Title: Girls Made of Snow and Glass
Author: Melissa Bashardoust
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling
Release Date: September 5th, 2017
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher | Blog tour host
Purchase at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | National Bookstore | Fullybooked

Frozen meets The Bloody Chamber in this feminist fantasy reimagining of the Snow White fairytale

At sixteen, Mina’s mother is dead, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone—has never beat at all, in fact, but she’d always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother.

Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image, at her father’s order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do—and who to be—to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.

Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything—unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.

* Review *

I received an e-ARC from Karina, the blog tour host, and from Macmillan as part of the blog tour.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass is one of my most anticipated 2017 reads, hence making me very excited when Karina of Afire Pages invited me to join this blog tour.

Whilst of having a hard time reading the e-arc because of my reader and format, it didn’t stop me from enjoying the Girls Made of Snow and Glass. As someone new to reading fairy tale retellings, I’d say that this novel is easily one of my favorites.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass is a stand-alone retelling based on the classic fairy tell Snow White. There are also times when it reminded me of Frozen. In the original Snow White, all that matter is. It was the root why the evil queen hates Snow White so much that she even tried to kill her for it.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass, while inspired by the original world of Snow White, has taken a great turn and showed a different perspective told by Princess Lynet and Queen Mina.

A Feminist YA FAntasy Retelling

The story is simultaneously told by Princess Lynet and Queen Mina, giving us different perspectives and snippets of the past and present storyline. The story is written in a way of us finding out the reasons why the princess and the queen came to hate each other, and why they actually shouldn’t. Much like how it happens in there real world, where the society like pitting women against each other.

If you delve deeper into Lynet and Mina’s real feelings, instead of hating each other and wanting to become enemies, it’s actually the other way around. That’s what they fought for in this story. They fought for their bond. This is something that really had an impact to me, especially near the end. It’s the part where I nearly weep because it really hit me hard. To think that the women in this story have to suffer for something that they shouldn’t have in the first place.

The characters

I also didn’t expect that the character that I will be most driven to was Queen Mina. Yes, the one who’s supposed to be the evil queen is my favorite. I might have hated her once or twice but every time she tells her backstory, you’ll see why she’s doing what she has to do. She was forced to become something that isn’t really her because of her father.

Princess Lynet, on the other hand, is the character that developed the most throughout the story. For sixteen years, she was groomed to be like the exact replica of her late mother, Queen Emilia – fragile and delicate. And for Lynet, it’s not something that she wants. But as the story goes, she learned what she really wants, she seek for freedom; and she did her best to be Lynet and not a copy of another person.

There are also other supporting characters that grew on me like Nadia, and Felix, the huntsman. These two are the main support of the protagonists. I believe that these two served as pillars for princess Lynet and Queen Mina to become who they really are.

Oh, and did I mention a F/F romance? I’m also new to F/F romance. While it’s not the focus of this story, it was a rather smooth progress from friendship to budding romance. A very timely piece to add in the story – diversity.

Final verdict

I can write another 1000-word for this review and tell you all why I love this book. But while I’m excited to do that, I’m afraid I’ll just spoil you with everything. So, I’m going to leave my review brief and short and have a final say.

I really loved this book! If you are looking for a book that depicts powerful women and diversity set in a fantasy world, then this one is for you. 

This book comes out TODAY (September 5th, 2017)! Go get it on your local stores or use the links I provided above!

* My Overall Rating *

* Playlist *

I also created a playlist for you to listen while reading Girls Made of Snow and Glass; or at least if you like listening to music while reading.

I carefully selected the songs that I think fits the book, and its characters. I’ll probably add more whenever I hear more songs that will remind me of Girls Made of Snow and Glass.

* Giveaway *

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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