Breadcrumbs

Starred review from August 29, 2011
Ursu follows her Cronus Chronicles
trilogy with this deeply felt, modern-day fantasy that borrows plot from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. Richly imaginative fifth-grader Hazel, adopted from India, has recently switched schools and is failing (badly) to fit in. Money is tight, her parents have divorced, and her best friend, Jack, suddenly rebuffs her. Hazel is devastated, but readers learn the cause of Jack’s alienation is a shard of magical mirror lodged in his heart. When Jack disappears with an ethereal woman on a sled pulled by wolves, Hazel heads into the wintry and enchanted Minnesota woods to rescue him. A sadness as heavy as a Northwoods snowfall pervades this story, though it has its delights, too. Ursu offers many winks at avid fans of fairy tales and fantasy (Jack’s mother looks “like someone had severed her daemon”). The creepy fantasyland that Hazel traverses uses bits from other Andersen tales to create a story that, though melancholy, is beautifully written and wholly original. It’s certainly the only children’s fantasy around where Minnesota Twins All-Star catcher Joe Mauer figures into the plot. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12.

Hazel's best and only friend, Jack, has disappeared, yet no one else seems to notice. Hazel fears the worst and embarks on a quest to save her friend from a wicked ice queen in an enchanted land. The world of fairy tales can be dangerous, but for Hazel the real world of fifth grade is worse, so she's up to the task at hand. Kirby Heyborne is a bit too slow paced in his delivery of the narrative, but he excels with dialogue and characterization. The listener easily pictures awkward Hazel, cocky tween boys, cruel witches, and helpful woodsmen. Even magical animals, ice, and wind come alive, thanks to Heyborne's tones. This is a gem, and Heyborne makes the audio experience one to treasure with family. G.D. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine