I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I love fairytale retelling and that is what this book is. It is about a girl named Everly and she takes being able to talk and view things with mirrors. That is when she comes into her powers and abilities. She has no other choice but to return to the land of her origins. This is where she meets up with Roth who is said to be Prince Charming. They are attracted to each other and most know the story and knows that is doomed to fail. She is doing her best to fight against her darker nature. It is her own personal battle of good and evil. I mean I knew that story goes or the original. I think this is an interesting take on the story.

Gena Showalter’s The Evil Queen was different. Dark fairytale retelling with twists and turns. While there was a lot of character growth, and the plot was interesting, I still could not get into the entire story. I felt annoyed by the characters, especially Everly – she seemed almost immature to me, and her actions sometimes made no sense. However, I think my students would devour this book, so I will tell the school’s librarian to get it. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for this eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I will definitely recommend this title. It is very well thought out and imaginative. I can't wait for more titles by this author.

Just as Everly is compelled to look in her mirror, I was compelled to keep reading her story! Keep reading. Just a little more. You don’t need sleep. I couldn’t put it down!! As the story unfolds, you’re never quite sure who the characters are supposed to represent in the tale of Snow White.
I know I kept cheering on Everly. I so badly did not want her to end up being the Evil Queen. I was surprised but not surprised by the ending.
I just wish I could read it all over again without knowing the outcome. It was that good! Definitely 5 stars!!!

I really enjoyed this book a lot. The concept was incredible and the plot was super addicting. I absolutely loved the prophecy and the mystery it created for us to figure out as the story and characters progressed, and it was set up nicely for us right at the beginning- creating a really magical and addicting story. The plot is full of action, romance, adventure, and has a million twists and turns. I couldn’t wait to see how everything played out through the lens of the prophecy. What really makes this book special though, is the depth and complexity of the characters. Showalter really turns this fairytale retelling into an exploration of good and evil, and how our choices affect our fate. The knowledge of the prophecy really messed these people up. Our narrator, Everly, was a fascinating character and I loved her. Supposedly fated to become The Evil Queen in Snow White, she is constantly conflicted about what is right and what actions she should follow through, always fighting against her prophesized future. While she grows a lot throughout the story, there were a few developments that seemed to come out of nowhere and were a bit muddied. I felt that her emotions would do a complete 180 with very little prompting, and it often left me a bit confused as to how we got to this point. Most of the time I was on board with her though, and I loved her strength, feistiness, and her “evil”, or dare I say human, tendencies. Her relationship with Prince Roth started out a little bit insta-lovey, but we are inside a fairytale after all, and it grew into a much deeper bond that was incredibly steamy and their chemistry was squeal-inducing. The other characters involved in the prophecy all went through complex emotional turmoil while trying to figure out which role they played and what their futures held. This book is a wild ride of love and betrayal, magic and adventure, and steamy romance wrapped up into a beautifully created fairytale world that I really hope to see more of in the future.

I couldn’t get through the first few pages on this one. While I was excited for the fairy tale style of writing, I had a lot of trouble investing in the main character. I wasn’t a fan of the narrative voice and felt like the word and phrase choices lacked realism.

I wanted to love this book because I love villain stories and fairytales.

However, this book just didn't do it for me. The writing felt rushed, the dialogue was not believable, and I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters.

It seems like there is a great story underneath somewhere, and I really hope this can be edited so that the story can shine through better.

Everly Morrow is seventeen years old living in Oklahoma with her sister Hartley, mother (Aubrey). and stepfather Nicholas. She discovers that she can spy on people by looking in mirrors. Hartley is able to communicate with animals. One night someone mysteriously appears and talks to Aubrey and and then disappears. Aubrey tells the girls the truth about where they came from and that they are not sisters. She tells them that she escaped from another dimension known as Enchantia where magic is real and fairy tales are prophetic. She tells them that they are all returning to their true home in three days. However Everly wants to go there sooner as she already has secrets. After arriving in Enchantia, she learns that she is most likely the evil queen from the tale of “Snow White,” she refuses to believe it. Will she become the evil queen? What will happen to Hartley and the rest of her family? Do they play a part in the tale?

There is much more to this first novel of a series, but I want you to discover the magic and action that occurs. There is romance (including a touch of lesbian romance), prejudice, and truth. The author writes her novel through the evil queen’s perspective which I found fascinating. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

Unfortunately I couldn't get through this one, as much as I tried. Well written characters are everything to me in a novel. If a novel does not have well-written, intriguing, and sympathetic characters then I can't get through it. Unfortunately, I absolutely abhorred the characters in The Evil Queen. Everly is a classic Mary Sue. She is annoying, arrogant, bossy, a know it all, and often times just plain rude. And yet, everyone adores her and her "quirks" within moments of meeting her, and will undoubtedly sacrifice themselves for precious Everly. But don't get it twisted. Everly is one of the most powerful creatures that has ever existed anywhere and she is totally independent and cool. The male opposite isn't much better. Roth is handsome, mysterious, hot, snarky, hot, has nipple piercings, hot, and did I mention is incredibly sexy and in love with Everly? He's also disgusting and creepy but it's ok because he's super hot. The plot could be interesting (it's an overplayed retelling of Snow White) but it's not worth reading because of the characters. They just ruin it. However, I know fans of Cassandra Clare and Sarah J. Maas will enjoy this novel. Gena Showalter has a similar writing style and the characters and plot are written in a similar vein. I couldn't get through their novels either, honestly. Overall, this novel was just not for me.

A unique twist on the fairytale retelling with compelling characters and unexpected twists.

Fairytale retellings are always hit or miss with me. Sometimes they're nothing more than the original storyline with one or two major changes, sometimes it's so different you can't even see which fairytale it's supposed to be based on, but Showalter gave us hints of the fairytale we love with a totally new take that kept us entertained from start to finish. Whether you love retellings or are still looking for one to live up to the hype, The Evil Queen is the perfect read.

Wow, what a beginning! It hooked me in like no other, two second in and I was already enraptured. An hour later, I could hardly keep focused. The Evil Queen was promising at the start but it just didn't work for me. I don't know if it was because I'm not a fan of fairytale retellings, or if I was getting too annoyed of the slow pacing. Excellent writing by the author though.

For those who are looking for a lighter read to dip their toes into fantasy, for lovers of retellings, and villain origins. This one is for you.

I binge-read retellings like no other out there. I love a good villain retelling that spins the original tale on the head, too, which was why I was more than willing to pick this ARC up! The concept/plot was so interesting–nurture vs nature, and every decision one makes in life there are consequences which carve out many paths in life, shaping us into who we are.

Everly is the main character and who we know as the Evil Queen. She's an interesting character and many others, but I didn't connect with any of them. They all felt fairly juvenile and comical to me. It was SO modern feeling, as in chatspeak/initials that it took away from the fantastical element for me. The issues that continuously came up between the characters felt like a way to fluff up the novel, and their problem solving felt juvenile–by which I mean middle-grade level and NOT young adult.

The plot bounces around continuously throughout the many characters but never progresses until the last thirty pages of the book. If you are a fan of Once Upon a Time, and the constant "Regina is good, no she's evil, now she's good, ah dang now she's evil..." you may very well enjoy this.

As far as romance goes, it was clumsy and uninspiring. It didn't feel real nor did it feel honest.

I think if you're a solid fan of Showalter you'll enjoy it, it's on par with her writing. This novel was a touch too long than what it should have been–especially since it's going to be a series.

Sadly, I was very disappointed by this book. I lost interest pretty quickly and the writing didn't fit the genre, in my opinion. At the beginning of the novel, the writing was very similar to a contemporary YA novel. For a retelling/fantasy novel, it didn't work. The author also used many modern expressions/lingo which also felt out of place. Using abbreviations such as SW and EQ (which I assumed stood for Snow White and the Evil Queen--we weren't actually told) felt sort of lazy. The dialogue was awkward, and the internal monologue of the main character was childish. Lastly, there were around five or six characters introduced at the same time, and it was very hard to keep track of who's who.

I received an eARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Gena has done it again. Written an amazing story within a magicial world.
The characters are full of well...character! The setting is simply stunning. And the story is delightful.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I am excited to read more from this world Gena has created.

Incredible take on the fairytale of the Evil Queen. Would highly recommend for anyone who enjoys retellings such as Marissa Meyer's Heartless!
I was intrigued that we started out in modern day United States before traversing into the fairytale, but it was a good way to hook you in. Everly was such (to reiterate: SUCH) a flawed character but that made the reading experience all the better, if not a bit frustrating at times. Her attitude was definitely what pulled this from a 5 star to a 4 star read. She's a love-her-or-hate-her kind of character, but didn't take away too much from the story for me!

Everly Morrow thinks she's just a normal teenager, until one day her mother tells her that she's a sorceress from the fantasy land of Enchantia and is destined to play a part in the tale of Snow White...most likely that of the evil queen. This story is a clever fractured Snow White retelling, while still offering plenty of original material to make the story all its own. Readers are not just getting a rehashing of the Disney movie here but are taken back to the Grimm brothers' original. The text raises ethical questions about whether one can choose one's fate or is ultimately destined to be good or evil, and questions about Everly's (and everyone else's) true role in the Snow White fairy tale will keep readers turning the pages. That said, the characters are a little flat, and Everly's relatively calm, roll-with-the-punches attitude to the fantasy world, magical creatures, and her newfound powers, while funny, comes across as shallow and unrealistic. Everly's immediate, physical infatuation with love interest Roth is also a bit overbearing and unrealistic. The protagonist's modern sensibilities and language will amuse readers, but do not make for the same kind of escapist experience that readers of high fantasy look for. While not perfectly constructed, the book still makes for an amusing read and an original take in one of the Western canon's most famous stories. All in all, a great pick for fans of fantasy and fairy-tale retellings with a basis in the real world, such as Melissa Albert's In a Hazel Wood or Brigid Kemmerer's A Curse So Dark and Lonely, as well as those who like their stories interspersed with humor.

I loved it and cant wait to read the rest of the series. I am a fan of complicated villains & heroes so this was just right for me.

This is the story of Everly one of a set of twins who is either Snow White or the evil queen . I liked this character and could relate to her as she navigated through life . This is a young adult book but don’t let that stop you from reading it . If you like me are a fan of Disney villains you will thoroughly enjoy this reimagining

This book is an interesting twist on Snow White that definitely kept me guessing. I enjoyed the diversity in characters, but the MC's inner thoughts did get on my nerves at times. It also felt a little too long, but I was sucked in enough to want to keep reading. It was a little insta-lovey at first, but the main relationship progressed well and I grew to like it.

From the start, one can tell how unique this story is. It isn't something that we've seen retold time and time again. As far as fairytale retellings go, this was amazing! I've been reading a lot of them lately. The characters were the best part of the entire book, ones I could relate with. The fact that the main character walked the line between good and evil was what really resonated with me. I think we all do that to some degree during our lives.


The only issue I had with this novel was that I feel like I was missing some background information. The way sorcerers gain and lose powers didn't seem fleshed out well enough. It has great potential and I hope the second book continues to build on this world, giving readers more information about how the system works.