The Bitches of Everafter - Barbra Annino

These are not the mild-mannered maidens of your childhood. These are fallen princesses and fierce women with no recollection of who they are, where they came from, or how they arrived in a mysterious town called Everafter. All they know is that they've been sentenced to a stretch in a half-way house by a malicious judge with an ax to grind. They've been stripped of their freedom, their kingdoms, and their true loves. Now, they have nothing left to lose.

Snow White is the newest parolee to arrive at Granny's House for Girls. It isn't long before she learns that her housemates harbor secrets, and that the mansion itself is a meandering enigma. She stumbles upon forbidden doorways, ghostly passages, and walls that seem to breathe. Determined to find out what’s really happening inside those old walls, Snow embarks on a dangerous discovery mission. Not everyone is thrilled about her nosing around. In fact, there are some who would kill to keep the secrets that the house—and its occupants—hold.

Blurb taken from Goodreads.

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This was my latest read that I chose for my 'Spooktober' reading list, where I selected a range of books that made me feel really in keeping with the Halloween month! I thought this sounded (and looked!) like a really great spooky fairytale retelling, which is right up my street!

I had really high hopes for The Bitches of Everafter but I'm sad to say that it just fell flat. It had all the potential for a great story, but it just didn't feel cohesive enough to be called a really successful book. The recognisable characters were cool, but I don't feel there was enough depth there to make me really connect with them. When combined with a plot that wasn't quite there, it was a bit of a disappointment.

Rating: ✫✫

 The Story

A fairytale retelling is a really hard thing to do well. We already know the characters, we already understand their world and their nature. Trying to write them convincingly in a new way is actually quite a big challenge. Nonetheless, I had such high hopes for this book, and I think in some ways it was very successful. 

The Bitches of Everafter kept the integrity of these characters; although they are have no memories of their real selves, we can see the personality in each and every one of them. I also really liked how the author made great use of some lesser fairytale characters that we don't necessarily see utilised as often. Robin Hood and Tinkerbell are two such characters that appeared in this story, and I enjoyed seeing them created in a new way.

That being said, I think the plot was a little too chaotic and could have done with some better construction. I think the idea that these princesses needed to find their magical objects and restore their memories is actually a really fun plot point, and could have had real potential. Sadly, the plot progression is a little too sporadic for my liking, and it just felt very hectic. If some more attention had been put into planning the story a little more carefully, I think it may have been more enjoyable.

And if that wasn't bad enough, I feel like the book was ended at a very random point. I could see some tangible events that did build the book up, but not enough to really grip me into reading another installment. Looking back, it just wasn't anywhere near enough to sustain my interest, and I can't see a sequel having much more impact.

The Verdict

I feel like I'm saying this a lot lately, but this was a bit of a disappointment. I had such high hopes for it being a really fun and enjoyable read, but I just didn't experience that at all. All the ideas were there, but the plot needed some real work to make it more logical and less chaotic, and the characters needed just a little more depth. 

All the potential, but not executed in a way that made it enjoyable for me.