Customer Reviews

Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A wonderful story about how the wicked queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became so wicked.
I like to casually browse the Young Adult section at Borders and B&N and I'm very influenced by cover art. Reading the inside flap, I only needed one sentence to sway me. I bought it immediately and started reading once I got home. I have to say that the author caught the Disney version of the characters perfectly and I believe that's the way it should be.
The writing was well written and it moved quickly for me. The end of each chapter made me want to know what would happen next and it provided great imagery for my imagination. I watched the classic Snow White right away with the thought of the Queen's life and it changed the whole movie for me-in a good way!
It even has a nice twist at the end. I definitely recommend this to anyone who appreciates an alternate view on a classic.

Fairest of All is the Wicked Queen's story... what drove her to become soooo wicked.

Firstly I want to say that the moment I saw this cover - I absolutely had to buy it. It really is spectacular. Secondly, the fact that it is a prequel to Snow White - obviously "had me at Hello".

Ms. Valentino did a wonderful job blending what we already know of Snow White and the Wicked Queen with this new tale. In it we learn of how the Wicked Queen became the bitter and well, evil witch we've known for years. We are taken back to the days where she lived with her father, an artist in crafting mirrors. We also read of her marriage, her dreams, hopes and eventually her downfall. Although I did find her a wee bit whiny at times, I thought she was a very interesting character with lots of emotional turmoil. I really sympathized with her as her life was definitely not an easy one.

This is definitely a YA title - but I would recommend it more for older teens vs. the younger tweens. The content is a bit dark at times. Reading this was like getting inside information on one of my favorite Disney villains. And I really enjoyed the fact that it had a couple of twists thrown in that I didn't see coming. I recommend this to anyone who'd like a new twist to this classic fairytale.

Classic Disney films were magical for many reasons. Part of what made those films so memorable was the portrayal of the villains. Villains such as Maleficent from "Sleeping Beauty" and Cruella De Vil from "101 Dalmatians" simply do not exist anymore, as political correctness and the dumbing down of children's entertainment now dominate culture.

Fairest Of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen by Serena Valentino is a glimpse into the life of one of Disney's most sinister villains, the Evil Queen from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Known for her vicious plot to kill Snow White and remove her heart after the Queen's Magic Mirror declares Snow White to be the fairest in the land, fans of this classic film have wondered for decades exactly why the Evil Queen is just so evil. Fairest Of All provides an explanation in the form of a prequel to the original tale.

The daughter of a talented maker of mirrors, the woman who is to become the Evil Queen is a simple person of low self-esteem, suffering the ridicule of her father after he blames her for the death of his beloved wife during childbirth. When the King takes interest in the renowned crafter's mirrors and visits his shop, he meets the mirror maker's daughter and is enchanted with her, ultimately marrying her and welcoming her into his kingdom as the Queen.

Initially, the relationship between the King's daughter, Snow White, and his new bride, The Queen, is exceptional. Although unrelated by blood, the two are as close as any biological mother and daughter would be. These are during times of war, and the King is not one who leads his troops from a distance. He prefers to be on the front line, battling along with his soldiers for protection of his kingdom. He often leaves the castle for months at a time, leaving his Queen and daughter behind to spend time with one another bonding and sharing each other's company.

As is expected, events turn, and the relationship between the Queen and her stepdaughter slowly disintegrate. Valentino offers explanations and insight into the psychological state of the Queen as she descends into depression and madness. Long-held questions are finally answered. Why is it that the Queen practices witchcraft and magic, and how did she enter into those practices? Who is the man in the Magic Mirror and just how did he come to be there? Why does the Queen hate Snow White so very much?

Although promoted as a book written for young adults, adult fans of Snow White and the Disney villain will take pleasure in this novel as well. The Disney villain is a critical component to most Disney films. Fairest of All is officially published by Disney, thereby making it the official account of the tale of the Evil Queen. Disney would do right to publish similar tales, such as the tales of Maleficent and Cruella De Vil.

I went into Fairest of All a bit skeptical. Gregory Maguire has pretty much set the standard with Wicked in writing stories of the misunderstood villains from beloved fables. I must say I was very pleased! The book is a quick read, but a fairly deep one. The insight given from the Queens POV provides a glimpse of her upbringing and the life that hardened her. I will admit the gorgeous cover drew me in. I'm also a huge Disney buff. Very nice tie in to the animated masterpiece. Highly recommended!

Why I read this: I bought this a while back because I absolutely love Serena Valentino, who writes the amazing graphic novels called Gloomcookie. When I saw she had written a novel, I had to get it.

Plot: I really thought this was a bit unique. It used a lot of imagery from the movie as opposed to some of the original stories. Also, you saw the actual decline of the evil stepmother and why she became the monster she did. It's amazing to think what a bit of insecurity can really do to a person when put and prodded into a situation. It was a quick read and an entertaining one. I think you really have to love Disney movies and fairy tales to enjoy this, otherwise it seems a little like the same-old/same-old. I, for one, can't get enough of the same fairy tales.

Characters: I love that this is from the viewpoint of the Stepmother and you really get this glimpse into the person she was and could have continued to be and what she turned into. There are some other sinister characters that really gave me the willies, and I really quite enjoyed that.

Relatability: For those that love fairy tales and Disney retellings, especially those that want to delve deeper into the stories.

Cover Commentary: I absolutely love it. Definitely taken from the Disney version of the evil stepmother.

I've been reading a number of fairy tale retellings lately, so when I saw this book at my library I snatched it up with high hopes. This is not so much a retelling as an expansion of Disney's Snow White, told from the perspective of the Queen. A backstory is added to show the Queen marrying Snow White's father and then his eventual death. My memory is a little shaky on the movie, it was never my favorite, but I don't remember three (annoying) evil women who introduced the Queen to black magic, though they were in the book and played a short but significant part.

The Queen was suitably sympathetic and her motivations were fleshed out in such a way as to seem significantly less shallow and vain than the movie implied. Despite this, the Queen lacked a certain depth and, possibly because of this, likability. I liked the reason the author gave for the Queen's descent into vanity and wickedness, finding it both complete and believable. Still, understanding a person's motivations does not mean you'll like them, and this story did not make me like the Queen. It's not a very happy story, though I guess that isn't a surprise considering the subject.

What really drew me to this book was the cover, which is gorgeous. Unfortunately, the writing was definitely NOT beautiful. It was serviceable, but the beauty in both imagery and sentence construction found in so many fairy tales and fairy tale retellings was absent here. This stood out especially in contrast to Cameron Dokey's books in the Once Upon a Time series, which are filled with beautiful imagery.

Recommended, but not passionately.

I started reading this book and was impressed. After a certain point in the book, things started to sound like Disney's version of Snow White and in the end, that's how it turned out. Quote from quote from the Evil Queen was thrown into the book, which made me want to stop reading because I knew what would happen. Good quality pages and hardcover. The design on the front is cool; at first I didn't really "see" who it was on the front cover, and after reading the book I realized it looks like the Evil Queen off the Disney version.

I'm not much of a reader but I can't put this book down. A fascinating look at the Queen and how she became the way she is.

I enjoyed reading this book, but it is not my favorite re-telling of a classic. I always like reading the other side of the story. The Queen's story was interesting, but I felt there were still holes. I think my students will enjoy reading this book.

This was an enjoyable read, though I did have some issues with the plot. To be fair, I'm sure this book was written for a wide age range. I kept wondering about the political aspect of the story. Why did the enemies of the kingdom leave the kingdom alone once the King died in battle? Isn't that the time when a kingdom usually gets taken over? How come the Queen was allowed to remain Queen?
Speaking of the Queen, it also bothered me that the Queen was never acknowledged with an actual name. Although my guess is that has to do more with Disney than the author. Disney never gave the Queen a name, so the book published by Disney Press doesn't, either. I got used used to a nameless monarch after the second chapter. The King doesn't exactly get a name, either, so I guess it's less confusing that way.
Despite these gripes, this is an enjoyable read. Like any good fairy tale or fable, there are strong lessons in this story (family is what really matters, seclusion is life lost, outer beauty doesn't matter). And the ending did make me teary-eyed, so I liked it.