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A review by monetp
Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu
4.0
"I am not that kind of witch, no matter how many years they locked me away in AndNot and begged me to be better. I am not who they want me to be. So I turn my fury on the kingdom." ~ [b:Ever Cursed|52767394|Ever Cursed|Corey Ann Haydu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585286799l/52767394._SY75_.jpg|73727817]
This novel is perfect for fans of [b:Red Hood|43721070|Red Hood|Elana K. Arnold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561406538l/43721070._SY75_.jpg|68041410], [b:Cinderella Is Dead|43900612|Cinderella Is Dead|Kalynn Bayron|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574698353l/43900612._SY75_.jpg|68309452], [b:The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea|51710973|The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea|Maggie Tokuda-Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592729153l/51710973._SY75_.jpg|58305868], and [a:Amanda Lovelace|15225448|Amanda Lovelace|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1533076817p2/15225448.jpg]'s poetry. This is a standalone feminist fantasy story in the style of a fairytale. The story basically combines all the concepts of European fairytales and reworks the plots into a new story. Think of it as a feminist fairytale retelling of any Disney movie.
I loved the character Reagan especially. She gives off such strong Maleficient vibes and I'M LIVING FOR IT! It's so cool how author [a:Corey Ann Haydu|5414574|Corey Ann Haydu|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1462801584p2/5414574.jpg] took the well-known story of a witch (Maleficient) cursing a kingdom and princess (Sleeping Beauty) and then explaining what the witch's motivations and reasoning were behind this decision. Another aspect of this novel I thoroughly enjoyed is that nobody is who they seem. I could've never predicted the twist at the end! This book deals with dark subject matters aka sexual assault, rape, sexism, oppression, victim shaming, etc. and I thought the author did an amazing job writing about these topics with grace and maturity.
I struggled to remember and comprehend all of the worldbuilding. The family tree is vast and I couldn't pinpoint how all the characters were related. While I love that this novel is a standalone story, it feels like there are 3+ novels worth of worldbuilding in just one book. The kingdom of Ever is well-developed, but there's so much backstory explanation that it made it difficult for me to keep up with the plot.
Overall I am beyond impressed with the author's use of metaphor in this novel. There are allusions to modern issues that we all deal with, but it's not written in such an obvious way that takes away from the magic of the book. Also, can I just say how awesome it is that Ever welcomes people of all gender identities, sexualities, and races??? I love it!
Some of my favorites quotes:
"Witches were our partners in keeping Ever safe. We protected them. They protected us. Perfect symbiosis. Everything about this witch, from her age to her words to the spell itself, was wrong."
"The voice belongs to Abbott Shine. He is not a princess or a witch or Spellbound. He is handsome and tall; he has a voice that is lower than I ever thought his voice would reach. He is just like them, except he knows a different king than they do."
"'You are not a king,' the Queen of Ever says, her first words in five years, but still they sound sure and easy, a little like music. 'Give us the crown.'"
"We grew up thinking queens were quiet women and kings were gentle, good men, but all of that was wrong."
"Every woman in every kind of body, and others, who identify only as witch."
This novel is perfect for fans of [b:Red Hood|43721070|Red Hood|Elana K. Arnold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561406538l/43721070._SY75_.jpg|68041410], [b:Cinderella Is Dead|43900612|Cinderella Is Dead|Kalynn Bayron|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574698353l/43900612._SY75_.jpg|68309452], [b:The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea|51710973|The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea|Maggie Tokuda-Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592729153l/51710973._SY75_.jpg|58305868], and [a:Amanda Lovelace|15225448|Amanda Lovelace|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1533076817p2/15225448.jpg]'s poetry. This is a standalone feminist fantasy story in the style of a fairytale. The story basically combines all the concepts of European fairytales and reworks the plots into a new story. Think of it as a feminist fairytale retelling of any Disney movie.
I loved the character Reagan especially. She gives off such strong Maleficient vibes and I'M LIVING FOR IT! It's so cool how author [a:Corey Ann Haydu|5414574|Corey Ann Haydu|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1462801584p2/5414574.jpg] took the well-known story of a witch (Maleficient) cursing a kingdom and princess (Sleeping Beauty) and then explaining what the witch's motivations and reasoning were behind this decision. Another aspect of this novel I thoroughly enjoyed is that nobody is who they seem. I could've never predicted the twist at the end! This book deals with dark subject matters aka sexual assault, rape, sexism, oppression, victim shaming, etc. and I thought the author did an amazing job writing about these topics with grace and maturity.
I struggled to remember and comprehend all of the worldbuilding. The family tree is vast and I couldn't pinpoint how all the characters were related. While I love that this novel is a standalone story, it feels like there are 3+ novels worth of worldbuilding in just one book. The kingdom of Ever is well-developed, but there's so much backstory explanation that it made it difficult for me to keep up with the plot.
Overall I am beyond impressed with the author's use of metaphor in this novel. There are allusions to modern issues that we all deal with, but it's not written in such an obvious way that takes away from the magic of the book. Also, can I just say how awesome it is that Ever welcomes people of all gender identities, sexualities, and races??? I love it!
Some of my favorites quotes:
"Witches were our partners in keeping Ever safe. We protected them. They protected us. Perfect symbiosis. Everything about this witch, from her age to her words to the spell itself, was wrong."
"The voice belongs to Abbott Shine. He is not a princess or a witch or Spellbound. He is handsome and tall; he has a voice that is lower than I ever thought his voice would reach. He is just like them, except he knows a different king than they do."
"'You are not a king,' the Queen of Ever says, her first words in five years, but still they sound sure and easy, a little like music. 'Give us the crown.'"
"We grew up thinking queens were quiet women and kings were gentle, good men, but all of that was wrong."
"Every woman in every kind of body, and others, who identify only as witch."