GRETA EVER AFTER

A seventh grade girl lives out a real-life fairy tale.

Greta Starr receives an unusual gift from Ingrid Sauer, a distant German relative, for her 12th birthday: a mysterious cuckoo clock with a creepy history from the Black Forest. Ingrid also gives her a book of the Brothers Grimms’ original folk and fairy tales, which are decidedly darker than the Disney versions. When her clock turns out to harbor a strange secret—Lulu, a little dancer who comes to life and sets Greta on an ill-advised path—Greta must process this strange turn of events while navigating middle school life with her two closest friends, soccer star Chloe and class president Isabel. Aspiring journalist Greta is excited to finally join the school newspaper so all three of them can successfully make their marks. But writing compelling pieces is harder than expected, and she’s tempted into taking unethical shortcuts. Greta’s character arc is framed by repetitive allusions to Into the Woods, her favorite musical. Her internal monologue of invented headlines punctuates the text, interrupting, summarizing, and providing humorous commentary on various plot points. Although these headlines feel awkwardly integrated and sometimes more adult than middle school in tone, they align with Greta’s journalistic goals. Greta is cued white, Isabel is Puerto Rican and white, and Chloe’s surname is Chinese. Final art not seen.

A relatable coming-of-age story interwoven with dark fairy-tale elements.