Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

What would you do if you were forced to live a specific destiny? Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen in the fairy tale Snow White, doesn't want to be the villian of a fairy tale. Unlike her mother, Raven has more good character traits, which may have come from her father, the Good King. 

Raven's tale begins at Ever After High, a highschool for the sons and daughters of the original fairytales. This year, Raven's task is to attend the ceremony of Legacy Day, where her story will be presented to her, and she will vow to follow this story to retell the original. But Raven wants to write her own story and choose her destiny for herself. 

On the other hand Apple White, daughter of Snow White is perfectly happy reliving her mother's tale, and she believes that she rightly deserves her happily ever after. 

Milton Grimm, the head master of the school keeps a close eye on both Apple White and Raven Queen to make sure they don't wander off the path of their story. 

With everyone expecting Raven to be evil and cruel, Raven has a lot of choices to make when it comes to her role in the fairy tale world. Will she find a better destiny? Or will she cease to exist, as Master Grimm warned, if she doesn't vow to continue her mother's evil plans? 

This book was a very fun read. I love all the modern day refrences disguised in fairytale jargon. The characters are interesting, and while some relate to their parents, others seem very different. The idea of freedom and choice is a constant theme in this book, which makes the story and characters relatable to anyone. 

In some cases we want to belive in fate and destiny, but in others we want the freedom to choose what to do and who to be. Raven Queen and Apple White are two different characters that make very big decisions. While Apple wants to be the perfect princess and one day queen, Raven wants to be a good person and not a villian. Their choices define their future and reveal imporatnt aspects of their characters. 

Another fun element in this book was how it played with the idea of the narrator and their communication to both the reader and the characters. The story plays with the fourth wall without breaking it, and one character can even hear the narrator, which influences their actions. 

I recommend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales, and who loves to play with the sterotypes and the elements of stories.