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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book.
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Sometimes you just need a fun YA fantasy novel to escape into and this book was just that. For a YA fantasy, this book was surprisingly dark. Jane is one of five princesses who have been cursed on their thirteenth birthday. She is hoping now that her youngest sister is thirteen, the witch that cursed them will come back and they can learn how to break the curse. Reagan is the witch who cursed the princesses, but she is not the evil witch that you expect from the beginning of the book.
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Throughout the book we learn more about the motivations of Reagan and what is actually happening in the kingdom of Ever. I really liked Jane and Reagan because we learn more and more about them as the book goes on, and they are not at all what I was expecting. The world building was superb and for such a short book, I thought the author did a good job of showing the world without too much explaining. I also appreciated the fact that the author had content warnings at the beginning of the novel. I have not seen this at the beginning of many novels, so I thought that this was a great detail added!
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Overall, if you want a fun and magical story, then definitely check this out!
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CW: sexual assault and eating disorder.
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Sometimes you just need a fun YA fantasy novel to escape into and this book was just that. For a YA fantasy, this book was surprisingly dark. Jane is one of five princesses who have been cursed on their thirteenth birthday. She is hoping now that her youngest sister is thirteen, the witch that cursed them will come back and they can learn how to break the curse. Reagan is the witch who cursed the princesses, but she is not the evil witch that you expect from the beginning of the book.
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Throughout the book we learn more about the motivations of Reagan and what is actually happening in the kingdom of Ever. I really liked Jane and Reagan because we learn more and more about them as the book goes on, and they are not at all what I was expecting. The world building was superb and for such a short book, I thought the author did a good job of showing the world without too much explaining. I also appreciated the fact that the author had content warnings at the beginning of the novel. I have not seen this at the beginning of many novels, so I thought that this was a great detail added!
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Overall, if you want a fun and magical story, then definitely check this out!
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CW: sexual assault and eating disorder.
4.5 stars. I basically read the entirety of this novel in one sitting because I simply could not put it down. It’s really an incredible feat to tell a story that perfectly balances a compelling plot, honestly portrayed characters and rich themes with a fairytale vibe woven all throughout, and I’m really in awe of what Corey Ann Haydu accomplished here.
content warnings (which were included at the start of my review copy): sexual assault, may be sensitive for readers who are struggling with, seeking treatment for or recovering from eating disorders
content warnings (which were included at the start of my review copy): sexual assault, may be sensitive for readers who are struggling with, seeking treatment for or recovering from eating disorders
I wanted to love this book so much but I simply couldn't.
While I understand and admire what Corey Ann Haydu was trying to achieve in Ever Cursed, the book itself simply didn't deliver. At the heart of the story, there is a condemnation of the patriarchy and a message about the power women hold, together and apart, but the way the message is written was, to put it bluntly, not great. The pacing never felt right, some characters simply seemed unnecessary, and the compelling side characters weren't given enough screen time. More than anything, though, I think this book is marketed incorrectly - while the world building takes inspiration from fairy tales and tries to subvert them, this is a story about abuse and healing, which creates different expectations going in.
cw: sexual assault, eating disorder
While I understand and admire what Corey Ann Haydu was trying to achieve in Ever Cursed, the book itself simply didn't deliver. At the heart of the story, there is a condemnation of the patriarchy and a message about the power women hold, together and apart, but the way the message is written was, to put it bluntly, not great. The pacing never felt right, some characters simply seemed unnecessary, and the compelling side characters weren't given enough screen time. More than anything, though, I think this book is marketed incorrectly - while the world building takes inspiration from fairy tales and tries to subvert them, this is a story about abuse and healing, which creates different expectations going in.
cw: sexual assault, eating disorder
medium-paced
What a beautiful cover! The story inside matches! I loved it so much! Is it too soon to have already read one of my favorite books of the year? I highly recommend this one!
DNF at 10%
TW's for sexual assault and eating disorders
I'm just going to call it quits with this one.
I just can't wrap my mind around a supposed feminist story in which the main character, a girl, decides to punish other women for the crimes of a guy. The "logic" of it is completely lost on me.
Also the writing style was headache inducing.
TW's for sexual assault and eating disorders
I'm just going to call it quits with this one.
I just can't wrap my mind around a supposed feminist story in which the main character, a girl, decides to punish other women for the crimes of a guy. The "logic" of it is completely lost on me.
Also the writing style was headache inducing.
I really wanted to like Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu. The trigger warnings intrigued me, plus I love a good story about magic and princesses. Unfortunately, it is nothing but a rehash of an oft-told story.
Men control women. Women silently suffer in an attempt to keep the peace. Something changes to make women aware of the control and lack of power. Women fight to protect their rights and wrest control from the men. The end. Throw in some magic, long-held family secrets, and misguided attempts at doing the right thing and you essentially have the plot to Ever Cursed.
As for the trigger warnings, I understand why the author includes them. That being said, the reasons for the warnings are not nearly as explicit as I expected. Because there are such warnings, I expected the danger scenes to involve details that would be difficult to read. They are not. In fact, they are very tame, in my opinion. They are in no way graphic. Personally, I think the warning about eating disorders is more appropriate because Ms. Haydu spent more time talking about Jane’s hunger and mealtimes than she does going into specifics about any violence.
Ms. Haydu does one thing right, however. She does a decent job of portraying the sense of betrayal the girls feel towards their father once his actions come to light. After all, the only father they know is a loving, attentive father who not only played with them but was also progressive about their upbringing. So, their disbelief at the information they learn about him feels authentic and is one of the highlights of the story.
Overall, there is nothing new about Ever Cursed. There are many novels about the power struggles between men and women across all genres and age levels. The addition of cursed princesses adds a little something extra to the story even as it does not change anything at its most basic level. It is the same with forcing the cursed to work with the cursing – a fun addition but it adds nothing. So, Ever Cursed is just another disappointment in a string of them.
Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me the gifted copy.
My first-ever fantasy book and what an experience it was! I am so glad that I read this fairy-tale book which offers a powerful punch in the gut with its female characters.
The saying - Don't judge a book by its cover is proven wrong by 'Ever Cursed'. The cover is beautiful, and so is the book. The excellence of the book lies in the rich story crafted with some significant and grave issues of our current society.
I loved the strong female cast of this book. The witch and the bewitched - both are likeable. I kept rooting for both of them. They both have their reasons for what they are. They are strong female characters and inspirational.
Corey's writing is impeccable. The dual narrative of the book offers depth and clarifies the plot from both the witch's and the princess's perspective. The narration is lyrical, and it flows effortlessly. Corey's choice of words is simple yet powerful. I found the narrative repetitive a bit at certain times, but overall the book is captivating and fast-paced.
If you like reading YA fantasy with some pressing issues intertwined with fairy-tale, go for this book.
My first-ever fantasy book and what an experience it was! I am so glad that I read this fairy-tale book which offers a powerful punch in the gut with its female characters.
The saying - Don't judge a book by its cover is proven wrong by 'Ever Cursed'. The cover is beautiful, and so is the book. The excellence of the book lies in the rich story crafted with some significant and grave issues of our current society.
I loved the strong female cast of this book. The witch and the bewitched - both are likeable. I kept rooting for both of them. They both have their reasons for what they are. They are strong female characters and inspirational.
Corey's writing is impeccable. The dual narrative of the book offers depth and clarifies the plot from both the witch's and the princess's perspective. The narration is lyrical, and it flows effortlessly. Corey's choice of words is simple yet powerful. I found the narrative repetitive a bit at certain times, but overall the book is captivating and fast-paced.
If you like reading YA fantasy with some pressing issues intertwined with fairy-tale, go for this book.
Well, that wasn't what I was expecting. Full review to come.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When I first heard about this book, I wasn't sure what it would be like. But, I really enjoyed it! It's a deeply woven world with a lot going on in it. There are five princesses, all cursed with a Without spell that takes something away from them starting on their thirteenth birthday. For one, it's her ability to eat, another her memory, etc. And then there's the witch who cast the spell over them, one who has secrets and methods of her own. However, now it's time to break the spell. And, with that, secrets come out and truths are learned.
I felt that the ending was a bit heavy-handed, tbh. I liked the empowerment vibe that it had, but it was still very heavy-handed. Still, it was good. I did also enjoy the queer content included -- such as that Grace is into women and Alice is trans. I wish that there was more depth to it and we knew more because both were off-hand comments about their identity, like Grace falling for a woman and Alice not being forced to be a prince. The plot also moved at a quick clip, but it never felt rushed for me. Just that it was a quick story.
I felt that the ending was a bit heavy-handed, tbh. I liked the empowerment vibe that it had, but it was still very heavy-handed. Still, it was good. I did also enjoy the queer content included -- such as that Grace is into women and Alice is trans. I wish that there was more depth to it and we knew more because both were off-hand comments about their identity, like Grace falling for a woman and Alice not being forced to be a prince. The plot also moved at a quick clip, but it never felt rushed for me. Just that it was a quick story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
