Cannot Conceal a Change

 This twisted tale was an interesting concept, but unfortunately, I did not enjoy it. There were so many parts of the story that I did not like the way that it played out and the changes that were made. I loved the idea that Anna and Elsa were separated after the incident with them as children. But for Olaf to become a huge part in Elsa's life and for Han's to have loved Elsa, ruined a lot of the original ideas after the movie.

As the future Queen of Arendelle, Princess Elsa’s life is full of expectation and responsibility, not to mention, questions. What type of ruler will she be? When will she have to pick a suitor? And why has she always harbored the feeling that some critical piece of herself is missing?

Following the unexpected death of her parents, Elsa is forced to answer those questions sooner than she’d hoped, becoming the sole ruler of her kingdom and growing lonelier than ever. But when mysterious powers begin to reveal themselves, Elsa starts to remember fragments of her childhood that seem to have been erased, pieces that include a very familiar-looking girl. Determined to fill the void she has always felt, Elsa must take a harrowing journey across her icy kingdom to undo a terrible curse . . . and find the missing Princess of Arendelle.

In the original story, Elsa was deemed as a very independent person who did not need a love interest or man in her life. This version completely changed the idea when Elsa and Hans started having interest in each other. I understand the idea of this book being different than the original story, but this was a bit of a dramatic change. Hans ended up having the same exchange with Elsa as he did in the original and it was very similar to the betrayal that he gave to Anna.

Reflections of Power: Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror is a twisted tale of Snow White in which the Evil Queen poisons the Prince instead. How could this really make the story different you ask? Although the ending was very similar, the plot in the middle changed the entire storyline.

Following her beloved mother's death, the kingdom falls into the hands of Snow White's stepmother, commonly referred to as "the Evil Queen" by those she rules. Snow keeps her head down at the castle, hoping to make the best of her situation.

But when new information about her parents resurfaces and a plot to kill her goes haywire, everything changes for Snow. With the help of a group of wary dwarfs, a kind prince she thought she'd never see again and a mysterious stranger from her past, Snow embarks on a quest to stop the Evil Queen and take back her kingdom. But can she stop an enemy who knows her every move and will stop at nothing to retain her power... including going after the ones Snow loves?

The mirror in this story really plays a much larger role as the Evil Queen has used its power so much that she and the mirror have started to become one and the same. She uses the power to lock Snow White's father out of the kingdom and uses it to spy on anyone she wishes. The more the Queen uses its power, the more she loses her humanity until she becomes consumed by her own reflection.

This version of the story starts off as a retelling of the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs but the best part is, you never know what is going to happen next. The twists and turns from the original storyline come out of nowhere and shock you before you can expect it.

The Shoe Fits on This Romance

"If the Shoe Fits" by Julie Murphy was revolutionary for me to read. This book took a classic fairy tale story, changed the whole thing and added a huge section of diversity. Written by a plus size author, we are introduced to the first ever plus sized Cinderella, who doesn't need a fairy godmother.

After having just graduated with a degree in shoe design and trying to get her feet on the ground, Cindy is working for her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer of America's favorite reality show, Before Midnight. When a spot on the show needs filling ASAP, Cindy volunteers, hoping it might help jump-start her fashion career, or at least give her something to do while her peers land jobs in the world of high fashion.

Turns out being the only plus size woman on a reality dating competition makes a splash and soon Cindy becomes a body positivity icon for women everywhere. What she doesn't expect? That she may just find inspiration-and love-in the process. Ultimately, Cindy learns that if the shoe doesn't fit, maybe it's time to design your own.

This was a very interesting turn on the fairy tale. The step mother and sisters were very kind and Cindy already knew her prince. Also the fact that it all took place on a dating television show was even better to add to the drama. I thought this was a very cute adaptation because when you think about the ball that Cinderella goes to, isn't that pretty much just a dating game?

I enjoyed that Cindy was very independent and did not need saving from any of the other girls or anyone else in the book. She was a fashion designer who knew what she loved and even in the end did it even if it meant she would have to move across the world. It felt like the perfect ending for someone who had learned that if the shoe doesn’t fit, you have every right to design your own.

Part of Your World: A Twisted Tale

Another Little Mermaid book? You bet. For some reason, I’ve been on a kick for retellings of The Little Mermaid. Part of Your World by Liz Braswell did not disappoint. Just like Hexed, it was fun to read a familiar story with a huge twist.

It’s been five years since the infamous sea witch defeated the little mermaid and took King Triton’s life in the process. Ariel is now the voiceless queen of Atlantica, while Ursula runs Prince Eric’s kingdom on land. But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world — and a prince — she never imagined she would see again.

I’ve always been on the side of villains so it was interesting to see this version of what happens if they win. Ursula as Vanessa was one of my favorite villains and I’m not sure if that’s because of her incredible voice — Ariel’s voice — or because she really looks like me.

One of the reasons retellings like this are so fun to read is because we already know the plot of the story. We know Ariel, Eric, Ursula and Triton. We know their relationships, their struggles, their desires. But when you twist just one outcome, everything changes. Suddenly, you’re looking at these characters through a completely different lens.

For example, Eric isn’t just the charming prince anymore. He’s a man living under a villain’s control. His mentality has shifted and in many ways he’s lost himself.

And then there’s Ariel, who might be the most interesting character in this version. She’s not the naive teenager who dreams of being “part of your world.” She’s older, a queen still without her voice and haunted by her youthful mistake.

Throughout the story, you see the shell around both characters begin to crack. Slowly, they revert back to the bubbly, hopeful characters that felt so familiar in the classic movie.

Crying in H Mart: A Story of Grief, Love and Food

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner is one of those books that stays with you long after you finish. I picked it up thinking it would be a thoughtful memoir, but I wasn’t prepared for how deeply it relates to me. I could relate to her story so much that it was so moving to read her story so recent to the death in mine.

With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother's particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother's tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food.

It was her mother's diagnosis of terminal cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language and history her mother had given her.

 

Now, as I said before, my story can closely relate to hers. I just lost my grandpa to a battle with cancer about a month ago. When Michelle wrote about the progress of her mother’s death, it was so real. It was just as I had experienced my grandpa’s. I think it was fate for me to read this book when I did. I have had it on my reading list since my junior year of high school and it was now that I decided to read it.

For Michelle, it wasn't just so much about losing her mother as it was about her heritage. She lost a part of herself but also started to realize how distant she was to the culture that had raised her. This memoir was really scattered throughout various parts of her life. 

Overall, this memoir was written very well. It was not the best memoir I have ever read, but it was for sure the first one I could relate to the closest. Our culture is a part of us, no matter how big or small that culture may be. It is important for us to remember our roots and to thrive with respect to them.