Stealing Snow

Gr 9 Up—It's a cold day in Algid, and Snow doesn't really want to be a princess. All she wants is to save Bale—her one true love—the boy who broke her wrist after a steamy make-out session. It's not quite "through the looking glass," but a magic mirror and an alternate world play a prominent part in this reimagining of "The Snow Queen" from the author of Dorothy Must Die. After the make-out session turned violent, Snow and Bale were separated for her protection, and Snow has been tucked away in a mental institution. Still, Snow compulsively seeks Bale out, slipping into the frozen world of Algid to find him. There, she is elevated from a patient to a princess—albeit a princess whose latent powers are not quite sufficient to take on her real father, the Snow King. The story is entertaining, if unhealthy, brought to life by Bailey Carr, who, while guilty of a little overdramatization, does an admirable job with characterization and pacing.