So, this is the first Melissa de la Cruz book that I have read, although I do know about her work in publishing the Descendants series with Disney Hyperion. Reading this book, I understand why. The author sets a breakneck pace with her books, packing it full of references that both kids and adults can enjoy. Was it my cup of tea, though? Not exactly...
I will say I loved the first half. It read like many of the middle grade adventures that I remembered from my child, and I could easily see a new generation getting caught up with Filomena Jefferson-Cho and the fantastic world of fairy tales she encounters in Never After. It is after this first half however that the book loses its magic, so focused on cramming as many tropes and clichés in its last half that it could give one whiplash.
I understand that keeping readers engaged is a challenge in middle grade fiction, and that requires keeping a fast pace. However, I did feel that de la Cruz became a little too zealous in doing this, and thus found herself fitting in months, if not years of character development and world building, in the course of a haphazardly written day. It did not leave the book unreadable, but I feel better efforts could and have been done to wrap everything nicely and better written even in this genre.
I will say I loved the first half. It read like many of the middle grade adventures that I remembered from my child, and I could easily see a new generation getting caught up with Filomena Jefferson-Cho and the fantastic world of fairy tales she encounters in Never After. It is after this first half however that the book loses its magic, so focused on cramming as many tropes and clichés in its last half that it could give one whiplash.
I understand that keeping readers engaged is a challenge in middle grade fiction, and that requires keeping a fast pace. However, I did feel that de la Cruz became a little too zealous in doing this, and thus found herself fitting in months, if not years of character development and world building, in the course of a haphazardly written day. It did not leave the book unreadable, but I feel better efforts could and have been done to wrap everything nicely and better written even in this genre.