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A review by readwkit
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
3.0
It's almost all if this book kept escaping from its impending 2-star rating right as it was about to end.
The Ballad of Never After is the second book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart Trilogy, and it follows Evangeline Fox's story as a fugitive and former princess of the Magnifient North, who is also the prophesied key to a magical archway that is shrouded in secrecy and dark fairytales. We follow her story alongside Jacks, a Fate from the Caraval books who poses as a lead character in this series. Evangeline and Jacks ended on a somewhat bitter note at the end of the first book and this book particularly showcased their rivalry and (one-sided) distaste for the other as they attempt to fulfill (or try not to, as for Eva) the prophecy.
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Now, for a spoiler-free review:
I would recommend this book to my 13 year old self. I would've eaten this up back then and would've probably created Pinterest boards dedicated to this series. The writing in this book (and in the series so far) is something a 40 year old author would think about present day teenage conversations. I have never cringed this hard as much as I have during Evangeline's and LaLa's dialogue. A scripted play would've come up with more authentic and realistic dialogue than whatever was in this book.
Moving onto Jacks and Eva. Angst was angsting. It was also getting increasingly annoying. You can't really expect me to read 300 pages of Eva just wanting Jacks but calling him a monster and a liar, not getting any answers but being induced into following along anyway. If I drank one sip of alcohol every time Jacks gives her some incomprehensible or vague answer about her extremely valid and BASIC questions, I'd be a alcoholic now. The way this man avoids her questions about EVERYTHING like a plague needs to be studied. Additionally, I can't believe Eva didn't put her foot down earlier when she wasn't given the full details about ANYTHING by ANYONE.
I hate to do this but I keep comparing Jude from The Cruel Prince with Eva, and I can't help but realize how extremely different they are. I loved Jude in TCP because she made such excellent decisions through the series that it became hard to be critical of her. Girl was going rogue and I would still be supporting her wrongs because female rage cannot ever
The Ballad of Never After is the second book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart Trilogy, and it follows Evangeline Fox's story as a fugitive and former princess of the Magnifient North, who is also the prophesied key to a magical archway that is shrouded in secrecy and dark fairytales. We follow her story alongside Jacks, a Fate from the Caraval books who poses as a lead character in this series. Evangeline and Jacks ended on a somewhat bitter note at the end of the first book and this book particularly showcased their rivalry and (one-sided) distaste for the other as they attempt to fulfill (or try not to, as for Eva) the prophecy.
___________________________________________
Now, for a spoiler-free review:
I would recommend this book to my 13 year old self. I would've eaten this up back then and would've probably created Pinterest boards dedicated to this series. The writing in this book (and in the series so far) is something a 40 year old author would think about present day teenage conversations. I have never cringed this hard as much as I have during Evangeline's and LaLa's dialogue. A scripted play would've come up with more authentic and realistic dialogue than whatever was in this book.
Moving onto Jacks and Eva. Angst was angsting. It was also getting increasingly annoying. You can't really expect me to read 300 pages of Eva just wanting Jacks but calling him a monster and a liar, not getting any answers but being induced into following along anyway. If I drank one sip of alcohol every time Jacks gives her some incomprehensible or vague answer about her extremely valid and BASIC questions, I'd be a alcoholic now. The way this man avoids her questions about EVERYTHING like a plague needs to be studied. Additionally, I can't believe Eva didn't put her foot down earlier when she wasn't given the full details about ANYTHING by ANYONE.
I hate to do this but I keep comparing Jude from The Cruel Prince with Eva, and I can't help but realize how extremely different they are. I loved Jude in TCP because she made such excellent decisions through the series that it became hard to be critical of her. Girl was going rogue and I would still be supporting her wrongs because female rage cannot ever