It comes with the territory.)įilomena’s parents treat her like a precious treasure, a cherished gift. Her parents have very vivid imaginations. A playdate or two, maybe? To ride a bike or scooter without a helmet and an irrational and overwhelming fear of bad guys lurking nearby, just waiting to snatch her up?įor as long as Filomena can remember, her parents have been talking about all kinds of abductions, even legends about fairies who steal kids, switching them for one of their own. She can hardly breathe most days! She deserves some freedom, a little trust here and there.

Most things that are bigger are not necessarily better, she has discovered.īut back to the point: her overshelteredness. She prefers them to the bigger and infinitely less tasty American version. They’re smaller and yet … somehow more chocolaty. Her parents never let her walk anywhere alone, and she’s twelve years old, for British Kit Kats’ sake. Or was that two new smartphones ago? Who can keep track?įilomena can’t contain her excitement, especially as she’s allowed to go pick it up all by herself. The one with the better camera and the talking cartoon emoji. Maybe the best thing to have happened even since the latest smartphone was released. It’s the best thing to have happened since the last book in the series came out.

Oh, joy! Oh, profound happiness! A new book! And not just a book but the finale to the series! All the questions answered! The princess rescued! The villains vanquished! The hero’s journey victorious at last! Two, the thirteenth and final book in the Never After series was released today.

One, her neurotic and way too overprotective parents finally allowed her to walk somewhere alone for once. Unlike the rest of the class, who line up for hot lunch or eat the same old vegan bologna sandwich, like Filomena does every day.īut there are a few bright spots in her day, for which Filomena is grateful. Worst of all, her best friend, Maggie Martin, is currently ignoring her to hang out with the Fettucine Alfredos-the obnoxious rich kids who order fancy pasta delivered from the snooty restaurant across the street. And even though she’s the only sixth grader in eighth-grade algebra, which is an honor in itself, it still stung. She’d left her laptop at home, which triggered an automatic demerit the cafeteria was out of the “good” chocolate milk and she got a C-minus on her Algebra One Honors quiz. Because in her small, sleepy, and perpetually sunny hometown of North Pasadena, California, where nothing ever happens, she’s quickly learning that anything that can go wrong … will. Filomena Jefferson-Cho walks along the sidewalk, looking down and wondering if there are more cracks in the curb than terrible things that happened to her today.

Jealous? by Melissa de la Cruz