Review - Happy Ever After by Adele Geras

Genre: romance, young adult, mature themes

Blurb:  Once upon a time, Megan, Alice and Bella shared the Tower Room. Theirs was an enchanted world, and the deep friendship that grew through the final year of school helped them to survive betrayal, treachery, jealousy and a terrible act of violence.

Based on the fairytales of Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, this haunting trilogy explores our most turbulent emotions and speaks to our deepest memories.

My Review:

As the blurb already suggests this story is a modern retelling of three well known fairytales; Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White.  When I first saw this I questioned how on earth an author could fit all three fairytales into one story.  The answer is simple.  Split the book into thirds.  I found this a rather clinical way of separating the stories, but after I discovered that they had been sold individually as series I can forgive that flaw, especially when the three stories are linked by the same three female characters; Alice, Megan and Bella.

The story begins at a boarding school, Edgerton Hall, where Megan lives with her guardian, Dorothy, who is a teacher at the school.  Megan shares a room with the two other girls at the top of a tower.  She quickly falls in love with Dorothy's new lab assistant, the geeky but cute Simon.  Unfortunately, Dorothy also has a soft spot for Simon and when she discovers their love she drives them away.

The second part of the story focuses on quiet, good-girl Alice who lives in a mansion, surrounded by eccentric aunts who gave various gifts at her christening.  However, there was one aunt who wasn't invited, Aunt Violette, who wishes something terrible to happen to Alice on her eighteenth birthday.  As expected, something does happen to Alice on the day of her eighteenth birthday and she becomes bed bound, not speaking to anyone or moving to the great distress of everyone around her.

Bella's story follows her after she leaves home during the summer because of a bad relationship with her stepmother.  She moves into a house in London with the seven members of a band, of which she becomes the singer.  Several unfortunate and life-threatening incidents occur and Bella is sure it is down to her stepmother but cannot prove it.

Despite the way in which the book was organised, I found the stories themselves very well done.  Geras' retelling of the classic fairytales, bringing in darker elements, gave the story a depth that the more superficial nature of the originals doesn't have.  Some of the more mature sections of the novel made it feel more like a Brothers Grimm fairytale instead of the tame Disney versions children of my age grew up with.

At the same time they are incredible fun to read, especially as you discover the similarities and connections with the original fairytales.  Despite my original fears about the leading characters, I found Megan, Alice and Bella all entertaining and engaging characters who made me want to read on.