Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Filomena Jefferson-Cho loves to read. More importantly she loves to read the Never After series of books, about a fairy tale realm. On the day that the thirteenth book is supposed to come out, Filomena makes a startling discovery. Never After is real and is under threat. Thus begins an adventure, where Filomena must use her knowledge of the books to help her new friends to defeat the evil queen. This was a really fun, middle grade read and the start of a series of books set in the world of Never After. Very enjoyable.

Omg I absolutely loved this book! I love filomina she is a great character. Jack the adventurer really took her on a great one.
Was sad when this came to end I really wanted to read more!
I’m rereading again!

Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy of The Thirteenth Fairy. This is my honest review.
I am a massive Disney fan and have heard a lot about Melissa de la Cruz so I was very excited when I got this ARC. Knowing it would be about storybook characters coming to life was the icing on the cake.
The story starts off very reminiscent of Sleeping Beauty but Melissa de la Cruz puts her own spin on it. As she says, "the tales are wrong. The tales are twisted and untrue*".
And then we meet Filomena. A 12 year old not very socially outgoing bookworm with overprotective yet loving parents. She is eagerly awaiting the final book of a series that defined her childhood. This is describing me! I have a strong feeling we would be friends in real life.
Reading this was such an enjoyable adventure. My younger self would have loved reading this book. As a twenty something now, I am also so happy I picked it up because I spent a delightful couple of hours reading it. My only criticism is how quickly some characters accepted things and towards the end, I think too many fairytales were mentioned.
I can't wait to read more by Melissa de la Cruz especially if she returns to this world.
If you like the TV series Once Upon a Time or twists on fairytale retellings, I think you'll like this and you should get a copy when it is published in December 2020.
[* uncorrected digital proof, page 6]

I adore all things fairytales and love when they are twisted, retold and reimagined. In this version of events, the characters are literally coming into the mortal world looking for help. Help comes in the form of bullied, super smart and over protected Filhomena Jefferson Cho. A huge fan of a series of books featuring well known characters, she is dismayed when she meets Jack, the main character in them. It takes some time but Filhomena soon realises that she is in the 13th book and is living in.
The Orgres are taking over the fairy tale realm and it is up to a band of children, and their legendary supporters to figure out a way to defeat them.
There is a legend to figure out as well in the form of Carabosse, the one fairy who saved the Princess on the day of her christening. No one knows what really happened but secrets will be revealed.
An enchanting book, one that dares to tell the true stories of fairytales, not the ones we know so well in the mortal world. If you love fairy tales then this is the book for you. I found it charming, adventurous and exciting. Will definitely be recommending to schools and children.

Melissa De La Crùz has another best seller on their hands with 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺.

Once the first chapter came to an end, my inner child's love for fairy tales was calling out for more. I recognised elements of Sleeping Beauty at first during the flashback chapters and the idea of fairies bestowing gifts on the infant princess, but with some wonderfully creative twists on the familiar.

I have only previously read De La Crùz's books based upon the relationship of Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler so 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺 was something I knew would be an enjoyable read if the series was anything to go by. I wasn't disappointed at all and enjoyed the wonderfully creative and imaginative tale a great deal.

The author is very careful and thoughtful in the way they describe the bullying our heroine Filomena Jefferson-Cho endures and how it affects her. You cannot help as the reader, in wanting to give the lonely girl a hug as she finds herself without a bestfriend and the comfort of a fictional world where the 'true' fairy tales are told. I know when I was a child when I read a story that had someone such as Filomena in it, I felt like I wasn't so alone - even if it is fiction.

The magical realm in 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺, is one that as the reader you can easily imagine thanks to the brilkiantky imaginative world-building by Melissa De La Crùz, and I could easily see the different places in my mind as I read from the cosy homes of the Three Bears and the Three Little Pigs, to the hot desert lands home to the Sultan in Arabian Nights, Alamein and his magic lamp. The twists that these characters have to their stories will be ones that surprise you so I'm not telling but I can promise you that you will look at these childhood classics in a new light thanks to this excellent tale for all of us who know magic is real.

I chose this book because I loved the cover, and the description sounded interesting. I love the concept of going into a world that you know from books.

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters are interesting and fun. The adventures are exciting, and the world is intriguing.

I found the constant dipping back into prologues slightly irritating. I can see why it was done, information is revealed gradually, but it disrupts the flow of the story. I also found myself confused once or twice, I’m not sure if I missed something, or if something doesn’t make sense - for example, after travelling for a while by magic carpet, some characters complain because they then have to travel by camel, not on their motorcycles. It was clearly stated that there was only just room to sit on the carpets, so they can’t have their motorcycles with them...

However, apart from the minor confusion, this was an exciting fantasy adventure.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

Honestly this book was very, middle of the road, ok and not one I would shout from the rooftops about.