[Note – this review contains spoilers] I had a few free minutes in the library, so I picked up this graphic novel version of Snow White. This takes us out of the normal fairy tale and sticks us in New York City in 1928. A young Samantha White, called “Snow”, loses her mother at a young age. Her father, a wealthy businessman, is dazzled by a famous actress and marries her 10 years after becoming a widower. She sends the now teenaged Snow off to […]
Not that bad until the end
Cinderella meets zombies. There’s your synopsis in three words. But for the most part, it’s a lot more than that. Exley doesn’t just stick zombies in your stereotypical Cinderella story. She explains what the characters know about how the zombies (or vermin, or turned) came to be. The story takes place in England during the aftermath of World War I. While the shell shocked men are coming home from war, a devastating bout of ‘influenza’ sweeps the country, killing millions. Only they don’t stay dead. […]
Better late than never? Maybe not…
7th Grade Revolution is ‘based on true events.’ The book drops us in the story after the 7th grade has revolted, and the students learn of their success. But I’m left with questions. How did they revolt? Why? And why was it successful? Was it some sort of plan by the staff as a learning exercise? And why did it make national news? (This is about the extent of the ‘true events.’) As I read, there were some questions that did get get answered. I […]
As If Acne and Puberty Weren’t Enough – Confessions of a Teenage Dragon
The Guardian of Gildain, Book 1: The Snow Dragon by M. L. Miller (2016) – Too often, adult writers who deal with YA (Young Adult) for teenagers forget what being a teenager was really like. During that time, everything is life or death drama from the length of your pants to the botched homework assignment. Match that with raging hormones and an undeveloped frontal lobe, it’s no wonder we adults filter the trauma of being a teenager. Ms. Miller somehow has kept that teen angst […]