I need to start by saying that Ever Cursed isn't the easiest book to read. Please pay attention to the author's note about sexual assault and eating disorders.

I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting with Ever Cursed. While it was a fantasy with witches and magic, it ended up being a pretty intense book with social issues. I personally like those, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much was covered.

Ever has a king, queen, and princesses. The princesses never leave their homes. They've never seen Ever and they don't really know what happens there. They are brought up privileged and they're taught that princesses are quiet. Well, queens are quiet, but Jane knows she'll be the next queen. If she lives. 5 years earlier, a young witch, Reagan, put a spell on the princesses and queen. She said she'd be back in five years to break it. The queen is in a box. Jane can't eat. Nora can't love. Alice can't sleep. Grace can't remember. Eden can't hope. The spell needs to be broken before Reagan turns eighteen. If it's not, the spell is permanent. Jane and Alice will die from it. Jane has already lost so much weight and barely has any strength left. She is already dying.

Reagan is impulsive and her spell wasn't thought out. When the witches cast spells, they get a new layer to their dress. They don't come off. The stronger the spell, the heavier the layer is. Reagan left and went to AndNot for five years. She's still angry when she gets back. The spell was cast to punish the king, but she sees that he doesn't really care. Reagan has no idea how to undo the spell, but she works with the girls to break it. Jane's attendant, Olive, helps out, too. She's from Ever and knows what has been going on there and at the castle.

The chapters alternate between Jane and Reagan. Jane needs to really see the things around her. Reagan needs to realize that punishing people isn't always the answer and that magic carries a large burden. Both girls need to grow and they learn things from each other.

As I mentioned earlier, there is a lot of social issues throughout the book. You have the royals who pretend to care and the people of Ever that are almost starving. The king loves control in many different ways. He needs the love and praise and doesn't really care who gets hurt in the process. We see a massive wealth inequality. I thought the topics were approached well (I'm obviously not an expert with this). The only thing that I struggled with was really hearing different voices of Reagan and Jane. There would be times I was reading a chapter and had to look back to see who it was.

I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

Warnings for sexual assault, eating disorders, inequality, poverty, and grief (maybe ptsd?). There may be others I forgot to mention. Just know that the book covers a lot of serious topics, but in a fantasy world. Also, the girls mature at 13 and marriages are often planned for them. We didn't really see that happen though.

Ever Cursed is a fairytale style story of witches and royals. Don't be fooled though, there are seriously dark themes in this book, on's that need to be discussed and addressed. Several years ago a witch named Reagan cast the Spell of Without on the Princesses of Ever. Each one lost something that day - can't eat, can't sleep, can't love, can't hope, and can't remember. The Queen was trapped in a glass box. The princesses must find a way to reverse the spell, or it will stay forever. In an unlikely twist, Reagan begins to help the princesses gather what is needed to reverse the spell. But will it be enough?

This story is told through alternating POV's of Princess Jane, the oldest Princess, and Reagan. I thought Ever Curse was so well done, I finished it in just a few hours and just couldn't put it down. Firstly, I loved the writing style. Ever Cursed is written in a fairy tale format so it seems very whimsical and fairy-like, but the tone of the book is very serious and tackles matter such as sexual assault, sexism, and conquering fears. It is a hard line to walk, but Haydu does it very well.

The characters aren't exactly redeemable. If you're looking for a book about perfect people, you won't find it here. Everyone has made mistakes or done terrible things, but I think this story is more about fixing wrongs than being perfect. The character growth is real and Princess Jane comes to realize some terrible truths about her father, the King, and Reagan learns the real consequences of actions and magic.

I felt like the ending could have been stronger and had a better message it. The whole book ramped up to a pretty serious ending but it felt like it wasn't given enough attention. For that reason, but overall rating was pulled down but I still very much enjoyed this books.

TW: sexual assault, eating disorders, insomnia, gaslighting

**Thank you to Simon Pulse, Netgalley, and Corey Ann Haydu for an early copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review**

I’m on the fence about Ever Cursed. The titular curse affects Ever’s five princesses and their mom, the Queen: The Queen is frozen in a glass box, and each princess is cursed to live without one essential thing from her 13th birthday. Jane, the oldest, can’t eat; Alice can’t sleep; Nora can’t love; Grace can’t remember; and Eden can’t hope. The twist is that they’re cursed to punish their father, who seems to be dealing with his punishment remarkably well. Meanwhile, it turns out that being impossibly fragile is irresistible, and the king revels in his newfound importance while marriage proposals for his cursed daughters pour in. Reagan, the witch who cast the misguided spell, is determined to break it, but she’ll need the princesses’ help to do it — and their father has no real motivation to end the curse that’s made him popular and well-loved by his kingdom and his daughters. This is very much a #metoo novel focused on the ways that women often end up paying for men’s criminal behavior, and I liked the way it played with some of the conventions of fairy tales. But the characters felt thin — the witches and princesses were interchangeable, so much so that I’d sometimes have to flip back to see who was narrating a chapter. I think it’s an enjoyable, interesting read if you’re in the mood for a lightweight fairy tale story, but if you’re looking for something more substantial, there are better takes on the fairy tale genre. (Basically we should all just read Kissing the Witch over and over again.)

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“There’s more than one way to survive”.

The Princesses of Ever are beloved and they are cursed. Five sisters are cursed to be without something essential (food, sleep, love, memories, and hope) on their thirteenth birthdays. When the youngest sister finally turns thirteen, the witch who cast the curse gives the princesses an opportunity to break it. To do so, they must confront a crime they had no knowledge of and befriend the witch who made it all happen.

Let me begin this review by mentioning that if you go based on this book blurb, you will be shocked, surprised, and potentially anxious. This book begins with a trigger warning (credit to Haydu for providing it) and revolves almost exclusively around a very specific abuse of women. It is not the easiest read, but it is also not extremely graphic and skims over a vast majority of details. If you’ve read Damsel, this isn’t as bad but definitely falls under the same line of work.

I did read through this book in one sitting and have ended feeling very conflicted about this review. The book is written in two POVs, Jane and Reagan. Through this narrative, you as the reader get to see a larger view of the story. However, at the same time, you also feel like you are missing huge chunks of it as well. It’s a slow burn, with pieces of lore and history coming out piece by piece. It feels like you are holding your breath waiting to understand what is happing. From the very beginning of the book we are faced with an onslaught of conversation about the Kidnapped Princess, almost to the point where it’s trying to force you to see the importance. A brief mention would have lit a kernel of curiosity around her story but the near-constant mention of her made me think “Okay, I get it. She means something. Who cares”.

There is no quest-based, exciting push to save the sisters from their curse. Rather it feels like learning to breathe when discovering too much too quickly about the people you thought you loved and the severe abuse occurring around you.

“We all speak the same language now. It’s the language of the secrets we’ve been holding and the wrongs that have been done”.

I wanted to love the feminist base this piece had. Here are women who have struggled, who have been abused, discarded, and a story that starkly shows how women are held in society. We are to be used, viewed as things, and are construed as hysterical or crazy when we become strong or loud or confront an issue head-on. I wanted so desperately to love and feel that because I am such a strong proponent of strong, loud women and prominent feminism. Where the story failed though, was in its plot, development, and overall narrative.

It felt like Haydu wanted to fit too many things into one book. She wanted to point out diversity, she included comments on a gender spectrum, with allusions to non-binarism and transgender peoples. She wanted a strong feminist take but did so with a great many abused women (not necessarily a strong point). She tried to end with female empowerment, but instead it felt… like there was no reward. No one was truly empowered or taken care of. Instead it felt like the people of Ever had their entire lives dismantled and everyone smiled about it. She needed to pick one strong theme and push it through all the way to the end.

The development left me with the Curse of Wanting. Everything felt cloudy and vague. I was grasping for substance but only getting vapor from this story. The magic is not completely fleshed out at all. The world itself doesn’t even seem conceivable-- from the Hill Home the witches can see all of the candles of the Kingdom of Ever and the King from his balcony. All the while the King can give speeches from this balcony and everyone in the kingdom can hear. Mind you, this is a kingdom of 537 people as Jane tells us. Moving from there, the character development is just as weak. I never had a good grasp on the personalities of the characters, nor did I feel much empathy for them and their plight. Horrible things happen to multiple women in this book, but the only one who made me feel something was Reagan’s mother. Considering the subject matter of the book, I find that to be extremely problematic.

The writing style is also very choppy and simple, definitely similar to Damsel. It takes a moment to get adjusted to awkwardly capitalized words and things that are named quite… bizarrely (I.e. The War We Won).
I ended this book not hating it, but not loving it either. This is not something I would read again, and I might recommend it to others, if only for the sake of what the book is desperately trying to accomplish. As people are abused and hurt, it is important to hear and remember that there is more than one way to survive what happens to you. Everyone handles their trauma in their own way, and it is all a type of strength. That is the most important message you can pull from this book.

Fairy tale retelling are so popular lately that I feel like I've read them all. When I started Ever Cursed I was sure what I was in for, but Corey Ann Haydu's story was not what I was expecting. Instead of retelling a specific fairy tale she created her own, There were a few nods throughout to stories I've heard but ultimately it felt new and different. I especially loved the sisters relationship and following Jane, the oldest princess, and Reagan, a witch who cursed the royal princesses of Ever gave a unique perspective of the story since we learned both sides of the plot almost simultaneously.
This also didn't feel like an old or antiquated story like some retelling tend to do. I loved the moments of female empowerment and equality throughout the kingdom. Overall, what I really want after this is a book on the witches. I feel like that mythology really has a lot of room to grow. This story was captivating and intriguing and felt entirely new and yet still familiar.

I received an electronic ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Based on the book blurb, this should only be a 1,5 star review. However, I read it straight through in one sitting and enjoyed the story but did not feel it empowered women nor addressed more than surface sympathy or healing for abuses suffered throughout.
The book is written in alternating POVs - Jane (oldest princess and cursed with the To Be Without spell) and Reagan (witch who cast the spell). Readers see the full story as they connect pieces from each narrator.
Jane and her four sisters have been cursed to be without something (food, love, sleep, memories, hope) on each of their 13th birthday. The youngest turns 13 in the midst of the story so events are told wrapped around this event. Reagan returns to tell them how to unbind the spell she cast in a moment of deep emotional anger. Jane and Reagan must work together to unbind all five of the sisters. Before the end, most of the women unite to reverse the spell and then to take back their powers and conquer their fears.
The triggering person (king) and cause is obvious from early in the book but is only alluded to for much of the story. Female empowerment is hinted at and occurs near the end. Most of the characters are fairly flat and focused on themselves and their needs. Hints of attitude change are given over and over but not developed well.
It feels like Haydu was not certain what she wanted readers to take from this book. The ending is okay doesn't really resolve the conflicts. Lives continue with a few changes but the methods for this new life are obvious and contrived.

Ever Cursed is a unique fairytale with some really great world building and. a strong message. I loved the unfolding of the way magic worked in this world and how a Curse becomes True and the power and consequences they hold. It was the small moments in this book that struck me the most whether it was the casual representation in the language of explaining who could be witches or the unspoken way the women were bonded through their shared traumas both large and small. The kingdom of Ever might have magic, but it sadly isn't unrecognizable.
I'm mixed in my struggles with this book. On the one hand, I like that the book told a complete story because it's always a relief to have everything wrapped up in one book and not have to wait for the next one. On the other hand, I do feel like the ending came rather quickly and with a lot of rushed explanations. I wouldn't have minded if the book was slightly longer to flesh more of the history out. I understand the importance of Jane and Reagan re-learning the true history of their world, but it was frustrating at times not having more information or learning the important bits piece by piece.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read I would recommend, it just left me wanting more.

I had high hopes for this book, but at the same time, I was prepared to be disappointed. I've read far too many "feminist fairytales" that either lean too far into the feminism (making them borderline unreadable) or too far into the fairytale (making them not as progressive as they likely think they are.) This book was neither of those things - feminism and inclusivity flowed naturally, and the magical elements and their recontextualization were engaging and exciting to read..

There was so much that I loved about this book that it's hard to narrow down a few elements for this review. The magic system was so clever, and the role of the witches' skirts in providing a literal manifestation of the weight of spellcraft was incredibly inventive. I also loved the sheer horror of the spelled princesses, as well as how well the author depicted the theme of female powerlessness and male desire. That the men in this world would be attracted to weak and suffering women felt both natural to the world of Ever and a clever reflection of our own culture and it's fascination with waifish unhinged young women.

If I had one complaint, it's that the ending wrapped things up very quickly. The concept of "every woman being a witch" also felt odd, considering the trappings of the fairytale, as did the ease with which the women toppled patriarchal oppression. In this regard, I feel that the book would've been better as the start of a series - perhaps the curse is broken at the end of book one, but the regime isn't overthrown until later in the plot. That being said, as I mentioned at the start of this review, if my major complaint is that a book ends too quickly, it's a damn good read. Pick this one up if you're in the mood for a clever fairytale universe that centers the feelings and interests of women, and explores how men are so often threatened by female power.

Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu

Summary

The princesses of Ever have been cursed for nearly five years when this story begins. Their mother has literally been trapped in a clear box on display for all of the people of Ever. Each princess has their own curse which begins on their thirteenth birthday. Jane, the oldest daughter, hasn’t eaten since she turned thirteen almost five years ago. Because of the nature of the spell, she continues to live a strained existence. Once the spell becomes final or permanent, Jane will suffer the full affects of not eating.

Jane must team up with the young witch who has placed her and her sisters in such a perilous position in order to undo the spell placed on each of them. In the process, Jane discovers what kind of queen she wants to be someday, and makes a plethora of new friends.

Thoughts

I obviously requested this book from NetGalley because the title is thought-provoking and the cover is beautiful. The book itself did not disappoint!

Haydu begins by letting readers know about the triggers in the novel, and I think this is wonderful! Teen girls (the target audience) are living in a trigger filled world, and this story is full of girls who overcome some difficult situations that these teen readers can relate to. Don’t let these triggers keep you from reading. That was not the point of the trigger warning (in my opinion) - this trigger warning should encourage girls to be strong and continue reading for inspirational purposes.

Pardon my language, but this book is filled with some badass women. Obviously our characters all have their flaws, but together they overcome their flaws in order to better their community. Haydu created beautiful female characters and explained the use of magic in this society flawlessly.

I will force our children’s librarian to purchase this book for our teen section. It is an absolutely necessary read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is very similar to Damsel by Elena K Arnold! That being said- it was not an easy read at times. It’s not super detailed in those hard moments, it’s more skimmed over, but it still happens.

I was a little disappointed overall though because the world building, character development, and magic system were all lacking for me! Things were explained, but I still felt confused and unsatisfied. It was a cute story though, just not as deep as I imagined it to be.

Wow this book gave me anxiety. Similar to Damsel, it is not for the faint of heart. It is a tough read (through a little less graphic than Damsel, and maybe a little more hopeful).