Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust is an intriguing new take on the familiar story of Snow White. Using the two perspectives of Princess Lynet and Queen Mina, as well as dual timelines , the author is able to approach the old story in a way that makes it new again for the reader. In the present timeline we follow the Princess Lynet, who is a stunning beauty and the image of her dead mother. Beloved by her overprotective father, she longs for more freedom , and feels like her beloved stepmother Mina is the only one who truly understands her. When she comes of age, her father the King gives her control of the Southern part of the Kingdom to Nina's chagrin , and a wedge is driven between the two women, with tragic and terrible consequences. Meanwhile the author uses the past timeline to tell the reader more of Mina's story. Her magician father replaced her diseased heart with one of glass, and now she believes she is incapable of loving or being loved. When her father is summoned to the court to tend to the ailing Queen, Mina comes with him, and when the Queen dies she sets her sights on the power and security of the throne, by marrying the King and becoming stepmother to baby Lynet she will be away from her father's control and influence. Sixteen years later she is forced to confront the woman she helped to raise , and whose secret she is one of only a few to know- just as Nina's father made her a heart of glass, he made Lynet from the snow to assuage the King's grief. .
This book takes the trope of the wicked stepmother and turns it on its head to explore a more complicated mother daughter relationship dynamic, creating a book that may have familiar bones, but is fleshed out in a wonderfully new and interesting way. It also is unabashedly feminist, showing women in positions of power and influence, and extolling the virtues of actively pursuing your dreams and working together to improve the lot of all women. The dual narrative works incredibly well, and it was fascinating to see the changes in Mina from her arrival at court as a sixteen year old to her as the powerful Queen ruling at her husband's side. I also loved the inclusion of a F/F romance which was beautifully integrated into the story.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I tend to have a difficult time with retellings - I like the premise but when it comes down to it I don't enjoy the detached writing style. So I was a little unsure about reading this Snow White-ish story but I was pleasantly surprised!
This is very much a story about the characters and the two main characters, young princess Lynet and her stepmother Mina, are well-developed, interesting, complex and continue to evolve throughout the story. Their relationship with each other is not the traditional evil stepmother and daughter. Instead it is difficult, complicated and realistic and just as much about them coming to understand themselves as it is understanding each other.
Although fairly slow in terms of pacing, the character development made up for it but I felt that the plot was a little slight, as was the world building. I'd have also liked a little more time given to the climax and ending but perhaps that is a sign of not wanting to leave the characters so soon.

A very enjoyable, fairytale retelling with a strong focus on the female characters, their relationships with each other and their growth.

“This is what you were meant for.”

This book surprised me in the best way possible. I’m not usually interested in reading retellings [I know. Unpopular opinion. Boo! Hiss!]. I’m always searching for something new and have always thought that if a story has already been written, especially if it’s known around the world, then there’s not much point in telling it again. I may need to rethink this prejudice after loving this character driven book so much.

I may be getting into semantics here but I see this story as more of a reimagining than a retelling. Sure, you have some elements from ‘Snow White’. There’s the stepmother, stepdaughter, doting father, huntsman, even a mirror. Not an apple, but there is a peach, even if it’s not there for the reason you’re expecting. Then there’s the so much more, and that’s what captivated me.

“If they love you for anything, it will be for your beauty.”

Whenever a story is told from various perspectives I usually have a favourite, someone I wish had more page time, or even all of the page time. Not the case here. I fiercely loved both Mina and Lynet. Mina, the stepmother, has a glass heart and thinks she’s broken. Told from an early age that she’s incapable of giving or receiving love, she seeks a substitute through power. Lynet, the stepdaughter, is a warm and loving girl who is made of snow, but she seeks freedom and an identity separate from the mother she never knew.

The supporting cast are just as interesting. King Nicholas’ grief is all-encompassing; the result is a distorted facsimile of love that I found exceedingly creepy. Meanwhile Gregory, Mina’s father, is a psychopath who I was eager to see dispatched of in increasingly painful, drawn out deaths. Outside of the two main characters my favourite was Felix, quite possibly the most human of them all. I wanted more time getting to know Nadia, a surgeon whose own backstory warranted more exploration.

“One day they would both start to see each other differently, and Mina couldn’t imagine how they could become anything but enemies on that day.”

I loved the complexity of the relationship between Mina and Lynet. The bond between mothers and daughters is complicated here by the story’s fathers. Circumstances could have easily cast either of these women in the role of villain, their lives dictated by the past and those who would gain from their mutual hatred.

I always have such an appreciation for stories that cause me to reflect on my own life, in particular my choices and my character. Having the courage to step out of the shadows of the past to write our own future is something I can empathise with. I also thought a lot about how we can simultaneously want to push people away and have them love us when we feel unlovable.

“If she shone brightly enough on the outside, could she blind everyone to what lay underneath?”

Also, there’s magic in this book and it is wonderful!

Content warnings (from the author’s website):

* “Parental abuse - mostly verbal/emotional abuse and some physical intimidation, but including instances of physical abuse.
* Mentions of suicide, suicidal ideation, and self-harm.
* Violence/assault (but no sexual violence/assault).
* Death and grief.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to love this book. I can’t wait to read ‘Girl, Serpent, Thorn’!

Girls Made of Snow and Glass is a beautiful retelling of Snow White, which alternates between the story of Lynet, the young princess, and Mina, her stepmother, sixteen years earlier when she was Lynet's age.

The plot is fascinating, providing the reader with an insight into the "villain" of the story and making her a far more nuanced character. The mother daughter relationship is beautifully written, and the main characters are strong but flawed women.

I really loved this story - it's a completely unique and captivating retelling that I devoured in less than a day!

This review has been posted to Goodreads and will be submitted to Amazon after release.

Title: Girls Made of Snow and Glass
Author: Melissa Bashardoust
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairytale retelling, Stand-alone, LGBTQ 
Date Read: 29/03/20- 04/04/2020
Review: 

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust I received as an ARC from Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley. The book is a stand-alone fantasy retelling based on Snow White.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 Stars. 

The book is a dual POV from two protagonists called Queen Mina and Princess Lynet, the relationship between them is stepmother and stepdaughter. The focus of the book is on the relationship between Lynet and Mina and their journey of learning who they are and how to love. 

I loved the unique spin that Melissa Bashardoust did on the story of Snow White. I loved that the classic villain within the story is not who you are expecting, and the evil tropes from the classic villain character are explained due to the duel perspective.   

The book includes an LGBTQ main protagonist of who I will not name for spoiler reasons, and although the book focuses on the love of a stepmother and stepdaughter the hints of romance between the LGBTQ characters are quite important for the plot which unfolds. The romance that is included is a nice introductory romance which doesn't end with a definitive answer, I quite like these types of romances in books where the romance is not the focus, I feel if we had a final conclusion on the romance in the book my opinion would not be as high. 

The characters within the book were very likable and I loved Queen Mina and her history, I found myself more excited to read Mina's chapter over Lynet's but I still mostly enjoyed Lynet's chapters.  I loved the similarities between Lynet and Mina's powers and the way that the magic elements worked in this world.  

The writing of Girls Made of Snow and Glass was brilliant, I have read two books by Melissa Basherdoust during March and I have adored both of them,  Melissa Bashardoust needs to publish more books soon!

The writing of the dual perspective was beautifully done and I liked the way that I was keen to read on throughout the different perspectives. The most entertaining aspect of this book is the development of the character Mina,  seeing how she becomes Queen and her relationships between the King, Felix, and her father and how they progress and intensify over the course of her life. This aspect of the book was my favorite. 

I feel that the reason this book is not 5/5 stars is due to a situation at the end of the book never being addressed, Lynet completely ignored the fact that whom she believed was her stepmother did something horrible to her and that is never addressed between the two characters. .

I gave Girls Made of Snow and Glass a 4 out of 5 Star review and if you like to read fairytale retellings with a twist, LGBTQ fantasy or stories about the significance of love and family relationships I would definitely recommend this to you. 

Courtney (ANerdyBookBirdy)

This enchanting story is a fresh take on the well known fairytale of Snow White - a Stepmother and daughter who are destined to be rivals. When the Queen dies tragically, a magician creates a daughter for the King in her exact image using snow. Growing up in her mother’s shadow, which is only made worse by her ‘uncanny’ resemblance, the Princess wants nothing more than to be her own person. Seeking a Queen, the King marries the magicians daughter. Unbeknown to the King or Princess, the stepmother has a heart of glass and is unable to love or be loved. She secretly scorns her stepdaughter for resembling the perfect and beloved dead Queen and sees her as a threat to her powerful position in the Kingdom. There are secrets that could bind or push them apart, but these two women have much more in common that they realise. There can only be one Queen, however....
⠀
Girls made of Snow and Glass masterfully weaves these two girls stories together through their past and present. The language is beautifully descriptive and intricate, much like Melissa's other novel Girl, Serpent, Thorn. This tale had an enpowering and satisfying ending to it and I will look forward to more books by this author. A captivating story about magic, family secrets and manipulation. I enjoyed this one a lot!⠀

Beautiful and slightly disturbing feminist retelling of Snow White, Girls of Snow and Glass is not to be missed. It has a lyrical quality but doesn't shy away from tough subjects of difficult relationships. There's also a queer relationship - I am totally here for lesbian Snow White (especially since the prince in the original Bavarian fairy tale was basically into necrophilia!) This was excellent. Highly recommend.

A feminist reimagining of Snow White, "Girls Made of Snow and Glass" takes you through a tale as old as time. Pretty young daughter. New stepmother. But what road will their relationship take? The story twists and winds through time taking you through both the past and present of Mina, the (not-so-evil) stepmother, and Lynet, the beautiful young daughter of the king. There is magic, there is complex relationships between mother and daughter/daughter and father/daughter and very cute female doctor (I am so here for a lesbian reimagining of Snow White. Who the hell needs a prince??), and there are passionately powerful women in a world that does not want them to be powerful. Ultimately, through no fault of their own, it comes to light that both are partially made of magic, created by Mina's magician (and very evil) father. It seems that these women are doomed from the start to be rivals, but what would it take to make a glass heart beat, and a cold princess feel heat?

This was my very first request on Netgalley UK and I was overjoyed when they sent me a copy to read and review. I genuinely loved the concept behind this story and was really looking forward to reading Melissa Bashardaust's take on these fairytales. The lesbian love story between Lynet and Nadia, which was a surprise, was tender, full of the mistakes and butterflies of young, uncertain love. I enjoyed Lynet's character development, even if I did feel that some parts of it were forced (i.e. her only every living as a princess in a castle, but when she runs away, she suddenly can live just fine on her own in a different land?). Mina was an absolute pleasure to read. This cold queen who could not love, or be loved in return, because of her father's magic dealings turning her heart to glass. 'If a heart cannot beat, it cannot love' was the main premise of all of Mina's doubts, fears and anxieties, and yet she was incredibly kind and loving towards Lynet. At one point, when Lynet is young and her relationship with Mina is tender (and unburdened by the knowledge of her magic), Mina remarks to Lynet that "There are worse things in the world to be than delicate. If you are delicate, it means no one has tried to break you." This line really hit me hard and it being said so early in the book, I knew that there were only good things to come. There is such strength, and yet delicacy, to Mina, its as if Melissa truly brought to life a woman made of glass.

This was an incredibly powerful retelling of a tale we are all familiar with. These women did have help along their journeys, what heroines/heroes don't? But the best part is that these helpers were both men and women, and at no point, did they demand that our heroines do something different, or man-splain a better way, or hog the spotlight. These helpers (Nadia for Lynet, Felix for Mina) were flesh and blood characters with arcs of their own, that stood back and supported their loves, but developed and made mistakes and breathed life as much as our heroines. My only criticism of the book was the suddenness of the ending, I felt the final 'showdown' if you will, could have been a bit more drawn out, with a little added complexity. But this was a story full of happy endings, and I cannot knock it just because I didn't want the story to end. I very much enjoyed Melissa's writing style, the flitting back and forth in time, and changing up the view point of the characters from Mina to Lynet by chapter. I am so grateful to Netgalley UK for sending me this book and cannot wait to read more by Melissa soon!

Review will go live on my blog on 17th April

This is a dark retelling of Snow White, focusing on the relationship between "Snow White" and the "Evil Queen" - and how it got to the point that they were enemies. I found their relationship and the unfolding tragedy of Mira's life the most gripping part of this story. I really enjoyed reading this one gloomy afternoon (would have been silly to read it in the sun!)

It's not a particularly obvious Snow White retelling. There are no dwarves (thank goodness) for "Snow White" to care for, and the magic is very different. In fact, it's more like the backstory of how the Evil Queen became the Queen told alongside the build up to a very distorted version of Snow White.

I really like that, as it meant the story beats weren't familiar. Unlike, say, A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY, where it follows Beauty and the Beast more closely, Snow White is more of an inspiration. It's more like going "oh, that's a reference to the Huntsman not killing Snow White". The story felt more unique than merely a retelling.

The world, this cold, snowy castle trapped by a curse and inhabited by a King idolising his dead wife at the cost of his daughter and new wife, felt so unforgiving. It was slowly decaying, preserved only by the snow and everyone's denial. It suited the story well, and played into the magic system of control over snow and ice. I loved how Mira's powers twisted the "mirror, mirror one the wall" idea - and how that linked to the huntsman.

Thank you, NetGalley, for letting me read this.

This is a book of fantasy and fairytale. It gradually becomes clear that this is a re-telling of a fairytale we all know - even Mr Disney. It's a very clever re-telling, taking the familiar tropes and expanding them into something even stranger. It's also feminist and non-judgemental, with two women centre stage - the evil stepmother and the innocent princess - though both of them are somewhat more than that.

The setting is great - a kingdom divided into a warm, liberal South and an eternally frozen North, trapped in ice, but also in rigid protocol.

I romped through this book, really enjoyed the plot, but also the nods to the traditional tale, so cleverly re-worked. This is a good read.

In all honesty going into this book I was a little sceptical. Normally when I read re-tellings I tend to not enjoy them when I'm aware of what they are as subconsciously I try to pinpoint the original story.

However, Girls Made of Snow and Glass was a masterpiece of it's own! I flied through this book in less than a day. The dual perspective is an aspect I adore in books an I fell in love with both Mina and Lynet as characters and became fully invested in both their stories.

This novel also features a female female romance as well as strong feminist themes that I thoroughly appreciated.

I can't wait to see more of what Melissa has to offer because her writing style was impeccable and I want more!

** spoiler alert ** Some great ideas here,a girl made of snow,and another with a glass heart.
The South and the North countries wee a great back drop,one in endless winter.
I struggle to understand that if the magician could create these two characters,why did he do not much else for the next 16 years?
The kings obsession with his wife,and his daughter being like his wife just bordered on creepy.
The first half of the book,setting the scene,was far more enjoyable,by the end it felt a bit "I've got to kill her before she kills me"