Sugar and Spice

Whatever After #10

by Sarah Mlynowski

Abby and Jonah's magical adventures continue in the tenth installment of Sarah Mlynowski's New York Times bestselling series! This time, the kids get mixed up in Hansel and Gretel's story.

That's the way the cookie crumbles!Yum! Our magic mirror has dropped me and my brother, Jonah, into the story of Hansel and Gretel. If we're lucky, we may even get to taste the cake-house...But we didn't count on accidentally getting trapped. The real Hansel and Gretel are on the run, and Jonah and I have taken their place. And the witch is making a kid casserole for dinner... Now we have to:- Avoid being eaten - Pretend our dog is a cat- Learn to make kale smoothies- Befriend a talking duck Or we may never make it back to our home sweet home!

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Retellings, Audiobook, Fiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published November 29, 2016

About the author

Sarah was born in Montreal, Canada. After graduating with an honors degree in English literature from McGill University, she moved to Toronto to work for Harlequin Enterprises. While she never met Fabio, she used her romance publishing experiences to fuel her first novel Milkrun.

Since then, Sarah has written four additional novels for adults: Fishbowl, As Seen on TV, Monkey Business, and Me vs. Me; the New York Times bestselling middle grade series Whatever After; the middle grade series Upside-Down Magic (with Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins); and the teen novels Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags, and Parties & Potions (all in the Magic in Manhattan series), as well as Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have), Don't Even Think About It, Think Twice, and I See London, I See France. Along with Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart, Sarah also wrote How to Be Bad, and along with Farrin Jacobs, she wrote See Jane Write, a guide to writing. Sarah also co-edited two bestselling charity collections (Girls' Night In and Girls' Night Out), and has contributed to various anthologies (American Girls About Town, Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday, 21 Proms, First Kiss (Then Tell), Fireworks, and Vacations from Hell).

Sarah is also a co-founder of OMG BookFest, a celebration of books aimed at the early to middle grade reader (ages 7-12) that brings together commercial and award-winning authors with underserved local communities for an exciting experience of books, games and activities.

Sarah's books have been translated into twenty-nine languages and optioned to Hollywood. She now lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.

Reviews

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the first time, Jonah and Abby do not make it back in time for school the next day; however, their parents do not even know they are gone. This was an interesting twist to this fractured fairy tale series.

[Hannah S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! Most series get worse over time, but this series just keeps getting better!

[✧ hayley (the sugar bowl) ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

➳ 4 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

it’s been a while since i read this series but i remember loving it as a kid and it kind of got me into fantasy, specifically fairytale retellings and i definitely want to reread soon 🩰



୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆

[Nisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is very good.they are going to go to Hansel and Gretel.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Kiera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Definitely recommended!

[Sabrina Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute one. Kids will love it. The only part as a parent I didn't like was how the parents didn't realize....well you will understand.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it

[Myrtle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light and unpredictable. The ending was AWESOME

[Hannaneh · Rating 3 out of 5]

من اصلاً قصه هانسل و گرتل رو دوست ندارم و خیلی حس بدی بهم می‌ده ولی این بد نبود

[Carly S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this was a great book! I rated it 5 stars because I never wanted to put the book down! This book is about a girl named Abby and her brother Jonah who have a magic mirror in their basement. They realize that they are in the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, after they mess up their story! First they try to steal the witches jewels but unfortunately they get caught! Second, Hansel and Gretel steal their portal home! And now, they have no idea how to get home! Will they be able to escape and get home before their parents find out they are missing? Read the book and you'll find out!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author has really landed on a gold mine as she sifts through various fairy tales and uses them as destinations for her protagonist, ten-year-old Abby, and her seven-year-old sibling Jonah. In each book they use a mirror in the basement of their home to travel to various fairy tale settings and learn various lessons. In this one, the youngsters are annoyed at their parents for various disciplinary tactics, including no dessert, and they decide to head somewhere else for a little while. It quickly becomes clear that they are in "Hansel and Gretel" land when they meet two youngsters who look a lot like them, and are caught nibbling on a house made of candy and cookies by a witch. While the witch plans to dine on Jonah, the other two children enter the portal that leads back to modern times and take the places of Abby and Jonah. When the latter two finally deal with the witch and go back home, it is with a new appreciation of how good they actually have it, despite their parents' rules. In this, the tenth title in the Whatever After series, Mlynowski wields her trademark humor and awareness of the behavior of children to good advantage as she tells the story. Fans of fractured fairy tales will surely gobble this one up just as greedily as the children devour the witch's gingerbread house with all the trimmings.

[zapkode · Rating 5 out of 5]

{My thoughts} – Abby and Jonah get taught a lesson by MaryRose the fairy that lives inside the magical mirror in their basement. They learn that sometimes they take things that they have for granted, objects, family etc. In this book they get to take part in the Hansel and Gretel story. They learn a lot about themselves as well as Hansel and Gretel.

I have never really been a fan of this particular tale – however, it was nicely written and held my interest. I always enjoy reading these books to see how the tale will be altered, let it be good or bad. I enjoy seeing how the authors imagination can go wild in stories like these. She always finds a way to give the tale a nice spin that keeps the reader intrigued.

In this book Abby and Jonah find themselves taking part in the tale more so then usual. They become so much a part of the tale that they have a hard time getting back home to their parents. If you’d like to know what happens you will need to read the book, it’s worth the read – especially if you are a fan of this series like I am.

[Marfita · Rating 2 out of 5]

These seem to be popular, so I read one.
A bit too didactic for my taste. "Oh, we learned we were spoiled brats." Similar to the Magic Tree House books (which at least do some history) and The Time Warp Trio series.
Jonah and Abby skip off through the magic mirror in the basement to another fairy tale only to meet Hansel and Gretel - who look like doppelgangers. Jonah and Abby get stuck in the Hansel and Gretel story while Hansel and Gretel steal their cushy real lives. The fairy tale seems to be a bit updated - the witch not being a crone and having a blender for making smoothies.
I can understand the horrors of kale, but why do people take so against fruitcake and especially black licorice? Hahaha, their mother served fruitcake for dessert (what mother has ever done that?). Hohoho, black licorice is yucky. It's so yucky that even if you're tied up with it, you'd rather stay tied up than eat your way out. Ha ha.

[Kami · Rating 4 out of 5]

- I usually get sick of a series after so many books, but even though this is the 10th book, I'm still enjoying them.

- There is something really charming and refreshing about these books. They are fun and quick to read, and it is a nice break from my usual reads.

- I love the fun and inventive twists on classic fairy tales. This one had a pretty funny twist in the end. I liked it.

- I'm still very curious about Mary Rose. When are we going to get more of her story?

- I thought it was interesting that this is the first book in the series that hasn't done a fairy tale that has been an animated Disney movie.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one much better than the last one. It was a little different than the rest of the books in the series so it didn't feel repetitive. Also the overall plot was pretty interesting. They're really quick reads and pretty fun to get into every once in a while.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooo, this one deviates a bit from their typical adventure. I liked the lesson they learned in this one.

[Sandra The Amazing]

This time they went in Hansel and Gretel.It was pretty fun,with lots of twists

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the twelfth title I have read a book in this series. I have been reading these stories with my girls for over 7 years now. I read a few of these stories with my oldest starting in 2016. Now my youngest is reading them to me, and her sister handed down the first several stories in the series. And we have added the rest to have the complete series, at least what is available to date. My youngest insists we review everything that we read together, so this review from 2023 is part of that effort. And my youngest has been writing her own reviews of the books she has finished for the last year and is planning on starting her own book blog. Between reading with my oldest and youngest this is the eighteenth time I have read a book in this series. The stories continue to have great staying power. Even as an adult I enjoy these books, not only the first time but rereading them again and again.

Mlynowski as always does a wonderful job with the story in this book, and all we have read in the series so far. My oldest was a reluctant reader. Back then when we read, I would read two pages for every page she read to me. The whole family loves these stories from 8-years old to 80 years old. It is a fantastic series. The stories are fun and entertaining, but also have some valuable lessons and insight.

My youngest daughter and I both give this story a solid 4/5 stars, she says this is a little darker than most of the others to date. She was surprised by what appeared to have happened when it looked like Abby and Jonah might be stuck in the story, and Hansel and Gretel look like they could be their twins. This story had a lot of twists and turns that we had not guessed and took us completely by surprise. She was totally taken by what happened at the end, especially with the changes to her jewellery box once the story was resolved.

The description of this story is:

“That's the way the cookie crumbles!

Yum! Our magic mirror has dropped me and my brother, Jonah, into the story of Hansel and Gretel. If we're lucky, we may even get to taste the cake-house...

But we didn't count on accidentally getting trapped. The real Hansel and Gretel are on the run, and Jonah and I have taken their place. And the witch is making a kid casserole for dinner...

Now we have to:
- Avoid being eaten
- Pretend our dog is a cat
- Learn to make kale smoothies
- Befriend a talking duck

Or we may never make it back to our home sweet home!”

I enjoyed Abby’s and Jonah’s growth in this story, they are continuing to grow and mature. They both are also becoming better at troubleshooting issues and problems during their adventures. I was surprised by some of the twists in this one. It is a good read in a great series.

We always enjoy Mlynowski’s twists and takes on old tales. This is a great take on a familiar tale. The writing in these stories is excellent. My daughters and I love reading them together. The retelling of this story surprised both of us at several different points and I am certain it will surprise you. It is a great book in an excellent series.

[Rissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading these book since I was in middle school and they are still as charming as ever!

1. As always, Jonah and Abby are wonderful characters to follow as they enter these fairytales. Abby is so focused as always and Jonah helps her loosen up and enjoy the fun. It was also very fun for them to find Hansel and Gretel to be almost like clones of themselves and see how they act from an outside point of view. They also allow Abby and Jonah to see how good they have it and teach them a bit humility. I was happy that they had a happy ending going back to their story.

2. The plot was really fun and I loved how they outsmarted the witch. They used the resources they had and their brains to get out from the witches clutches. The twist of Hansel and Gretel jumping through their portal was also a fun new element as they have never been gone that long and it made the plot very exciting.

3. This series is such a refreshing and fast read compared to what I normally read and I really appreciate that! I like taking a break every once in a while and this book series is perfect for that.

In conclusion, a great book to read if you want something short, refreshing, and fun!

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abby and Jonah take another trip through their magic mirror after being told their grounded from technology. This time, it takes them into the story of Hansel and Gretel. They run into them in the woods and are shocked to see that they look almost identical to Abby and Jonah.

When Hansel and Gretel take Abby and Jonah's portal home, Abby and Jonah are forced to play out the story. They're captured by the witch, but do things a little differently than the original way. All the while, they're scared what Hansel and Gretel are doing back in their world.

I love how SUGAR AND SPICE takes you into the classic story of Hansel and Gretel but changes it up a bit. I also really liked how Jonah and Abby learn the lesson that they should be happy for what they have. Hansel and Gretel were poor and Abby and Jonah realizes how good they have it. They know better that to take things for granted again, especially their parents.


Final Verdict: This is another exciting addition to the Whatever After series. It's perfect for fans of Hansel and Gretel, fairytale retellings, and magic.

[Rubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story but....

Overall, I enjoyed the story. Abby and Jonah learn to be more appreciative of what they have and who their parents are. Hansel and Gretel though.....weren't that great. Plus, it really bothered me that Abby and Jonah's parents couldn't even tell their kids weren't home! What kind of parents are they?!
The dad even jokingly stated he preferred the new Jonah. Like how long would it take for them to realize their kids weren't theirs? Or would they have been happy to keep kiss up children? We'll never know, but the idea really bugged me.
Obviously Abby's friend's werent much better, but their not parents.
Besides that though, I loved how Abby was looking out for her brother during the story and using her knowledge and wit to figure out solutions. Pretty fun version of Hansel and Gretel once the original two MCs were gone 😂

[Rhea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fairy tale about a girl named Abby who has a magic mirror in her basement, a fairy is stuck in the mirror and takes Abby and her brother, Jonah to fairy tales. Abby and Jonah go through the mirror and land in Hansel and Gretel's story, and helps them before it's too late, and their transportation home is gone. Will Abby and Jonah save Hansel and Gretel before it's too late, or will they fail the mission and never reach home?

The author uses figurative language to make the book more interesting and entertaining to read. I would recommend this book to a classmate to read. Yes, this book is part of a series, that I will continue to read.

[K’s Corner :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book is a twisted tale of Hansel and Gretel about a young girl name Abby and her younger brother Jonah! In the story they get pulled into the story of Hansel and Gretel and that's when all the chaos and fun twists happens. I liked this book because of the lesson it taught and how the author twisted the tale in a modernish way that kept me intrigued through the whole journey of reading. I would recommend this book to 4th - 6th graders or even people who are older and want a quick twisted tale!💕😃 Here is my full review and summary of the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PHIP...

[Erica Sonzogni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is great! The main characters, Abby and Jonah, have fabulous, funny, realistic personalities. I love how the fairy tale is twisted into a modern problem and the plot changes which makes kids (and adults) excited to find out what is going to happen. Even how the characters are modified (for example, in this book, Hansel and Gretel are not as nice and innocent as in the Grimm's version), shocks and excites the reader. I definitely want to read the rest of this series to find out how Mlynowski changes each fairy tale.

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story had different twists from the other books in the series. When Abby and Jonah arrive in the fairytale of Hansel and Gretel, they discover that they look exactly like them! That becomes a problem when Hansel and Gretel use the portal to get back home, leaving Abby and Jonah in the fairytale.

I loved these twists! They made the story exciting and fresh. It can get boring if every book in a series follows the same plot. I love how every book in the Whatever After series is completely different!

This is a great book and a great series!

[Ethan Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this a five-star review on behalf of my 7-year-old daughter, who is obsessed with the series. She told me that this one, the Hansel and Gretel story, was the best one, and after reading several of them, I agree. For the first time, the fairy tale characters come into the ordinary world, and the kids get a glimpse of how privileged and basically spoiled they are. For some reason, the little boy Jonah is even funnier than usual in this one, too, maybe because he has lots of chances to pig out on candy. This is a solid series overall for early elementary school readers.

[Aiko (Temiko) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually a horror story in disguise. (Nothing gruesome, just my own psychological fear). I forgot this was a children's book and was preparing myself for the worst but everything was okay again in the most predictable, unpredictable way possible.

Hey, I liked this for a different reason. Less for the adventure and more for the anxious palm-sweating, heart beating feeling the plot brought me because Hansel and Gretel is actually probably my least favorite fairy tale.

I could say more about this book but I will stop here so there are no spoilers.

[Izze Brand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jonah and Abby go into the magic mirror, to escape from their parents who are very upset with them. When Abby and Jonah go into the fairy tale and meet Hansel and Gretel, they realize that they have been acting very spoiled. After Jonah brags to Hansel and Gretel, they end up taking Abby's portal back! So what is going to happen to Hansel and Gretel is now happening to Abby! Will Abby free Jonah? It's 6pm, and Jonah and Abby have been missing all day.....

[Shreya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was quite nice - not the best - but, I liked it. It had a classic lesson, don take things for granted. I can relate to the characters - I have been jealous before. I´m sure everyone has had their share of jealousy. This book was just so surprising, hence why, I like it :) Well done Sarah Mlynowski!

:)