Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy gave me serious Ella Enchanted vibes! It’s a charming middle grade about fairies, fairy tales, and the importance of stories. For anyone who has been looking for more books that would fit into the Rick Riordan family, this is the perfect addition to your library. Not only is Filomena adopted, but I enjoyed the representation so much. Her parents are honest with her, loving, and the resolution of this story line made me tear up. Filomena was a precious and quirky character.
It’s hard not to love her enthusiasm and vulnerability. How we can empathize with her feelings of sadness and frustration when her favorite series isn’t finished. Or the vulnerability she feels with the bullying at school (which broke my heart). And then, in a magical turn of events, Filomena is submerged into her favorite fantasy world of ogres and fairies. Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy is very much one of those “everything we know about the fairy tales are wrong” and I am here for it!
It’s hard not to love her enthusiasm and vulnerability. How we can empathize with her feelings of sadness and frustration when her favorite series isn’t finished. Or the vulnerability she feels with the bullying at school (which broke my heart). And then, in a magical turn of events, Filomena is submerged into her favorite fantasy world of ogres and fairies. Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy is very much one of those “everything we know about the fairy tales are wrong” and I am here for it!