Filomena is a huge Never After book series fan so it is no surprise when one of the characters seeks her out for help. Based off of the story of Sleeping Beauty, there is action and adventure, danger and bravery, and of course a lot of fun. Don't miss this one!

This book started out really well with an interesting premise and a plucky heroine. The idea of the fairy tales of old being rewritten to their truth and a journey into the other world seemed thrilling.

But it quickly devolved into frayed edges and disparate narratives. Allusions to the tales were haphazard and mostly stuck in as back tracking connectors.

The style of the writing was all over the place and very inconsistent. The interludes were the most well-written, but still lacked a lot of substance. The chapters were highly episodic and took away from the overall arc of the story.

I know DeLa Cruz writes all of these books about the fairy tale world and has had great success. But this one felt like a hastily finished side project.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am going to start off by saying how much I related to Filomena and her Never After fandom! It was totally me with Harry Potter as the books came out! I also adore a fairy tale retelling, and this did not disappoint in that department. It was actually interesting because it paid more homage to the O.G. fairytales and not so much of the Disney ones (although they were there). It is a cute middle grade novel that kept my attention, and I foresee this being a popular book in my library! I look forward to seeing where else this story goes and what other characters we will encounter!

Never After is the magical world where Filomena spends some of her happiest times. It is a fictional world of fairies and other fairy tale creatures. It also happens to be real. Filomena is just going about her life, waiting for the 13th book of her favorite series to be released, when she is drawn into that world. This is one that I think my students would enjoy. It has the magical creatures they love with the updated new twist that will keep them interested. As an adult, it was a little predictable and repetitive. The adventures, I'm sure, will appeal to the young readers. It was a little been there, done that for me. I appreciate the advanced copy and plan to add it to my classroom library if I ever get to return to it.

Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars

TW: Bullying, micro-aggressions, death (mentioned), fantasy violence
Rep: Non-white MC, Non-white side characters

I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion. 

I really missed writing reviews that are under three stars and this book was probably perfect for that because, it's fun to write a review under 3 stars. Mainly, cause there is a reason for my madness. But also, I did not like this book really. 

This book would probably be something I would have loved say when I was in fourth or third grade when I was already reading middle grade novels. It deals with fairytales, books, interesting characters and the very awkward years of Middle School. Fun times, not really because I was an awkward, trauma filled preteen who was kinda a know it all. 

This book deals with a girl named Filomena, who gets bullied constantly and is a huge fan of the Never After series. So one day, she goes to the bookstore to get the last novel of the series-only to find out that the author has been dead for several years and the last book wasn't even published as the last book was never written.

Crushed, Filomena walks home only to meet a character look-alike who looks like Jack from the Never After series. And y'all-the execution was decent. It wasn't exactly much high-stakes as I am used too, but it was decent. But the book was really messy. I don't really understand the world too much, and a lot of things happened too quickly for my tastes. 

There are still several things I do not get at all, but hopefully-things will be better in the next book. 

We all know that teens and preteens can be on the dramatic side. I'm talking about generally because it's true. I was dramatic at fourteen and at even twelve, so this book was filled with a lot of melodramatic scenes. Like I said, this book would have been really loved by me when I had it when I was younger. 

I kinda wish I knew more about the characters. They were on the decent side, but I d'm not sure whether to hate them or like them. They kinda fell on the flat side, and I hope they get developed more in the next book.

Filomena cannot wait for the 13th installment of her favorite book series to come out. She goes to buy the book that she has been waiting for and is heartbroken when there is no book for sale. Worse she is told that the book was never written and that the author is gone. Filomena takes this all in stride until she meets Jack Stalker who is not from her world. Is she dreaming? She certainly believes this until she is once again cast into another world where our favorite fairy tale characters live. This book mixes a fairy tale beginning into the life of an adopted girl, Filomena who just wants to read the ending to her favorite book series but is thrown into a story in which she just may be the missing link to all that she believed was just make believe. I really liked this book and am thankful that I was able to read it as an ARC. Book is due out Nov. 30th and is written by the author of The Descendants series.

For those who love fairy tales, but think it could have had a better retelling that's more positive, this is the book for you.

In this book, we have some of the most notable literary characters coming to life in Never After. From Scheherazade to Ali Baba, Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), Little Red Riding Hood, Jack Be Nimble, Aladdin's Lamp, this story retells their adventures in a new light. Maybe the bad guys in those stories aren't really the bad guys. Their stories are just twisted for the mortal world.

Sprinkle some ogres and trolls on top of this book, along with a princess with a curse from the 13th fairy, and we have this new series from Melissa de la Cruz.

Now, I've seen The Descendants on Disney. I've seen all of the movies, actually. This book is very much like The Descendants, including the ending. What I mean by the latter is that we go through this whole adventure and we get to the ending and there's supposed to be some epic ending and then it's just Disneyfied so the villain gets one last word in before giving up and retreating.

In this one, it's like the villain broke her nail and called the battle off. I literally thought, "That's it?" This epic battle turned into this? In other words, the epic battle was not epic. It was a little hissy fight and nothing more.

I've read a lot of Middle Grade books and I've read far better fight scenes in the formulaic YA/middle grade stories. You won't see Rick Riordan or Rick Riordan Presents having such a boring epic battle conclusion. Once again, it was just too Disney, too Descendants. It's formula writing and frankly, it's stuff like this that explains why they say YA is dying. This ending could have been written better. It's like she was rushed and tried to tie it all up at the end.

Besides that battle conclusion getting a thumbs down from me, the rest of the story was great. I loved what Melissa was doing all throughout this book. She was redefining these fairy tales in a wonderful way. I think she could expand more on this in future books (which I'm looking forward to reading), just so long as she creates better epic battle conclusions at the end of her book.

OR maybe just throw the whole YA/middle grade formula out and really throw the A-game into this series. Create a new formula that's not so predictable or Disneyfied.

Filomena loves to read and is obsessed with one series in particular, Never After. She soon discovers that her favorite series is actually real and becomes entwined in it’s still unfolding tale.

This book is like a love letter to fairy tales. Filomena meets many characters from fairy tales but never quite as she remembers them. I enjoyed the little twists on the classic tales. This book itself really has a fairy tale feel to it and feels like it’s own story . The characters were great together and each have a great uniqueness.

Overall, the story was fun and interesting and a quick read. I am looking forward to more stories from this author and this universe.

Melissa de la Cruz known for her middle grade fantasy series, such as the Descendants, has done it again with The Thirteenth Fairy. This is a perfect read for young adults who enjoy classic fairy tales with a modern day middle school/high school spin. In the vein of Sleeping Beauty, the main character of The Thirteenth Fairy, Filomena, is thrown into a storybook life where she must save the world from an evil magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for my advanced copy of this book.

Obsessed with a set of fairy tale books, Filomena is disappointed when the last book fails to publish. When she encounters two strangers, she tries to evade them. These two strangers turn out to be two characters from Filomena’s favorite book series and they need her help. Together, they embark on a journey to find the lamp before the evil queen does.
Opinion
Seeing that Melissa de la Cruz wrote this book, I immediately jumped at the chance to read it. I’m a big fan of hers and this book did not disappoint.
This story takes the typical fairy tales and twists them so that while you still recognize them, they are quite different. They lyrical way that this story is written is mesmerizing. I especially enjoyed the fact that the prologue was stretched out so that you got bits and pieces throughout the whole book.
The characters are quite charming and I anticipate a second story. The ending hints at a possible romance (or perhaps I am reading into it too much.). Overall, I loved it and can’t wait to share it with others.

Thank you to #NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for the digital ARC of Never After: I enjoyed the story but it didn't feel completely fresh to me. It seems like a format that has been done several times over. I did like the characters. Filomena and her obsession with the book series Never After will resonate with young readers who anticipate the release of the latest book in their own beloved series.
When Filomena travels into Westphalia she finds that many of the stories she had heard over and over were not as she had remembered. I did enjoy the story of the thirteenth fairy and the retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty but the insertion of random fairytale characters seemed odd. I do think that young readers will love all of the action and the fun relationship of Jack and Filomena. It definitely leaves the reader yearning for what will happen next ...... book 2!

Fun romp into a mix of fairy tale world with mortal world. A few twists and turns and lots of ogres and trolls, populate this delightful read. First in The Chronicles of Never After series.

First I'd like to thank NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Our young friend finds herself alone and overprotected by her parents. But, because her favorite series is releasing it's last book, they've given her permission to go to the bookstore alone. Sadly, the book has not been published and no one knows why. As she leaves, she meets a young man named Jack Stalker and his sidekick. Together they tell her that things are not going well in NeverAfter, which just happens to be a real place. And from there, the adventure begins.
I wanted to like this novel I really did! It sounded like so much fun and I could just see my school age kids at the library enjoying it, boys and girls alike! But then I got a few chapters in and I felt like I was in an advertisement. And the more I read, the more irritated I became. It was all about advertising and marketing and all of the things that young little fan boys and girls want. And it was constant!
Then came the hints and bits from the other novels in the series. But this is book 1!! I get that to the young girl in the story that she is living the last novel, and has read all of the others. But it's just weird. By the time I was halfway through I just felt that the book would end, and that the rest in the series would just be a deeper retelling of what she told us about in this book.

I don't know. I really enjoy this author. Maybe I didn't get her point. Maybe she is tryng out something new with this series. Maybe the kids will really love it. But, sadly I couldn't finish it. I do hope that the kids do get it and that they love it. We need some magic in our world and we need to have good win over evil.

Regardless, I will be looking forward to the next thing Melissa put out, other than this series.

A delightful zig zag romp through familiar fairytales centering on Sleeping Beauty. We all know that the evil fairy cursed the castle and baby beauty because she was left off the party guest list. What if she didn't curse the baby but instead saved her by taking her to a safe location far away? Filomena is the Never After book series biggest fan so it shouldn't come as a surprise when one of the characters finds her in the real world begging her for help. Her almost perfect recall of the books will come in handy as they navigate the very real problems in Never After. One thing is certain - like any great fairy tale there is danger, adventure, bravery and a fun time. This is the first of a new series from an author who never disappoints. Middle schoolers and their parents will enjoy reading this together and will be next to me eagerly waiting for the next installment. Fans of LAND OF STORIES, Rick Riordan Presents mythological adventures and De La Cruz's other fairytale redos will devour this. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I am a HUGE fan of fairytales and retellings, so perhaps my expectations are running a tad high, but this book let me down. I love the attempts at modernizing and giving fresh takes on classic tales-seeing familiar faces like "Jack the Giant Stalker" in a new light is actually fun. But seeing other characters mentioned in passing for no real purpose other than name-dropping was a bit exhausting.

The other big downside to this was the abrupt ending. Just action-action-action, done.

Alright, moving to the positive. I enjoy the characters. I love the bits of humor. I think kids are going to love learning the "truth" behind classic stories. The pacing lends itself to a nice easy read and the cover art is fantastic! While this was not my favorite, kids are going to love it.

I'm also dinging this book for throwing the word "bad***" out at about the 60% mark. It kind of came out of nowhere and was completely out of place. I can only hope that was edited out of the final printing-not to sound prudish, but I like my kids books to be light on the swearing.

For Libraries: This is by the same author who penned the Descendants (yes of Disney musical fame), so it will undoubtedly be popular. I know my copy is already on order.

I would give the book 3.5 stars. I liked the reimagined fairy tales in the book and it was fun to consider Cinderella's story may be quite different than I have traditionally heard. It was interesting to hear different perspectives on some of the classic stories which I think make the story more interesting. There were a few elements in the plot that didn't quite add up for me, so there were a few storylines that just seemed impossible, even for a fairy tale. However, overall it was a charming adventure and fairy tale mashup. I can see middle grade readers who are fans of the fairy tale genre enjoying the story.

With thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an early copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to #NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy by Melissa de la Cruz. This middle grades fantasy novel will be published December 1, 2020. All opinions are my own.

Filomena Jefferson-Cho is used to her safe and boring life in North Pasadena. Both her parents are writers and just a little bit over protective. Filomena, like her parents, loves to read. Her favorite series is Never After and she's looking forward to the 13th and final book coming out...only it doesn't. There is no 13th book and now she'll never know what happens to the land of Never After and its inhabitants like Jack Stalker...or will she? Fantasy and the real-world collide when Jack Stalker and his friend Alistair appear in North Pasadena. At first Filomena thinks it's just a cosplay, but Jack is insistent that the stories are real. Soon, Filomena is thrust into the world of Never After and must help Jack and Alistair save the kingdom of Westphalia. To save the kingdom, Filomena will have to discover the truth behind the fairytales.

Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy is a super fun twist on classic fairytales. The narrative voice is fun and light and the reader becomes immediately immersed in the world of Never After. I loved the unique interpretation of the various stories. Like that Jack the Giant Stalker is also Jack be Nimble and the Jack of Jack and Jill. The way the stories intertwine is interesting and elaborate and creates a fun and complex storyline. Filomena is a strong protagonist and she deals with the same doubts and social struggles that many middle grade readers struggle with. I really enjoyed the use of prologue in the novel and how it provided a narrative backbone (or back plot) for the story. I also liked the use of rhyming throughout various parts of the story as it was reminiscent of the original fairytales. This is a fun, interesting, and adventurous book that I think middle grade readers will really enjoy.

Filomena Jefferson-Cho of North Pasadena loves and collects the Never After book series. The 13th and final book is being released today after school and she is eager to go buy it. However, inexplicably, the book hasn't been published. On the way home, a character seemingly from the book, Jack the Giant Killer, begins to follow her and they are attacked by an Ogre's Wrath lightning bolt . Thus starts the collision of reality and fairy tale worlds in Melissa de la Cruz's enchanting novel, Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy. If you like reimagined fairy tales, this book does not disappoint!

Filo has some bullies at school but she can't turn them in or the hazing will get worse. So she suffers through it. Her parents are very protective so she's surprised when they let her go to the bookstore by herself. The worst part is that the last book in the series isn't there. It turns out it never got written because the author died.

Roaring Book Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on December 1st.

On the way home she is being followed by someone. When she decides to confront him, she's amazed to see he's Jack, a character in the book series. He says he's real and she needs to go with him to his world to help them get rid of a queen who is wicked.

She goes with him and they use a portal to go to the world the book talks about. It's a land of ogres and trolls. The queen keeps attacking other kingdoms and taking them over. And Filo and her new friends must stop them.

This is a fun fantasy read with a few surprises added in. You aren't sure if the good or the bad guys are going to win. And Filo, who was adopted, finally learns who her mother was.

It was a good read.

Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy was a really cute story about a girl named Filomena who discovers her place as a character in one of her favorite series. There is a fun, fractured fairy tale theme, along with real world examples of how it feels to not have friends and to be constantly bullied.

After feeling so lonely and out of place in the mortal world, Filomena Jefferson-Cho realizes that everything she's been missing in her life can be found in Never After, the world of fairy tales. Chaos and hilarity ensue as she and her fairy tale friends: Jack, Alistair, Gretel, and the wolves go after the ogre queen and find out Filomena's true identity.