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A review by katiemoten
Frozen 2: Forest of Shadows by Grace Lee, Kamilla Benko
4.0
I'm a big Frozen fan. I don't mind admitting it. And this book is a really nice bridge between the first movie and the second one (which is actually better than the first one).
It features a lot of focus on the sisterly bond between Anna and Elsa, and, like the first film, focuses mostly on Anna as the main character. Unlike Jennifer Donnelly's Lost in a Book, which was released for the live action Beauty and the Beast, this book doesn't run alongside either of the films, so there isn't anything in the plot of this that jars with the films. It fits nicely in between, ending just as the second film starts, so Benko's tale isn't contradicted by the films, as Donnelly's was.
While enjoyable, this is a really long book, even for middle grade, I think. I feel like it could have been cut down, and I don't think its title really fits (very little about forests here). I think it's a great read for children, though, especially in the themes it deals with. Anna, as younger sister, feels like she's not needed by her elder sister, who appears capable and calm in every situation, especially now that she's in control of her wonderful ice magic. I feel like Benko has kept the sisters really true to their characters in both films (she may have had an idea of the plot of the second film so that she could keep them in character).
It's a really lovely exploration of sisterhood, just as the films are. Anna and Elsa are strongest together, and the adventure they go on together in this book is fun and empowering for young readers, especially girls, I think. Even if they don't have sisters, it's a great story about women working together and relying on each other, and we need more of those.
It features a lot of focus on the sisterly bond between Anna and Elsa, and, like the first film, focuses mostly on Anna as the main character. Unlike Jennifer Donnelly's Lost in a Book, which was released for the live action Beauty and the Beast, this book doesn't run alongside either of the films, so there isn't anything in the plot of this that jars with the films. It fits nicely in between, ending just as the second film starts, so Benko's tale isn't contradicted by the films, as Donnelly's was.
While enjoyable, this is a really long book, even for middle grade, I think. I feel like it could have been cut down, and I don't think its title really fits (very little about forests here). I think it's a great read for children, though, especially in the themes it deals with. Anna, as younger sister, feels like she's not needed by her elder sister, who appears capable and calm in every situation, especially now that she's in control of her wonderful ice magic. I feel like Benko has kept the sisters really true to their characters in both films (she may have had an idea of the plot of the second film so that she could keep them in character).
It's a really lovely exploration of sisterhood, just as the films are. Anna and Elsa are strongest together, and the adventure they go on together in this book is fun and empowering for young readers, especially girls, I think. Even if they don't have sisters, it's a great story about women working together and relying on each other, and we need more of those.