HAPPILY EVER ISLAND

College freshmen journey to a brand-new Disney resort.

A chance to be one of the first guests to explore Disney’s new themed resort, Happily Ever Island, is a dream come true for Disney fanatic Madison. The new location allows guests to role-play as their favorite characters for an entire week. Madison has picked Cinderella as her Disney persona and had hoped for her girlfriend, Tessa, to join her as the fierce and brave Merida. Alas, Tessa and Madison have hit a rocky patch, so Madison brings along her pal Lanie—despite Lanie’s being a Disney novice. As the two White friends explore the park and experience various bits of Disney magic, both encounter a little more than they were looking for. Lanie finds Prince Charming, a hunky Black man, while Madison begins to fall for Japanese American Valentine, a junior Imagineer who may hold the keys to her future. The pervasive Disney product placement may disrupt the reading experience for some, but readers who are fans will not mind. Lanie and Madison are charming, well-rendered characters, and the tertiary players get enough shading to make this a skillfully executed character piece. The action is crisp, and the pacing is clean as the narrative provides plenty of reason to explore every inch of the fictional Disney park with charming detail.

A confident ode to Disney magic and the perils of growing up.