Review: Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant
Oh, this book! Happily Ever Afters is one of those YA books that felt so relatable to me, even though there major parts of the main character that were different from me. I just loved it and could see so much of myself in Tessa’s journey as a writer and lover of Romance. I highly recommend this book on audio because it really brings to life the conflict and angst of being a teen without making an adult reader roll their eyes. The book is so important!
Synopsis: “Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She’s rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she’s a true leading lady is in her own writing—in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader. When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just...gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming. But as Tessa checks each item off Caroline’s list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about—including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?” —From the Publisher
What I Liked:
The Relatability—When I shared that I was reading this book on Instagram, someone messaged me and said they thought I’d relate to this main character. Tessa and I are different in a lot of ways. I am not biracial and didn’t have to change schools in high school, but parts of our personality were so similar that even through our differences, she helped me feel seen. I experienced the “window and mirror” effect my friend Haley speaks about frequently. I saw another person’s life through the window of this book, but saw parts of myself reflected back at me in the mirror of this book.
The Characters—The relatability of Tessa as a main character helped me to fall in love with all the other characters! Plus the romance felt so real and relatable. Sam was so sweet, I found Tessa’s worries with her best friend Caroline totally relatable and Tessa’s brother was such a light. I loved how Bryant highlighted his Autism through his sister.
The Arts School Setting—I wish I could have gone to an arts high school like Tessa, but I did major in theatre and could really relate to how all the characters felt there. The imposter syndrome, the warmth of happiness, the fear of not measuring up…I felt it all!
What Didn’t Work:
A few parts dragged but the writing and characters are so charming, it makes up for it. Highly recommend the audio because it makes it fly by!
TW/CW: micro-aggressions, racism, ableist language
Character Authenticity: 5/5 Steam Rating: N/A Overall Rating: 4.5/5