Good as Gold (Whatever After #14)

Whatever After #14

by Sarah Mlynowski

The fourteenth book in the New York Times , PW , and USA Today bestselling series featuring fractured fairy tales for fearless kids! Guess where we are this time? The magic mirror has sent me and my brother, Jonah (plus our puppy, Prince), into the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears . Fun! There's porridge to taste, chairs to sit on, and beds to nap in. But Goldilocks is in a LOT of trouble, and if we can't help her, we might get stuck here forever! Now we have - Skateboard down a mountain - Convince the bear family NOT to eat us - Get one hundred gold coins - Escape the royal jail ...And find the one fairy tale character who can turn straw into gold... Wait... Rumpelstiltskin? What are YOU doing here?!

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Childrens, Chapter Books, Fiction, Retellings

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2021

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

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked all the whatever after books, but I loved this one too. I have a signed copy from the author that I got on my birthday. Since I have a squirrel profile, I do love squirrels and this book includes a nice little talking squirrel.

[Dani(elle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the audiobook playing out loud and when the portion of the plot turned to maple syrup, my wife paused her video game and asked if the author was Canadian. Turns out, the author is indeed Canadian. The more you know.

Very cute as always, it feels like the story will be coming to a close soon. Very sad if I do say so myself.

[~Bellegirl91~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heck! Two fairytales in one story! Goldilocks and the Three Bears and also the one and only Rumpelstiltskin shows up! Not only that but now I see why Sarah Mlynowski has a new one out and I'm hoping there's more after the next one which came out yesterday as I write this review at 12:30 am my time hahaha and tomorrow I'm for sure hands down jumping into the new book to this series Just Dance which is about the Twelve Dancing Princesses ! So excited for the new book now that I'm caught up just in time for Just Dane to be released! If Sarah Mlynowski does more of these books then I'm definitely jumping on the next ones that come out depending how the next book ends I guess.


For any mom out there looking for a good book series for their kids or to read with/to your kids these are stories you don't want to miss and they're clean, fun, adorable, funny which I find myself laughing or chuckling every once in a while, and super enjoyable!

[sarah سارة ꫂ᭪ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I've quite literally been reading these books since I was around Jonah's age, so the familiarity and break from growing up was nice.*

⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

❝Sounds like you don't trust them because they're animals and not people,❞ Jonah says.
❝So?❞ Goldie counters.
❝So,❞ Jonah says, ❝you should decide who to trust based on what you know, not what you think you know.❞

⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

જ*⁀➷Summary

Abby, Jonah, and Prince wind up in another fairy tale, this time Goldilocks and the Three Bears. They have only 32 hours to somehow help Goldie, Rumpelstiltskin, the Bear family, and free all of Bebec from its tyrannical king before their parents realize they're gone.
But wait... Rumpelstiltskin?

જ*⁀➷Theme

Not all things broken are unfixable.
True family isn't necessarily biological.

જ*⁀➷Characters

Abby

Sarcastic girl boss main character everyone loves. I was constantly cracking up at her witty remarks and feeling very nostalgic. I appreciated the small little references Abby made to the past books.

Jonah

Kind of embarrassing, but I was literally in LOVE with Jonah when I was 8 and first started reading these books. Jonah is the typical younger brother character, always making a mess and getting himself (and everyone around him) into trouble. But I did notice something different about him in this book. He seemed a lot... wiser? Like, the things he said did not add up with something a 7 year old boy would say. And I'm completely here for it.

Prince

You gotta love the dog. 🥰

Goldie

It's very rare for me to dislike the main character of the fairy tales, but Goldie pissed me off in so many ways. She was too rude, too annoying, and honestly, I don't think she really cared for anyone but her and her dad. Everything she did was for him, which is nice, but she wasn't afraid to drag anyone else in the mud while she did it. And it might just be because of her love for her dad, but then she was completely rude and salty to all the other characters in the book, even though they were all trying to help her. Talk about ungrateful. 🤮

Andrea

I found it hilarious that we only learned her name the second to last chapter of the book, even though she was there since the 5th chapter. I absolutely loved Andrea. She was so sweet, genuine, and caring. Didn't deserved to be locked away from the rest of the kingdom.

Rumpelstiltskin

He was the goofiest character in the book lmaoo. I don't know what I was expecting, but I didn't expect him to be green. I kinda wish he was a little more underhanded and sneaky to fit his original story better, but I guess it makes sense that he was just lonely. Also, was it really because of the crack in the mirror that Rumpy (I'm keeping that nickname) was in Goldilock's tale? Maybe they just always were apart of the same universe, but the original stories just didn't dive deep enough into their backgrounds to reveal that?

જ*⁀➷Recommendation

I recommend you read this book if you love children's books, need a break from adult books, or are between the ages 7-12.

જ*⁀➷Rating

Characters: 4/5⭐

Plot: 3/5⭐ Two star deduction for minor plot holes and glazing over parts I thought were pretty important in the book.

Ending: 2/5⭐ It wrapped up wayyy too quickly for my taste. Don't remember the other ones ending quite like that.

Nostalgia: 5/5⭐

Extra Stars for Nostalgia: 5/5 🤩

Overall: 4/5🌟

⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

[Hadara Valenzuela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 stars overall. I loved how Sarah mixed two fairytales in one! The story wouldn’t have been long enough if it only had Goldilocks and the Three Bears🐻

We got to see more of Goldie and her story. She wasn’t a character I liked to much in the beginning and by the end nothing changed for me. Maybe because as always Abby and Jonah find a way (accidentally) to change the story? They ate the porridge, 🥣 sat in the chairs 🪑and she didn’t. Not surprising. It’s expected they do what the fairytale main character would do.

I really enjoyed Rumpelstiltskins character! He was a lonely little guy who wanted friends and eventually he did make friends with Kid bear and Goldie!

There was a winter ❄️ setting which I’ve only seen in one other book in this series Cold as Ice book #6. I LOVED that book! Snowy, cold or any winter setting in books is something I love! Especially when I read it in Summer. ☀️

And the ending?! Maryrose isn’t trapped inside the magic mirror anymore?!! I might have to read the next book right now! 🤭

Age rating: 9-10 and up!

[Cadee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I like Whatever After Good As Gold because the boy and girl went into the fairy tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Goldie lost her dad because he broke a statue. They out him in jail and the King wanted one bag of gold to let him go." -Cadee, age 8

[Ellerim Namhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a racist dictator government while also discussing an incarcerated parent, a jailbreak, fighting a corrupt regime, the perils of agoraphobia, and the maple syrup monopoly. 5 stars

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a fairy tale mash up with two fairy tales instead of one. I think I can guess which adventure Jonah really wants to go on next. Also, I think Abby learns something new about perfection in this one.

[✨Jinglemarco✨]

I was expecting this new entry about my favorite folktale! :)

[Abby Harman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book! I'm 11 years old, and this is my favorite series at the moment! I recommend it for anyone who loves fairy tales, fantasy, and a great and funny read!

[Serenity · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It really was “just right” I like retellings of classic literature, but Whatever After has a few twists in there it’s funny with plenty of girl power I love Sarah’s retellings of fairy tales I loved Fairest of All when I was in 8th grade I was so drawn to it, especially the plot happily ever after has a new definition, thanks to this dazzling gem of a series that really changed the course of fairytales, starting with Snow White and now Goldilocks and the Three Bears it’s truly enchanting.

[Natalie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book, cliffhanger at the very end

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

explicit scenes: 0/5
violence: 0/5
language: 0/5
alcohol/drugs/smoking: 0/5
intense scenes: 1/5
age rating: 8+

[Kryssy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abby’s lesson: anything can be turned into something better with a little work

This was cool having two stories combined. I wonder how it’s going to be with maryrose out of the mirror

- Jonah slightly cracked the mirror with a skateboard
- Thought they were in rumplestiltskin because of the gold
- Goldilocks is looking for something in the bears’s house
- Goldilocks stole abby’s watch
- She needs to come up with gold to free her dad from jail. He accidentally knocked over a statue. The king requires money to cover a replacement statue for dad’s freedom
- Laws that you cannot steal from people. But animals are fair game
- Rumplestiltskin is in this world two. A two for one fairytale
- Kid bear aka baby bear followed them. She knows where rumple lives
- Rumple wants first born child so that he has friends. Goldie and kid bear all decide to be friends. Need to find straw so he can turn it into gold
- One of the bears has straw in their mattress. Kid bear thinks they will trade it for honey
- Decide to tap a maple tree and make their own syrup. Close enough to honey
- Bears are skeptical but make the trade. Rumple does his part.
- Goes to the king with gold. He is now charging interest. They don’t have extra gold but try to trade the last of the syrup. King wants a year’s worth
- All thrown into jail. Bears rescue them. Rumple creates a golden jail cell for the king when he comes to capture them. Queen comes and won’t rescue him
- Jonah and abby are late getting back
- Abby makes something better out of the bad cupcakes she made
- Mary rose comes out of abby’s jewelry box

[Sara Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abby and Jonah find themselves in Bebec, a world where all animals talk but no one has ever tasted the deliciousness of maple syrup! Can Abby and Jonah help Goldilocks save her father before their parents back home wake up and find them missing?

I read this book with my daughter. We love the mix up of the Goldilocks and the Rumplestiltskin fairy tales. Lots of humor, interesting twists, and good morals to teach kids (don’t judge people, greed is evil, and perfectionism is not always a good thing). The book was exactly what she wanted, as an adult reader, I found some of the aside comments the narrator used to be a bit distracting.

Book is great for parent read aloud to kids ages 6-8, but probably is better for a kid 8-10 for independent reading. For parents and educators, this book would be great to practice prediction in texts and to talk about world building with young readers

[Eleanor Whisenhunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book had an interesting twist to it. I didn’t think that the author was going to put two fairytales in one. Anyway, abby and Jonah fall into the story of goldilocks and the three bears Goldie’s father was in the palace jail because of accidentally knocking over a gold statue, and the only way to get him out was to give the king, a whole bag of gold which supposedly everyone knew 100 coins was a bag of gold. But just wait then Rumpelstiltskin gets in the story and he is willing to spin Gold to get Goldies dad out of jail but for a price then the king asked for 14 more coins of gold. What will Abby and Jonah do?

[Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book a lot. It teaches the reader that when one plan doesn’t work out the way you thought or wanted it to work, you shouldn’t give up instead you should think of another way and not give up; just like how Abby, Jonah, and Goldie didn’t give up after not being able to find honey and instead they made maple syrup from scratch and got the mattress from the Bears. It also teaches the reader to be helpful and kind to both people and animals because then they can help you if you need it. Overall an amazing read and I totally recommend this book to everyone no matter the age.

[Wendy Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy these books along with my daughter, she reads them, usually pretty quickly, she can't put them down, and frankly neither can I🙂. The author does a great job hooking in the reader and then finds a way to solve the problem. It is always fun to see how the traditional fairy tale is different and what fun twist is around the corner! This book ends with a cliff hanger that leaves you saying, when is the next book out?!!!

[Lee En · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the ending and it was I really surprised when a little crack on the mirror can help her escape the mirror. I love it, please Sarah Milnowski, please I want to read the next book. And I love the part when 'he' trapped the awful king into a golden jail. Sorry, but I am a bit if a spoiler. And I read every single book I can find. In my school library, the national library and even an elibrary. And read all the book like a hundred times and I am still not bored of it.

[Rhonda D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairy tales collide in this edition of Whatever After. Abby and Jonah find themselves into the story of Goldilocks, only they arrive in the bear's house before Goldie and, of course, mess up the story. But Goldie is in trouble, her father is in jail and she needs the money to get him out. Jonah and Abby they might be able to help if only they can find Rumpelstiltskin. Wait, aren't you in the wrong fairy tale?

Always fun to listen to on a long car ride!

[Rubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such fun!

This story mixed not one but TWO fairytales! They totally derailed from the original story, and the thieving reminded me of the new Puss in Boots movie version of Goldie haha
Rumplestiltskin also turned out to not be such a villain. I throughly enjoyed this book!
Love the friendships formed, the brainstorming that went on, and the compassion throughout the story. Can't wait to read what Maryrose has in store next 😄

[Cheryl A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably better for the target audience. I read it for The Rumpelstiltskin Problem. ;) Better off rereading Vivian Vande Velde's collection. But it was cute, and funny, and nice. I do not hesitate to recommend it to those interested.

[Elina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most exciting book by far. Not only because they went into 2 stories at the same time but also at the end when they realize Maryose escaped from the crack they made in the magic mirror. This book follows Abby and Jonah into the story Goldilocks and Rumpelstiltskin. Very heartwarming book about friendship. Guess what saved the day MAPLE SYRUP. It was really good I recommend to all kids who know their fairy tales and like twists.

[Alannah Allocco · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started reading this series when I was like 7 years old and I've gotten this far so I feel like I have to finish it out loll. This one wasn't bad but I felt like the storyline was dull compared to the other books in the series. If I read this when I was younger I probably would've given it at least 3 or 4 stars.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uh-oh, there's a crack in the mirror! Things start changing as a result. The fairy tale Jonah and Abby land in is a mash up! Fittingly Goldilocks find herself in cahoots with Rumpelstiltskin. The biggest change occurs when the children are back home after being in the dual fairy tale. What will happen next?

[Darrius Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably in my top three of the series. I liked the little exciting tease we got at the ending plus the two in one story combo was very interesting and intriguing to read. Goldilocks as a character irked me for most of the book, but the original character from the fairy tale wasn’t so great either sooo🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️.

[Kéra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving revisiting and finishing my favorite childhood middle grade book series! I never get enough of fairy tale reimaginings. And I love how these are so easy to just jump into, no matter what you forgot or remembered from the previous books. Nothing crazy but deserving of an animated tv show if you ask me!

[Kendra Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh no, they broke the mirror and now we have two stories mixed into one! But who needs help now?

This story captured a wonderful story, or two and easily brought them together with yet another lovely twist. As always I felt like I was with Jonah and Abby the whole time and loved how they were able to save and make both stories better in the end.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This newest installment was nice to read and I liked the blending of fairytales which Sarah hasn’t done before in this series. This was super easy to get through and while it’s not my favorite kid/juvenile series of all-time, it’s entertaining enough.