She ought to know that where there's a queen there's often a plot to overthrow her.
This book threw me for a loop. I thought I would be reading a Snow White re-telling set in the 1950's-60's; instead, I felt that this was really an examination of racial relations, family and gender with some elements and themes of the fairy tale artfully woven in.
Boy Novack, who is a girl, grew up with an abusive father and an absent mother. When she finally escapes her father, Boy finds herself in the small town of Flax Hills, Massachusetts, a town where outsiders aren't exactly welcome. Boy finds a room at a boardinghouse and supports herself through a series of odd jobs. A local, Arturo Whitman finds himself enamored with Boy and they get married. Arturo has a daughter, Snow, from a previous marriage. Snow is a beautiful and perfect little girl, but Boy sees something off in her. When Boy has a child of her own, Bird, the baby's skin color reveals a secret that the Whtman's had been very careful to hide throughout the years.
I enjoyed the story, it was just not what I was expecting.The book is separated into three sections, the first told from Boy's point of view, the second from Bird, and the third from Boy again.It was very hard for me to connect with Boy and Arturo's character, there is supposed to be something a little off about Boy, but she felt very blank. However, I loved the section written from Bird's point of view. In Bird's section there is feeling and a little magic is brought in. The ending also brought up more questions than answers for me and it wasn't really the full mystery that I was looking for to be solved.
Boy Novack, who is a girl, grew up with an abusive father and an absent mother. When she finally escapes her father, Boy finds herself in the small town of Flax Hills, Massachusetts, a town where outsiders aren't exactly welcome. Boy finds a room at a boardinghouse and supports herself through a series of odd jobs. A local, Arturo Whitman finds himself enamored with Boy and they get married. Arturo has a daughter, Snow, from a previous marriage. Snow is a beautiful and perfect little girl, but Boy sees something off in her. When Boy has a child of her own, Bird, the baby's skin color reveals a secret that the Whtman's had been very careful to hide throughout the years.
I enjoyed the story, it was just not what I was expecting.The book is separated into three sections, the first told from Boy's point of view, the second from Bird, and the third from Boy again.It was very hard for me to connect with Boy and Arturo's character, there is supposed to be something a little off about Boy, but she felt very blank. However, I loved the section written from Bird's point of view. In Bird's section there is feeling and a little magic is brought in. The ending also brought up more questions than answers for me and it wasn't really the full mystery that I was looking for to be solved.
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