What can I say about this? As a kids' book, this is done well. If i had read this as a kid, I think I would have really enjoyed this.

But as an adult, I can see a lot of flaws with this. I am still a bit confused on the talents and the magic - not because it doesn't make sense, but it just seems like the Nevers' talents were actual magic abilities, but the Evers' talents were just talents (singing, dancing or whatever). Like some were clearly magically enhanced at least but still.

I do agree with some of the comments that this book is a little too 'evil is ugly, good is beauty'. There was one point where I felt 'oh this book is going to combat this idea' but then it didn't (or didn't do it enough at least).

There is a point at the end where good does evil and evil does good and evil become pretty and good become ugly and it just felt that they tried so hard to stick to this when it could have been broken down.

There is also some oversexualisations of mostly the girls that just kinda made me uncomfortable a bit.

When they mogrify, they don't keep their clothes, so there are scenes were our ELEVEN-ish year old protagonists are naked for what feels like no reason. Its magic, you can make them keep their clothes.

 

Finally, I do have to note, for a book written by a PoC, this is extremely white. Okay yes this is based on european fairytales. Do you know what else is? Cinderella is Dead - a book with a black main character, and a story that isn't about her being black. They easily could have had darker skinned characters and either made a statement with it (had all the darker characters be evil because 'they must be' AND have that shown to be wrong) or just had one or two characters who were darker and have it not mean that much. Either would have been better.

Also final question:

are Agatha and Sophie gay? Their kiss at the end and Sophie saying 'who needs a prince?' makes me think that this story was supposed to be them discovering they love each other, but if it was, man that was bad. Like I would have loved that to have been the story but if this was it, then what a fail.

After saying all that, am I at least tempted to read the next one? Yes. Will I? Who knows. Maybe if its at my library.

Also Sophie is just the worst.