Never After: The Stolen Slippers

by Melissa de la Cruz

Overview

Real life and fairy tales collide in Never After: The Stolen Slippers, book two of the funny and thrilling middle grade Chronicles of Never After series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Descendants series Melissa de la Cruz.

Tossed back into the not-so-familiar fairy-tale world of Never After, Filomena Jefferson-Cho and her friends set off on another adventure . . . this time in search of Cinderella’s glass slipper. Or rather, glass slippers.

It turns out the classic story of Cinderella is full of lies—starting with how Cinderella herself is far from the innocent heroine everyone thinks she is. She is manipulative and cunning—willing to do anything to be the princess of Eastphalia. The real heroines of her story are her “wicked” stepsisters, Hortense and Beatrice, who aren’t actually wicked at all!

With the help of the dashing Jack Stalker, adorable Alastair, and glamorous Gretel, Filomena must track down the slippers, which may be the key to a certain mysterious prophecy . . . And when Filomena and Beatrice get tossed into the Beast’s dungeon, all hope seems to be lost. Will the conniving Cinderella shatter everyone’s hopes for a true un-twisted ending? Or will Filomena and her friends secure the happily ever after Cinderella’s stepsisters deserve?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250854032
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	12/06/2022
Series:	The Chronicles of Never After , #2
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	41,815
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 5.10(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times-USA Today-Wall Street Journal-Los Angeles Times-and Publishers Weekly-internationally bestselling author of many critically acclaimed books for readers of all ages, including the Alex & Eliza trilogy and Disney's Descendants novels.

Editorial Reviews

"This entertaining sequel is full of humor and daring escapades, and the ending nicely sets things up for the next entry." - Kirkus

"Satisf[ies] the fractured fairy tale itch for many." - School Library Journal

From the Publisher

02/11/2022

Gr 3–7—Four companions introduced in Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy continue their adventures in skewed versions of well-known fairy tales. Traditional stories are all wrong, it turns out. Filomena Jefferson-Cho, a fairy-tale aficionado from North Pasadena, has joined with Jack, Alistair, and Gretel to find the truth, starting with the revelation that Cinderella is a mean, arrogant, and vicious stepsister of the good twins Hortense and Beatrice, who just want their glass slippers back. The shoes belong to Hortense, who is in love with Prince Charlemagne, and a ball to announce his engagement is imminent. But first there are ogres to fight, seductive candy houses to escape from, and a Beast to appease. The wit depends mostly on puns and the incongruous mixture of present-day vernacular with the world of Never After. Despite real moments of danger, the lighthearted atmosphere and elements of magic reassure readers that these four will survive and conquer all obstacles in their way. The underlying theme is to question everything and to look at Never After with fresh eyes to discern the truth. Filomena's goal of retelling the tales informs her efforts, as does her identity as the niece of the 13th fairy and possibly Sleeping Beauty. Uncovering the mistaken identities, lies, and misdirection of the well-known version of the tales gives these titles popular appeal. VERDICT Though lacking the intensity of Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark and Grimm and its sequels, this could satisfy the fractured fairy tale itch for many.—Carol A. Edwards

School Library Journal

2021-11-16
Filomena and her friends are back for another adventure as they try to save Never After.

Filomena Jefferson-Cho, 12, has just returned from stopping the evil ogre queen in Never After, the world she once thought to be just fiction. Suddenly, her friends Jack the Giant Stalker; Jack’s sidekick, Alistair; and Gretel, the Cobbler’s daughter, appear at her door in North Pasadena asking for help once again. It seems Cinderella is not the innocent orphan bullied by her stepmother and stepsisters that the mortal world believes her to be. She is actually a thief who stole a pair of glass slippers—which hold magic powers—from her stepsisters, Hortense and Beatrice. The four friends travel across multiple kingdoms of Never After to retrieve the glass slippers and stop the Prophecy that spells out the end of their world. The journey isn’t easy, and many creatures want to eat them along the way, including the gingerbread-house witch and the Beast. As Jack struggles with what it means to be a hero, Filomena learns how important words are and how truths and lies can completely change the end of a story. This entertaining sequel is full of humor and daring escapades, and the ending nicely sets things up for the next entry. Ethnic and racial diversity are naturally woven into the story.

Switches up well-known fairy tales and fantastical stories in an exciting way. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews