I loved this book. It’s one of the first books in a long time that I actually read in about a day because I couldn’t put it down (I also got very little sleep because I was up reading). This book is based on a Norwegian myth, however, it bears a striking resemblance to the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche, and similarities with Beauty and the Beast. Only, there’s less Aphrodite and more trolls.

Since Eros and Psyche was my favorite Greek myth, and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairytales, is it surprising that I loved this book? The heroine is extremely strong, determined, and tenacious. She travels hundreds of miles, meeting all kinds of people, and learning different cultures and customs; she’s kind enough to go with the white bear for the benefit of her family; and chooses adventure over the mundane. She’s a girl after my own heart.

The POV is first person, and the writing is clear and concise. The odd thing is that each chapter is named after who is speaking. We learn the story of the girl and her white bear not only through the girl’s, but through the white bear’s, the troll queen’s, and the girl’s brother. While I’m not adversed to POV changes, I’m not a big fan of continuous POV changes. However, Pattou managed to pull it off professionally and in a way so that it didn’t get annoying. I didn’t find myself saying, “Ohmigod, not again! When can I get back to the main character? It’s her story I want to read!” Instead, she used all the POVs to make the story stronger. It was like being around a campfire and listening to a lot of people recount an experience they mutually shared.

My only complaint is that compared to such strong female characters, and even the brother had a strong voice, the white bear’s voice was relatively weak. Even up to the end, I found myself dissatisfied with his account of things, and at the end, I didn’t feel like I knew where he stood. Interestingly, I knew more of the white bear before the entrance of the trolls. After the troll queen captures the white bear, I felt that the story diverges away from him and he becomes a mysterious figure. I unfortunately can’t go more in depth, without giving away major plot points, so I’ll just say that considering I was reading portions from his POV, I would have liked more.

9:04 am | Category: Books | |

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