  | Full Text Reviews: Bulletin for the Center... - 12/01/2013 The fates of friends Raven Queen and Apple White have already been written in the Storybook of Legends, so after two years of prepping for their fairy tale roles, it’s only a matter of formally promising on Legacy Day to fulfill their duties as the Evil Queen and Snow White before the two girls can live out their story. As Legacy Day approaches, however, Raven grows increasingly uncertain about becoming the “Greatest Evil There Ever Was,” and she’s shocked to discover that some characters have rebelled against their stories in the past. Meanwhile, Apple finds herself torn between helping her friend figure out a way to change her destiny and ensuring her own happily ever after. Neither as dark nor complex as Chainani’s similarly premised The School of Good and Evil (BCCB 6/13), this middle-grade fantasy is a good deal more compact and has occasional bits of lighthearted humor that gear it toward younger readers not quite ready for School’s 400+ pages. The action is fairly mild, but both Raven and Apple are likable heroines; with her zingy wit and self-deprecating humor, Raven is credibly vulnerable as a girl trying to figure out exactly who she is if she’s not the person others believe her to be, while Apple’s genuinely kind heart lends her perfectionist persona a bit of warmth and accessibility. Fairy-tale fans will delight in trying to puzzle out which classmates are the offspring of various fairy-tale characters, while the pop culture references revised in Ever After terms (Taylor Swift is Tailor Quick here, while One Reflection’s big hit is “You Don’t Know You’re Charming”) give the book a clever timeliness. KQG - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. School Library Journal - 12/01/2013 Gr 5–8—Ever After High is where the offspring of fairy-tale characters go to train to be the next generation of Cinderellas, Prince Charmings, and Red Riding Hoods. Second-year students are expected to sign the Storybook of Legends on Legacy Day, cementing their destiny in the fairy-tale world. Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen in "Snow White," has no desire to emulate her mother, who isn't just evil, but super-evil. She'd much rather sing in a band, hang out with her friends, and, most of all, have a future that she has some control over. Apple White, on the other hand, can't wait to start working toward her Happily Ever After. Despite their differences, Raven and Apple become roommates and even friends, but if Raven refuses to sign the Storybook, it might mean the end of not only their story, but also of the fairy tale world… or would it? This mash-up of Grimm and high school angst is fun and frothy, filled with silly, clever riffs on pop culture (which will make the story dated in a few years). Still, Raven is a strong, proactive girl who fights not only for herself, but also for all the denizens of Ever After High who don't have fairy-tale endings to look forward to.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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