I did like the prologue. I thought it was a nice spin on the traditional Sleeping Beauty. The mention of Jack the Giant Stalker made me understand why the cover had vines rather than the described Never After symbol. Filomena Jefferson-Cho does feel like a modern character, and she felt real to me when she was describing how she felt about her origins.
However, there were multiple instances where I struggled to connect with Filomena. As an adult, I analyze problems differently than Filomena. On the other hand, other middle schoolers would likely connect with Filomena, as she is their age, and I believe she portrays the thoughts of a middle schooler accurately.
I do like the inclusion of multiple fairy tales and would like to see how they are all woven together. The cover hints at the identity of Jack the Giant Stalker with the vines, so I expect something like Aladdin to turn up as well.
However, there were multiple instances where I struggled to connect with Filomena. As an adult, I analyze problems differently than Filomena. On the other hand, other middle schoolers would likely connect with Filomena, as she is their age, and I believe she portrays the thoughts of a middle schooler accurately.
I do like the inclusion of multiple fairy tales and would like to see how they are all woven together. The cover hints at the identity of Jack the Giant Stalker with the vines, so I expect something like Aladdin to turn up as well.