I've seen and read a lot of retellings of Snow White over the years. I think this was my favorite.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This. Book. Was. So. Dull. Like, mind-numbingly boring to read. I find Girls Made of Snow & Glass quite difficult to review, because while I didn’t hate this book– I have more of a total apathy towards it– I simply do not understand the amount of hype around it. I got almost 2/3 of the way through the book before deciding to DNF it and, like… nothing happened. The characters are two-dimensional and have no personality or discerning voice whatsoever. The magic is predictable and overdone. I was bored pretty much from the first page, and absolutely no action of interest happened in the 64% of the book that I read. This book is pitched as a feminist retelling of Snow White, but the retelling felt so lacking in originality. Plus, I just didn’t get feminist vibes from this book at all. It wasn’t anti-feminist, per se, but I also didn’t feel like it added anything new or needed to feminist YA lit. There were hints of an f/f romance forming– which, as you guys know, is MY JAM, always– but even that relationship wasn’t interesting enough to make me finish this book. Part of the reason Girls Made of Snow & Glass was such a huge letdown for me was because all of my friends who have similar reading tastes, as well as almost all the reviewers I trust, have adored and raved about this book. That makes me think my dislike of the book is an “it’s not me, it’s you” situation. So, if you enjoy fairytale retellings, maybe give this one a shot! I simply found it utterly boring and unoriginal, and I don’t plan to ever finish it.

This book was a DNF for me. I didn't realize it was pro-LGBTQ+ when I started reading it. Being a conservative Christian reviewer, I couldn't finish it due to that content.

This book was not for me. I didn't like the characters and the story was very slow going. I did like the feminist aspects though.

I thought this was a amazing take of snow white and its awesome because I've never read or seen anything on snow white! it was a really creative elements of the classic and the women in the story were awesome and I LOVED how there was no woman hating. Though the plot wasn't that strong to me I really enjoyed the characters.

I enjoyed much of this book. It's a fresh, feminist take on a tired shopworn story (Snow White) that confronts some classic fairytale conflicts in unexpected ways. I enjoy the LGBT+ angle. That said it was a little uneven, LOTS of character development, but very little plot.

A beautiful re-imagining of Snow White and Rose Red with an intriguing relationship between Mina the Stepmother and Lynet, the Snow White of the story. With magic and the true meaning of love holding the story together. Hard to put down. A definite must read!

This is actually everything I’ve ever wanted in a retelling, but for some reason not all of it worked for me. Still, to be honest, as someone who never really loved Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, I actually thought Girls made of Snow and Glass was actually a delightful book.

It definitely is very character-centric though, and without Mina and Lynet’s relationship it wouldn’t have been nearly as heart-wrenching. I thought the world-building was mildly good, as that too seem to be centered around the characters. The setting itself was a bit thin.

Although the book included aspects from the original fairy tale, there were still several twists that made the story its own. The plot, unfortunately, was probably the weakest part of the story. It did feel like a fairytale, with some of the atmosphere of the original, but my biggest problem with this book was probably the pacing. Usually fairytales are shorter, and because this was a fully fleshed out book, it was really slow and it felt dragged out.

I actually enjoyed how the perspective switched between Lynet and Mina and how their stories actually took place on different timelines, but it seems like most of the book was actually background knowledge about how they got to where they were. The climax was not only underwhelming, but also felt too simplistic compared to how long and detailed the setup was.

This has been described as a feminist and queer book, and although there are several aspects of the latter, I liked that it was quite subtle. However, I felt like Lynet’s romantic plotline was a bit unexplored and though I like the characters separately we didn’t get to see enough of them together. Mina was probably my favorite character of the entire book because she was understandably flawed, and yet she had that aura about her that made her almost similar to an antihero.

Overall I did really enjoy the characters and the premise of this book, but because of the slow pacing and the fact that the twists weren’t all that “twisty” I felt like I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as I wanted to. Still this was quite an enjoyable quick read, and I would definitely tell anyone who enjoys retellings to add this to their tbr!

Well, I have happy tears in my eyes after finishing this. I loved it. Yes, I am a sucker for fairy-tale adapts, but this was something special. Magic, love, choice, strength, power, the damage that abusive parenting can do, the damage that not being seen for who you really are can do, acceptance....

Mina is the queen who believes that she is incapable of love or of being loved because her cold magician father replaced her dying heart with one made of glass. Lynet is her stepdaughter, formed by the magician out of snow for a grieving king. Both women have been hurt, and lied to, and pushed away, and dismissed as weak and useless. Mina has been told that her beauty is her only value, and that being queen is her only purpose.
So many stories pit women against each other, especially when it comes to beauty and power. These two find each other despite the men in their lives, and find themselves.

Oh, and not to mention the beautiful gay love story! Forget handsome princes! How about a tough, smart, vulnerable young woman willing to betray the magician to save the princess that she has come to love. A different kind of awakening.

This is my favourite Snow White EVER

Adored this book from the word go. I almost want to pick it up and read it again immediately. It's the best thing I've read all year!

Once upon a time in a castle stuck in a forever winter lived two women - one made of snow, another made of glass.

You know how history is usually written by the winners? The tale changes, and it’s never quite as we know it. Well, this was the Snow White story that I believe was real. The one that actually could’ve happened versus the one we know where there are seven dwarves, a wicked stepmother, and a lot of narcissism. Not as dramatic, but more realistic.

The two leading ladies of this retelling are Mina & Lynet, the story alternating between Mina’s past and Lynet’s present. These women were destined to be rivals, but what is truly is stronger - love or power?

At sixteen, Mina moves to Whitespring Castle in the forever frozen northern part of the kingdom. Her mother is dead, and her father a heartless magician who replaced her heart for one made of glass when she was a child. She’s never known love, but she craves it. So when Mina sets eyes on the newly widowed king, she is determined that she will find it with him. Only problem? She’ll have to become a stepmother if she wants to become queen and win over the king’s affections.

Fast forward to the present, and we meet fifteen-year-old Lynet, the king’s daughter. Made of snow in her mother’s image, she’s never felt comfortable in her skin. She doesn’t want to be a dead queen’s memory, but someone fierce (like her stepmother Mina). Only problem? The king just made her queen of the southern territories (her stepmother’s turf), and she’s about to lose the only mother she’s ever known.

Add in a huntsman made of glass, a f/f relationship with a young surgeon, and a complex family relationship, and you get Girls Made of Snow and Glass.

This book is all about character building - Mina and Lynet were great protagonists. Both had more going on that what people took them for, loved each other from the start, and there was no fairest of them all drama. Both women were beautiful, noted this, and moved on to other problems that were a little more pressing. You know, like Mina nearly losing control over her beloved southern homeland and Lynet hoping she wouldn’t turn into her mother incarnate.

I wish there had been a little more world building. The story is so rich in relationships, but very light on the foundations. I really didn’t get a basis for the kingdom (other than the cursed weather). It could have been because the character perspectives were limited. Lynet acted like a child and fragile (because she had been treated as such), and looked at the world with naivety. Mina didn’t give us a great perspective of her own homelands (despite the people being in love with her as queen). Some details like that didn’t quite align from what we were told/shown.

At the end of the day, this is a mother/daughter, leading lady tale. Not a story about the kingdom, the castle, or the king who couldn’t let go of his wife’s memory and made her duplicate out of snow. It was a little slow, didn’t have a lot of plot, but definitely is a story worth checking out. I loved how the author entwined elements of the original Snow White tale, but still made it her own.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass: 4 stars

I loved this dark Snow White retelling so much!

I liked the way Bashardoust weaved Mina and Lynet's storylines together. She did a good job of establishing the timelines of the different characters. I thought the ideas were so cool on top of the fairy tale inspiration. I legitimately forgot that this was supposed to be a retelling for the first quarter of the novel (I for some reason just thought it was a fantasy that happened to be in a storybook-like setting) and then I got to the part about the snow and glass hearts and I remembered and I just thought that was so clever like who thinks of that??

I tried to write this review while I was coherent, but I'm still just so giddy/fangirly over this book!
I've loved fairy tale adaptations for so long, but since I've read so many, they can get super repetitive. This story was so new and refreshing and it makes me so happy that there are people creating new stories with the fairy tales that I've always loved reading about and twisting them in a way I have never encountered yet.

This book would be great for fans of Rosamund Hodge and Catherynne M. Valente. I think it demonstrates some really great examples of interesting family relationships, friendships, and romantic relationships, as well as a cool magic system.
Definitely one I'd recommend!

Current release date: September 5, 2017

***I received an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I’m going to be really honest with you, I was never a fan of Snow White. I never really enjoyed the movie and I didn’t think Snow White was a particularly engaging princess. I can say that Girls Made of Snow and Glass surpassed all of my expectations. This book is so much more than a Snow White retelling. It’s a story of love, family, discovering your inner strength and power, and making your own choices. We follow Princess Lynet as she nears her sixteenth birthday and discovers truths about herself and her mother’s death that she isn’t ready to face. We see Mina at sixteen, trying create love and happiness by becoming Queen. We follow Lynet and Mina as they begin to drift apart, and desperately cling to their own hopes that their relationship isn’t broken.

Things I Liked :
Lynet and Mina’s relationship was my absolute favorite part of the story. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and completely original. This isn’t a wicked stepmother who is jealous of a younger, more beautiful daughter and vows revenge. This is the story of a broken woman, who thinks she is incapable and undeserving of love. Combined with her daughter who is now unsure of who she is and who she can trust, while still greatly admiring her stepmother. It’s a deeply complex and emotional relationship that is a joy to read.

I loved the different fantastical magical elements in the story. I love that the characters have magic that is unique to them. It made the magic more personable and accessible for the reader. It wasn’t a vague concept, but smartly grounded with our characters.

I love that we got to see Mina when she was sixteen. I think these chapters were my favorite parts of the story. (I did slightly prefer Mina over Lynet). We really get to see her develop as a character. She could never only be the evil stepmother, because she is so well developed especially in these background chapters.

The story is such a fantastic retelling. The characters are reimagined beautifully, the relationships are well established. The story is uniquely crafted and distinct, while still feeling familiar.

Things I Didn’t Like :
There was very little world building in the story. We get to see a bit of both the North and the South, but we don’t really get much history about Whitespring, their culture, or customs. I would have liked to know more about this fantastical world.

There were two instances of miscommunication or assumptions (both by Lynet) that really frustrated me. Miscommunication and assumptions as a plot device is one of my least favorite things, it’s always frustrating and usually makes me like the character a little bit less. I can understand where Lynet was coming from and why she acted rashly, and didn’t want to hear any explanations. But as the reader, we know more than her, we know she should stop and listen, so it was mildly frustrating that she didn’t.

I don’t think I can properly articulate how utterly captivating Lynet and Mina’s relationship is. Everyone should read this just to get all the feels from all of their interactions. This is such a breath of fresh air in the world of retellings - you get more than you expect and are left completely satisfied. Girls Made of Snow and Glass is an alluring tale of family, friendship, trust, expectations, and love.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass was everything I have ever loved or dreamed of in a fairy tale (retelling) and more. Just when you think that it couldn’t get any better, more precious, or moving, Bashardoust surprises you. To say I loved this book is a drastic understatement. To say I am looking forward to the next one, is even more of an understatement. I’m waiting here, with my calendar open, waiting for the announcement so I can pencil it in.

Mina’s father is an infamous and deeply feared magician who pays her little to no attention. Announcing his decision to move them both to the court of Winterspring is the exact opposite of what Mina wants. No more warmth, only coldness and a court life surrounded by those who are prejudiced against her. However, Mina finds out more than she ever wanted to know on this day: the day her father tells her that her heart is one of glass, one without a heartbeat. Upon arriving at court, Mina resolves to be loved and to win the heart of the grieving king. But winning the heart of the king also means becoming friends and stepmother to his daughter, Lynet – a perfect replica of her dead mother.

Forever being defined in the boundaries of her mother’s shadow, Lynet wants to be free to be herself. Taking comfort in her stepmother Mina’s compassion, Lynet begins to wonder about what a life of her own might look like. But before her desires can get away from her, she finds out a terrible truth: that the same magician who replaced Mina’s heart created her out of snow with his blood to be the perfect image of the dead queen. Unable to move on from his dead wife, the king deposes Mina and replaces Lynet as the ruler of the South and pits the two against each other – each the only family they truly have.

What results is a battle as old as the classic fairy tale of Snow White, because only one woman can be queen. Will it be the woman made of glass or snow and can they figure out a happy ending for them both?

That is normally much longer than the summaries I write for the book, but it is all the information I had going into the story myself. Based on that synopsis, I knew I would love this. Described as Angela Carter meets Frozen this book delivers on that promise and so much more. The world is detailed, as if we’ve stepped through a looking glass into their world: the North’s freezing cold and bitter eternal winter as opposed to the warmth and vivacity of the South.

Mina and Lynet are everything and more. Lynet is endearing on so many levels. She is compassionate, brave, and intelligent. Her spirit is admirable and her romance story line is truly precious. Her history, being trapped by her own mother’s shadow, makes Lynet compelling, because I think, in a way, we all feel trapped by our history when growing up. For Lynet, this challenge is even more disturbing. What do we do when we cannot escape our own shadow? Lynet is the fairy tale heroine I have been searching for and only now seeing within our society. Mina is even more special to me because too often are ‘stepmothers’ in fairy tales given a stereotypical and ‘villainized’ role. However, Bashardoust takes everything we thought we knew about the fairy tale stepmother and complicates it. Making us question every other fairy tale stepmother.

By telling Mina’s past, while events unfold in the present, Mina’s character is given more personality and depth. She is complex, intelligent, and vulnerable. Painfully universal is Mina’s desire to be loved. We are able to see exactly what made Mina this way, who told her she was incapable of love, and exactly how fiercely she craves its warmth. It reminded me of all the times we are told that we can only receive the love we think we deserve. But is that correct? How do we see the love within ourselves? Additionally we catch glimpses of Lynet’s early childhood, her spirit, and the way that these two women connect to each other – bound by a desire to follow their own paths in the shadows of their male creators.

Thematically, I was enthralled by so many narrative choices. Having studied fairy tales in university, I am aware of their power and tropes. Bashardoust’s manipulation of these conventions is superb, elevating this tale from one of a beautiful and touching story, to a tale that actively redefines the definitions it works against. True Carter-like work here. Among my favorites was the fact that both Mina and Lynet are created by the same man. (This plot thread alone is absolutely poignant as something that not only connects them, but also mirrors their journeys). This evoked images of male created ‘monsters’ such as Frankenstein and made me wonder about the power of the female spirit for creation. Bashardoust takes up this challenge as well. There is also a beautiful intertextuality within the story that picks up threads from other fairy tales, for example the reference to the Juniper Tree.

But what truly charmed my heart was the interaction between the character and the plot – the way that Bashardoust builds upon the framework of the original story and gives it a vibrant life of its own. Even more so, Bashardoust gives us a fairy tale for the 21st century, modern and complex. There are so many beautiful elements and touches within the story whether it be a side character’s plot, or a twist of phrase. Embracing all the power only a fairy tale holds, we are invited to question the narratives of the past, to imagine a new future in which the success of women can be rid of its competitiveness, where women can make their own destinies, and where they can heal their own hearts.

Utterly enchanting and imaginative, Girls Made of Snow and Glass quickly found its way onto my favorites shelf. This is a fairytale retelling that entirely feels like its own original fairytale, and I loved every minute of it. It turns tropes on their heads and does the thing I love fairytale retellings to do - acknowledges in some way that this is a story that will get twisted and lets its characters take some agency.

Lynet and Mina are such vivid, real characters and their love for each other was lovely to read about, even as they struggled to understand their love for each other and each other and themselves. I simultaneously wanted to devour this book and never finish it because I never wanted to leave this world; I could have easily finished it in one sitting, but dragged it out for a couple days instead. There's just something so quiet and lovely and tender about this book, the way it looks at women and their relationships and the way society/men will try to tear them apart. I loved how multifaceted every female relationship was in this book - Mina and Lynet are rivals, friends, equals, and mother/daughter to each other and they're constantly having to navigate those many facets. This book is an intense character study, all about looking beneath the surface of those around you while also figuring out who you are without letting others tell you who you are.

Melissa Bashardoust managed to take a fairytale that I admittedly have very "meh" feelings about, and made it magical for me. I highly recommend picking this up when it's released in September; I want to put this in the hands of everyone.

I’ve always been a fan of retellings, but what grabbed my interest about this one in particular was the overtly feminist message it advocated from the beginning. The author is fully aware about how this book will be received by readers, and I think, surprisingly, that’s a good thing. The novel takes pains to never pit the two women against each other, instead focusing on building their relationship. As a result, the fallout that occurs is made that much sadder.

Miscommunication is the crux of this novel. What it lacks in obstacles and exposition, it makes up for in exceptional character development. Although often frustrating, there are points in this novel where you see real change occur, and they are special. Seamless transitions between narratives in the past and present allow for the story to flow naturally, to provide important background which leads to development. However, that development, that depth, falls only on Lynet and Mina. I truly wish Nadia had been developed more, as she brought a new component to an often revisited tale. I also thought that for a stand-alone, it was lacking in real progress. It seemed to set the stage for more than what actually occurred. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by the LGBT+ representation.

This is a wonderful novel and a wonderful retelling. It sets the bar high for authors in the future who seek to write feminist endings for well-loved fairytales.

That was P H E N O M E N A L .

This is a spectacular book. I've seen lots of stuff pitch was "feminist this" but most of the time I've found it still messes up in some way. GIRLS MADE OF SNOW AND GLASS succeeds in every way. Lynet and Mina are such complex, fully-drawn characters, and their relationship, from its beginning in Mina's flashback chapters, to the present in all its beautifulmessyhonesty made me cry multiple times. It's so riveting. Yes, riveting is the word for this book. I was riveted from the very first line. This is a book to be savored and reread.

Lynet and Mina will make you feel for them in SO many ways. From the circumstances of their upbringing, to the choices they make as young women. I was equally drawn to both of them. Then there's the other women of the book--the dead queen Emilia, Mina's frenemy, Nadia the surgeon, a mother who was selfish... each of them matter so much. Preconceptions are subverted, tropes are quashed, and each character gets a space to live and breathe on the page.

The story itself was so inventive and creative. I am not a Snow White fan at all. I didn't even want to read this because it was a Snow White retelling. But I requested on a whim, not expecting to even get approved. I'm so thankful I did, though! This book completely twists the tale in such new ways. I love how the mirror and huntsman were especially re-imagined. I think fans of the original story will appreciate how creative this is, and people not so thrilled with the original like me will completely devour this.

And the writing! Wow, the writing was beautiful. The world building had that fairy tale feel to it. The romance was a small part of the story, but well done, and didn't shy away from exploring some difficult dynamics. The magic was magical (and also really smart and introspective).

The way this story is told is so well done. We start out with Lynet POV chapters in the present, and then Mina chapters take place in her past for about half of the book. The plotting and reveals are so good. Everything ties together. Nothing drags. It's just a marvel of a book. Truly, GIRLS MADE OF SNOW AND GLASS makes Bashardoust an exciting writer and storyteller to watch.

This book could have been so good. A great twist on the Snow White story but there were too many similarities to Frozen that it felt like a rip off. And I felt like the accepting and LGBT angle was not only forced, it seemed like a token "let's accept everyone" but didn't come off well. In addition, as a parent, I find this type of content objectionable so in my opinion it should have a clear disclaimer before reading. Would I recommend it? No. Did I enjoy it? Parts of it I did.

In this retelling of Snow White, the princess and the stepmother are complex characters who, while they are at odds sometimes, also love and value each other. They are both victims of the societal pressures on women at the time, and are both expected to only be one thing. The princess, a frail, quiet girl in the same manner as her late mother. The queen, a beauty who can not love and is only concerned with keeping her power. These complexities make the story realistic and engaging, but also make it hard to know how to feel about them throughout the story. The reader is never able to fully get settled into an opinion about them, which is both good and bad.

The main characters are all here: the evil stepmother, the doting (but clueless) king, the spirited and misunderstood princess, the valiant huntsman, the evil magician. But don't get fooled into thinking you know the story. Because this Snow White isn't just interested in being the most beautiful creature in the land. She wants to rule. And she wants to choose who else rules beside her.

I would recommend this book. It is appropriate for grades 7 and up. While there are romance side-stories, they do not overtake the overall story. This is a must purchase for libraries where patrons enjoy fantasy retellings such as Cinder and Rump: The true story of Rumpelstiltskin .

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advance copy to review. Opinions are my own.

Will be posted on September 1st
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MY THOUGHTS

This book was so lovely. So basically what this book is its an a fairlytale telling but heres the twist its a FEMINIST take ON IT.

If you don't want to read it like right now I don't understand how you cannot want it.

So the story's pacing was kinda funky, it felt at first to be kinda all over the place but it seemed to work with the writing style (which was beautiful)

It told in dual POVs between Mina and Lynet, I loved how you cold feel automatically which character was which. You could feel their distinct voices in each POV, you could just hear them.

The relationship were all so well written and made me feel real magic between all the words.

I really don't know what to say, I don't want to give away too much, because that's the fun with this story, its honestly just utterly outstanding(that makes sense right)

Just go into this book without knowing much and you'll love it. Just know that it will play with you brain, because we all know the classic story of good and evil but who's really the good and evil