My reading time is still woefully short, but I did manage to finish Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust and wanted to write a little bit about it.
I didn't realize this as I was starting, but this novel is a Snow White retelling, and it's a very good one. It centers around the relationship between a teen princess named Lynet and her stepmother Mina. Both of these women have magical origins. Lynet was crafted from snow by a magician in the image of her dead mother and Mina, born with a weak heart, has a magical glass replacement heart. Mina is the only mother Lynet has ever known, and they were quite close as she was growing up. When the king of their country dies, however, they become torn apart in a conflict over who will rule.
That summary is leaving quite a bit out, because this novel was surprisingly rich. I really enjoyed how Bashardoust took some of the elements of the classic Snow White tale and wove them into a story that was completely different and new. I also really liked how it focused on the mother and daughter relationship between Mina and Lynet rather than a romantic storyline. Those elements were present, but they took a backseat to the complicated dynamics between mother and daughter. This story has a lot to say about love, loyalty, and family--more than you would think you'd find in a young adult novel. The world building, magic system, and secondary characters were similarly complex and interesting. I was very engaged the whole time I was reading, even if my lack of free time made my progress a lot slower than I wanted.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable and memorable read. I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in this genre.
2024 Reading Challenges Tally:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 4/30
Clear the Shelves 2024: 4
