LitPick Review
Albany always loved fairy tales. Pretty much from the day she was born. She’s always wanted to believe in them, and in living a fairy tale. Not once did she think, though, that a place would exist where almost all aspects of her beloved fairy tales would be alive. Jesters and witches. Princesses and knights. Magic and mystery. The day Albany finds herself attending Happily Ever After High School is singularly the best day of her life, but it is also a constant reminder of her father's death. It's easy, though, to lose herself in the huge, castle-like school, and in the classes that surprisingly interest her. Classes like the History of Fairytales, and The Art of Fairies (which takes place in an indoor forest). Everything seems great, except for the fact that she doesn’t know what secrets the school hides. And she doesn’t know the destiny that she is meant to fulfill.
Opinion:
I liked the concept behind Happily Ever After High School, however, I did not like the way the characters were developed and acted. I found it hard remembering that they were seniors in high school instead of middle schoolers. A lot of the reactions to simple things did not seem to fit the older age group. Also, a lot of the events in the book seemed cliché to me, such as how Albany became friends with the popular group of girls, only to be stabbed in the back by them later. Or how the day she needed her knight in shining armor, he was suddenly missing. And I could often predict what would happen before I read it. Still, I think the ideas behind Happily Ever After High School are good, but it would probably appeal more to younger MS readers than to true HS students.
