I've read all of Corey Ann Haydu's contemporary YA fiction so this was my first look into what she could do with fantasy. And it doesn't surprise me at all that this tale is filled with feminist themes, vivid imagery, and a very unique take on what it means to be a princess. The story alternates between Jane and Reagan's points-of-view. Jane is one of the six cursed Princesses of Ever and she, along with her sisters, are cursed to be Without one essential thing. It could sleep, love, hope, or in Jane's case, the ability to eat. Their mother, the Queen, is frozen in time in an unbreakable glass box while their father, the King, roams free. And Reagan? She's the witch who cursed them, for reasons the princess don't know or understand. But when their youngest sister's cursed sets in, they now have the chance to break the curse as long as they work with Reagan. It turns into an adventure of self-discovery, uncovering long hidden secrets, sisterhood, and learning more than they ever realized about the kingdom they're meant to rule. I thought Haydu's subversive take on fairytales was very timely; my only wish was that more time had been spent on each of the girls and the backstory.

Do I recommend? I would recommend borrowing this from the library but if you're in the mood for a unique, feminist take on fairy tales then this one is for you.

As always, thank you so very much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this early via e-ARC!

Okay.

Please read this book. Please. It is just... so good. Amazing. Wonderful. I read it in basically one day, because I just couldn’t put it down. It sucked me in. It tumbled me around... and it spit me out and I feel quite a bit different! It is about empowerment, and friendship, and family, and all kinds of other wonderful things! I don’t want to spoil anything... but it’s IMPORTANT. So incredibly important! I loved every moment, and I also wish there was so much more!

I really enjoyed this book! I absolutely love the way it flips the fairy tale trope on its head, but still works within a fairy tale world to tell a really riveting story. The plot does move slowly, and it takes a while to get comfortable and gain some understanding of the world the story takes place in, but that doesn't usually bother me. I really liked how the book ended, and I will definitely recommend it to my teens in the library.

A Very important look at how a fairytale can have so many sides to its stories, sides that are not pretty. The king may not be good, the princess' curse may not be her fault and not all witches are bad. It's an important feminist work that needs to be read to remember that cautionary tales are meant to caution of monsters that are not all men. It's a good look at how people can be deceived, even by those the love most when the veil of truth is cleared away.

Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu had all the makings of a book I’d love. Kings and queens, witches and magic, unique and creative magic system, a beautiful cover, and a killer story idea.

But what you see is not always what you get.

While there are many redeeming qualities to Ever Cursed, the flaws outweigh the sparkles in my opinion.

Let’s jump right in.

Ever Cursed Review

I need to get it all off my chest, so I’m going to plow head first into the negatives, and we’ll look at what I loved at the end.

Ever Cursed is a slow book. I mean a really slow book. Aside from the opening moments, there’s not a lot going on until a good halfway through the book or more.

I like high adrenaline books. And I even recently engaged in a conversation in defense of slow books, primarily because it took me 3 years to finish Mistborn, but when I did, I devoured books 2 and 3 in a week.

Ever Cursed did not take me that long to finish. I actually read it rather quickly in about 2-3 days or so. But it’s mind-numbingly slow to start.

It probably doesn’t help that the author used absolutely no creativity in crafting her world at all. The kingdom’s name is Ever. There’s another kingdom named AndNot, and another named Soar. Spells are quite literal. The Spell of Without (that leaves you without something) and the Spell of Always Day, which, you guessed it, means it’s always day.

And then there’s the War We Won, and a whole slew of terms like that, like the witches live in the House on the Hill, which is a house on the hill.

I researched the author after the fact and saw that she writes Middle Grade and younger books, and that’s probably the best way to describe the world building. It’s like she forgot she was writing YA and stuck to her MG naming conventions.

Ever Cursed was probably also very slow because all the surprises aren’t really surprises, and you can see them coming from a mile away. Most reviewers I saw pointed this out as well.

Trigger Warnings

But let’s talk about what really doesn’t belong.

Any book that has to give me a disclaimer before I read it, really probably shouldn’t have been written in the first place. At least not the part requiring the trigger warning.

There’s some very obviously disgusting parts in this book, and while it’s meant to provoke outrage, it mainly was revolting, but was not executed as well as it could have been to create the desired emotions. Both within the characters and the reader.

Oh, and the characters are bland. Bland, bland, bland.

I frequently forgot which main character POV I was supposed to be reading. The two are near indistinguishable in voice, and most of the supporting characters have almost no personality. There’s only one character that I can particularly say I enjoyed and it was Olive, the attendant. And even she didn’t really have a large enough part for me to really really like her.

The Gems

Ever Cursed wasn’t all bad though.

The magic system is really really well done. When a witch casts a spell before her 18th birthday, it’s a Slow spell. And when she turns 18, it becomes True. In order to prevent a spell from becoming permanent, you must break it before it becomes True.

Our main character, Jane (plain Jane), was cursed with not being able to eat. She hasn’t eaten a thing in 5 years. Any normal person would die, but because it was a Slow spell, it didn’t kill her right away. But the moment the spell becomes True, she’ll die. So there’s the stakes. Stop the curse before it becomes too late.

There’s other stakes too, but that’s obviously the most pressing.

When a witch casts a spell, a skirt of varying fabrics appear around their waist. The stronger or more brutal the spell, the heavier the skirt. Reagan’s (the witch who cast the curse on Jane) grandmother has cast so many spells she has so many skirts that she’s literally stuck in a chair and can’t move.

It’s a very interesting concept that limits power, and I’ve never seen something quite like it before. It’s really quite genius. I love magic systems that take something mundane, like metal in Mistborn or scissors in Spin the Dawn, and make it magical and amazing.

The In-Betweens

I also really enjoyed the ending of Ever Cursed. But I must add that my feelings on the way it all played out are mixed.

What I mean is that I loved seeing all the pieces come together, but I felt the pieces were forced or misshapen to the point that you couldn’t put the puzzle together on your own.

While some parts of the story had very obvious twists, others had no way of ever being deduced from the story except you be told in a monologue format from a secondary character.

Since we are reading this book from the first person perspective of Jane and Reagan, we can only know the world to the extent of their knowledge. And since Jane’s father and Reagan’s grandmother haven’t exactly been forthright with information, you just simply can’t know things until the 90% mark of the book where Reagan’s grandmother spills the beans.

I enjoyed learning the information. I did. But it felt all very deus ex machina if you will.

Final Thoughts

Ever Cursed could have done without sexual assault scenes. And if the world building had been a tad more YA and the characters a bit more fleshed out, I would have really absolutely loved this book.

As it stands, the best I can give it is half marks. The story is there. It’s interesting. The magic is awesome. But the flaws are as blatant as a snag in the witch’s skirt or the itch from the wool of a powerful spell.

Give the book a try if you’d like. I’d by no means discourage someone from reading Ever Cursed if they had their heart set on it. It was a good book. Not the best book. But not a bad book either. I didn’t DNF it, and it didn’t take me weeks to read.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. We first meet the princesses 5 years after the family was cursed by the Spell of Without, where the princesses each live without a piece of themselves: without food and drink, love, sleep, memory, or hope. The witch that cursed them is about to turn 18 and the spell becomes permanent. This book mainly features Princess Jane, whom has been unable to eat or drink for 5 years, and Reagan, the witch that made it happen. I really enjoyed bits of the world building. My absolute favorite was the consequences of using magic. For each spell a witch casts, they gain a new skirt that is permanent-they can never take it off . The bigger the spell, the heavier the skirt. I also appreciated the diversity throughout the books.

The book was very slow for me. I thought it was going to be fast paced and exciting when I read the blurb, but I was let down quite a bit. The witch was very cruel in her spells (which I understand, emotions are hard to control at 18) but it felt like she never grew up. Even after she accepted that what she did was harsh, it still felt like she was never truly sorry. By the time the plot sped up, the book was nearly over and the ending was rushed.

I didn't hate this book, but I also didn't love it either. I might recommend it to others.

I appreciate a YA fantasy book attempting to address these serious issues, but Ever Cursed was difficult to get through. It's bleak and the characters don't really inspire you to root for them. Haydu relies heavily on narration and inner thoughts, which ended up feeling very repetitive. I often couldn't tell when I'd switched from Jane's POV to Reagan's because they both felt like incomplete characters. I will say that I did really appreciate the metaphors in this book, which highlighted the themes of freedom and finding strength in yourself and others.

All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.

Trigger warning: Sexual assault & eating disorder

Magic doesn't have to be forever, Even the strongest flames are extinguished. Spells are meant to be broken." -

“There’s more than one way to survive”. -

This unusual fairy tale explores power in a patriarchal kingdom fairy with some dark themes.
#MeToo

Five years ago, the five princesses of Ever were cursed
Jane can't eat
Nora can't love
Alice can't sleep Grace can't remember
Eden, upon her Thirteenth Birthday celebration, won't be able to hope.

All because of a young witch Reagan, impulsively cast a spell in retaliation for the unspeakable horrifying actions of the princess ruling father.
Told in dual POV’s, alternating perspectives by Jane and Reagan, one of the cursed princess and the young witch who cast the devastating curse.
I struggled with this book, I was completely immersed within the storyline and I had a hard time finishing it. A little diversity adds some depth to the ya fantasy.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I love the inclusivity and the not graphic depictions of sexual assault. This book will still be triggering for many but it’s written very well Definitely not for my middle school Library But I will suggest to my HS colleagues.

Powerful, painful, profound.

This story of survival and survivors was as beautiful as it was difficult to read. I was moved to tears, with my skin covered in goosebumps in several places. It was a wonderfully immersive fantasy world with magic and intrigue. The characters were real and flawed and vulnerable, yet brave and strong and perfect. They came to life in ways that made them people you know. The way each and every survivor dealt with and grew in their own ways was an important message in itself and one that struck me throughout. We survive how we can. It isn't always pretty and that's OK. I love the way these women came together, found themselves, and each other and their truths. The message will speak to survivors and hopefully also to those who see/support them and even more important to those who need to see them and look away. The end moved me to tears. So much love for the bravery and the one who was there to be just what was needed in the moment fear crept in.

The curses, the relationship between witches and royalty, and the missing princess are fascinating and weave around the world with a tightening grip as what you sense becomes what you fear and the pieces fall tragically into place. The magic of the world, especially as the depth of things in the history are revealed leaves you with a lot to think about as well.

Highly recommend, an important and timely message wrapped in a wonderful fantasy.

This book was received as an ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing - Simon Pulse in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed this book tremendously with the drama and action included in the plot. The sisterhood bond that Jane, Alice, Nora, Grace and Eden show for one another was so refreshing to read. Eden while cast with a terrible curse that will take effect on her 13th birthday, the girls will stop at nothing to work together to stop at nothing to break Eden's curse and save their sister. In order to do that, they had to confront the witch that cast the spell in the first place of which whom may not be the villain they thought she was and that there may be more to the story for all they know. Secrets are uncovered and the truth is revealed as the sisters will stop at nothing to save their kingdom once and for all. What best describes this book is Sleeping Beauty meets Ella Enchanted and I know our teen book club will have a lot to say about it.

We will consider adding this title to our YA Collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I loved the idea of this feminist fairytale where a witch and and a bewitched princess need to unite in order to save their kingdom. The magic was unique and interesting including details of how spells are cast and the cost of them to witches. I adored the strength of Princess Jane and Reagan. They both came into the story with strong beliefs but were open to learning and changing. I also appreciated That the author provided trigger warnings regarding sexual assault that is discussed in this story. I thought it was handled in a way that really imparted the seriousness of the issue and it’s impact on victims of sexual assault. I will say that topic was prevalent throughout the story and could be difficult for some readers.

While I enjoyed the main characters, the magic system and the message behind this book I found myself wanting something more after I finished reading it. I am not sure whether it was the pacing Of the story or wanting more detail about the residents of Ever that left me with that feeling. I’d definitely be interested in reading more from this author particularly regarding the other kingdoms mentioned.

Many thanks to Simon Pulse and NetGalley for the ARC!

Ever Cursed is a young adult, feminist fairy tale that deals with some heavy subjects, most notably sexual assault and disordered eating. Corey Ann Haydu provides a content warning at the beginning, which immediately gave me a positive first impression of her and the book. As someone who is easily triggered by one of these, I appreciated it so much and I know a lot of other readers will too. Overall, Haydu handles the difficult topics very well. She does a particularly great job showing how people often turn a blind eye to sexual assault. A large portion of the plot is about bringing it to light and forcing the perpetrator to face consequences.

Haydu has created a truly fascinating and unique world. The naming of the countries and various places and events contributes to the fairy tale feel of the book. Countries are called Ever and AndNot, the witches live at the Home on the Hill, and the princesses are cursed with the Spell of Without. Some could find it jarring at first, but I found it quite charming. But the true star of Haydu’s world is the magic system. When witches cast a spell, a new skirt magically appears around their waist. The material of the skirt depends on the severity of the spell cast. A minor spell results in a lightweight material while a major one with dire consequences, such as the one Reagan places on the princesses, results in a heavy material like burlap. If a witch casts lots of heavy spells, she might find herself unable to move due to the weight of her skirts, which is what happens to Regan’s grandmother. It’s so different from anything I’ve seen before, and I loved it!

This is the closest I have ever come to seeing eating disorder representation in fantasy literature. Due to the Spell of Without, Princess Jane is unable to eat. Now, this is not actually an eating disorder since it is magically induced rather than a mental illness, but the harrowing physical and emotional consequences are mostly the same. I noticed that several of the princesses’ curses match up with some kind of disorder or mental illness, including depression, insomnia, and dementia. Sometimes it’s easy for issues like these to be romanticized in fiction, but Haydu avoids that; it is very clear throughout that these are serious and dangerous problems. In fact, she takes it a step further and critiques the romanticization of these disorders and illnesses that occurs especially when they appear in women.

My biggest problem with Ever Cursed is that the characters’ voices aren’t distinct enough. The first person narration switches between Jane and Reagan for each chapter. I found that their voices sound essentially the same and I frequently forgot whose point of view I was reading from. In general, all of the characters would have benefited from a little more development. It was difficult to connect with them or even care about them in some cases. Reagan in particular I really just disliked the whole time. I also found the ending rushed and anticlimactic. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure how or why some things happened at the end. While one major issue is resolved, there are a whole host of smaller problems that are glossed over and suddenly all better just because.

Overall this is a feminist fairy tale that takes on some difficult topics quite well. Despite it’s flaws, it’s definitely worth checking out.

My... oh... My

What did I just read? It took me 2 days to finish I really don't know what to feel or say about it. This book is so good. I can't put it down easily and I'm literary dead inside. Until now i'm still breaking.

Start off the chapter, i'm already wondering what is really happening to this book. It keeps the mystery like forever while I'm reading it but everything in the end is like worth it. The world building is phenomenal. It's really stunning but kinda heart breaking. I can totally feel the Ever darkest moments and good moments and I just can't forget about it. Characters' development are on point. I love the cursed girls, ALL OF THEM. But.. I really feel so bad what happened to them. When I knew about their cursed and why the witch have to cursed them because of it, it's heartbreaking. I wanted to scream and yell at the witch of her kid mind for doing it so but... what she did was also reasonable. If I'm the witch and that happens, I think I'll do the same (??) but it's cruel, really cruel. I mean, I feel the pain and anger from Reagan. Then the painful thing is I absolutely feel the princesses suffering and I shed tears because of it. I wish I could be there for them. There's a spark of romance to this book, but I really didn't pay much attention to it. But it's a good romance and I'm glad there's a little happy side on the book.

A fairy tale about sisters? Sign me up! This was such a magical book I couldn’t put it down. I would definitely recommend this if you enjoy modern fairytales.

I need to start by saying that Ever Cursed isn't the easiest book to read. Please pay attention to the author's note about sexual assault and eating disorders.

I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting with Ever Cursed. While it was a fantasy with witches and magic, it ended up being a pretty intense book with social issues. I personally like those, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much was covered.

Ever has a king, queen, and princesses. The princesses never leave their homes. They've never seen Ever and they don't really know what happens there. They are brought up privileged and they're taught that princesses are quiet. Well, queens are quiet, but Jane knows she'll be the next queen. If she lives. 5 years earlier, a young witch, Reagan, put a spell on the princesses and queen. She said she'd be back in five years to break it. The queen is in a box. Jane can't eat. Nora can't love. Alice can't sleep. Grace can't remember. Eden can't hope. The spell needs to be broken before Reagan turns eighteen. If it's not, the spell is permanent. Jane and Alice will die from it. Jane has already lost so much weight and barely has any strength left. She is already dying.

Reagan is impulsive and her spell wasn't thought out. When the witches cast spells, they get a new layer to their dress. They don't come off. The stronger the spell, the heavier the layer is. Reagan left and went to AndNot for five years. She's still angry when she gets back. The spell was cast to punish the king, but she sees that he doesn't really care. Reagan has no idea how to undo the spell, but she works with the girls to break it. Jane's attendant, Olive, helps out, too. She's from Ever and knows what has been going on there and at the castle.

The chapters alternate between Jane and Reagan. Jane needs to really see the things around her. Reagan needs to realize that punishing people isn't always the answer and that magic carries a large burden. Both girls need to grow and they learn things from each other.

As I mentioned earlier, there is a lot of social issues throughout the book. You have the royals who pretend to care and the people of Ever that are almost starving. The king loves control in many different ways. He needs the love and praise and doesn't really care who gets hurt in the process. We see a massive wealth inequality. I thought the topics were approached well (I'm obviously not an expert with this). The only thing that I struggled with was really hearing different voices of Reagan and Jane. There would be times I was reading a chapter and had to look back to see who it was.

I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

Warnings for sexual assault, eating disorders, inequality, poverty, and grief (maybe ptsd?). There may be others I forgot to mention. Just know that the book covers a lot of serious topics, but in a fantasy world. Also, the girls mature at 13 and marriages are often planned for them. We didn't really see that happen though.

Ever Cursed is a fairytale style story of witches and royals. Don't be fooled though, there are seriously dark themes in this book, on's that need to be discussed and addressed. Several years ago a witch named Reagan cast the Spell of Without on the Princesses of Ever. Each one lost something that day - can't eat, can't sleep, can't love, can't hope, and can't remember. The Queen was trapped in a glass box. The princesses must find a way to reverse the spell, or it will stay forever. In an unlikely twist, Reagan begins to help the princesses gather what is needed to reverse the spell. But will it be enough?

This story is told through alternating POV's of Princess Jane, the oldest Princess, and Reagan. I thought Ever Curse was so well done, I finished it in just a few hours and just couldn't put it down. Firstly, I loved the writing style. Ever Cursed is written in a fairy tale format so it seems very whimsical and fairy-like, but the tone of the book is very serious and tackles matter such as sexual assault, sexism, and conquering fears. It is a hard line to walk, but Haydu does it very well.

The characters aren't exactly redeemable. If you're looking for a book about perfect people, you won't find it here. Everyone has made mistakes or done terrible things, but I think this story is more about fixing wrongs than being perfect. The character growth is real and Princess Jane comes to realize some terrible truths about her father, the King, and Reagan learns the real consequences of actions and magic.

I felt like the ending could have been stronger and had a better message it. The whole book ramped up to a pretty serious ending but it felt like it wasn't given enough attention. For that reason, but overall rating was pulled down but I still very much enjoyed this books.

TW: sexual assault, eating disorders, insomnia, gaslighting

**Thank you to Simon Pulse, Netgalley, and Corey Ann Haydu for an early copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review**

I’m on the fence about Ever Cursed. The titular curse affects Ever’s five princesses and their mom, the Queen: The Queen is frozen in a glass box, and each princess is cursed to live without one essential thing from her 13th birthday. Jane, the oldest, can’t eat; Alice can’t sleep; Nora can’t love; Grace can’t remember; and Eden can’t hope. The twist is that they’re cursed to punish their father, who seems to be dealing with his punishment remarkably well. Meanwhile, it turns out that being impossibly fragile is irresistible, and the king revels in his newfound importance while marriage proposals for his cursed daughters pour in. Reagan, the witch who cast the misguided spell, is determined to break it, but she’ll need the princesses’ help to do it — and their father has no real motivation to end the curse that’s made him popular and well-loved by his kingdom and his daughters. This is very much a #metoo novel focused on the ways that women often end up paying for men’s criminal behavior, and I liked the way it played with some of the conventions of fairy tales. But the characters felt thin — the witches and princesses were interchangeable, so much so that I’d sometimes have to flip back to see who was narrating a chapter. I think it’s an enjoyable, interesting read if you’re in the mood for a lightweight fairy tale story, but if you’re looking for something more substantial, there are better takes on the fairy tale genre. (Basically we should all just read Kissing the Witch over and over again.)

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“There’s more than one way to survive”.

The Princesses of Ever are beloved and they are cursed. Five sisters are cursed to be without something essential (food, sleep, love, memories, and hope) on their thirteenth birthdays. When the youngest sister finally turns thirteen, the witch who cast the curse gives the princesses an opportunity to break it. To do so, they must confront a crime they had no knowledge of and befriend the witch who made it all happen.

Let me begin this review by mentioning that if you go based on this book blurb, you will be shocked, surprised, and potentially anxious. This book begins with a trigger warning (credit to Haydu for providing it) and revolves almost exclusively around a very specific abuse of women. It is not the easiest read, but it is also not extremely graphic and skims over a vast majority of details. If you’ve read Damsel, this isn’t as bad but definitely falls under the same line of work.

I did read through this book in one sitting and have ended feeling very conflicted about this review. The book is written in two POVs, Jane and Reagan. Through this narrative, you as the reader get to see a larger view of the story. However, at the same time, you also feel like you are missing huge chunks of it as well. It’s a slow burn, with pieces of lore and history coming out piece by piece. It feels like you are holding your breath waiting to understand what is happing. From the very beginning of the book we are faced with an onslaught of conversation about the Kidnapped Princess, almost to the point where it’s trying to force you to see the importance. A brief mention would have lit a kernel of curiosity around her story but the near-constant mention of her made me think “Okay, I get it. She means something. Who cares”.

There is no quest-based, exciting push to save the sisters from their curse. Rather it feels like learning to breathe when discovering too much too quickly about the people you thought you loved and the severe abuse occurring around you.

“We all speak the same language now. It’s the language of the secrets we’ve been holding and the wrongs that have been done”.

I wanted to love the feminist base this piece had. Here are women who have struggled, who have been abused, discarded, and a story that starkly shows how women are held in society. We are to be used, viewed as things, and are construed as hysterical or crazy when we become strong or loud or confront an issue head-on. I wanted so desperately to love and feel that because I am such a strong proponent of strong, loud women and prominent feminism. Where the story failed though, was in its plot, development, and overall narrative.

It felt like Haydu wanted to fit too many things into one book. She wanted to point out diversity, she included comments on a gender spectrum, with allusions to non-binarism and transgender peoples. She wanted a strong feminist take but did so with a great many abused women (not necessarily a strong point). She tried to end with female empowerment, but instead it felt… like there was no reward. No one was truly empowered or taken care of. Instead it felt like the people of Ever had their entire lives dismantled and everyone smiled about it. She needed to pick one strong theme and push it through all the way to the end.

The development left me with the Curse of Wanting. Everything felt cloudy and vague. I was grasping for substance but only getting vapor from this story. The magic is not completely fleshed out at all. The world itself doesn’t even seem conceivable-- from the Hill Home the witches can see all of the candles of the Kingdom of Ever and the King from his balcony. All the while the King can give speeches from this balcony and everyone in the kingdom can hear. Mind you, this is a kingdom of 537 people as Jane tells us. Moving from there, the character development is just as weak. I never had a good grasp on the personalities of the characters, nor did I feel much empathy for them and their plight. Horrible things happen to multiple women in this book, but the only one who made me feel something was Reagan’s mother. Considering the subject matter of the book, I find that to be extremely problematic.

The writing style is also very choppy and simple, definitely similar to Damsel. It takes a moment to get adjusted to awkwardly capitalized words and things that are named quite… bizarrely (I.e. The War We Won).
I ended this book not hating it, but not loving it either. This is not something I would read again, and I might recommend it to others, if only for the sake of what the book is desperately trying to accomplish. As people are abused and hurt, it is important to hear and remember that there is more than one way to survive what happens to you. Everyone handles their trauma in their own way, and it is all a type of strength. That is the most important message you can pull from this book.

Fairy tale retelling are so popular lately that I feel like I've read them all. When I started Ever Cursed I was sure what I was in for, but Corey Ann Haydu's story was not what I was expecting. Instead of retelling a specific fairy tale she created her own, There were a few nods throughout to stories I've heard but ultimately it felt new and different. I especially loved the sisters relationship and following Jane, the oldest princess, and Reagan, a witch who cursed the royal princesses of Ever gave a unique perspective of the story since we learned both sides of the plot almost simultaneously.
This also didn't feel like an old or antiquated story like some retelling tend to do. I loved the moments of female empowerment and equality throughout the kingdom. Overall, what I really want after this is a book on the witches. I feel like that mythology really has a lot of room to grow. This story was captivating and intriguing and felt entirely new and yet still familiar.