Story's End

Common Sense Media says

Storybound sequel has brave kids, cosmic battle.

Age(i)

2
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17

Quality(i)

 
(i)
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What parents need to know

Educational value

Critical thinking skills play a key role. The mythic qualities of the battle for Story resonate with other cosmic clashes kids will encounter in many media. And, since Story's End takes place in a land where every character has a well-defined role, not only as a Hero or Villain, but in a particular style, e.g. Modern or Western, this book, like Storybound, serves, as a lively introduction to concept of literary genres and the many different kinds of stories available to young readers.

Positive messages

Messages about perseverance, loyalty, friendship; the ability of unlikely characters to come through in a crisis; and the importance of seeing through efforts to manipulate you.

Positive role models

Una and her friends are believably flawed, but try to do the right thing and show courage, loyalty and resourcefulness. As Snow and her mother fight for their lives and the future of Story, their prickly relationship turns to a more positive bond. The mysterious Kai, who always shows up in the nick of time, is a positive influence on the kids and on larger events.

Violence & scariness

Violence is more feared than glorified, as the characters are threatened with various types of harm -- death, having your body taken over by a zombie-like creature, being "written out" and made to have never existed. One evil character murders another; some characters, mostly evil ones, are killed in battle.

Language
Not applicable

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Story's End is the sequel to Storybound, and kids who haven't read the first book may have trouble making sense of the plot, which involves good and evil forces battling for the land of Story. Once again, plucky young heroine Una Fairchild, who discovered the terrible secret of her parentage in Storybound and inadvertently set a cosmic clash in motion, joins forces with Peter, Snow, Indy, and other friends to keep everyone and everything they love from a terrible fate. There's mortal combat between the good, the evil, and the undead, and some combatants are killed; one evil character murders another.

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Kids say

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What's the story?

Storybound ended on a suspenseful note: young Una Fairchild, an orphan who's been spirited from our world to the land of Story, where she's made many friends and had great adventures, learns the dark secret of her parentage, and releases evil forces bent on nothing less than STORY'S END. Now she and her classmates in Story must use all their skills and bravery as they join Story's other characters to defend their home.

Is it any good?

QUALITY
 

Kids who already know the characters will enjoy the reunion and the fast-moving adventure of Story's End. Kids who haven't read the imaginative, complex Storybound may have a hard time getting their bearings concerning Story and its inhabitants, as well as the cosmic clash that threatens to engulf them. 

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about why stories of kids in the world of fairy tales are so popular. How are the Story books similar to and different from others of this type?

  • The bad guys in Story's End use enchantments to trick characters into doing things they'd never do otherwise. Have you seen pepple in real life lose their judgment and do bad things because someone is so persuasive?

  • Una and Snow have troubled families; how do their adventures and dangers improve things?

Book details

Author:Marissa Burt
Genre:Fantasy
Topics:Magic and fantasy, Princesses and fairies, Adventures, Book characters, Brothers and sisters, Fairy tales, Friendship
Book type:Fiction
Publisher:HarperCollins Children's Books
Publication date:April 2, 2013
Number of pages:368
Publisher's recommended age(s):8 - 12
Available on:Hardback, iBooks, Kindle, Nook

This review of Story's End was written by

Mary Eisenhart

About our rating system

  • ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
  • OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age.

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Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging, good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Kid, 12 years old June 30, 2013
AGE
18
QUALITY
 

Disappointed reader

This book gives young readers no such thing as good role models. I read it and did not like it at all. It is not an eight year old appropriate book and I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT.
What other families should know
Too much violence
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