Ashtyn Britt
abritt@lc.edu

I have been reviewing the Twisted Tale Series for some time now, and have yet to not be captivated by the interesting diversions from the Disney film I had grown up with. Mirror Mirror by Jen Calonita has succeeded in a much-needed retelling of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Growing up, many people felt that Snow White was one of the least interesting or self-sufficient princesses, without much personality throughout the story. This book spins that entire idea on its head, giving both Snow White and her Prince some much-needed character development. Warning! The rest of this article will contain major spoilers. For those of you who are interested in buying and reading “Mirror Mirror,” the book is available for purchase in most bookstores and on Amazon.com.

The biggest example of the changes made to this classic story is the fact that it is actually Snow White’s Prince who is poisoned instead of her, leading Snow to band together her kingdom to plan a coup against the Evil Queen. The reader is also blessed with flashbacks from the Evil Queen’s point of view, displaying her descent into darkness, as well as the rather beautiful love story of how Snow White’s parents met and fell in love. We also get a more detailed look into Snow White’s thought process as she deals with the aftermath of many years of isolation by the Evil Queen, and learns to be strong enough to fight back for her people.

I can’t express my admiration enough for the writing style of this book, as well as exemplifying Snow White as being a smart, patient, and tactful princess, determined to regain her rightful place on the throne. At the same time, the flashbacks during the story also shows how the Evil Queen’s actions could be made by anyone, and how easy it is for someone to become corrupt in the right circumstances. I can’t express enough to Disney fans that they should read this book, especially those who have always had a wish to see more from this classic princess.