Having watched the show first and then reading the books, I have to say, I like the books a lot better. The show is cute, but very superficial. I think the book has more diversity in the characters. I understand these characters are based on dolls, but the show makes them all so appearance-obsessed. The line, “Raven rarely wore makeup”, made me giggle a little, because it is so incongruous with the show. I preferred Raven’s character in the book compared to the overly glamorous show version.

I also like that there is more of an emphasis on friendship and being true to yourself. This is true of the show as well, but I think it is more obvious in the book because a lot of the superficial stuff is toned down.

I was a little disappointed that the first two chapters are word-for-word Raven’s and Apple’s stories in the prequel (“Raven Queen and the Mirror Prison” and “Apple White and the Ebony-Haired Legacy”). But that is probably more of a critique of the prequel since I’m assuming this book was written first. Also, I shouldn’t be too surprised since the pictures of Raven and Apple are exactly the same on the cover of this book as the ones on Once Upon a Time.

The writing of the book was well-done. I loved the interaction of the Narrator and Maddie. I also really enjoy all of the silly puns incorporated in the text (“Hexellent” is my all-time favorite). It’s one of the things that I really love about this series.

A very good book and an easy read. This is a fun retelling that is mysterious, adventurous, and spell-binding. Great for those who are interested in or have seen the show since there are many differences between the two. The overall theme and plot is the same, but from what I remember, the adventures are different.