Review: A unique blend of fairy tale and original story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 11, 2013
If you love fairy tales as much as I do, when you finish reading FIRST FROST, you're going to be a little bit devastated.  This is the same sense of ugly-weeping that comes from realizing you will never have a library as beautiful as the one Beast gives Beauty.  It's tangible sadness.  Why?  The book's main character, Bianca, works in her mother's Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts...which is a fancy way of saying fairy tale museum.  How amazing would it be to have a fairy tale museum in town?  And themed rooms such as the Princess Room, where weekly storytimes for children take place?  Going to the Narnia exhibit a few years ago was incredible, even though it wasn't "real," and I know I'd have the same feeling in a fairy tale museum.  It would be even cooler if, like in FIRST FROST, the artifacts in the museum were real.  From a red cape to a brick from a Little Pig's house to a sample of Rapunzel's hair, there are many dangerous items hiding in plain sight.No one believes the items are real, of course, especially not Bianca.  It would be neat if they were, but she lives in the real world and knows better.  Only...Bianca doesn't know as much as she thinks she does.  Her mother has been hiding a deep, dangerous secret from her.  They're direct descendants of the first Frost, Snow White herself, and knee-deep in an ancient curse that has already stolen away Bianca's father.  When her mother is captured by an evil villain bent on destroying the family once and for all, Bianca must throw aside everything she's ever known, discover magic, and journey through a land she never believed could actually exist.While FIRST FROST starts off a little slowly, I didn't mind because as I stated in my opening paragraph, I was in complete awe of the fabulous museum.  Once Bianca discovers the truth behind the museum and has her eyes opened, the story really gets rolling.  Bianca isn't in the journey alone, either.  She travels between worlds with her best friend Ming, and the girls come across a travelling Prince Ferdinand and his companion Terrance.  Proper males brought up never to leave a damsel in distress, they quickly accompany the girls on their journey.  Each character is uniquely developed, too.  They may not be deep characters, but they're a lot of fun to be around.  There's the pompous prince who isn't necessarily the dashing hero girls dream of.  Terrance has a mysterious, intriguing background that comes into play later on.  Ming is a true friend despite her fears.  And Bianca is a great example of a true hero: One who is brave in the face of danger despite the fact that she's terrified.  She loves her mother fiercely and will do anything to save her.  She grows so fast and becomes very powerful by the novel's end.  It was a pleasure to watch her blossom.  I enjoyed all of the nods to various fairy tales along the way and really appreciated the way Liz DeJesus turned ordinary fairy tale items into important objects that played a role in Bianca's journey.  I ultimately had a lot of fun reading this and would pick up another book by DeJesus in the future.