Review: Dwarf Heroine Meets Prince Charming
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 27, 2013
The Magic Mirror And The Seventh Dwarf (Accidental Enchantments) has a title which tells you most of what's wrong with the story. There are too many elements vying for your attention. Gretchen is a great character Nevitt temporarily abandons for the side tale of Snow White. We all know everything we care to know about Snow White. The minor changes here don't compel me as a reader. On the other hand, Gretchen the dwarf started out so strong but then she faded. When we meet Gretchen she is strong, pragmatic, confident and determined to improve her life. She's a savvy commentator on the motivations of others, adept at reading faces and vocal tones. By the time we leave Gretchen she's no longer steering her own course. Gretchen has become almost tediously like our standard heroine, interested primarily in other's opinions of her. I didn't buy the lesson the author felt Gretchen needed to learn. Nevitt writes with an easy style that put me in mind of Gregory Maguire at his least cumbersome. She has a fresh eye for familiar fairy tales. Taking her characters from the sidelines, Nevitt world builds like a master. This was a 3.5 star read for me, upgraded to 4 for it's dwarf heroine and it's easy readability. Worth checking out.