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A review by alice_speilburg
The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
4.0
I love the mythology in this book, especially because it's from a culture (Jewish Ukrainian) that I'm not as familiar with. Suddenly left alone when their parents go to see their dying grandfather, these two sisters come of age in the midst of a dangerous series of events, and each has a different set of instructions (and slightly altered family history) from their mother.
I find myself reflecting back on this tale, seeing new layers that were built in on top of the obvious ones: the nuances in love and in hate, both among magical creatures and human. After reading the Author's Note at the end about the true events that inspired this novel, the themes of the novel suddenly felt much more urgent.
At times I wanted a little more clarity from the sisters, especially Laya, who suggested that she had a plan to help her sister but never revealed what that plan was and always managed to get herself caught in a web instead that put them both in greater danger.
It's also worth noting that while I typically don't gravitate toward novels in verse, and Laya's chapters are all written in verse, I found it very accessible, and it added to the whimsy of her character.
I find myself reflecting back on this tale, seeing new layers that were built in on top of the obvious ones: the nuances in love and in hate, both among magical creatures and human. After reading the Author's Note at the end about the true events that inspired this novel, the themes of the novel suddenly felt much more urgent.
At times I wanted a little more clarity from the sisters, especially Laya, who suggested that she had a plan to help her sister but never revealed what that plan was and always managed to get herself caught in a web instead that put them both in greater danger.
It's also worth noting that while I typically don't gravitate toward novels in verse, and Laya's chapters are all written in verse, I found it very accessible, and it added to the whimsy of her character.