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A review by justinekorson
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I enjoyed this sequel more than the first one but I still have a lot to say about it.
1. AGAIN WITH THE TIME TRAVEL!!! This is part of the reason I hated Finale!!! I think I've mentioned this before in the Caraval series review but... Stephanie likes to add really random lore at odd times. (In the last book vampires were suddenly real and in the Caraval series, specifically Finale, there was a lot of added plot points that I hated. Scarlett being magical for one of them and the addition of her father). The lore always feels like it comes out of left field for me. I'd totally forgotten that time travel had happened until I went back to read my old review of Finale.
2. Jack's reasoning for wanting to use the stones to time travel IS NOT BELIEVABLE. When he first told Evangeline about it all I could think was "That's it? that's the stupidest reason I've ever heard." It didn't make sense to me that that was something he wanted, especially if I'm meant to believe that he's supposed to really love Evangeline. If he really cared for her, he wouldn't want that. SO WHEN HE LITERALLY GOES BACK IN TIME TO SAVE EVANGELINE AND NOT CHASE AFTER DONATELLA AGAIN I WAS PISSED. He kept saying he didn't care for her but he clearly did. I think this story would've been improved with a POV of Jacks throughout it but... whatever.
3. And while on the topic of Jacks loving Evangeline... I don't believe Evangeline loves Jacks. She talks all the time about this attraction between them but... attraction doesn't equate love. In my opinion, Evangeline craves love so badly she's willing to look for it in ANYONE. It was first in Luc, then Apollo, and now Jacks. I don't think she even knows what it means to be in love if she can move her feelings from boy to boy so quickly.
4. Lala's apology... and Evangeline accepting it... felt so fake and so forced. Why the hell would Evangeline EVER trust Lala again?? Why would she say "I can forgive you I just need to know why" (I'm paraphrasing here). This just reminds me of how Donatella lied/manipulated Scarlett all throughout Caraval and how I would have HATED my sister if she did that to me MUCH LESS HAVING A FRIEND PUT A CURSE ON ME AND LIE TO ME ABOUT HER TRUE INTENTIONS WITH BEFRIENDING ME. I would never trust Lala again if I was Evangeline.
5. Also.... Apollo suddenly has powers??? What the hell did he do to Evangeline.
1. AGAIN WITH THE TIME TRAVEL!!! This is part of the reason I hated Finale!!! I think I've mentioned this before in the Caraval series review but... Stephanie likes to add really random lore at odd times. (In the last book vampires were suddenly real and in the Caraval series, specifically Finale, there was a lot of added plot points that I hated. Scarlett being magical for one of them and the addition of her father). The lore always feels like it comes out of left field for me. I'd totally forgotten that time travel had happened until I went back to read my old review of Finale.
2. Jack's reasoning for wanting to use the stones to time travel IS NOT BELIEVABLE. When he first told Evangeline about it all I could think was "That's it? that's the stupidest reason I've ever heard." It didn't make sense to me that that was something he wanted, especially if I'm meant to believe that he's supposed to really love Evangeline. If he really cared for her, he wouldn't want that. SO WHEN HE LITERALLY GOES BACK IN TIME TO SAVE EVANGELINE AND NOT CHASE AFTER DONATELLA AGAIN I WAS PISSED. He kept saying he didn't care for her but he clearly did. I think this story would've been improved with a POV of Jacks throughout it but... whatever.
3. And while on the topic of Jacks loving Evangeline... I don't believe Evangeline loves Jacks. She talks all the time about this attraction between them but... attraction doesn't equate love. In my opinion, Evangeline craves love so badly she's willing to look for it in ANYONE. It was first in Luc, then Apollo, and now Jacks. I don't think she even knows what it means to be in love if she can move her feelings from boy to boy so quickly.
4. Lala's apology... and Evangeline accepting it... felt so fake and so forced. Why the hell would Evangeline EVER trust Lala again?? Why would she say "I can forgive you I just need to know why" (I'm paraphrasing here). This just reminds me of how Donatella lied/manipulated Scarlett all throughout Caraval and how I would have HATED my sister if she did that to me MUCH LESS HAVING A FRIEND PUT A CURSE ON ME AND LIE TO ME ABOUT HER TRUE INTENTIONS WITH BEFRIENDING ME. I would never trust Lala again if I was Evangeline.
5. Also.... Apollo suddenly has powers??? What the hell did he do to Evangeline.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail