At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens...whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life.
As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen's destiny is to follow in her mother's wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven's style. She's starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.
What if Raven doesn't sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both.
As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen's destiny is to follow in her mother's wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven's style. She's starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.
What if Raven doesn't sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both.
Today's review is about a book that is definitely not YA. However, Shannon Hale is one of my favorite authors who has written middle grade or young adult retellings (Goose Girl, Book of a Thousand Days, and Princess Academy are some of my favorites!) and so when I was recommended the Ever After High series, I was intrigued. This is a book series based off of some dolls that have been made. I'm not going to lie, when I first saw a commercial for them, I looked them up online because they looked like something I would have adored as a child.
The premise of this series is actually really interesting- a villain who doesn't want to follow a path she hasn't chosen. Raven is a character that goes through some internal conflict, as she tries to discover what she wants for her destiny. The story is mainly told in her pov or that of her Snow White counterpart, Apple. Apple was a character I didn't enjoy reading about at all. She's very self centered and oblivious to the struggle Raven is undergoing, and while her character wasn't completely thoughtless, she lacks the dimension and consideration of Raven's character.
The plot and writing style were both appropriate and accessible for a younger audience, yet was still fun and entertaining to read. It wasn't a very complicated plot, but a lot of the story was driven by Raven's internal conflict. Shannon Hale is an excellent author, so even though the writing isn't as sophisticated as her other works, it's still interesting. The plot isn't very complex, but since this is a first book, I'm glad there was more of a focus on characters and Raven in particular. The ending was alright but it seemed to drag on at the very end. However, I'm definitely planning on continuing the series.
What are some of your favorite series for younger audiences? Have you read Shannon Hale's new YA, Dangerous?
From the paper world,
V
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