Written by Crystal Cestari
Madison, a hopeless queer romantic and Disney fan, is falling behind in school and has no idea what she wants to do with her life. Her unlikely best friend, Lanie, is stressing out about her future as a doctor as well. After her girlfriend dumps her, Madison gets accepted for Disney’s test run Happily Ever After island. Thinking this is her sign that the two need an epic vacation to get their minds off their problems, she convinces Lanie, the girl who knows almost nothing about Disney, to come with her. Once there, however, the two begin drifting apart. Madison, playing Cinderella, is overwhelmed by the stepmother of her story. While trying to still enjoy her vacation, she starts having a crush on Val, one of the cast members. Is Val truly interested or is she playing her role? Lanie meets Madison’s Prince Charming and starts falling in love with him, but could he just be playing a part? Neither, however, can bring themselves to talk about it. Will the two work their problems out? Have the two friends found their own true loves?
A very Hallmark-esque romantic comedy, readers will relate easily to the characters. The plot is slow, but endearing and engaging. With a warm, fuzzy ending and some close calls with romantic tensions, readers will have a hard time putting this book down. Readers who enjoy magical realism, romance, comedy, and vacation adventures will want to pick this one up. Despite the characters being college age, this is a clean read. The only content included is a small amount of swearing and some LGBTQ content. Appropriate for most junior high and high school libraries.
Reviewed by Kira Moody, Public Librarian / Olympus Jr. High Community Member
Review shared in April 2023
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 7 and up
Happily Ever Island
Written by Crystal Cestari
Disney Hyperion
326 pages
Release Date: June 7, 2022
ISBN: 9781368075473
