***Full review at wildandwonderfulreads.com ***

Girls Made of Snow and Glass is a masterfully written spin on the tale of Snow White.

Growing up, I only paid attention to the blissful side of fairytales. I loved the “happily ever after” and ignored the struggles the characters experienced along the way. In more recent years, however, I have grown to appreciate the part of the story that portrays life as less than perfect. Girls Made of Snow and Glass is just that; a story of how the lives of the queen and the princess, a mother and a daughter, are less perfect than they seem.

In her debut novel, Melissa Bashardoust absolutely captivated me with her writing! She had a very crisp, natural style, and I found it very easy to enjoy the narrative because the writing itself enhanced it. One of my favorite things about this book was simply the prose.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the format of the book. The chapters weaved the stories of Mina, the daughter of a powerful magician who grew to become the queen, and Lynet, the daughter of the king and step-daughter of Mina. The reader gets a glimpse at both of their pasts, which helps us to understand their present. The duel points of view fills out a more complete picture.

Generally speaking, this is a retelling, so the basic premise for Girls Made of Snow and Glass parallels that of Snow White, but there are so many unique aspects and twists regarding the characters, that I found myself truly in wonder to where the plot would progress. I loved the feminist and diverse elements that Bashardoust incorporated, too!

I thought most of the characters were well-developed, but I also found myself wanting to know more about or see more from a few. Because of the book’s format, we learn a great deal about Mina and Lynet, and I did find myself extremely invested in them. I also grew quite fond of the Hunstman, Felix, and the surgeon, Nadia. I think they are both major lights in this book, in my opinion. I even thought the dark and evil Gregory is an amazing character, but his origin or past is one I would have liked to know more about.

There was one thing that carried on through a large part of the book that nagged at me as a reader, and that had to do with the constant back and forth that Mina and Lynet felt towards each other. For a little while with Lynet, at least, I chocked it up to naivety, but it happened so much where both characters went from hot to cold and vice versa with each other that it eventually wore on me.

Overall, Girls Made of Snow and Glass met all of my high expectations. I am rather difficult to please when it comes to retellings, so I was thrilled with how much I enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy retellings, as well as to those who are looking for a unique, diverse read.

*Thanks to Flatiron Books for providing me with a copy of this book. Please note that it, in no way, had an effect on my opinion or review.