Cover Image: Snow & Rose

Snow & Rose

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Member Reviews

I received this ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you netgalley and publishers.
I am a big fan of Grimm's fairytale and this is exactly what this book reminds me of.  Snow and Rose are sisters that live in the woods with their mother. Their father has disappeared in the woods. The girls go out exploring and befriended a boy They rescue a bear, but they are scared that a woodsman will find and kill the bear. Then they stumble upon a man that wants to enchant them or kill them. I dont want to ruin the book for you so I will stop my review here.. it was a decent little read. 3.5 stars

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This isn’t the same Snow White and Red Rose story from Disney, it’s something closer to the original Grimm story, and it’s marvelous. Snow and Rose are two sisters who with their mother live in the woods after their father disappeared in those same woods and they lost their fancy house and way of life. The girls explore, befriending a young boy from a mushrooming family named Ivo and a large bear who they nurse back to health during the winter. But they fear the woodsman will find and kill their bear. Then they stumble upon a sinister Little Man who seeks to enchant them or kill them. Surprisingly, this is one Grimm story with a happy ending . . . which I won’t spoil. You’ll find out when you read it. 🙂

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It took me a while to get through this book, but I finished the last third very quickly. I was not very familiar with this fairy tale, so I enjoyed the story as pretty much new to me. Ms. Martin told a lovely story about two young girls who make a new home in the forest after their father disappears. They make new friends, encounter new enemies, and do their best to avoid the evil in the woods. We hear from some side characters here and there that seem kind of random but in the end are revealed. I actually didn't love that aspect--they were kind of built up as a major plot point but didn't end up feeling that way. The resolution is not totally unexpected once you get there, but the journey is quite enjoyable. I think kids who are looking for more chapter book fairy tales will enjoy this. More serious than, say, Leisl Shurtliff's Jack/Red/Rump books. A lovely fairy tale read.

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This book was so gorgeous. The illustrations add so much charm to the story, and the story of Snow White and Rose Red stays the classic that the Brothers' Grimm wrote.

While it is very hard to keep the heart of a fairy tale in a retelling, Emily Winfield Martin doesn't lose this one. She adds more context and characters, but keeps everything as is, and that's where most of my love for this book comes.
It's written beautifully, yet simply, keeping it easy for a child to understand what is happening. The settings in this book leave a lot to the imagination, but what we are given is beautiful.
I loved this book, so much, but I also felt like it was missing something. I can't put my finger on what, but maybe it'll come to me later on.

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This book was such an enchanting read! The story read like a true fairy tale, full of magical places hidden in the woods and characters as interesting as they were unique. I really enjoyed the characters of Snow and Rose. Their characters were not only nicely fleshed out but they also had an amazing sisterly bond that really added an extra layer of charm to the story.

While being familiar with the original tale the book was inspired by, I was still pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns the author threw in and I really enjoyed how the story turned out. I must also point out that this book has lots of gorgeous full color illustrations which served to make this book even more beautiful. If you love fairy tale retellings and enchanting tales, I would highly recommend this book to you.

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C'era una volta due sorelle che abitavano in un bosco.

I loro nomi erano Bianca Neve e Rosa Rossa, e dalla loro casetta nel folto della foresta si preparavano a vivere molte incredibili avventure...

Questa versione meno nota della fiaba di Biancaneve è ben nota ai brillanti lettori di Fables, e viene piacevolmente rielaborata, con un tocco moderno e sensibile, da Emily Winfield Martin.

Le due sorelle e la madre si trasferiscono nel bosco dopo la misteriosa scomparsa dell'amatissimo padre e marito, lottando ognuna per venire a capo del dolore che le travolge.

E nella foresta moltissimi strani personaggi fanno la loro comparsa, e molti altri scompaiono senza lasciare traccia - spetta alle due bambine fare luce sui misteri della loro nuova casa, ricostruendo nel frattempo la loro vita.

Una fiaba piacevole e piacevolmente, se non eccezionalmente, illustrata.

Sebbene lo stile piano e le vicende non presentino particolari caratteri di originalità, intrattengono per qualche ora, e sono ideali per la lettura ad alta voce.

Particolarmente riusciti i caratteri delle due sorelle e il rapporto fra di loro e con la madre, e la delicata descrizione dell'elaborazione del lutto e dell'evoluzione dei rispettivi caratteri.

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I just finished "Snow & Rose" by Emily Winfield Martin. I am reminded of all the fairy tales that I read growing up. I immersed in Hans Christian Anderson, The Brothers Grimm and Tales from the Arabian Nights. While reading Snow & Rose's plight after their father disappears without a trace, we are based with hardships and a mysteriously ungrateful little man. He reminded me of Rumpelstiltskin. I kept waiting for him to ask them to spin gold for him. It turns out that he does covet the shiny yellow metal but I don't want to give too much away. It is enjoyable quick read that will take you down memory lane. If you filled your head with Giant Roc birds and children wondering off in the woods, this is definitely a tale for you. There are no giant Roc birds in this story but you get my drift. I hope that the author will continue to write more stories in this style so we can continue to carry on this form of storytelling.

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What can I say about this absolutely gorgeous book, other than the cover speaks for itself.

Emily Winfield Martin has crafted a beautiful world that is sure to delight young readers and adults alike. I myself am such a huge fan of when authors tackle fairy tales and myths and make them their own. I thought I knew what kind of story this was going to be going in, but I was honestly so surprised. It exceeded all my own expectations of a fairy tale re-imagining that "Snow and Rose" has now set the bar for any future stories I find in this genre. Both the young girls are very strong in two different ways and I am sure they are to become excellent role models for all children who end up reading this.

Snow and Rose are two very different siblings and I loved the relationship between the two. Snow being the younger and more whimsical, is very ready to see the world as a kind place, where anything you wish for will come to pass, and has a heart very full of hope. In addition she also still has that young naivety about her, which is shown through her constant wishing that things have to go back to the way they were. Rose on the other hand, is the older slightly more wiser about the world, who is very book focused, and has lost some of that childhood innocence as she is coming closer to her early tweens. She is a very protective, and someone I related to immensely. Both girls are quite smart and I loved seeing their relationship play out, with no real tears in the two girls bond, no matter how difficult things seemed to become. They always ended up sorting out their arguments and working together to solve the many problems that came with venturing off the path and into the woods.

In their mother was another interesting character, as she goes from a very vibrant and present to quite absent after the disappearance of her husband. Her own journey back to being somewhat close to that original vibrancy is quite interesting and was excellent seeing from a child's point of view. The descriptions of Edith's malaise and depression are quite poetic, as is the rest of Emily's writing. Once she is back to not quite what she was, the bonds between mother and daughters is quite strong and beautiful.

The illustrations are definitely a huge, wonderful addition to the story as a whole, and Emily's artistic style definitely matches the tone of the story. I am wholly looking forward to seeing the final product and the rest of these full colour illustrations.

This book as a whole is one that is sure to delight both children and adults, and is definitely one to keep an eye on, as it will surely be up there with the other great fairy tale re-imaging's such as Chris Colfer's Land of Stories series.

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This book was so sweet and beautiful.

The illustrations were stunning. Since this isn't a finished copy, not all of the art was included or completed, but I actually really loved seeing some of the sketches as well as the finished art. The little embellishments really added to the story and I can tell this will be a gorgeous book in its physical form.

I was a bit skeptical when I read the first third of the book because each chapter seemed a bit disjointed. However, I was impressed by how the author managed to weave all the separate elements together in the end. It really came full circle.

I'm not too familiar with the origin story, so I can't judge how much of the story derives from the source material and how much is a new interpretation... but, regardless, I enjoyed what I read. I'd recommend it for a middle grade audience as well as older readers who enjoy middle grade stories.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The fairy tale of Snow White and Rose Red is one I've always really liked, but it is one of the lesser-known gems. So it's great to see a fleshing out of this particular tale. Emily Martin handled the story well, with interesting and believable characterizations, the right dose of magical content, and a good resolution of all the story elements. Very readable, probably best suited to upper elementary/middle grade students. I'm hoping the final illustrations will be better than the e-galley ones; in particular, I was very disappointed in the sketch of their little stone cottage, which in the illustration was definitely sided with wood!

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Emily Winfield Martin is one of my favorite illustrators. Snow & Rose is a beautiful and elegant book, both in its prose and in its illustrations. This is a must for fairy tale lovers.

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