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A review by theespressoedition
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
My most-anticipated release of 2022 and I wound up giving it 3.5 stars. That hits me right in the feels.
I've felt a lot of weight on my chest as I've thought about writing this review. It's not easy for me to give anything less than raves to my favorite authors' books. However, The Ballad of Never After left a lot to be desired. Right now, the thought that's at the front of my mind is how much I hope that the third book redeems how I feel about the series (and thank goodness she announced the third book not long after this one came out because I was nearly sick with worry at the end).
Because I didn't do a reread of Once Upon a Broken Heart prior to reading this one, I was concerned that I would be a little lost at the beginning. I wouldn't say it was super easy to pick up where I left off, but after about one or two chapters, everything came flooding back and I didn't have difficulty following along after that. The author did a good job of subtly bringing in the plot points from the previous book in order to clue the reader in on what was happening.
My unease wasn't instantaneous, which almost made it worse. Instead, it felt as though I had eaten something delicious that eventually began to turn in my stomach. I've always loved Jacks--a morally gray character with a penchant for mischief and rakishness. While he made it spectacularly clear to Evangeline that he was "not the good guy" in OUABH, that particular narrative was ridiculously overdone in this book. However, because Evangaline is married to Apollo in this book, rather than rooting for her to wind up with Jacks despite his untoward behavior, I watched with horror as their romantic dallying became stronger and stronger... full-on infidelity.
Not only that, but there were a lot of blurred lines when it came to consent. This includes occurrences of sexual touch and advances without both parties agreeing upon it--and even times where someone was drugged or asleep when these took place. Instead of it feeling romantic, it felt racy. Lines were crossed and that was definitely not something I was comfortable with. Now, I recognize that my perspective may be slightly skewed by my own past, but I do think that this is at least something that others should be aware of going into the book.
Someone may have told you to expect heartbreak when reading this, and they're not entirely wrong. While I didn't find myself sobbing my eyes out at any point, I did slam the book shut at the end, then stand in the hallway looking completely forlorn, freaking my husband out until I said, "why would she do this to us?" The ending is unexpected and as I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I'm really thankful that there will be a third in the series. My hope is that it clears up some of the confusion, brings a little joy, and ultimately redeems how I'm currently feeling about Jacks and Evangeline and their truly problematic tryst.
I'm sure I'll have more to say come autumn of 2023...
I've felt a lot of weight on my chest as I've thought about writing this review. It's not easy for me to give anything less than raves to my favorite authors' books. However, The Ballad of Never After left a lot to be desired. Right now, the thought that's at the front of my mind is how much I hope that the third book redeems how I feel about the series (and thank goodness she announced the third book not long after this one came out because I was nearly sick with worry at the end).
Because I didn't do a reread of Once Upon a Broken Heart prior to reading this one, I was concerned that I would be a little lost at the beginning. I wouldn't say it was super easy to pick up where I left off, but after about one or two chapters, everything came flooding back and I didn't have difficulty following along after that. The author did a good job of subtly bringing in the plot points from the previous book in order to clue the reader in on what was happening.
My unease wasn't instantaneous, which almost made it worse. Instead, it felt as though I had eaten something delicious that eventually began to turn in my stomach. I've always loved Jacks--a morally gray character with a penchant for mischief and rakishness. While he made it spectacularly clear to Evangeline that he was "not the good guy" in OUABH, that particular narrative was ridiculously overdone in this book. However, because Evangaline is married to Apollo in this book, rather than rooting for her to wind up with Jacks despite his untoward behavior, I watched with horror as their romantic dallying became stronger and stronger... full-on infidelity.
Not only that, but there were a lot of blurred lines when it came to consent. This includes occurrences of sexual touch and advances without both parties agreeing upon it--and even times where someone was drugged or asleep when these took place. Instead of it feeling romantic, it felt racy. Lines were crossed and that was definitely not something I was comfortable with. Now, I recognize that my perspective may be slightly skewed by my own past, but I do think that this is at least something that others should be aware of going into the book.
Someone may have told you to expect heartbreak when reading this, and they're not entirely wrong. While I didn't find myself sobbing my eyes out at any point, I did slam the book shut at the end, then stand in the hallway looking completely forlorn, freaking my husband out until I said, "why would she do this to us?" The ending is unexpected and as I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I'm really thankful that there will be a third in the series. My hope is that it clears up some of the confusion, brings a little joy, and ultimately redeems how I'm currently feeling about Jacks and Evangeline and their truly problematic tryst.
I'm sure I'll have more to say come autumn of 2023...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Murder and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual content