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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
"This was what it meant to grow up, to rule, you held sadness in your hands and felt it's weight, then set it aside so you could take care of others. Sophie had people depending on her, and she would not let them down."
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed this! It had all the themes of a traditional “Snow White” retelling, but stood out with a unique perspective on the story. The main character, Sophie, was a strong female protagonist, which I find refreshing in a Snow White retelling. The relationship between her and the prince was sweet and felt authentic. The ending was a bit sad, but also hopeful and had a “happily ever after”.
I had such high hopes with it opening with a quote from Cersei Lannister, but this was the most boring reimaging of Snow White.
Charming retelling of a Snow White story with unusual twists.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Cinder & Glass was such a fun fairy tale retelling for me. I loved that Melissa took the root of what became Cinderella and turned out a delightful story with nods to the familiar. Once again, she brought the same whimsy to Snow White.
Lady Sophie's early debut coincides with her father's wedding to Claudia, who is both beautiful and mysterious. Claudia's fainting spell causes havoc but meeting Prince Philip salvages Sophie's evening. He's everything she hoped for. But all isn't a fairy tale and Philip's immediate disappearance combined with the overwhelming distrust and suspicion surrounding Sophie's stepmother leaves Sophie less than content.
The light and playful first half is offset by the second half. I loved the twists Melissa peppered throughout and the juxtaposition of Sophie's naivety in the beginning to the 180 of her character in the second half. She went from damsel in distress to solid and dependable, capable of handling the problems she faced. While I'm not a huge fan of love-at-first-sight, it was very fitting and Sophie's time away from the palace was full of angst and overcoming the odds stacked against her.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for the gifted copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Note: Most of the novel reads young YA, but there is a romantic scene that leans more mature.
Lady Sophie's early debut coincides with her father's wedding to Claudia, who is both beautiful and mysterious. Claudia's fainting spell causes havoc but meeting Prince Philip salvages Sophie's evening. He's everything she hoped for. But all isn't a fairy tale and Philip's immediate disappearance combined with the overwhelming distrust and suspicion surrounding Sophie's stepmother leaves Sophie less than content.
The light and playful first half is offset by the second half. I loved the twists Melissa peppered throughout and the juxtaposition of Sophie's naivety in the beginning to the 180 of her character in the second half. She went from damsel in distress to solid and dependable, capable of handling the problems she faced. While I'm not a huge fan of love-at-first-sight, it was very fitting and Sophie's time away from the palace was full of angst and overcoming the odds stacked against her.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for the gifted copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Note: Most of the novel reads young YA, but there is a romantic scene that leans more mature.
The first half feels like Pride & Prejudice, the second half feels like Snow White… which means I was incredibly bored for the first half
One of the best Snow White retellings imo. I love that the step mother wasn’t evil, that the dwarves were kids, and that the witch helps them. Tho I will say that the duke and Claudia dying wasn’t necessary imo and it definitely destroyed me emotionally