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2busyreading's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Chronic illness and Animal death
okollie's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Truly my first 5 star read of the year! I read this book as a kid and I loved it a lot. As I read it these past few weeks, I remembered bits and pieces but was absolutely blown away by how incredible every word felt. It was magical and surreal but also grounded in the universal truth that is the experience of growing up. It strikes a balance I continually strive for and I want to hand this book to every fifth grader I know, and adults too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Blood, Mental illness, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
nannahnannah's review
2.0
Ahhh, a retelling of The Snow Queen (one of my most favorite fairy tales!) with an Indian American lead--this should have been a guaranteed favorite!
But ... I don't know. I just couldn't connect to the story. There were so many parts I enjoyed, but the changes Anne Ursu made to adapt the tale to a modern audience didn't feel like the added anything to the story--and seemed to detract from the original themes that made The Snow Queen so compelling.
Hazel, an adopted Indian-American girl living with her (white) mother, really only has one friend in Jack, her neighbor. She's bullied at her new school for not following rules and having too much of an imagination. Instead of studying, she wants to have adventures with Jack--be a knight or a pirate--someone more interesting than a no one in school who can't do anything right.
Her wants are answered when one day Jack leaves with a "white witch" after getting something in his eye during a snowball fight. It's just not the adventure she imagined she'd be having. Instead of something glamorous and fun, Hazel is trudging through dark forests and knee-deep snow. She's hungry and cold, and wolves stalk her day and night. And for what? For someone who might not even want to be saved.
The premise (even besides my love for the original fairytale) is so intriguing! As for the execution ... that, I wasn't so fond of.
For one, Jack's mom has depression ("sick with sickness" is the phrase the book uses. For some reason, "depression" is never ever used in the book. I wish it was ...). But her depression is treated abysmally. So much so that I'd say her treatment in the book is extremely ableist, as someone who has depression myself.
Both kids think of her as "not a real mom" (the book's exact words), and as if Jack doesn't have a mom, similar to Hazel not having a dad (her father left her). Yeah, just because she has a mental illness. Her depression is so severe that most of the time she can't leave the couch. But when she does, people push her to go back to the couch, saying "What are you doing up? Go back there and sleep or something.". Um, that's the opposite of how you should treat someone with depression. This author has No idea how to write a character with a mental illness, and it's painful to read.
Her depression is a theme somewhat, as it comes back at the very end, but it's not connected well enough, (living with something -- I don't want to spoil it--and I wish it was just done better.
When Hazel begins her adventure the book becomes more charming, but the story doesn't have much resemblance to the fairytale it retells. Instead, it seems to have more in common with the Chronicles of Narnia, to be honest! With the Snow Queen being called the White Witch, the forest being full of wolves, Narnia references abounding, and more. The theme of warmth & summer versus winter is lost (which could definitely a personal choice of the author!), instead the book goes for something that's probably more common among YA: the personal strength of the protagonist overcoming self-doubt.
I can see it's a satisfying read, but I just couldn't get into it. :S
But ... I don't know. I just couldn't connect to the story. There were so many parts I enjoyed, but the changes Anne Ursu made to adapt the tale to a modern audience didn't feel like the added anything to the story--and seemed to detract from the original themes that made The Snow Queen so compelling.
Hazel, an adopted Indian-American girl living with her (white) mother, really only has one friend in Jack, her neighbor. She's bullied at her new school for not following rules and having too much of an imagination. Instead of studying, she wants to have adventures with Jack--be a knight or a pirate--someone more interesting than a no one in school who can't do anything right.
Her wants are answered when one day Jack leaves with a "white witch" after getting something in his eye during a snowball fight. It's just not the adventure she imagined she'd be having. Instead of something glamorous and fun, Hazel is trudging through dark forests and knee-deep snow. She's hungry and cold, and wolves stalk her day and night. And for what? For someone who might not even want to be saved.
The premise (even besides my love for the original fairytale) is so intriguing! As for the execution ... that, I wasn't so fond of.
For one, Jack's mom has depression ("sick with sickness" is the phrase the book uses. For some reason, "depression" is never ever used in the book. I wish it was ...). But her depression is treated abysmally. So much so that I'd say her treatment in the book is extremely ableist, as someone who has depression myself.
Both kids think of her as "not a real mom" (the book's exact words), and as if Jack doesn't have a mom, similar to Hazel not having a dad (her father left her). Yeah, just because she has a mental illness. Her depression is so severe that most of the time she can't leave the couch. But when she does, people push her to go back to the couch, saying "What are you doing up? Go back there and sleep or something.". Um, that's the opposite of how you should treat someone with depression. This author has No idea how to write a character with a mental illness, and it's painful to read.
Her depression is a theme somewhat, as it comes back at the very end, but it's not connected well enough, (living with something -- I don't want to spoil it--and I wish it was just done better.
When Hazel begins her adventure the book becomes more charming, but the story doesn't have much resemblance to the fairytale it retells. Instead, it seems to have more in common with the Chronicles of Narnia, to be honest! With the Snow Queen being called the White Witch, the forest being full of wolves, Narnia references abounding, and more. The theme of warmth & summer versus winter is lost (which could definitely a personal choice of the author!), instead the book goes for something that's probably more common among YA: the personal strength of the protagonist overcoming self-doubt.
I can see it's a satisfying read, but I just couldn't get into it. :S
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
morganperks's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Abandonment and Mental illness
linesiunderline's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
For a young reader who loves fairy tales, Narnia, adventure, friendship stories, Breadcrumbs would be a great recommendation.
Ursu is a fine writer. I appreciated how she brought more complex and sometimes challenging issues into this story without making them the primary focus: adoption, divorce, parental depression. To me she paid enough attention to these topics to introduce them respectfully while allowing her young characters to have concerns / joys in their day to day lives that they were also focused on.
I am not sure that the balance of the sections of book worked. Part One, in the ordinary present world, was too long for my taste. I understand that Ursu needed to set the stage for us to understand Hazel and Jack and their lives, but Part Two, when Hazel went to the woods, was so full of creativity and tension and action but it felt rushed.
Also, I can’t decide if this book relied too closely on the stories that inspired it - Narnia and The Snow Queen specifically. It was sometimes distracting how some of elements were almost too familiar.
I will try more by this author and admired that she conveyed so many emotions and layers of experience in the two main characters. It was a convincing and moving friendship story.
Ursu is a fine writer. I appreciated how she brought more complex and sometimes challenging issues into this story without making them the primary focus: adoption, divorce, parental depression. To me she paid enough attention to these topics to introduce them respectfully while allowing her young characters to have concerns / joys in their day to day lives that they were also focused on.
I am not sure that the balance of the sections of book worked. Part One, in the ordinary present world, was too long for my taste. I understand that Ursu needed to set the stage for us to understand Hazel and Jack and their lives, but Part Two, when Hazel went to the woods, was so full of creativity and tension and action but it felt rushed.
Also, I can’t decide if this book relied too closely on the stories that inspired it - Narnia and The Snow Queen specifically. It was sometimes distracting how some of elements were almost too familiar.
I will try more by this author and admired that she conveyed so many emotions and layers of experience in the two main characters. It was a convincing and moving friendship story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Chronic illness
Minor: Blood
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