Review of The Storybook of Legends (Ever After High #1) by Shannon Hale

The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Publication date: October 8th, 2013
Genres & themes: middle grade, fairy tales, boarding school, friendship, adventure.

BLURB:

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.

REVIEW:

♫ It’s an open book, a road in reverse,
a brand-new hook—forget that curse.
It’s a rebel cause with a royal heart.
Rewrite, ignite, restart.

*4.5 stars*

Ever After High : The Storybook of Legends is based on the YouTube episodes following the same story and characters with some differences and more details of course. I still remember how eager I was, last summer, for those short episodes to be posted since I was a big fan of the Monster High ones and the rights belong to Mattel as well so I was sure it was going to be a success.

I directly made some research after learning there was going to be a series and learned that Shannon Hale was to write this cute trilogy. In fact, I read on Shannon Hale’s web site that she was planning on taking a break from writing when she suddenly had this offer of being apart of the Ever After High new project. I’m glad she accepted the offer since I don’t know how this book could have turned out without her compelling writing and talent at bringing characters to life.

Raven Queen is the daughter of The Evil Queen who you all know plays an important part in Snow White’s, AKA Apple White’s mother, story. In this series, the descendents of EVERY fairy tale attends the Ever After High royal boarding school and learn etiquette, how to rule a kingdom or in Raven’s case how to act like the new evil queen she will someday become. Because, yes, every daughter and son has to revive her/his associated parent’s story. They so have to pledge their destiny and sign the Storybook of Legends. If they don’t, their story, along with themselves, will disappear. Poof! Here is the problem: Raven Queen doesn’t want to follow her mother’s steps and bring darkness into people’s life. She wants to be good and she IS good whatever others think of her.

She desperately wants to change her destiny but Apple White, daughter of Snow White, wants her Happily Ever After which means no modifications as how the story must go. She pressures Raven into signing the book.

Apple White may seem like a selfish spoiled princess, especially after the true facts I’ve said about her, but she’s not quite that. She has a good, beautiful heart but she’s young and afraid of losing what she has always dreamed of: living her mother’s wonderful story.

Every character in this story has won a special place in my heart. I love them all, even the less present ones. One thing I’d recommend though, before reading this series, is watching some of the YouTube episodes simply so you can understand better and get to know the character’s voices and way of being more easily.

Despite how much I loved this story, the way it was told and the lovely and charming characters, there is one thing that could have really been better: the verb terms!Shannon Hale almost always used the word ‘said’ in a dialog and it can break the atmosphere if it gets on your nerves (which it did to me) but principally because I knew the author could’ve written something else instead of that word over and over again. I truly hope it’ll be resolved in the sequel.

I know many people are reluctant to reading middle grade books and it’s understandable. I rarely read those myself but, when I do, I pick some that look enjoyable and cute because cuteness is something I do love in my middle grade reads. The point is, this series is worth reading if you believe you’d enjoy it and trust it’ll enchant you like it enchanted me.

View all my reviews on Goodreads.