I am a huge fan of fractured fairy tales or retelling of old tales. The format of this book was interesting, but the story itself was not as fun as I had hoped and harder for a young child to follow. Perhaps because we had recently read Michael Ann Dobbs' other book, Twelve Terribly Active Princesses Who Were Not Exactly Dancing, it felt like we were reading the same thing. That story at least had a slightly more fresh feeling because the 12 Dancing Princesses is less known than Snow White.

I will always say yes to a fairy tale fractured or not. Anyhow, you are probably reading this hoping for a book review.

The beginning of this story goes about how you'd think it would with The Huntsman letting Snow go in the forest. She comes across a cottage and meets seven dwarfs.

These dwarfs happened to have a bit of rock magic, but others were known for plant magic, or water magic, or calligraphy magic, or making shoes magic, or impressionist painting magic.
Snow convinces the dwarfs to let her use her skills of cleaning, organizing and project management and live in the cottage with them. Things go so well that soon the dwarfs build the second cottage that Snow uses to run bed and breakfast. The evil queen hears about this and goes to Snow attempting to finish the job that the Huntsman left unfinished. She offers Snow an apple:

Snow White laughed. "I couldn't possibly take your apple," she said. "we grow our own in the backyard. Yours is lovely but has probably been shipped a long way. And we try to eat locally grown food."
I found this book almost too short. You could finish it in maybe 2 nights of bedtime storytime.

I read a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review and give it a thumbs up.

I really enjoyed this book. I love the way it makes Snow White be less than a victim. My big complaint with the book is that the story is vibrant and lively but the illustrations are sort of dull and lackluster.

Fine story with a modern approach. Young princess works hard and saves herself

I love retelling of fairy tales, especially when the protagonist is stronger, less sappy than the original. I want strong women, especially, to not fall for the same things that they did in the original. They don't have to marry the prince. They don't have to sit on a thorn. They don't have to live happily ever after.

So, then, why only three stars for this retelling that does all the things that I want, plus has a little bit of humor thrown in? If this Snow White is as strong an capable as she is, why does she want to clean, and bake and do things for others. I just can't get over the joy she takes in cleaning, although later she teaches others how to do it, and isn't do it all by herself. It is just not something I would do and love, so perhaps that is just my problem, and kids will love this book. Freedom through cleaning, however, is not the choice I would have made.

So, three stars for a strong, slightly funny, retelling of the Snow White, and good for her.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.