The Lost Frost Girl

August 1, 2017

Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-old Owl has never met her father. She doesn't even know who he is. But when the onset of puberty brings an awakening of magical powers, she finally discovers the truth: her father is Jack Frost, the irrepressible nature spirit responsible for the winter months. Owl has inherited some of her father's powers, but she has no idea how to control them and her father has no interest in helping her learn. Moreover, she finds out that her very existence may have been engineered by another jealous nature spirit as a trap for her father. As tension mounts in the fairy court, Owl must learn to use her powers wisely and speak out, despite the fact that the fae are unwilling to listen to a mere half-human. This character-driven fantasy exhibits a nice balance between Owl's magical adventures and her human struggles with friendship and school. Secondary characters, including Owl's artist mother, best friend Mallory, and mysterious new boy Avery, are all interesting and well-drawn; the members of the fairy court are, perhaps intentionally, less knowable. The pacing lags a bit in the first half of the book, but picks up steam as the plot develops. Occasional Briticisms in this UK import shouldn't hinder American readers' understanding or enjoyment of the story; the setting is vague enough to be almost anywhere. VERDICT Purchase where fantasy flies off the shelves.-Misti Tidman, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, OH

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017
A contemporary girl finds her life magically transformed after learning her father's identity. Like her namesake, 12-year-old Owl McBride has feathery, "white-blond hair," "almost yellow" eyes, and a nose on the "beaky side," but she lives a nearly normal life with her single-parent mother. Raised on her mother's stories about meeting Owl's father in "magical wintry lands," Owl's otherwise clueless about his identity. As winter approaches, Owl's skin starts prickling, turns blue white, and sparkles with frost, triggering an "almost overwhelming" need to know about her father. When her mother reveals that Jack Frost, the legendary frost spirit, is Owl's father, she's stunned. During their first frosty encounter, Owl finds Jack a wild, elemental creature lacking humanity, while he eschews his paternity and views her as a challenge. Seeking Jack's guidance to control her emerging powers, Owl journeys to his winter kingdom and eventually confronts his elemental rivals, hoping to earn her rightful place as his daughter. Despite her new powers, Owl remains a vulnerable, credible girl, grounded by her best friend as she learns what it means to be Jack Frost's kid. Her lively, suspenseful, first-person narration alternates with dreamlike sequences featuring such earth spirits as the North Wind, the Queen of May, and the Green Man. A fantastical, frost-filled, coming-of-age debut. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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October 2, 2017
Twelve-year old Owl McBride is unnerved when her strong emotions cause frost to manifest on her skin. Soon after, Owl’s free-spirited mother, who raised her on enchanting stories of the fay realm, reveals that Owl’s absent father is the mercurial elemental spirit Jack Frost. With the help of steadfast best friend Mallory and Avery, a mysterious boy with ties to the fay autumn court, Avery seeks her otherworldly father, hoping to gain a better understanding of her history and budding powers. Owl’s heritage brings an air of lost royalty to British author Wilson’s debut novel, though the fact that Owl’s father isn’t human—and isn’t particularly interested in humanity—makes for some odd moments. Jack Frost is adamant that Owl cannot be his daughter (“I have no mortality! I cannot create life!”), but she still exists, and, despite the issue being raised, no answer is provided beyond, perhaps, an extreme case of denial. Still, Owl’s growing pains and desire to understand her roots will keep readers engaged, as will the fantastical fay world, with its volatile spirits and sharp edges. Ages 8–12.

October 1, 2017
Grades 3-5 Owl has never known her father, and her mother remains mysterious about his identity. When strange things begin to happen to Owl, like frost appearing on her skin, she becomes more determined to find her father. Finally she learns who he is: Jack Frost. Owl delves into Jack's magical world of mythical and fay creatures upon meeting him and also realizes she may have her own frosty powers. With the help of her human best friend, Mallory, and her new half fay friend, Avery, Owl learns to manage her own powers and goes on a fight against nature in order to save her father from permanent banishment from the human world. Similar to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, Wilson's debut nicely blends reality and fantasy into an entertaining read. The world Wilson creates is well-defined with rules and creatures, and she brings the fairy tale individuals to life while maintaining a delightful combination of realism and fantasy. A promising first novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)