Author: Jane Yolen

Graphic Novel Review: Curse..

Reviewed: Foiled Plot: Taking off where the first book left off, Aliera must save the fairy kingdom with the help of her cousin Caroline. I love watching her in action and the twists of the plot in the book were quite shocking and kept me reading right until the end. I fear I will have to wait too long to find out what is next for Aliera. Characters: I just love Aliera, who is a bit of a stubborn girl, strong-minded but not without fault. Caroline is a fantastic character as well. Even though she is in a wheelchair, she […]

Posted March 2, 2013
Graphic Novel Review

Book View: Snow in Summer

Short & Sweet: It's been a while since I saw a fairy tale retelling in America that is not modern. This one takes place in the early 1900s and Yolen does an amazing job of pulling you into the setting and story. Instead of Summer's father dying, he is under a spell after he marries Stepmama. The view point alternates, showing not only Summer and Stepmama's views, but also Cousin Nancy's at times. The reader gets to delve into the reasons why Stepmama does what she does and it really is quite a creepy tale at times that made me […]

Posted July 27, 2012
Book Views

Graphic Novel Review: The L..

Plot: Very much told in a fairy tale type way, Yolen does a beautiful job of describing a hero’s journey. I love that the hero isn’t perfect right from the start. The woman who convinces him into saving her town from a dragon is clever in her way of making sure he does the job he was hired to do. It is actually Tansy who comes up with the idea that saves her town in the end. I love the strength of a plot like that empowering the woman in the story. Characters: Tansy was such an appealing and strong […]

Posted July 3, 2012
Graphic Novel Review

Graphic Novel Review: Foile..

In the spring, I had an opportunity to see the marvelous Jane Yolen at a local library event. I was looking at the books they had on sale for the signing and was shocked to see a graphic novel among them. So I picked it up then and there and am glad I did. The cover definitely pulled me and I couldn’t wait to read it. I really enjoyed Aliera’s character right off. She was a bit of a loner, with an interesting hobby – fencing. There’s two things that change her life forever. The first is her mother finding […]

Posted August 21, 2011
Book Review, Graphic Novel Review

Book Review: Briar Rose

This is actually a reread for me for a Goodreads bookclub called Wild Things YA. I loved this novel when I first read it years ago and figured it was time for a reread anyways. This story is told through our narrator Rebecca, but there are some fantastic flashbacks via her grandmother that come into play throughout the novel. It's definitely an eye-opening book and one that is a perfect blend of fairy tale and history. There is so much to this novel, Rebecca's obsession with finding out her grandmother's past and what a colorful past it was. The […]

Posted March 9, 2011
Book Review