Mirrored

June 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-The author of Beastly (HarperCollins, 2007) offers another classic fairy tale reimagined in a contemporary setting. The first part takes place in the 1980s and tells the story of Violet, an ugly duckling who discovers that she's a witch and makes herself beautiful so she can have everything she's been denied-especially the attention of her childhood friend Greg. However, despite her newfound beauty, Greg chooses popular Jennifer instead. The second section jumps to present-day and is told by Celine, Jennifer and Greg's daughter. After Jennifer's death in a suspicious zoo accident, Violet reappears and sweeps Greg off his feet. The stepmother's attitude toward Celine chills as she grows into a beautiful adolescent and the teen takes comfort in a new friend, Goose, who is a small person. When Greg dies suddenly in a car accident, an older witch intervenes and hides Celine, telling Violet that the girl has been killed, but eventually the evil woman uncovers the lie and suceeds in poisoning Celine. The third part follows Goose on his desperate attempt to wake his friend from her magical coma. Convinced that only a prince can save her, he sneaks into the hotel room of Celine's favorite pop star, Jonah Prince, to convince him to kiss her. This retelling of "Snow White" is at times clever but also heavy-handed. Celine has recurring nightmares about apples that make her feel "unsafe" and Violet has a fascination with mirrors that gets overplayed. The sympathetic backstory for the evil witch is an interesting twist. Realistic dialogue and a lively writing style will help readers gloss over the author's missteps. VERDICT This title will be popular with younger teens who enjoy Flinn's previous books and are willing to overlook the overdrawn plot points.-Sunnie Lovelace, Wallingford Public Library, CT

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May 15, 2015
A witch, a girl, and a "dwarf" propel this modern retelling of "Snow White."Bullied but kind Violet Appel gives herself a magical makeover, becoming beautiful but bitter, the fairest in Florida but still friendless. A few years (and a convenient animal attack) later, she marries Greg Columbo, recent widower and Violet's long-term obsession, and meets his pale-skinned, dark-haired daughter, Celine. When Violet grows violent, Celine seeks refuge with her new friend, Goose Guzman, hiding in his house with several (but not seven) other little people and his unbelievably sympathetic parents. While Goose provides comic relief, his dwarfism is handled respectfully, highlighting discrimination along with adaptations. When Celine falls ill, Goose-raised on 1980s movies and fantasies featuring dwarves-rides to the rescue, seeking out the Justin Bieber-like Jonah Prince, consoling a television damsel-in-distress, and battling a witch. Goose's chapters outshine Violet's and Celine's; his language is natural and unstilted, he is more complex than sweet Celine or wicked Violet, he struggles to accept the existence of magic and hesitates before doing death-defying stunts. Light-fantasist Flinn (Towering, 2013) hits the major notes of the familiar story while incorporating plenty of pop culture, but she sometimes sets aside logic and character development for Disney-esque drama and clear moral messages. Flinn's fans should enjoy this latest entry, though lovers of serious fantasy may want to look elsewhere for a grimmer and subtler retelling. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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