Ever After High: Storybook of Legends

Title: Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends
Author:  Shannon Hale
Genre:  YA
Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company
Publish Date:  October 8, 2013
Pages:  hardcover, 305 pages.
ISBN:  0316401226
Obtained:  Bought from Amazon
Synopsis: 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.


It may not surprise some people that I love both the Ever After High and Monster High franchises. Call me a child if you wish but I don't care. Personally I feel both Monster High and Ever After High offer good lessons as well as fun characters and stories. So I was on board for this book since I first heard it was coming out.
The fact that Shannon Hale was tapped for the writer made me even happier. I have read one of her previous works (Princess Academy)  and enjoyed it so was excited when I heard she would be writing the books. And thank goodness my faith was well placed.

In this first of a series we are introduced to our main protagonist Raven Queen who is naturally the daughter of the evil queen. I would say Apple White (the daughter of Snow White) is a protagonist too, and she is, but I feel this story is more Raven's then Apple's.

Raven lives in a land where fairy tales are real and the children of these fairy tale icons are expected to follow in their parents footsteps. One of these ways is to sign their names into the storybook of legends to pledge they will follow their story. This is great for some like Apple White and Briar Beauty (the daughter of Sleeping Beauty), but for others like Raven Queen following in their parents footsteps is their happily never afters.

The story itself is full of fun moments such as the fairy tale puns that thankfully are not to the point of overwhelming. In fact, I find them slightly charming. And besides the message of the book I really think Madeline Hatter (aka, Maddie) is the best part of the book. The fact she can hear and talk with the author is great fun.

This is a great book for lovers  of fairy tales with a slightly more modern bent with mostly fluff but with a point to it. Looking forward to the second book in March.

RATING: 9 out of 10