Book excerpt: Did Cinderella live happily ever after? You might think so until you look more closely at the hidden messages in beloved fairy tales. In Cinderella Didn't Live Happily Ever After, fairy tales are analyzed in terms of the underlying messages about marriage, power, suffering, agency, and good versus evil, with a focus on how male and female characters differ in each of these areas. The analysis is data-driven, and it provides clear evidence for the hidden messages in these beloved tales. The end conclusion is not whether fairy tales are good or bad, but rather what messages they deliver about life, even if unintentionally.