The what if's would always, make me drown.

Elizabeth Lim please:
1. Pay for my therapy bills.
2. Give Kenji as an compensation.
3. Maybe a few more scenes some day.

Sometimes I would wonder how Helen could actually hide the letters [maybe not hide but] the way it was done to her it was like it happened to Marigold too.

Overall, yes, do read this book! This will change your life tbh, atleast mine did, I wish I could go back to the person I was before I read the book. Now I am so solemn and sad that I wonder if I would be able to move on.

💌 Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for this beautiful arc in exchange for an honest review <3.

.preread.
I got the arc! I'm so excited for this book because the cover is genuinely so beautiful anddd I might read it after my exams or before my exams who knows sometimes temptation wins😔🫶 [bleh😝].

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 ★— Why does it feel like this book tore my heart to pieces, but in the most gentle and loving way possible?

I naively went into this expecting a more traditional Cinderella retelling, and while the story (specifically, the Chinese version called Ye-Shen) does play a role here, this book is about so much more, proceeding to rip me apart emotionally as its storytelling spans two generations, tracing a familial story of mothers and daughters, of women cursed by mysterious powers.

The novel begins by introducing its two main characters, the mother-daughter pair Ha Yut Ying and Marigold, and from there we follow chapters devoted to each of their lives.

I will say that Yut Ying’s story was the one that truly held me and stayed with me the longest. Lim does such a beautiful job portraying her beginnings as a girl from a rural Chinese village and depicting her experiences during Japan’s invasion of her country. The famine, the injuries, the death, and the long-lasting trauma ground this narrative so deeply that the war itself almost feels like an ever-present third character.

From the beginning through roughly the midpoint, I was completely absorbed, barely feeling like I was able to come up for air as I followed everything she endured on her path into adulthood.
There were so many moments where I wished I could simply linger longer within certain parts of her life, especially during her time as an adult in Hong Kong. Masterfully, Lim made me feel the full spectrum of human emotion, from quiet joy to bittersweet regret, along with painful loss and the aching sense of unrealised futures. I felt so much while reading.

Marigold, the story's other main character, is crafted with equal care, but I will freely admit that once the focus shifted more fully to her, the story lost a little momentum for me, making me miss Yut Ying’s life and voice.

After finishing this, I’m left feeling… a lot. A sense of peace and calm, but also a deep desire to go back and change how certain moments unfold, which speaks to one of the novel’s central themes and how intentionally it evokes that emotion.

This book explores so much: the complexity of mother-daughter relationships, generational trauma, immigration and the isolation it can create even within family, and the lasting ways war shapes people, all this while the atmosphere and writing are stunning throughout!

I just know that Fishbone Cinderella will stay with me for a long time.

_______________

Thank you to Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[rina (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ੭୧‎ ‎ 4 stars‎ ‎ . ۫

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “ I wanted to go home. But I didn't know where home was. ”

Ha Yut Ying discovers she can turn invisible while fleeing Japanese soldiers in 1940s Guangdong. After the war, Yut Ying is sent to Hong Kong to live with her father and stepmother, and we follow her story from there. The POV switches between Yut Ying and her daughter, Marigold.

overall thoughts — This is very much a quintessential Asian historical fiction diaspora novel. It is centered on war, migration, marriage, and motherhood. I really liked this book. It was emotional, sad, and profound. Thematically, it absolutely succeeds. Lim perfectly captures how war shapes family history. It fractures families. It relocates them. It forces children into adulthood. I also really enjoyed how she explores the cycle of trauma. Mothers wound daughters even when they love them. Daughters swear they will do better, and then life corners them into repeating the same patterns. I shed a tear or two multiple times ☹ I love Elizabeth Lim and her works dearly, and I can tell this story is very meaningful and personal to her ❤‍🩹

That being said, I do have a few gripes. Where the book struggles is in plot. It often reads like a diary, heavy on reflection and internal thought. There is a lot of showing rather than telling, which can be beautiful, but sometimes made me lose interest. I don't necessarily mind the storytelling, but I went in expecting something more fantastical (which it is marketed as), and instead, this reads more like historical fiction with light fantasy elements.

My biggest issue is that it does not fully feel like an adult novel. I have read all of Elizabeth Lim's previous novels and love her writing; however, I do not feel that her prose has significantly matured from her earlier novels. The style feels similar, even though the subject matter is heavier. There is one fade-to-black sexual scene and infrequent cursing - but beyond that, it does not feel markedly different from Lim's previous works in tone.

As an immigrant daughter myself, I connected with this story in ways that actually surprised me. Switching between Yut Ying's past life in China/Hong Kong and Marigold's life in California made me come to the unsettling realization that your parents were whole people before you existed. They survived things you will never fully understand, and those experiences shaped the version of them that raised you.

There's a specific kind of distance that comes from knowing your parent grew up somewhere else, in a different language, under different pressures. Fishbone Cinderella captures that feeling well. The romance also definitely got me 💔 I was bawling my eyes out.

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “ Give me all the books ever written, and my favorite line would still be the one between your lips, my favorite world the one where you exist next to me. ”

final thoughts — Despite my critiques, I did enjoy this book. It is moving, vulnerable, and touched all the deepest crevices of my heart. I think anyone who is a child of immigrant parents will really enjoy this story and feel connected and seen in many ways.

thank you to the author and publisher for the arc!

੭୧ㆍcontent warnings: death, war, child abuse, addiction, misogyny, xenophobia

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

finished: 02/20/26
this was beautiful 🥹

pre read: 02/15/26
was supposed to prioritize my arcs that are due next month, but i finally have some respite from school and don't know when i'll have time again to read this one 🤍 also...elizabeth lim's adult debut, i am beyond excited 🤗

[Aanz ★.ᐟ ( Hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ──★ !!

↳ ┆ .✦゛ 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚍 : february 3 ˎˊ˗
↳ ┆ .✦ ゛𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 : february 20 ˎˊ˗

︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶

⋮ 🪼┆ 𐔌 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 ౨ৎ
⟢ In 1940s China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Ha Yut Ying survives invasion in a way by being invisible. It saves her life. But what starts as magic becomes a pattern. After the war, she’s sent to Hong Kong, where her father is emotionally distant and her evil stepmother slowly erodes her identity. Her dream of becoming a singer is chipped away. She learns that being quiet keeps the peace. Hiding keeps you safe. Being invisible keeps you alive.Then we move to 1960s San Francisco.Marigold grows up sensing that her mother is carrying something unspoken,something heavy. But as a child, she experiences something shattering,she watches her mother vanish. The disappearance isn’t just physical. It becomes emotional. A fracture in their bond.As her mother’s health declines, Marigold starts digging into the past. What she uncovers isn’t just war history. It’s immigration trauma. It’s the emotional aftermath of displacement.And she is determined to help her.

︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶

⋮ 🪼┆ 𐔌 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ౨ৎ
⟢ This review is gonna be a very unpopular opinion, because everyone is going feral about this book but I didn’t seem to like it. 80% of the book was building up the plot , so I was like okay the end is gonna be EPIC.But sadly it didn’t happen and the end felt rushed to me, and I was underwhelmed. The only thing I’m giving 3 star is for the beginning of the book. The biggest let down for me is this being more of a fantasy read than a historical fiction, and the historical fiction part of the book was chefs kiss. It should’ve stayed with that. I really like reading Helen’s time in Hong Kong and it kinda felt like The Thousand Splendid Sun. But then the focus shifted from historical fiction to more of a fantasy Fairytale. Maybe if Marigold’s story wouldve gotten more time it would’ve worked out. But I wasn’t able to connect with marigold’s character which made me not care about the ending or whatever but I’m happy for Helen! So here’s the things I liked: The writing was amazing. Helen as a character is really brave and I really liked her. Seeing her struggle in Hong Kong made me feel sad, and I’m happy for her in the ending. Kenji is also a really sweet guy and deserved to have more chapters about him. I loved seeing the character growth of the characters.


⟢ The relation and complexity of the relation between a mother and daughter portrayed in this book is very touching, be it Helen’s mom and Helen or Helen and marigold. Marigold was such a great and thoughtful daughter, and Helen is a wonderful mother. Even though they weren’t that close , they understood each other so well. Lily and Helen ‘s sisterly bond was actually so cute and it really made me wish I had a sister.I’ve never really readabout the Japan and china war except for the Poppy war, so I think I’ll dive more into this genre. When I saw everyone crying about this book I was like YESYESYES IM SO READY TO BE TRAUMATISED, but maybe I missed the part where we were supposed to cry. As a person who cry 5 times a week , this was NOT it. Not a SINGLE tear shed.


⟢ So in a nutshell, if you are a historical fiction enthusiast like me don’t read this book thinking it’ll all be about the war ( it was actually about the war but you won’t find the mention after half of the book) it’s is actually more of a light fantasy novel.

︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶

↳ ┆ .✦゛𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎 : July 28 ˎˊ
⤷ Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for this arc in exchange for an honest review! 💓

[andreea ᥫ᭡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

𐔌 . ⋮ fishbone cinderella 🌊 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

release date : july 28th, 2026.

some books shimmer, some ache, some quietly rearrange something inside you. but Fishbone Cinderella does all three.

this is a story woven with longing, legacy, magic, and memory, and i am still trying to gather the pieces of my heart it gently pulled apart.


𐔌 . ⋮ summary 🌊 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱


this story moves between two timelines, two cities, and two daughters trying to understand the women who raised them.

in 1940s China and Hong Kong, we follow Ha Yut Ying, a girl who survives the japanese invasion of her hometown in the most impossible way: by turning invisible. but survival is only the beginning of her story. after the war, she’s sent to Hong Kong to live with a father who feels more like a stranger and a stepmother who slowly strips away her dreams of becoming a singer, reducing her to little more than a servant in her own home. as the years pass, Yut Ying learns what it means to endure betrayal, ambition, forbidden love, devastating loss, and the dangerous habit of making yourself smaller just to survive.

decades later, in 1960s San Francisco, we meet Marigold, her daughter, who has always had a talent for sensing what’s hidden beneath the surface. but nothing prepares her for the moment she watches her mother vanish before her eyes, a fracture that shadows her entire childhood. when her mother’s health begins to fail, Marigold becomes determined to uncover the secrets that shaped her family, even if it means unearthing a history steeped in war, sacrifice, and magic that’s more like a wound than a gift.

at its heart, this isn’t just a fairytale reimagining, it’s much deeper than that. it’s a story about mothers and daughters. about generational trauma and the silence that travels across oceans. about immigration, war, love that costs too much, and the aching desire to finally be seen.


𐔌 . ⋮ Helen & Marigold 🌊 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱


what truly undid me was the relationship between mothers and daughters, not just in the tender moments, but in the fractures.

this book understands something deeply painful: that love does not always prevent harm. that sometimes the very people who love us most are also carrying wounds they don’t know how to name, let alone heal. and so those wounds become silence. they become distance, they become things unsaid at the dinner table, truths buried for the sake of survival.

Yut Ying survives by disappearing, by making herself smaller, quieter and invisible. and in doing so, she unknowingly passes that instinct down. Marigold grows up in the shadow of secrets she can feel but never fully grasp, loving a mother who is both present and unreachable.

it hurt because it felt real. the way trauma travels across generations. the way immigration reshapes identity. the way mothers try to protect their daughters from the very pain that shaped them, and sometimes end up recreating it instead.

and yet… there is so much love here. it is fierce, aching, imperfect love. they don’t always know how to say “i’m sorry,” but still find a way to make it clear that they love each other.

i also couldn’t stop thinking about Helen and Marigold as mirrors of one another.

Helen, once a young woman whose dreams were taken from her, spends years trying not to look too closely at the girl she used to be. and then Marigold grows up bright, searching, carrying the very “curse” Helen tried so desperately to outrun. in her daughter, Helen is forced to confront not only what she survived, but what she could have been.

Helen believes that distance is protection. that if she avoids the past, the magic, the pain, even avoids parts of her own daughter, it will eventually fade. that silence can function as mercy. but denial does not erase wounds; it only deepens them. and in trying to shield Marigold from her history, she unknowingly keeps them both suspended in it.

they are reflections, not exactly identical, but echoing. two women shaped by the same inheritance, standing on opposite sides of understanding. and the tragedy, and the hope, lies in this: Helen might finally find herself again, but only if she allows herself to be seen by the very daughter she’s been trying to protect.


𐔌 . ⋮ the setting 🌊 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱


another thing that makes this story ache the way it does is how deeply it is rooted in history.

the war is the fracture line that splits Yut Ying’s life in two. the invasion, the displacement, the constant negotiation between survival and dignity lingers in every choice she makes afterward. you can feel how history carves itself into a person, how it forces children to grow up too quickly, how it teaches them that safety is fragile and dreams are optional.

and then there is immigration.

the move to Hong Kong. later, to America. each relocation promises reinvention, but what it often delivers is reinvention at a cost. identity becomes something you carry carefully. you learn what parts of yourself are acceptable, which parts must be softened, which parts must be hidden to belong.

in San Francisco, that tension continues. Marigold grows up straddling cultures, shaped by a past she doesn’t fully understand but constantly feels. the immigrant experience here is layered. it’s loneliness, ambition, sacrifice. it’s the unspoken pressure to succeed because someone else already gave up everything.

what struck me most is how the novel shows that migration doesn’t erase trauma, but instead simply relocates it. oceans cannot dissolve memory, they only change its language.

and yet, within all of that displacement, there is resilience, music, love, and determination.


𐔌 . ⋮ the writing 🌊 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱


i have always admired Elizabeth Lim’s writing, but this book feels like something else entirely. it feels braver, as though she allowed herself to explore every corner of the human experience without holding back.

this story outshines her previous works for me, and not because the others lacked magic, but because this one feels so expansive. it moves through war, immigration, generational trauma, love, ambition, grief, and redemption with the kind of emotional precision that left me stunned. she makes you understand every ache, every longing, and every flicker of hope feels lived-in.

there were moments when i had to pause and just sit with the book. don’t get me wrong, this book is not hard to read. far from it. but it was overwhelming in the most devastating way. the emotions really settle into you.

and yet, her prose is so effortlessly immersive. it doesn’t feel dense or intimidating; it quite literally envelops you. within a few pages, i was completely transported into the humidity of Hong Kong, into the fog of San Francisco, into the interior worlds of these women. her writing has always carried a certain spark that is unmistakably hers… but in this novel, that spark burns brighter than ever.

the writing is lush and descriptive without being heavy. flowery without losing clarity. whimsical without sacrificing realism. there is magic woven into the language itself, yet it never drifts too far from truth. the result is something original, emotionally resonant, and breathtaking.

i am in awe of what she accomplished here.


𐔌 . ⋮ closing thoughts 🌊 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱


at its core, this book feels like a love letter from mothers to daughters, and from daughters back to the mothers who tried, even when they didn’t always know how.

it made me want to reach across generations, to hold on a little tighter, or maybe to forgive a little softer.

if you are a mother, hug your daughter. if you are a daughter, hug your mother.

we inherit more than we realize (wounds, dreams, silence, resilience) but we also inherit love. and sometimes, being seen is the bravest thing we can offer one another.

i don’t know if the version i read will be the exact version that reaches shelves on july 28th, 2026, but i feel indescribably lucky to have experienced this story the way i did. i’m so glad i got to have sat with it, to have felt it settle into my bones.

thank you to netgalley and del rey, random house worlds, inklore for this arc in exchange for an honest review. 🌟


𐔌 . ⋮ pre-read 🌊 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

the scream i just let out!! 😭 i can’t believe i got approved for the ARC of fishbone cinderella… which means i get to read a new elizabeth lim book. she made me fall back in love with reading, and her stories mean the absolute world to me.

[nadine]

I got approved for the ARC!! I’m so excited to read this! also the cover is so beautiful!

[Anna ʚɞ]

: ̗̀➛ Pre-read:
WHAT?? I GOT THE ARC? 😭
This is so unexpected but ahhhhhh im so excited!! Everyone seems to absolutely love this book and im just so ready for that as its exactly what I need rn!! 🥹🥹
Also my first Elizabeth Lim book?! 💗🥹

Many thanks to NetGalley, Elizabeth Lim & Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the eARC in exchange for an honest review . ⋆˙⟡

[Raghad♡]

ʚ🦋꒱pre-read-̣̮-̥-⋆ˊˎ


Can't believe i got this arc!! So many people loved and cried to this so I'm very excited but also terrified😭 posing everything to read this right now!!🦋💌

[justine ⊹ ࣪ ˖]

°‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·。

pre-read : what do you mean i got approved for another anticipated release?! #4everblessed 𐔌՞ ܸ.ˬ.ܸ՞𐦯

01/21/2026 : YES PLS

[elise ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡]

AHHHH I GOT THE ARC!!! my first one!! i'm so happy 🥹🥹🥹 many of my relatives live in hong kong, so i'm extra excited knowing it takes place there 🙌🏼 💌

[ananya ⋆౨ৎ˚]

OMG GOT THE ARC 🙂‍↕️🩵 one of my most anticipated releases for 2026 so i couldn't be happier. i'm so excited to read this soon <3

[Mai H.]

ANHPI TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey

[jenny reads a lot]

| IG | TikTok |

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[AG (semi hiatus)]

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC! So excited to read!!

[jo ୨୧]

I GOT THE ARC FOR THIS STUNNINGLY GORGINA BOOK
˖°𓇼🌊⋆🐚🫧

big thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy

[Aya ☕︎]

I trust Elizabeth Lim with my time.. So once I saw this book I immediately requested it and thankfully I was approved for the eARC 🩵💛 Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey 💕

[Salma ✧˚.࣪]

Quite excited to read this!
Thanks to Netgally and Del Rey for the ARC💖💖

[vaishnavi ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*]

── .✦ pre-read 𖹭.ᐟ
i applied for the arc on a whim and i got it!! i've been seeing so many reviews from you guys mentioning it made you cry so naturally, i'm super excited to get into it 🤭 but i've learned my lesson with never ever after - i'm not going in with high expectations 🫣

[Llunch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book and my review is based on that copy. The final published work may differ from what I read.

I do not usually read stories containing magical elements but I wanted to request this one because I was intrigued by the title, cover and synopsis - and I am so glad I did! I absolutely adored this book. Even if you don't usually read this genre, I'd recommend this story to everyone.

The life stories of Yut Ying/Helen and her mother are both beautiful and heartbreaking; I couldn’t stop reading. Marigold’s point of view is especially compelling, as we get to see Helen in a different light—one that’s a little conflicting with the girl we come to know in the earlier chapters, yet completely understandable.

Every character in this book bursts with life and credibility, and the story itself is deeply emotional, immersive, and unforgettable. It’s one of those books that will stay with me long after I turn the final page.

[Freefall]

asian culture is the most fire thing ever

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ARC Review: Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim

Fishbone Cinderella left me emotionally wrecked in the best possible way. This is a story that is heartbreaking on so many levels, and while it put me through absolute emotional devastation, I’m grateful it ended in tears of hope rather than despair.

This book was nothing like what I expected and I mean that in the best way. Elizabeth Lim has an incredible talent for writing family dynamics that break something inside you, only to slowly piece it back together again. Her stories always seem to hurt and heal at the same time, and Fishbone Cinderella is no exception.

The story unfolds across multiple POVs and timelines, following Helen through her deeply traumatic childhood and later her daughter Marigold, who begins to uncover the truth about her mother’s disappearances and the curse haunting their family. Watching Helen endure so much cruelty made me both heartbroken and furious on her behalf. Her story is painful, raw, and impossible to look away from.

The fantasy elements are woven into the narrative with a subtle, almost delicate touch, enhancing the story rather than overpowering it. The writing itself is emotional, lyrical, and beautiful and every page feels intentional. What stood out to me most was the portrayal of resilient women who endure the worst of humanity and still manage to find love, hope, and happiness in one another.

The characterization is absolutely outstanding. Every single character felt real, layered, and deeply human. I loved them all fiercely, except for Helen’s family, who I can only say deserve absolutely nothing but my eternal rage.

I don’t have many coherent words left because I’m still in the process of gathering the shattered pieces of my heart. What I can say is that I was completely hooked from the very beginning. This story consumed me and took me on an emotional journey I was not prepared for. A small warning to future readers: this is not a book you read for a “good time.” This is a book you read for emotional damage and it is so, so worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey / Random House Worlds for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[najd · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love Elizabeth Lim's books but i personally prefer her YA books (her older books Six crimson cranes, The dragon's promise, A forgery of fate and such) more than this one, since they include a more magical dream-like haze to them(?). but as an adult debut this book is a really good start! the characters, blend of genres and plot line are pretty interesting.

soo fishbone cinderella is a fusion of historical fiction, family drama, and magical realism, drawing inspiration from a chinese folktale. at the center of this tale are two women whose lives span across decades and continents, their destinies entwined by secrets, survival, and a legacy of magic. ha yut ying, who later adopts the name "helen"-begins her journey in the midst of 1940s guangdong, china, when the looming threat of Japanese occupation forces her family into hiding. as danger closes in, they must navigate a world of fear and uncertainty, where even the smallest mistake could mean death. as she survives and rebuilds her life, helen's hidden past and the mystical powers she possesses become an ever present weight, shaping her in ways she cannot escape.

fast forward to 1980, and we meet marigold, helen’s daughter, who begins her own journey in hong kong. the "shadows" of her mother’s secrets loom over her, but she is determined to carve her own path. accompanying her mother to a new land, she initially speaks in fragmented, fleeting moments, her voice growing stronger as the layers of the family’s hidden history are slowly peeled back. marigold confronts her own identity and the mysterious powers she too possesses, she discovers the cost of keeping such secrets, and the depth of the magic that runs in her blood.

i literally screamed out of happiness when my request got approved for the arc 😭😭 thank you Netgalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Kim (readerbydusk) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fishbone Cinderella surprised me in the best way. I went in expecting a more traditional Cinderella retelling, but what I found was much richer and way more devastating. The story does weave in elements of Ye‑Shen, the Chinese version of Cinderella, yet that’s only the doorway. What lies beyond is a multi-generational tale about mothers and daughters, about inheritance both magical and painful, and about the ways women carry burdens that don’t always belong to them.

The first part, centered on Yut Ying, absolutely captivated me. There’s a rawness to her chapters that makes every choice feel heavy, every moment of tenderness feel like a small miracle. I loved how the book let her be complicated: loving yet flawed, determined yet afraid, shaped by forces she barely understands but refuses to surrender to.

Then the story shifts to Marigold, and while the tone changes, the emotional thread remains just as strong. Her section feels like the echo of Yut Ying’s life: different in texture, but carrying the same ache of inherited wounds and unspoken histories. Marigold’s journey is compelling in its own right, especially as she begins to uncover the truth of the women who came before her. The way the book ties their stories together is beautifully done, showing how trauma, love, and magic ripple through generations.

What impressed me most is how Fishbone Cinderella balances myth with intimacy. The curse and folklore are all present, but they never overshadow the human heart of the story. Instead, they amplify it. This isn’t just a retelling; it’s a meditation on legacy, on the weight of being a daughter, on the quiet resilience of women who survive what should have broken them.

↪ 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[bambi ‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. · Rating 4 out of 5]

after loving six crimson cranes, i was super excited to jump back into elizabeth’s storytelling 🤍 and while this is a very different tone and scope, it still carries the same emotional precision. less sweeping fantasy, more historical intimacy, with just a touch of magic threading quietly through.

the story moves between past and present, flashing back to a childhood shaped by war, displacement, and being sent to live with family in hong kong under the watch of a narcissistic and manipulative stepmother. it nods to its fairy tale namesake, but never clings to it. this isn’t a simple retelling. it’s a portrait of survival, of two lives intertwined, and of the quiet endurance required to grow up unseen.

in the present day, the novel gently examines the complicated relationship between mother and daughter, circling unspoken traumas and inherited silences. it’s thoughtful about how cycles form and how painfully, carefully, they can be broken. there’s no melodrama here, just a steady emotional ache and moments of quiet grace.

🌊 a restrained, historical fic take with just a whisper of magic
🧵 a moving exploration of displacement, survival, and inherited trauma
🪞 mother daughter dynamics handled with tenderness and honesty
📖 a fairy tale echo that enhances rather than defines the story

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
the pacing felt a little slow for me at times, but the writing is undeniably beautiful and heartfelt. thank you so much to the author and publisher for the arc. this was gentle, bittersweet, and deeply human.

[ting]

pre-read: the modern day joy luck club ⋆｡°✩

[Maria Mirabela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like all her writings, this one is just as magical.
I'm glad the author kept magic in her writing, she has her own way of writing magic that, if it weren't her book, I wouldn't normally read books like this.

I'm glad it didn't broke me, she could've been more ruthless with this 😅

[Wawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, when I saw the title Fishbone Cinderella, I thought I could already predict how the story would go, so I didn’t expect much surprise at first.

However, the author managed to twist the plot in a way I didn’t fully expect. The story is rooted in the family’s history during the war and how Helen survived because of her ability, as she can turn invisible. Her mother, Yuk Fong, has a different ability, as she can see the future.

Yuk Fong believes these powers are actually a curse and only one girl in each generation gets an ability, and she’ll eventually pass it down to her daughter and one of her granddaughters. In her eyes, this “gift” only brings suffering, and she believes the girls can never truly be happy or end up with the one they love.

The story then follows the granddaughter, Marigold, who has the ability to see the past and people’s memories. Unlike her grandmother, Marigold is determined to break the curse and change their fate.

The ending felt bittersweet. I’m still thinking about Marigold and Kenji. Their relationship was so meaningful, and honestly, their story deserves a whole book on its own.

The author tends to use Asian folklore elements, which is interesting, but it also made parts of the story feel a bit predictable to me. I’d be excited to see the author try out different kinds of ideas in future books too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Gwen]

✨Pre-read✨

Thanks to Netgalley and the Author for a review copy!

I just got approved for the arc on NetGalley! I can't wait to read it! I loved her Spin the Dawn series and Six Crimson Cranes, so I can't wait!!!! This is such an anticipated release for me!