Book Review: Snow by Tracy Lynn

There have been many retellings of Snow White. In fact, there have been so many retellings of it, that it’s hard to choose which one to read. Some retellings aren’t that much of a retell of the original story, and some are based loosely on it. Snow by Tracy Lynn is in between that.  Tracy Lynn is the author of many young adult novels. Before she wrote young adult novels, she published adult horror stories under her real name, Liz Braswell. Although she is known as Liz Braswell, her full name is Elizabeth J. Braswell. She chose the name “Tracy Lynn” for her young adult novels. She also produced many video games. A few years later, she published The Nine Lives of Chloe King series under a second faux name, Celia Thomson. Liz Braswell was born in Birmingham, England. She graduated from Brown University, and she earned a degree in Egyptology. She is currently married, and she lives in East Village. Her books, The Stolen, and The Fallen won the ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. The Fallen also won the NYPL Books for the Teen Age award.

Tracy’s book, Snow, gives the same scenario of the real Snow White; Mother dies, father raises child all by himself until he marries, the woman he marries turns out to be an evil witch, the witch wants to eat Snow’s heart, etc., but it adds a twist. The storyline goes like this: There once was Duke and Duchess, who needed an heir to the throne, preferably a son. And so, the duchess had a child, and unfortunately she died from the childbirth. Instead of a baby boy, this left the Duke alone with a baby girl who he was not happy about. Wanting to have nothing to do with her, her father ignored Jessica for almost her entire life, leaving Jessica under the care of her maids. Like Snow White, Jessica is very fond of small animals, and found comfort in them. Soon after, Jessica’s father finds a beautiful duchess to marry, but looks can be deceiving. The duchess has some evil plans of her own, and is willing to threaten Jessica’s life to achieve them. This story takes place in Wales, which is a country that is apart of the United Kingdom, and it also takes place in London. The Author uses languages that has a mixture between English and Scottish accents in the book,”...Ah, a girl, Gwen. It’s a long story. A lass from the pub the next town over.” Her use of language gave me a really good idea of how the characters sounded. “... “What, this?” With a violence unnatural to him, Alan viciously kicked the bag, scattering the coins all over the floor. “I cannae make songs out of this rubbish!”...”

One of the major themes that the Author focused on in the book is how society views women. In the book, the evil stepmother’s main focus is being the most beautiful woman of the land, and maintaining her youth. During a conversation with Jessica (Snow), she shared her thoughts on what women were only wanted for in society, “....Society only has two uses for women, remember that. Beautiful young girls and mothers.”..... “Be one or the other, or both, but not neither. No one wants an old hag. Or a trollop.” What she is saying is that society will only accept you if you fit into their criteria. I admired how the Author used a real world issue, and placed it in a fairytale. This made the book connect easily to the real world even though it’s fiction.

Honestly, what sparked my interest in even getting a Snow White book was seeing the movie, Snow White and the Huntsman. The movie was so good that I developed this Snow White addiction. So, I went book hunting on Amazon for a Snow White book, and that’s when I came across the book Snow. I didn’t know what to expect from the book, but I did want an action packed-thriller, a lot like Snow White and the Huntsman. It didn’t quite meet that criteria, but I enjoyed it anyway. The last thing the book had was violence. The way Snow White was portrayed in Snow White and the Huntsman, was not the way Liz portrayed the Snow in this book. The Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman stood up to the queen, and fought her. The Snow in the book ran away from the queen when she discovered that the queen was going to murder her. “...What if the duchess tried to kill her again? Snow panicked for a moment at what she had begun, images of the tall and frightening duchess looming over her with knives and candy-sweet smiles.” Instead, the book had a quirkiness to it, and that’s what intrigued me the most about Snow. “Her fingers entwined in his hair and fathers, and she remembered the ravens she used to watch from her window...”

I recommend this book to anyone of any age, who enjoys fantasy. Whether you are someone who is looking for a fun, quick read, or if you just need a book for school. Liz does a fantastic job by engaging you in the book, and making you feel like you are on the adventure with the main character, Jessica. Snow will not disappoint you. It will take you back to a victorian aged world, full of magical surprises, a little twist, and a bit of romance.

            Snow By Tracy Lynn, Simon Pulse, 2003, 259 pages, Fantasy