Today's read doesn't come out for about another month or so, but the title and cover settled into the realm of Christmas dreams for me and my family. Mostly because our chances of seeing a flake are basically zilch until mid- or late January (or longer). My youngest sighs when she sees or hears anything about snow and reminds me that she wouldn't mind snowboarding week after week if she could.
With these longings, I'm picking this one up and also hoping that it carries the whisper of fairy tale vibes, since it seems that might be involved as well.
SNOW
by Meera Trehan
Walker Books US
Middle Grade Fantasy
320 pages
ages 8 to 12
COMING...
JANUARY 14th!!!
In this beautiful and haunting fantasy, an imprisoned princess needs the help of a girl from the modern world to undo a wish gone wrong and save her snowy kingdom.
Every day, a lonely princess digs through the snow in search of a way to undo the terrible wish she made—one that has left her with an empty kingdom and a heart full of guilt. But one day, a mysterious girl named Ela tumbles through the kingdom’s protective mist barrier. The princess is determined to bring Ela to her father, the harsh king, as proof that her wish can be undone, even if it means keeping Ela against her will. Meanwhile, Ela, who has grown up a regular kid in what she thought was a regular Indian American family, is shocked to discover she’s stumbled upon the very snow princess whose picture graces the cover of the locked book that Ela’s mom won’t let her read.
Every day, a lonely princess digs through the snow in search of a way to undo the terrible wish she made—one that has left her with an empty kingdom and a heart full of guilt. But one day, a mysterious girl named Ela tumbles through the kingdom’s protective mist barrier. The princess is determined to bring Ela to her father, the harsh king, as proof that her wish can be undone, even if it means keeping Ela against her will. Meanwhile, Ela, who has grown up a regular kid in what she thought was a regular Indian American family, is shocked to discover she’s stumbled upon the very snow princess whose picture graces the cover of the locked book that Ela’s mom won’t let her read.
In this elegant fantasy, author Meera Trehan conjures a story of loneliness, family secrets, science, and remarkable snow as two girls from different worlds come together to set things right—and maybe even become friends.
MY TIDBITS
Snow hits with new meaning as two worlds collide, bringing beauty, fantasy, and greed.
For years, a young princess digs and digs in the snow. From morning to night, she searches for the one object that could give her and her father hope and relieve her never-ending guilt. Just when she finally catches a glimpse at what she's been searching for, a girl stumbles through the mist barrier, which separates their lonely kingdom from the world beyond. and hope disappears. Or maybe not. The girl comes from the land beyond, and while neither the Princess or her father have ever seen it, strangers had once brought many wonders from there. While the princess isn't sure about the girl, she soon realizes that this might be the salvation her and her father have yearned for. But miracles are some of the most difficult and slippery paths to tread, especially when their foundation isn't what it appears to be.
This reads as a fairy tale and has whispers, every now and then, reminding of The Snow Queen. But it isn't a retelling and takes a very unique direction surrounding themes such as the greed for power, guilt, friendship, and courage.
It begins with the magic of a snowy world and holds a sense of tragedy from the get go. The Princess is in a desperate place, and while it's not clear exactly what the problem is, the wrongness of the situation is obvious. The Princess' reaction to Ela, the girl entering through the mist, was a bit odd and confusing, but as the story goes on, it makes sense. But then, the entire plot is laid out so that various aspects remain unclear, at first. The adventure of the two girls unfolds as they journey to the castle and learn more about each other, while flashbacks reveal missing pieces bit by bit. Since I'm more on the hesitant side when it comes to flashbacks, this obviously wasn't my favorite story-telling style, but these flow well, aren't confusing, and add a sense of mystery and purpose as the story progresses.
The tale is told interchangeably from the two girls' perspectives, and through the flashbacks, the reader gains a better understanding of each one at the necessary moment. While the main story concentrates on the girls' forming relationship and journey, the backstory carries the meat of the plot. The kingdom has quite the complex history and richness, and this is what actually drives the tale. There's a story in itself surrounding each girl's parents and their political weavings...enough to probably create another 300+ page novel if fleshed out. The backstory hangs thickly woven around Ela's parents, and while not hitting the mother/daughter (and even father) relationship as much as I'd hope, it does a nice job in showing the tragedy behind the Princess' struggles and creates a lot of sympathy for her feelings of guilt. This makes the ending hit with that much more surprise and potency.
Summed up, it's a rich tale, which brings across a lovely realm of fantasy with the touch of magic. It's not all sunshine and demonstrates how blurred the lines between duty, love, right and wrong can become. There are action moments, but it leans heavier toward emotional/relationship tug-a-wars (all middle grade appropriate) and 'intrigue from the past' (I'm just going to call it that, although it's not really plotted, evil intrigue...more misguided decisions and consequences). Several things were left unclear (the magic, for example), but the ending opens the door to a further adventure, which has the potential to hold quite a bit more on many fronts...and it could go in many directions.
No comments:
Post a Comment