Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny story of teen preoccupied with romance.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
When HAPPILY EVER AFTERS begins, Tessa, a Black teen, is preparing to start her first year at a conservatory for kids gifted in the arts. Her life is complicated by a recent move from Roseville to Long Beach for her dad's job, which separated her from her best friend Christine and by her older brother's cognitive and physical disabilities.
Is It Any Good?
This is a funny journey through the eyes of a quirky high school student. In Happily Ever Afters, by debut author Elise Bryant, readers get an inside look at how a sensitive, artistic teen copes with high school life. The girl who uses her writing to escape the anxieties of her life is forced to jump into the drama of real life to recover from writer's block. This book may be a comforting read for kids with similar sensitivities. The one shortcoming of the book is repetition. When multiple scenes and long interior monologues belabor the same points, the momentum slows.
This is a companion book to the author's next release, One True Loves, whose main character is Lenore, a minor character in this story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the theme of being different in Happily Ever Afters. In what ways are you different? How has that been hard for you? When has it given you an advantage?
Do you practice any creative arts? What do you do to stay inspired?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Arts , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Balzer + Bray
- Publication date : January 5, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (abridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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