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A review by bookwyrm76
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
4.0
Breadcrumbs is a retelling of the Snow Queen. I thought that Urso did a great job is setting this fairytale in the modern world. Her main characters are real kids with relatable problems.
When the magical elements of the story start to blend with the realistic start there isn't a jarring disconnect which does often happen. There is an element of wonder if it is actually happening or if the main character simply has such a vivid imagination that she creates this dangerous fairytale world in her mind.
For some kids the world is a scary place and while there are always happy endings in fairytales, showing the fairytale world to be a dangerous place as well helps make it something that they can relate to. For some reading is in escape, and I love fantasy that is light and happy and there is no doubt that everyone will live happily every after. That said, there are times when reading those stories seem light years away from my own life in a bad way. When I can't imagine my world being that bright...when I feel that way it's nice to read something that is darker, but still ends well. Breadcrumbs does that on a younger level. It never gets nightmare scary for the kids who love princess tales and daring knights, but it shows how even the most innocent seeming fairytale elements can have a bad side no matter how good they seem at first.
Maybe not a laught a page, but a good story with some sound lessons for real life without being didactic.
When the magical elements of the story start to blend with the realistic start there isn't a jarring disconnect which does often happen. There is an element of wonder if it is actually happening or if the main character simply has such a vivid imagination that she creates this dangerous fairytale world in her mind.
For some kids the world is a scary place and while there are always happy endings in fairytales, showing the fairytale world to be a dangerous place as well helps make it something that they can relate to. For some reading is in escape, and I love fantasy that is light and happy and there is no doubt that everyone will live happily every after. That said, there are times when reading those stories seem light years away from my own life in a bad way. When I can't imagine my world being that bright...when I feel that way it's nice to read something that is darker, but still ends well. Breadcrumbs does that on a younger level. It never gets nightmare scary for the kids who love princess tales and daring knights, but it shows how even the most innocent seeming fairytale elements can have a bad side no matter how good they seem at first.
Maybe not a laught a page, but a good story with some sound lessons for real life without being didactic.