Ratings8
Average rating3.6
“Magic is “messy and dangerous and filled with longing,” we learn in this brave tale of grief, villainy and redemption that borrows from the story of the Snow Queen. Set in a vast, chilly museum, the tale brings together a valiant girl, a charmed boy, a magical sword and a clock ticking down to the end of the world.”—The Wall Street Journal This is the story of unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard who doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty, the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help. As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world. A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.
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I liked this novel. It was full of adventure, and had a strong female protagonist. I recommend it for the kid who likes a good retelling of a fairytale (Snow Queen), or a good portal story (the portal here being an entire museum). It is full of action and contains a story within a story. Some of the devices are a bit repetitive and heavy-handed (the boy lacks a name and the main character runs through male names in alphabetical order) AND we keep track of the exact amount of time since the mother died. Other than that, it's a good story full of absent parents and adventure.