Adored it! Adored everything about the young heroine Ophelia–from her smudged glasses to her inhaler, from her scientific thinking to her utter determination, and especially her brave heart! The author’s voice was enchanting and perfect for this cold tale in a bewitched museum. The author strews obstacles into Ophelia’s path, never allowing an easy victory and creating suspense.
The publisher’s note indicates that this novel is a “re-telling” of the Snow Queen, but it is probably more accurate to say it was inspired by the Snow Queen since the story takes the reader far from the original tale. There has been an abundance of “re-told” or “re-imagined” fairy tales lately, but this is one of the best in recent memory, is definitely worth reading, and is proof that the classic tales really are timeless in the right hands. The lyrical prose and brief chapters make for a perfect read-a-loud which all ages can enjoy. Atmospheric and outstanding!
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Random House Children’s Books
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: Verbal threat to run a character through with a sword; report of death of parent due to illness; report of killing animal(s) with arrow; report of death by magical means, non-detailed; an extended frightening/scary scene with ghosts; character injured by an animal; report of loss of limb; extended scene in which characters are chased by magical animals; brief sword fight among characters, resulting in an injury and death, non-detailed.
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Subject Matter:
Death of a parent
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
