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A review by jeremychiasson
Frozen 2: Forest of Shadows by Kamilla Benko
3.0
"Forest of Shadows" is not a novelization of Frozen II. It's a completely original story that takes place between the two movies, and helps set up/foreshadow the events of Frozen 2. Author Kamilla Benko already wrote a moderately successful middle grade fantasy series about two sisters (Unicorn Quest), so she really was the perfect choice for this assignment. She does a great job capturing the relationship between Anna and Elsa, and adds some depth and complexity to it.
Actually the whole book is surprisingly mature and dark. Even in terms of setting things are dark, as Anna and Elsa spend most of their time in dimly lit libraries, hidden rooms, underground passages, abandoned mine shafts, and the deep dark woods of Arendelle. There are also some surprisingly lofty philosophical/literary references: Olaf attends a lecture on Dante, we learn about Scandinavian Folklore, and existentialism gets a mention!
It was neat to read a grittier, more sophisticated Frozen story, but also super weird. The lighter kiddy characters make almost no sense here. Kristoff talking for Sven just seemed DERANGED and not funny during very serious, depressing situations. Olaf is walking around talking about Dante's Inferno--like, what's going on here?
Despite the dark themes and philosophical references, the love between the two sisters saves the day in the end. Maybe because the story is told from the perspective of a wounded Anna, but Elsa really doesn't come across as a very good sister in this one. I know she had a weird childhood, but according to this book she is in her mid-twenties: It's time to stop blaming your childhood, and start owning your behaviour, gurrrl! That being said, it's actually pretty realistic that the two sisters struggle to connect and communicate. They're two very traumatized orphans trying to run a Queendom.
I'm torn, rating this. On the one hand, this book doesn't have a lot to offer me personally. On the other hand, you really couldn't expect anything more out of a middle grade novel created to bridge the stories in a Disney film franchise. 2.5 stars!
Actually the whole book is surprisingly mature and dark. Even in terms of setting things are dark, as Anna and Elsa spend most of their time in dimly lit libraries, hidden rooms, underground passages, abandoned mine shafts, and the deep dark woods of Arendelle. There are also some surprisingly lofty philosophical/literary references: Olaf attends a lecture on Dante, we learn about Scandinavian Folklore, and existentialism gets a mention!
It was neat to read a grittier, more sophisticated Frozen story, but also super weird. The lighter kiddy characters make almost no sense here. Kristoff talking for Sven just seemed DERANGED and not funny during very serious, depressing situations. Olaf is walking around talking about Dante's Inferno--like, what's going on here?
Despite the dark themes and philosophical references, the love between the two sisters saves the day in the end. Maybe because the story is told from the perspective of a wounded Anna, but Elsa really doesn't come across as a very good sister in this one. I know she had a weird childhood, but according to this book she is in her mid-twenties: It's time to stop blaming your childhood, and start owning your behaviour, gurrrl! That being said, it's actually pretty realistic that the two sisters struggle to connect and communicate. They're two very traumatized orphans trying to run a Queendom.
I'm torn, rating this. On the one hand, this book doesn't have a lot to offer me personally. On the other hand, you really couldn't expect anything more out of a middle grade novel created to bridge the stories in a Disney film franchise. 2.5 stars!