Publishers Weekly
10/26/2020
Filomena Jefferson-Cho, 12, is a huge fan of epic fairy tale mash-up series Never After, and she’s anticipating the release of the 13th and final volume—until she learns that the long-deceased author apparently never wrote it. When the saga’s hero, Jack the Giant Stalker, appears in her quiet hometown of North Pasadena, pursued by an ogre, she discovers that everything described in the books is true. Inadvertently accompanying Jack back to the lands of Never After, Filomena is swept up in a struggle between good and evil occurring in both worlds. The adopted daughter of interracial parents who has “curly dark hair, dark almond-shaped eyes, and skin the color of maple syrup,” Filomena suffers bullying at school, making “escaping her world... one of her favorite pastimes.” In this fantasy series opener, de la Cruz (Gotham High) plays with familiar fairy tale elements—riddles, quests, fantastical characters—while throwing in a heavy dose of wish fulfillment. The story stumbles somewhat where the two worlds overlap, and though late developments truncate their own emotional heft, it’s a fast-paced fantasy that Land of Stories fans will enjoy. Ages 10–14. Agent: Richard Abate, 3Arts Entertainment. (Dec.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy:
A New York Times Bestseller
A Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist
★ "This series debut has something for most readers—a complex female heroine, middle school angst, plenty of action, and magic—which will leave them eagerly turning the pages." - School Library Journal, starred review
"Equal parts whimsical and adventure-packed, Filomena’s journey will entrance readers and have them rooting for the young, witty heroine... A refreshing twist on well-known fairy tales." - Kirkus Reviews
"A fast-paced fantasy that Land of Stories fans will enjoy." - Publishers Weekly
"Fans of fantasy and fairy tales of all kinds will delight in catching all the references to classics from "Little Miss Muffet" to Lord of the Rings, and the twist-filled plot moves along quickly with plenty of action and snappy banter." - Booklist
School Library Journal
★ 12/01/2020
Gr 4–7—"Once upon a time in the days of old, eleven fairies gathered at court before a child to hold. Only eleven, for the twelfth was dead and the thirteenth was missing." At the christening of Princess Eliana, members of the court speculate why the 13th fairy, Princess Carabosse, is missing. While the Kingdom assumes the baby has been born to King Vladimir and evil Queen Olga, the baby's actual mother is the newly dead Queen Rosanna. This series opener is broken into parts that tie the fairy tale to modern times. Part One begins with Filomena Jefferson-Cho embarking on an unexpected adventure. Filomena is a sixth grader in North Pasadena, CA, with overprotective adoptive author parents who are always telling her stories of fairies that steal kids. At school, Filomena is bullied and teased for being smart, adopted, and of mixed heritage (she is Black, Asian, and white), which propels her towards her love of reading and the "Never After" series. She, like many other die-hard fans, has eagerly awaited the 13th and final installment, only to be crushed to find out that the author mysteriously disappeared without completing the series. On her way home from the bookstore, she is followed by a boy who turns out to be the books' dashing hero, Jack the Giant Stalker. He claims the books are an actual history of the fairy tribes. Author de la Cruz injects humor into the fantastical adventure among the heavier topics, such as bullying. Jack and Alistair come to Filomena's aid, and the trio go through a portal into the real Never After. Filomena learns she may be the key to the missing Princess, and she and her new friends embark on a treacherous journey rife with dragons, ogres, and evil Queens. VERDICT This series debut has something for most readers—a complex female heroine, middle school angst, plenty of action, and magic—which will leave them eagerly turning the pages—Michele Shaw, formerly at Quail Run Elem. Sch., San Ramon, CA
DECEMBER 2020 - AudioFile
Narrator Imani Jade Powers sets a vibrant tone for this first audiobook in the middle-grade adventure series Chronicles of Never After. It’s a fun twist on classic fairy tales with story-within-a-story plots. Filomena Jefferson-Cho is a smart 12-year-old who is overprotected by her parents, bullied at school, and obsessed with the Never After books. Her adventure starts with the cancellation of the final volume’s publication and her realization that the fairy-tale world she escapes to in fiction may actually be real. Powers employs subtle accents and intonations to differentiate characters. Her clear delivery emphasizes the storytelling, which skillfully takes listeners from one suspenseful chapter to the next. S.A.A. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2020-09-29
Twelve-year-old Filomena Jefferson-Cho finds herself inside the magical world of her favorite fantasy series.
Filomena lives in North Pasadena, California, with her mother, father, and their family pets. She is the beloved daughter of two neurotic writers who take overprotectiveness to a new level. While Filomena is just your average sixth grader who loves fairy tales—albeit one taking eighth grade algebra—unfortunately, she is also the victim of school bullying. Her life takes a turn for the fantastical when she meets Jack the Giant Stalker from her beloved Never After series; what Filomena thought were just stories turn out to be real. With her intimate knowledge of the books, Filomena travels to Never After in hopes of helping to defeat an evil queen. Equal parts whimsical and adventure-packed, Filomena’s journey will entrance readers and have them rooting for the young, witty heroine. Filomena forges new friendships, confronts her bullies, and learns the truth about where she came from and who she really is. Though the villains are a bit one-dimensional, Filomena’s character growth in combination with the highly entertaining delivery of her story will have readers eagerly awaiting the sequel. Filomena is described as ethnically ambiguous with curly dark hair, brown eyes, and brown skin; she was adopted by a Korean/Filipino father and British mother.
A refreshing twist on well-known fairy tales. (Fantasy. 10-14)
