Snow (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author), Kinuko Y. Craft (Illustrator) "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . there lived a duke and a duchess in a remote corner of Wales..." (more)
Key Phrases: Lonely Ones, Clockwork Man, Kenigh Hall (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up-"Once upon a time," a child was born to a duke and duchess in a remote corner of Wales- but the wife died giving birth, and the duke, in his grief, refused to have anything to do with the child. So begins this Victorian psychological thriller based loosely on "Snow White." When Jessica is about to enter adolescence, her father marries a vain, brilliant woman who longs to be taken seriously as a scientist. Her "experiments" combine medieval superstitions and modern scientific equipment to help her bear a male heir for the duke and are juxtaposed with sessions before a mirror held up for her by a literally spellbound servant/musician. When her stepdaughter's emerging beauty drives the duchess to murderous plans, the musician warns Jessica to escape, but only after her jealous stepmother has kept her a virtual prisoner for several years, rendering her complexion pale enough to earn her new name, Snow. The naive girl flees to London, where she immediately loses her purse in the confusion of Paddington Station and, wandering the streets, stumbles into the den of an unlikely band called "the lonely ones." No, there aren't seven of them-only five-but the many parallels to the folktale are imaginative and inventive. Like Donna Jo Napoli in her novelistic retellings of old tales, Lynn delves deeply into the psychological underpinnings of the folktale while maintaining a fast-paced plot with ingenious twists and turns that will keep readers as spellbound as some of the characters.
Connie C. Rockman, Stratford Library Association, CT
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Snow White, Rose Red

In a tiny Welsh estate, a duke and duchess lived happily, lacking only a child -- or, more importantly, a son and heir to the estate. Childbirth ultimately proved fatal for the young duchess. After she died, the duke was dismayed to discover that he was not only a widower, but also father to a tiny baby girl. He vowed to begin afresh with a new wife, abandoning his daughter in search of elusive contentment.

Independent -- virtually ignored -- and finding only little animals and a lonely servant boy as her companions, Jessica is pale, lonely and headstrong...and quick to learn that she has an enemy in her stepmother. "Snow," as she comes to be known, flees the estate to London and finds herself embraced by a band of urban outcasts. But her stepmother isn't finished with her, and if Jessica doesn't take control of her destiny, the wicked witch will certainly harness her youth -- and threaten her very life....

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689855567
• ISBN-13: 978-0689855566
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #450,716 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Rather Bizarre Retelling of Snow White, December 4, 2003

By	Silmarwen (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Jessica never really knew what it was like to have a family. Her mother died giving birth to her and her father was not interested in having a daughter. She saw her father once a year when he did his inspection and the rest of the time she had the run of the Welsh estate that belonged to the duke, her father. More then a bit of a tomboy, Jessica did not come to the notice of her father and her coldly beautiful new stepmother until she accused one of the sons of the nobility of attacking her. Suddenly, it was not okay for Jessica to run around playing with the other boys. Instead, she was under the tutelage of her stepmother, who was determined to instruct her on everything she needed to know about being a lady. However, her stepmother quickly grew jealous of Jess' beauty and, with her father gone, locked her away with only a few mice for company. Warned by her stepmother's minstrel, Jess managed to flee for London when her stepmother's jealousy was replaced with the belief that she could only have a child if she had Jess' heart.

Jess was only in London for a few moments when all of her money was stolen. Bereft and alone, she took refuge in an alley, until a cat-like girl attacked her and kidnapped her. When Jess awoke she was stunned to see herself surrounded by a group of animal-like humans. There was Chauncey, the rat-like leader of the ragtag band; Cat, the only girl who had attacked Jess in the alley and seemed determined to hate her; Sparrow, a short, plump boy who was very quiet; Raven, a tall, dark and handsome fellow who never seemed to say anything; and Mouser, who was as elegant as the high-born lords of London. Jess, or Snow as she now called herself, settled into her peculiar new life and found that she was happier as a serving maid than as a duke's daughter. But her stepmother did not give up easily and was ready to use any trick to get Jess to participate in her new "experiment"...

This was a very peculiar adaptation of Snow White, but it was still very enjoyable. Snow herself is still much the same, but the 7 dwarfs are turned into the 5 Lonely Ones (the animal-like people described above), the magic mirror is the minstrel and the wicked stepmother is a scientist of sorts who actually created the Lonely Ones. Even though the details of the story were quite different, it is still a happily ever after tale and I enjoyed the different twists and turns that the author took in creating the tale. If you enjoy fairy tales, then you will enjoy this book!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars awesome "modernized" (sort of) fairy tale., April 21, 2003

By	katie s. (Edmonton, AB, CA) - See all my reviews

"Snow" is a quirky,new version of the fairy tale classic "Snow White". Jessica, the main character, is the headstrong daughter of a duke in Wales. A neglected, though lovely and strong-willed child, Jessica lives happily among the servants of the household, making friends with the stable boys and the animals. Then, at the age of 16, Jessica is forced to flee her country estate after an attempt on her life by her deranged new stepmother, and she escapes to the city, taking the name "Snow" with her. In the city Snow is taken in by a small group of societal outcasts, the Lonely Ones, people with both human and animal characteristics and purely human hearts and personalities. Chauncey, Mouser, Raven, Cat, and Sparrow soon come to care for the beautiful stranger in their midst, and she for them. Suddenly, at the height of Snow's newfound happiness, disaster strikes when her stepmother appears out of the blue and casts a spell apon her from which there is no awakening. Her new "family" is desperate to break the curse and have their Snow back, but it looks as if the evil duchess has finally won...
I loved this book! Some of the plot was rather dark, admittedly, but the original story was, too. Many of the main points of "Snow White" were retained in this novel, but new twists and turns were added, along with vivid characters, to make "Snow" a new, fantastic reading experience. I really liked the idea of the Lonely Ones, who, personally, I think are the best characters in the book. Keep it up, Ms. Lynn!!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and true to the original, January 22, 2004

By	Elizabeth S. Gallaway "Information Goddess" (New England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Once upon a time, there was a reviewer who loved fairy tales. She discovered a luminous retelling of Snow White complete with a stepmothers jealous vanity, kindly yet isolated miners, and a deathlike sleep, and, after giving the book five stars, lived happily ever after.
When a dukes wife dies during the birthing of their long awaited child, the motherless darling grows up in the kitchens until her father remarriage (coinciding with her puberty). The dukes new wife takes the tomboyish Jessica under her wing to become a lady. Desperate to both remain youthful and have a babe of her own, the vain yet intelligent stepmother practices many foul experiments, trading her patronage for the help of Alan, a hired violist. When the mad woman decides the heart of her stepdaughter will bring her hearts desire, Alan helps Jessica escape to the city, where she meets bizarre creatures of the night who hire her as their maid and caretaker. As one would expect, the evil stepmother discovers her rival is still alive, and seeks her out, eventually spelling her into a long deep sleep that only the famed clockmaker can bring her out of.
The tale is embellished with a bewitched character who lends personification to the mirror, and a turn-of-the-century English setting almost makes the story believable as a historical event that evolved to legend and finally to fairy tale status. The short chapters offer a variety of viewpoints without confusing the reader, and although we know the basic plot elements and the outcome, how Lynn gets there is a bit mysterious from the prologue, which takes place partway through the story. The role of the prince is filled unexpectedly, the explanation of the mirror brilliant, and the industrial revolution and the role of women in society season the plot. With all her alterations, Lynn remains true to the underlying message that youth is fleeting but true inner beauty is forever (and more desirable), and adds one of her own, culled from Arthurian legend: the key to a womans heart is giving her freedom of choice. Superbly done.