Day: July 13, 2020

Ever Cursed

by Corey Ann Haydu
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: July 28th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

The Princesses of Ever are beloved by the kingdom and their father, the King. They are cherished, admired.

Cursed.

Jane, Alice, Nora, Grace, and Eden carry the burden of being punished for a crime they did not commit, or even know about. They are each cursed to be Without one essential thing—the ability to eat, sleep, love, remember, or hope. And their mother, the Queen, is imprisoned, frozen in time in an unbreakable glass box.

But when Eden’s curse sets in on her thirteenth birthday, the princesses are given the opportunity to break the curse, preventing it from becoming a True Spell and dooming the princesses for life. To do this, they must confront the one who cast the spell—Reagan, a young witch who might not be the villain they thought—as well as the wickedness plaguing their own kingdom…and family.

Told through the eyes of Reagan and Jane—the witch and the bewitched—this insightful twist of a fairy tale explores power in a patriarchal kingdom not unlike our own.

Trigger Warnings 

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

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”. 

A spellbinding, unusual fairy tale that explores some tough dark social issues.

A twisted fairytale of witches, and feminism

Five years ago, the five princesses of Ever were cursed For Somebody’s Else’s Folly

-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 was completely immersed within the storyline and it was a fast paced read. A suttle diverse read adds some incredible depth into this spellbinding ya fantasy.

Packed with delightful lyrical prose and lush atmospheric imagery that is blended with important issues that makes for an enjoyable ya fantasy experience.

A great read for feminist fantasy readers that tackles one or more issue that many of us can relate too, eating disorders, sexual harassment, and mental health.

This is one of the books that comes across as a very simple fantasy, but don’t let that mislead you. Once you have read it you will understand that it’s the powerhouse social issues that are the driving force in this Ya novel.

#MeToo

Corey is the author of YA novels, OCD LOVE STORY, LIFE BY COMMITTEE, MAKING PRETTY, and THE CAREFUL UNDRESSING OF LOVE, as well as the middle-grade novels RULES FOR STEALING STARS and THE SOMEDAY SUITCASE. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and The New School’s Writing for Children MFA program, Corey has been working in children’s publishing since 2009

In 2013, Corey was chosen as one of Publisher Weekly’s Flying Starts. Her books have been Amazon Book of the Month Selections, Junior Library Guild Selections, Indie Next Selections, and BCCB Blue Ribbon Selections.

Corey is also on the faculty of Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program.

The first two books in Corey’s new chapter book series HAND ME DOWN MAGIC, hit shelves June 16, 2020. Shortly thereafter, her next YA, a feminist fairytale, EVER CURSED, comes ou July 14th, 2020!

Corey lives in Brooklyn with her husband, her daughter, her dog, Oscar, and a wide variety of cheese.