Heroes don't get happy endings. They give them to other people.
Once Upon a Broken Heart
by Stephanie Garber
Genre: YA Fantasy
About: Evangeline Fox has found her happy ending - only now he's set to marry her step-sister. Believing her love to be under a spell, she makes a deal with the Prince of Hearts. He'll stop the wedding, but at a cost.
The Good
This world is so easy to slip into. It's full of fairy tales and curses, loves and betrayals. At every page the story flips like a coin from warm and cosy, to dark and slightly sinister - a true fairy tale in that sense, and one you're not entirely sure what ending it will ultimately land on.
Evangeline herself is also a strange mix. At times she's endearingly wide-eyed and a little naïve, and other times she's incredibly resourceful and cunning. A perfect blend to attach yourself to as the reader. And while she might be part of a prophecy, her actions do feel like her own. She makes her choices, and then deals with the consequences.
I loved all of the characters - you're never quite sure of anyone's true motives and the Fates slip in and out of the story with decided flair.
The Bad
Although there's a lot of action and many twists and turns, I wish we weren't given as much internal monologue of Evangeline as she processes what's going on. We get a lot of her wondering about her step-sister, of being conflicted about Jacks, and trying to decide about Apollo. Everything she thinks is natural and good character development, but there's a lot of it and I think the end (when she makes the very important realisation) it would have been a little more dramatic for me if I hadn't already read so much of her thinking similar things in the past.
The Somewhat Iffy
I really got a kick out of every time a character was revealed as being more than you initially thought they were. It happens a lot and gives a extra shimmer to the story that's already rife with magical twists. There was only one character that I thought their reveal was odd, and that was Chaos'. His character has a lot of power but his initial introduction, though fun, didn't give that impression at all.
Overall
The magic is vibrant, the story one adventure after another, and the ending will leave you desperate for more.
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