Melissa De La Cruz is both an author and an inspiration for young and old readers and writers everywhere. She has helped put together two events that bring joy to readers. Those two events are Yallfest, which takes place in November in Charleston, S.C., and the other is called Yallwest which takes place in the springtime in California.
Melissa De La Cruz’s books have helped readers to believe in both themselves and that the world contains hope if you know where to look for it. One of my favorites of her works is the, “Descendants Series.” The first book in the series is a prequel to the Disney Chanel hit movie, “Descendants” and it is called “The Isle of the Lost.” This shows Mal’s, Jay’s, Carlos’s, Evie’s, and Ben’s life before the VK’s made their impact on Auradon Prep and the citizens of the kingdom. The reason why I have enjoyed and continue to love this series is that it showcases that it is okay to be different from those around you. The characters each have their own backgrounds and hardships but they also have their favorites. Evie likes designing, Carlos loves his dog and campus mutt Dude, Mal loves painting, and King Ben and Jay has “tourney.” But one of the most important messages through the story is that they have made friends with people that had a different upbringing than their own.
“Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy,” is a book that centers on a girl who literally gets sucked into her favorite book series with some of her favorite characters. To some, this might sound like a dream come true that they would never pass up. But for Filomena, this event uncovers secrets about her past that shock and startle her. On February 3rd, 2022, the second book in the series came out, “Never After: The Stolen slipper.” This book is the first book to be published by Melissa De La Cruz this year. I am not going to give away any spoilers, but this story spreads some light on favorite characters of fairytale past and we get to see their true colors (and if that slipper is really supposed to fit or not). The questions that you might have while reading this story are, “Who is the hero in the iconic fairytales that I have been hearing for years?” As well as, “How can this person be the villain?” Melissa De La Cruz gives us the message of not judging a book by its cover.
There are other books outside of the fairytale word by Melissa De La Cruz too. Such as “Jo and Laurie,” which is by Melissa De La Cruz and one of her fellow author friends Margaret Stohl. This story is the duo’s very own take on the story of “Little Women,” by Louisa May Alcott. It shines a brighter light on the friendship of Jo and Laurie and the possibility of romance between the two.
All of these books and even more by Melissa De La Cruz are fantastic reads. Booknerds, if you are interested, go on and check them out!