Utterly enchanting and imaginative, Girls Made of Snow and Glass quickly found its way onto my favorites shelf. This is a fairytale retelling that entirely feels like its own original fairytale, and I loved every minute of it. It turns tropes on their heads and does the thing I love fairytale retellings to do - acknowledges in some way that this is a story that will get twisted and lets its characters take some agency.

Lynet and Mina are such vivid, real characters and their love for each other was lovely to read about, even as they struggled to understand their love for each other and each other and themselves. I simultaneously wanted to devour this book and never finish it because I never wanted to leave this world; I could have easily finished it in one sitting, but dragged it out for a couple days instead. There's just something so quiet and lovely and tender about this book, the way it looks at women and their relationships and the way society/men will try to tear them apart. I loved how multifaceted every female relationship was in this book - Mina and Lynet are rivals, friends, equals, and mother/daughter to each other and they're constantly having to navigate those many facets. This book is an intense character study, all about looking beneath the surface of those around you while also figuring out who you are without letting others tell you who you are.

Melissa Bashardoust managed to take a fairytale that I admittedly have very "meh" feelings about, and made it magical for me. I highly recommend picking this up when it's released in September; I want to put this in the hands of everyone.

I’ve always been a fan of retellings, but what grabbed my interest about this one in particular was the overtly feminist message it advocated from the beginning. The author is fully aware about how this book will be received by readers, and I think, surprisingly, that’s a good thing. The novel takes pains to never pit the two women against each other, instead focusing on building their relationship. As a result, the fallout that occurs is made that much sadder.

Miscommunication is the crux of this novel. What it lacks in obstacles and exposition, it makes up for in exceptional character development. Although often frustrating, there are points in this novel where you see real change occur, and they are special. Seamless transitions between narratives in the past and present allow for the story to flow naturally, to provide important background which leads to development. However, that development, that depth, falls only on Lynet and Mina. I truly wish Nadia had been developed more, as she brought a new component to an often revisited tale. I also thought that for a stand-alone, it was lacking in real progress. It seemed to set the stage for more than what actually occurred. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by the LGBT+ representation.

This is a wonderful novel and a wonderful retelling. It sets the bar high for authors in the future who seek to write feminist endings for well-loved fairytales.

This book could have been so good. A great twist on the Snow White story but there were too many similarities to Frozen that it felt like a rip off. And I felt like the accepting and LGBT angle was not only forced, it seemed like a token "let's accept everyone" but didn't come off well. In addition, as a parent, I find this type of content objectionable so in my opinion it should have a clear disclaimer before reading. Would I recommend it? No. Did I enjoy it? Parts of it I did.

In this retelling of Snow White, the princess and the stepmother are complex characters who, while they are at odds sometimes, also love and value each other. They are both victims of the societal pressures on women at the time, and are both expected to only be one thing. The princess, a frail, quiet girl in the same manner as her late mother. The queen, a beauty who can not love and is only concerned with keeping her power. These complexities make the story realistic and engaging, but also make it hard to know how to feel about them throughout the story. The reader is never able to fully get settled into an opinion about them, which is both good and bad.

The main characters are all here: the evil stepmother, the doting (but clueless) king, the spirited and misunderstood princess, the valiant huntsman, the evil magician. But don't get fooled into thinking you know the story. Because this Snow White isn't just interested in being the most beautiful creature in the land. She wants to rule. And she wants to choose who else rules beside her.

I would recommend this book. It is appropriate for grades 7 and up. While there are romance side-stories, they do not overtake the overall story. This is a must purchase for libraries where patrons enjoy fantasy retellings such as Cinder and Rump: The true story of Rumpelstiltskin .

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advance copy to review. Opinions are my own.

Will be posted on September 1st
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MY THOUGHTS

This book was so lovely. So basically what this book is its an a fairlytale telling but heres the twist its a FEMINIST take ON IT.

If you don't want to read it like right now I don't understand how you cannot want it.

So the story's pacing was kinda funky, it felt at first to be kinda all over the place but it seemed to work with the writing style (which was beautiful)

It told in dual POVs between Mina and Lynet, I loved how you cold feel automatically which character was which. You could feel their distinct voices in each POV, you could just hear them.

The relationship were all so well written and made me feel real magic between all the words.

I really don't know what to say, I don't want to give away too much, because that's the fun with this story, its honestly just utterly outstanding(that makes sense right)

Just go into this book without knowing much and you'll love it. Just know that it will play with you brain, because we all know the classic story of good and evil but who's really the good and evil

THIS is how retellings should be done. What an incredible new take on the Snow White tale. When a book is self-proclaimed as "feminist", I tend to be suspicious, because so many authors tend to equate feminism to one kind of woman, and end up being limited and not at all what feminism means. Yet, this book surprised me, and I can't help thinking how important it is for girls out there to read this book, and see all the many different ways to be a strong female.
The new aspects added to the story were creative and refreshing, and the character-focus on this book was incredible. I laughed, I cried and I gasped through the whole book... isn't it amazing how a book about a story you are familiar with can surprise you still?

Arc Provided by Flatiron Books through Netgalley

Release Date: September 5th

Pitched as a feminist retelling, "Girls Made of Snow and Glass", doesn't disappoint in the least.
Told in the alternative pov's of Mina, the stepmother Queen and Lynet, the snow Princess, this is a story that most surely will stay with the reader long after its read...
What if there was more to the "tale" of the "evil" stepmother and her "naive" stepdaughter?
What if there was a story of trying to break with one's past and one's sorrow? What if you only wanted to be loved, but never quite achieved that?
How would you turn out with people trying to make a puppet out of you?

This is the story of two women both trying to find out their true natures in a grey world . A world of snow and cold. And of bitter family ties.
Along the way they will have to decide if they'll risk breaking those ties for a chance of finally being themselves. And of loving who they want.
"Girls Made of Snow and Ice" is a tale of self discovery, friendship, and of budding young love, interwoven with bits of magic...
In it, you have very different love stories. You have one between a woman with a heart of glass, and her creation. But for how long will it be her creation?
Another between two girls, both trying to survive in that world: One that has had everything given to her, except the love of a mother. And the other, who is trying to find her own station in a world filled with people who want to use her...
But for me, the most rewarding its between a mother and her child. Despite all obstacles, barriers, and wishes of kings.
The writing is skilfully done, taking the reader successfully into a cursed world of snow, and many were the phrases _ so beautifully written _that I would love to share with you guys.
Really a remarkable read.

I'm growing very fond of Flatiron as a YA imprint; I've loved all of their books so far. And I love this cover! Stunning. I'm going to be a bit vague in my review, since I don't want to give away too much of the "reimagining" twists of the this fairytale. In short, it wasn't what I was expecting, but I still really loved it. To me it was more a character exploration, with an emphasis on the relationship between the two girls (women?). Not always a page turner (and dare I say predictable), but I don't think that was a bad thing. Not quite as dark as I was hoping (ha!), but again, that's more a taste issue (and slightly skewed expectations. It was also not as queer as I wanted! Too subtle. For the most part, I loved this book, I just wanted things pushed a little deeper and to be slightly more edgy and perhaps have more non-ambiguous racial diversity.

WORST. RETELLING. EVER.

Don't do it. Do NOT do it. You're going to want to stab yourself in the eyeball with a rusty spoon.

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. -Goodreads

This is a Snow White retelling and it doesn't become apparent til about half way through the book. I do not have any issue with this at all because this book was a really surprising and good read.

Before dipping into the story, there needs to be an appreciation for how the author was able to use magic within this story. It wasn't a run of the mild magic as stated in the summary one girl has a heart of glass while the other is made of snow. The magic in this story isn't slap in your face from beginning and end but it was powerful and there was always a thin layer of when the explosion is coming. I liked that about this book; although it had a slow start once Mina's voice got stronger the book picked up.

I liked Mina better than Lynet. Mina was stronger, she wasn't sheltered nor did she whine a lot. Mina has a purpose and eventually Lynet finds hers and she does become a different person but there is a strength about her that still isn't there especially compared to Mina.

But what I really enjoyed about this book was the relationship between Mina and Lynet. There is love... genuine love between them as a mother and daughter and it was everything that I wanted in any Snow White retelling especially in the book "Fairest of All" by Serena Valentino. I really really loved seeing their relationship from the beginning to the end (I guess).

The romance in the story was alright. I would have appreciate more love and less obligation. It wasn't a strong or even close to the mother daughter fierceness. Therefore, I didn't feel that the romance was love and more something new,

Overall, this book is creative, I loved how it references the original fairy tale but it isn't the original fairy tale. Although it started off slow, when it picked up, it got good.
4 Pickles

Rarely do I get to read a book that so clearly centers such complex, unique women. I loved the familial connection between Lynet and Mina, I loved the incredibly charming young romance between Lynet and Nadia, and the sometimes dreamlike language and worldbuilding lends that fairytale feel. This is a book where women are the core of each other's lives, and that makes the world a better place.

Ahhh I loved the premise so much and I'm very happy to report that the book definitely lived up to my expectations. I was over the moon when I saw that I'd gotten approved for this book.

[book:Girls Made of Snow and Glass|32768509] is a Snow White retelling—complete with strong female representation, diverse characters, and a F/F romance. Oh, and the "Queen" and "Snow White" characters love each other and aren't made out to be enemies. Feminist Snow White? Please count me in.

Mina is young when her evil magician father removes her heart and replaces it with one made of glass. She sets her sights on the King of Whitespring Castle and becomes step-mother to Princess Lynet. Where does the "snow" part come in? Yup, you guessed it, Lynet's made out of snow.

The mythology and storytelling is spot on and the narrative switches between Mina and Lynet in the past and present. It all works so well and I loved every second of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books!

What a lovely book! I enjoyed this retelling a lot! Sometimes the pace felt a little slow, but the originality was all there! But don't get me started on the king... I understood him, but he was just weird.

It’s the age of fairytale retellings so next up is a feminist take on the Snow White tale. This novel tells the story from both the point of view of Mina (Stepmom) and Lynet (Snow). In some ways it reminded me of Disney’s Maleficent or the TV Show Once Upon A Time in that we get this backstory on who the Queen was before she became the person we all love to hate. By swirling their stories together we can see how their relationship, and the impact others had on it, was destined for a disastrous ending unless they can rise above the journey they got forced on.

Melissa Bashardoust does a wonderful job of not falling into the trap of just relying on what others have done with these types of characters before. Instead of lifelong arch enemies she allows them to explore a softer, more supportive side to being in each other’s lives. This story is so character driven readers are lucky that Bashardoust knows how to write effective character development so that you really feel like you know who they are and about their motivations.

She sets up her scene work with lots of detail so you feel like you could be right there. It’s very heavy on exposition though the author is so creative in her writing you feel like you get swept away to this unique and hauntingly beautiful world with not time to get bored. One of the fun elements was playing a version of Where’s Waldo by finding the elements from the original tale she incorporated into this version; it’s like easter eggs buried in a movie.

As a mother of daughters I’m always on the lookout for books that showcase women in strong positions and I was glad to find a book that paints women in a positive light without resorting to boxing them into pathetic stereotypes.

Did not finish. I found it really slow to read and didn't keep my interest..

'Girls Made of Snow and Glass' is the best Snow White re-telling I've ever read. This is an amazingly clever re-imagining of the Step-Mother's motivations and history, and her relationship with the King and the young Princess.

Debut author Melissa Bashardoust captivates with vivid descriptions and open emotions, alternating perspectives between Queen and Princess.

An absolute gem. Beautifully done!