Review: Original take on a familiar fairy tale
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 26, 2014
Until the TV show Once Upon A Time, the Disney movie was my only exposure to Snow White's story and, to be honest, I was not a fan. I'm not sure if it was her voice or how she was drawn, but Disney's Snow White really annoyed me for some reason. But I love the TV version of Snow, and was intrigued by this books premise of what happens once your Happily Ever After is over.Poor Snow White is still grieving Prince Charming's death over a year later. Even though her daughter's impending marriage should be a happy time, she is deeply depressed and can't seem to begin healing. Looking for a quiet spot in the bustling castle, she finds herself in her evil stepmother's old apartment and stumbles upon the Magic Mirror.Half convinced the mirror is an evil demon, it insists that it is just a mirror and only shows a person's reflection. It's not the mirror's fault if the person isn't happy with what they see, but is Snow White brave enough to examine her reflected life closely? The mirror then takes her on a journey of reflection, reminding her of all she's survived.This story shows a much darker version of Snow White's life than the Disney fairy tale. Her stepmother wasn't just cruel, but incredibly abusive. That Snow survived the mental, emotional, and physical abuse is amazing! And the mirror has even more to show her, as Life With Stepmonster isn't Snow's only memory to reflect upon.I'm a little torn about my reaction to this story. On the one hand, I really like the idea of a magic mirror helping you reflect upon your life by reliving memories, both good and bad. But on the other hand, I'm still not a fan of Snow White and this version didn't help change my mind. She seemed a little too self-pitying for my tastes and my impression was that she relied on men to save her instead of saving herself. That's a major pet peeve of mine! I also didn't like how she treated the mirror afterwards.All in all, I did enjoy the story. I thought it was an original premise and I liked the tweaks the author made to the fairy tale. Snow White still isn't my type of fairy tale princess, but this story is worth reading for all the unique touches.Would love to hear from anyone else who's read this one! Am I taking Snow's weepiness the wrong way? And am I the only one bugged by the mirror's ultimate fate? I know it's just a mirror, but it's a magic mirror and deserved better! Plus, I want one....