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sammy234's review
4.0
Took me a long time to figure out how to rate this. White as Snow is so beautifully written and emotional, yet it took me a long time to finish despite its short length. Some parts completely held my attention, while other chapters were a bit less engaging.
I loved Arpazia. I'm kind of devastated by her terrible ending. (she didn't deserve that, Tanith Lee! It's not fair!) She was a villain, but still so relatable to me. I really empathized with her. I've seen a trend in novels and movies lately, where a story is told from the bad guy's perspective, but rarely is it done in a way I appreciate. Oftentimes, the villain ends up being a misunderstood good guy with no flaws. Tanith Lee, however, managed to completely humanize the Evil Queen from the tale of Snow White and make her into more than just a vain and jealous woman, while also making her into a complex protagonist who I grew very attached to.
The romance near the end of the book was also incredible. I almost want to give the book five stars because of how invested I was in it, despite the fact that the relationship takes up less than a quarter of the novel. It was so unconventional and tender and perfect. I reread the end scene a couple times because I loved it so much.
TW: non-con, murder
I loved Arpazia. I'm kind of devastated by her terrible ending. (she didn't deserve that, Tanith Lee! It's not fair!) She was a villain, but still so relatable to me. I really empathized with her. I've seen a trend in novels and movies lately, where a story is told from the bad guy's perspective, but rarely is it done in a way I appreciate. Oftentimes, the villain ends up being a misunderstood good guy with no flaws. Tanith Lee, however, managed to completely humanize the Evil Queen from the tale of Snow White and make her into more than just a vain and jealous woman, while also making her into a complex protagonist who I grew very attached to.
The romance near the end of the book was also incredible. I almost want to give the book five stars because of how invested I was in it, despite the fact that the relationship takes up less than a quarter of the novel. It was so unconventional and tender and perfect. I reread the end scene a couple times because I loved it so much.
TW: non-con, murder
darcomz's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
letter_from_juniper's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Death, Rape, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence
Minor: Animal death
alyse12's review
5.0
Lee infuses the theme of death and rebirth in the most unexpected places and does so in a way that leaves the reader feeling infused with the characters themselves. I wish there were some way to get the afterglow of this book tattooed on me.
marilynsaul's review
2.0
I hated the characters. There are too many good books out there to read - no point in wasting time on a book that just makes you angry and disgusted.
katestar_p's review against another edition
Dark & disturbing as the old fairy tales. The Grimm brothers’ story interwoven with the Greek myth of Persephone & a subtle overlay of intergenerational trauma & dissociative madness.
trulybooked's review
3.0
If you like warmth in your characters, this book is not for you. There is a sense of coldness through the entire thing and I cannot say that I liked a single character in this book. There is nothing that is truly admirable about any of them. Despite this though, I felt compelled to read all the way to the end, unable to put it down.
It is dark and disturbing, a book for adults as fairytales were meant to be originally and while I enjoyed the rereading of the Snow White tale, I do wish that she could have made her characters... if not likeable then more real.
The react as if they are nothing more than puppets, brainlessly following a plot rather than having any true characterization.
It is dark and disturbing, a book for adults as fairytales were meant to be originally and while I enjoyed the rereading of the Snow White tale, I do wish that she could have made her characters... if not likeable then more real.
The react as if they are nothing more than puppets, brainlessly following a plot rather than having any true characterization.
rosemaryandrue's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-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? No
4.0
Arpazia is a distant mother to Coira - but considering the things she has gone through, and what befalls Coira when her attention does fall upon her, this might be a good thing.
This was an interesting take on the Snow White story, honing in on the relationship between mother and daughter and the heavy burden of intergenerational trauma. I enjoyed the many-layered identities of the characters, and the way the story of Demeter and Persephone - the ur-story of the devoted mother - was laid over this tale of parental rejection, as well as the ways they came together and fell apart.
However, I did feel like the long numb trances through with Arpazia and Coira move lessened the urgency of the story, leading to my interest sagging at times. I also thought the ending was kind of anti-climactic, though it did make sense thematically.
This was an interesting take on the Snow White story, honing in on the relationship between mother and daughter and the heavy burden of intergenerational trauma. I enjoyed the many-layered identities of the characters, and the way the story of Demeter and Persephone - the ur-story of the devoted mother - was laid over this tale of parental rejection, as well as the ways they came together and fell apart.
However, I did feel like the long numb trances through with Arpazia and Coira move lessened the urgency of the story, leading to my interest sagging at times. I also thought the ending was kind of anti-climactic, though it did make sense thematically.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Grief, Mental illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts