Everafter is... interesting

I think I picked this up ultimately because I may or may not have seen my 14-year-old sister reading it and thought "Okay, yes, I'll give it a try and then if we agree maybe she'll come to me for more book recommendations and thus will begin a lifetime connection of literary exchanges and shared passion..."

But anyway.

It had some interesting insights when it provided possible explanations for the omnipresence of spirits, the spooky sensation of feeling watched, and a land of limbo. Pretty good job with character development for the short space, though I personally would have liked more.

The ending was a bit anticlimactic. And many of the scenes were mostly interesting to me because I kept thinking, "ooh, I hope Huntley wraps up the significance of that scene." But most of the scenes didn't have that tangible sort of "ah" moment where it all comes together.

Still, no shame in recommending for juvenile avids.

No need to read Just Ella, but choose Ella Enchanted

Don't read

 I wanted something flighty and fast and that's what this is. Plus it reminded me distantly of the Newberry Honor book by Gail Carson Levine Ella Enchanted, which was my favorite book in middle school before the movie absolutely destroyed it.

I guess that's what Haddix was counting on. Riding on the misplaced associatons with another book. But the coattails of Ella Enchanted would not be ridden.

Decent female narrator voice. But, under-developed plot, overly predictable characters, and only a cute-ish romance that tries too hard to be... real.

I'd recommend it only to 13 year old girls. Maybe. But I think even they will get a much more rewarding reading experience from Ella Enchanted. Now there's a cute, chick-flicky book with some sass and just enough depth.

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