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

SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS:

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.

MY TAKE:
After reading practically nothing but YA dystopian and fantasy books for the past week or so, this book was a refreshing experience.

In The Storybook of Legends, the children of the storybook characters we know and love are only a short time away from claiming their destiny and following in their parents' footsteps. However, some of them aren't sure that's what they want to do. Raven Queen, the daughter of the evil queen, is especially afraid and unsure about following her mother's destiny. She doesn't want to be evil and she'll try everything to see if she can change her fate.

This is a coming-of-age tale set in a fairy tale environment. The setting makes it feel like this was meant for younger kids, and it probably is. However, the hints of romance between some characters makes this a possibly interesting read for older audiences as well.

Here, the focus shifts between Raven Queen and Apple White. Maddie Hatter also has some page time when she chats with the narrator. the portrayal tries to be fair to both girls, but Raven Queen is easier to sympathize with. Apple White seems a little vapid to me, even though she has good intentions.

The ending, in particular, makes me root for Raven Queen over Apple White. Apple is so concerned with her own happiness that she doesn't seem to think about Raven's future except in a naive light.

THE GOOD:

1. It's an easy read.
2. There are some really funny lines.
3. The villains and heroes are portrayed as being a lot more human than you'd expect from fairy tale characters. 

THE BAD:

1. The plot twists are easy enough to guess. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

“Raven heard a crunch. “Maddie!” said Raven. “You’re not supposed to eat the stone.” “Why not?” said Maddie. “It’s delightfully crunchy.” “How do you even do that?” Raven asked. “I mean, it’s a rock.” Maddie shrugged. “Sometimes things aren’t impossible the first time I try, because I don’t know they’re impossible yet. I probably couldn’t do it again, though.”

READ IT IF:

1. You like fairy tale adaptations.
2. You like stories wherein the villains are portrayed in a positive or more human light.
3. You're not a fan of Snow White. 

RATING:


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