This is a wonderful start to a new series. I like the way the author adds mystery and keeps the reader wanting more as the story progresses. Main characters are not one dimensional and have many things to learn about them. I cannot wait for more.

This thoroughly enjoyable middle grade novel from Melissa De La Cruz is the great start to a new series (I hope!)

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<p>This middle grade novel by Melissa de la Cruz was a fun start to a new twisted fairy tale series: <em>The Chronicles of Never After</em>. The first book, <em>Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy</em>, follows Filomena Jefferson-Cho as she anxiously awaits the release of the last book in her favorite series: The Thirteen Fairy. She's disappointed to learn that it has missed it's publication deadline, and is even more confused to encounter Jack Stalker, the main character from The Thirteenth Fairy series, on the streets in Pasadena. Jack convinces her that Westphalia is real and that she has to travel to Westphalia to help him defeat the evil queen, his nemesis in all the stories. I really enjoyed this blended story of a fan actually stepping into the fantasy world they have previously devoured. It's a funny mixture of reverse cosplay as Filomena recites the spells needed along the adventure to help Jack and his friends. </p>
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<p>As a Filipina, I was tickled to read that Filomena's dad is Filipino/Korean and her mom is British. I was able to read this novel thanks to NetGalley. I'm looking forward to more books in the series and I can't wait to share this with my daughter. Fans of twisted fairytales and the Descendants series will enjoy this book. </p>
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Thank you Macmillan’s children and NetGalley for sharing this book in exchange for an honest review. I listened to the audio through Libro.fm as well and I loved the narrator, I loved the story, the flash blacks/prologue, the mystery, the magic, and the action! Such a fun read!

The Thirteenth Fairy is the newest series by Melissa de la Cruz, a very popular author with tweens and young adults. In this new series we meet Filomena Jefferson-Cho. Filomena considers herself unremarkable and her home town uneventful. On her way home from a very disappointing visit to her local bookstore, Filomena comes face to face with Stalker Jack and other characters from her favorite books series. Jack convinces her that the stories are real and she has a major role in helping to save the Fairy kingdom and discover the truth behind the legend of the thirteenth fairy. De la Cruz has crafted another believable, exciting, magical world. Fans of her other books will love this new series and will fans of anything fairy or magical. She did an excellent job of including diverse, interesting characters as well as a well-paced plot. I appreciate the chance to read the ARC through Net Galley. My opinions are my own.

I really loved the character Filomena. She is a reader like so many of us. This made is easy to relate to her. The plot was fast-moving and kept my attention. When she follows the character from her favorite book series, she comes face-to-face with all of the characters in her book. This would be a great ready for anyone who likes fairytales and fans of the Land of Stories series. I'm looking forward to book 2 and will be purchasing it for our library.

I requested this book because I have loved de la Cruz's previous books like Alex and Emma. In Never After we meet the engaging Filomena, the sheltered daughter who is obsessed with the Never After books. When the 13th and final book isn't released and the author mysteriously disappears, Filomena gets pulled into another world and has the chance to finish the series herself.
I really liked this book. It was engaging with memorable characters like Jack and Alistair. I think middle grade readers that love fantasy books would fall hard for this world. The first 100 pages were un-put-down-able. However, it did seem like events of the story were rushed. Some of the problems are solved too easily and predictably. You may say this is because this book is meant for children, but I hold middle grade books to a higher standard.
Overall, this is a book that some kids will love regardless. I did like it, but I didn't love it, even though I really wanted to. It was easy to visualize with some great characters.

Filomena Jefferson-Cho has found refuge in her favorite book series ever, Never After. It follows the adventures of Jack Stalker, the protagonist of the series. One of the only things getting her through is the release of the thirteenth book! But when she goes afterschool - on her own for once! - she learns that the book will not be released as planned. On her way home, she bumps into a boy cosplaying as Jack Stalker, but he's a little weird. She finally makes it home to her overprotective writer parents.

Soon, though, she learns that Never After is real, as well as the spells and events mentioned in the book. She is brought into an adventure like no other where she meets familiar characters, goes through trials to prove her worthiness, and proves herself.

This was a breathtaking take on fairy tales in general. Alistair was probably the most entertaining character of all, and the way the author introduced this modern world to him and Jack was well done, I feel. Hunting cheeseburgers, by the way, is an important skill! Another thing I liked about how the author handled this was that the fairy tales we know and love have been misshapen. There were slight differences to the original tales, probably a case of telephone.

It is delightful to watch Filomenia's confidence grow throughout her adventures. At the beginning of the book, she is bullied for multiple reasons including her mother writing romances. No one ever seems to see it. And the worst thing ever? Her only friend at school has decided to befriend her bullies. By the end of the novel, she has a gaggle of friends and confidence in who she is.

I look forward to the next installment.

Never After by Melissa de la Cruz is a very different and fun retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I will definitely recommend this book to both middle grades and YA readers.

A great middle grade book that's such a page turner. I finished the whole book in one evening. There are some great scenes and witty dialogue. Some aspects of the book required a little bit of suspension of disbelief, but no more than is expected for middle grade. A lot of plot holes can be forgiven for books aimed at a younger age than YA.

Just when you think there can't possibly be another take on the fairytales we all know, Melissa de la Cruz comes along and gives you one. While not all of the ideas in Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy are fresh, the story does bring in a lot of elements that I have not personally seen before, and I found it to be an enjoyable read.

Filomena Jefferson-Cho is an unexpected hero, she doesn't have many (check that, any) friends, preferring the company of her dog, fish, and most of all her beloved, Never After books. Her world gets turned upside down when the characters from her books turn out to be real. The book follows Filomena and her new friends on a journey that will help Filomena discover something she's always longed to know, who she really is.

There were moments where I had to remind myself that I was reading Juvenile fiction, and that's not to say that the writing isn't good, it is and that's why when something geared more towards that juvenile mindset popped up I was like oh yeah, this is a kids book. I found the way the author reinvented and intertwined these well known characters to be fun and unique, while still true to who we knew them to be.

It's a shame this isn't really a 13-book series because I think the adventures of Filomena, Jack, Alistair, and the rest could keep us entertained for years to come!

This was a really fun retelling of the fairy tales where the Never After series tells the real truth of what happened in the fairy tales. So the bad guys may not actually be the bad guys and the heroes are sometimes less than stellar. Filomena Jefferson Cho is a girl living in California who was adopted as a baby. She knows nothing about her birth parents, but she loves the people who raised her. They are a bit overprotective, but she appreciates them anyway, especially because she doesn't have any friends in or out of school. In fact, she seems to be the target of bullies, and teachers and administrators basically look away. So she survives in her world of books, especially her favorite series, the Never After stories. As she waits for the final book to come out, she is sucked into the world of the Never After, and there our story truly begins. I love the slow development of the prologue, which was sprinkled throughout the book as more of the story developed. And while some of the main plot was predictable, it was still an enjoyable adventure. I loved how the real truth of the original fairy tales would come out--some of them made me laugh. I think this story would be perfect for middle school readers of fantasy books, but I also enjoyed it as an adult. The book is not listed as being part of a series, but it ends in such a way that the author leaves it open for many adventures to come, and I really hope she does so! I would love to go back and see Filomena, Jack, Gretel, and Allistair in future adventures!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Never After was such a fun book! I had so many laughs in this disney feeling book. I loved that our main character is adopted and learns how family is family no matter how they became one. Also, the topic of bullying is addressed and was done really well especially for the age range of our main character where this topic is extremely relevant. This was such a fun story that had so many fun moments. I definitely got some Nevermoor vibes reading this book and I love that. The perfect middle grade story!

You or someone in your family have probably experienced the excited anticipation when the next book in in a beloved series is released. The same goes for the main character in NEVER AFTER, Filomena Jefferson-Cho. She joins the mob of other readers waiting to buy the 13th book of her favorite epic page turner. Not so fast—the book’s release was cancelled. The story takes a fantasy turn from there as Filomena discovers the world of Never After and fiction becomes reality.
The enticing story line will please fantasy readers with modern day Pasadena, California becoming a portal to the magical and scary setting Filomena has experienced in the books. Actually, the portal is near the iconic HOLLYWOOD sign—an ideal spot to connect these two worlds.

Soon she becomes friends with two young fairy tale characters, Jack and Alistair. They become a fun, endearing threesome who strive to figure out each other’s past. It’s easier for Filomena as she knows these characters better than she knows herself. One other secondary character I could have done without—the fashion and makeup obsessed Gretel. Maybe she’ll become more likeable as the Never After series continues. A new adventure is laid out in the final page of this one.

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT NEVER AFTER
1. My favorite character was the amusing Alistair. You’ll never guess who this young boy turns out to be, although you’ll certainly know his familiar Fairy Tale name.
2. Bullies seem like a required component in MG books. No different here—There’s a whole group of them at Filomena’s school taunting her every day. They also have a hidden identity and it couldn’t be more fitting.
3. Backstory is revealed through numerous prologues scattered throughout the pages. It works quite well to reveal how this whole crisis and Filomena’s adoption occurred.
4. The twists are plentiful and although they are overcome almost too quick, each provides a push toward the plot’s resolution.
5. Many childhood classic characters make an appearance including the Three Little Pigs and Aladdin. I smiled at seeing them here.

This is a super cute middle grade book! As always Melissa de la Cruz’s world building is fabulous. I loved all these characters so much and I can’t wait for the next book in this new series!

Filomena lives a very sheltered and protected life with her writer parents. She is ruthlessly bullied at school and has very few friends. She seeks adventure between the pages of her favorite book series, Never After. Imagine Filomena's surprise when she is thrust between the pages of the very series she loves so much. Will Filomena be brave enough to help save Never After? I loved this book and will highly recommend it to my upper elementary students. However, it is a little long so I'm not sure how many students will actually finish it.

This felt so rushed to me. The plot moved so fast that I didn't have time to connect with any of the characters and the plot lacked any real development. My best description of this is if someone is summarizing a book for a friend. You give the gist of the story but you lack the essence or any connection with it. Also even though it was a fantasy some aspects of this was beyond unbelievable. Pass.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun start to Melissa de la Cruz's latest middle grade series! No matter what age group she is writing for, I will always read what this author produces.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a fast and entertaining romp that follows a young girl as she's taken into the world of her favorite book series, which just happens to be a retelling of classic fairytales told as they truly happened.
It's a bit mad-dash and leaves a lot of things unexplained, but it also happens to be entertaining. I'm sure younger readers will probably love it as it's all about imagination and being brave.
In the end, I do wish there was some more explanation and/or exploration of a couple of interesting elements that are rushed through, but I can't deny that I was entertained and it's well written.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for the early read.

I really enjoy Melissa de la Cruz's point of view and style within these sorts of fantasy/fairy tale stories. Engaging and fun, and this is not an exception. A fun addition to any collection.