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Mirror, Mirror
Looks to kill for...
Ana is nothing like her glamorous mother, Queen Veda, whose hair is black as ravens and whose lips are red as roses. Alas, Queen Veda loathes anyone whose beauty dares to rival her own—including her daughter.
And despite Ana’s attempts to be plain to earn her mother’s affection,
she’s sent away to the kingdom’s exclusive boarding school.
At the Academy, Ana is devastated when her only friend abandons her for the popular girls. Isolated and alone, Ana resolves to look like a true princess to earn the acceptance she desires.
But when she uncovers the dangerous secret that makes all of the girls at the Academy so gorgeous, just how far will Ana go to fit in?
Ana is nothing like her glamorous mother, Queen Veda, whose hair is black as ravens and whose lips are red as roses. Alas, Queen Veda loathes anyone whose beauty dares to rival her own—including her daughter.
And despite Ana’s attempts to be plain to earn her mother’s affection,
she’s sent away to the kingdom’s exclusive boarding school.
At the Academy, Ana is devastated when her only friend abandons her for the popular girls. Isolated and alone, Ana resolves to look like a true princess to earn the acceptance she desires.
But when she uncovers the dangerous secret that makes all of the girls at the Academy so gorgeous, just how far will Ana go to fit in?
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2005
9 people are currently reading
3535 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Butcher
50 books16 followersNancy Butcher has written on health and wellness subjects for WholeHealthMD.com and other websites as well as creating wellness booklets for Time-Life Books. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling children's book It's Snow Problem, and 101 Ways to Stop Eating After Dinner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
March 16, 2017
Beauty was an interesting retelling of Snow White. The writing was simplistic and enticing and the tale progressed quickly and managed to keep my interest throughout.
Tatiana Anatolia, or Ana, was a fiery main character. I liked her intelligence, spirit, and resilience throughout the book. The lack of a male love interest was actually refreshing, because it was good to see Ana fend for herself and survive against her evil, cruel mother. The result is a more gritty, dark version of Snow White, which I enjoyed immensely.
The only thing I found rather lacking was the ending, which was very glossed over to me. The queen's death was abrupt and not well explained and the final chapters were rushed. Otherwise, Beauty would have been a good retelling of the traditional fairytale.
Tatiana Anatolia, or Ana, was a fiery main character. I liked her intelligence, spirit, and resilience throughout the book. The lack of a male love interest was actually refreshing, because it was good to see Ana fend for herself and survive against her evil, cruel mother. The result is a more gritty, dark version of Snow White, which I enjoyed immensely.
The only thing I found rather lacking was the ending, which was very glossed over to me. The queen's death was abrupt and not well explained and the final chapters were rushed. Otherwise, Beauty would have been a good retelling of the traditional fairytale.
June 29, 2016
3.5/5 stars!
December 14, 2012
This is the same book as Beauty by Nancy Butcher. Are they the same author!? Here is the other book's link. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25...
April 27, 2020
Beauty, abuse, friendship, a queen who is obsessed with being young, and that gorgeous cover.
Re-read 2020! This was an amazing re-read. Corona and staying home is useful for something I guess, I am reading more re-reads now I have to ration my books. This book has been high on my Ohhh, I need to re-read this for some time, so yay.
A gorgeously written book about a girl who, when she moves away from home to a boarding school, learns to defy her mom and accept that she is pretty. Yes, her mom wants to be the fairest of them all and will do anything and everything to get that. Even abusing her daughter by making sure her daughter feels like a total crapfest if she so much as looks pretty or prettier than her. I felt sorry for the girl that she felt like she had to be ugly and had to fatten herself just to get attention and love from her mom. At times I wanted to shake her, especially later when things go wrong and she still thinks her mom cannot do anything wrong. What the actual hell, girl how damaged are you? Answer: too damaged. Poor thing.
So I was glad that at the boarding school she learned to appreciate herself more and that thanks to all the food she is learning to eat healthy again. Because eating cakes as only food is a big no no despite how lovely it sounds.
I loved the school-setting part aka boarding school it is one of my favourite settings. And while not much happens in this one because it is not a real school (not a spoiler this is pretty much known from the beginning as we get a POV from the boss of the school) I still loved reading about the lessons they had and what else they did at this place.
I loved seeing how things went from OK to worse slowly and I loved that our MC did everything she could to figure things out and to help out her friends/peers. Reading books about herbs, asking people, making sure her peers and friend were comfortable. The change in the girls was also an interesting one.
There are also POVs featuring the mom and the boss of the school. I definitely wasn’t a fan of the mom’s POV as the mom is just a psychotic woman who needs to accept she is getting older. Plus, with that POV we also get that creepy Beauty Consultant who I never liked as he was just wayyyy too much NOPE. While the other POV give some insight in the characters, sorry, if I don’t like a character (and I didn’t like either of them) then I don’t want them.
I flew through this book, just like I did when I read it first. Before I knew it the book was over. I would definitely recommend it to all and I can’t wait to re-read this one again in a few years.
Re-read 2020! This was an amazing re-read. Corona and staying home is useful for something I guess, I am reading more re-reads now I have to ration my books. This book has been high on my Ohhh, I need to re-read this for some time, so yay.
A gorgeously written book about a girl who, when she moves away from home to a boarding school, learns to defy her mom and accept that she is pretty. Yes, her mom wants to be the fairest of them all and will do anything and everything to get that. Even abusing her daughter by making sure her daughter feels like a total crapfest if she so much as looks pretty or prettier than her. I felt sorry for the girl that she felt like she had to be ugly and had to fatten herself just to get attention and love from her mom. At times I wanted to shake her, especially later when things go wrong and she still thinks her mom cannot do anything wrong. What the actual hell, girl how damaged are you? Answer: too damaged. Poor thing.
So I was glad that at the boarding school she learned to appreciate herself more and that thanks to all the food she is learning to eat healthy again. Because eating cakes as only food is a big no no despite how lovely it sounds.
I loved the school-setting part aka boarding school it is one of my favourite settings. And while not much happens in this one because it is not a real school (not a spoiler this is pretty much known from the beginning as we get a POV from the boss of the school) I still loved reading about the lessons they had and what else they did at this place.
I loved seeing how things went from OK to worse slowly and I loved that our MC did everything she could to figure things out and to help out her friends/peers. Reading books about herbs, asking people, making sure her peers and friend were comfortable. The change in the girls was also an interesting one.
There are also POVs featuring the mom and the boss of the school. I definitely wasn’t a fan of the mom’s POV as the mom is just a psychotic woman who needs to accept she is getting older. Plus, with that POV we also get that creepy Beauty Consultant who I never liked as he was just wayyyy too much NOPE. While the other POV give some insight in the characters, sorry, if I don’t like a character (and I didn’t like either of them) then I don’t want them.
I flew through this book, just like I did when I read it first. Before I knew it the book was over. I would definitely recommend it to all and I can’t wait to re-read this one again in a few years.
June 19, 2013
I am usually not so critical of books but I just really did not like this book. There was just many things wrong with it. the synopsis originally sounded really intriguing to me but it did not turn out to be what I hoped it would be.
The book follows the story of Ana the daughter of very beautiful Queen Veda. Queen Vedas goal in life is to be the most beautiful person of all time. So when she sees how beautiful her daughter is becoming she shuns her. All that Ana wants though is to have her mother love her. In result she tries to make herself as ugly as possible. But still her mother is worries of Ana becoming more beautiful then her so she sends her away to a special academy. But at the academy the girls are as obsessed with being beautiful as Ana's mother and maybe even more.
The thing that was the biggest issue for my was the way the author wrote the story it was written in a very exaggerated and over the top voice. Sometimes it also sounded kind of childish to me too. She also wrote the story in a very dark way sometimes which I wouldn't originally object to but sometimes it just came out being really strange.
There was also not much character development in the book. I also couldn't stand the main character Ana. She was so whiny at times and came across desperate and annoying. I could not connect to her at all and that made the book hard to read. Not one of the characters in this book actually stood out to me in a good way. They were either annoying, strange, or just boring.
Overall this book just did not don't for me, it was dark, annoying, and strange. I think this book could of had potential with the interesting synopsis but the author just did not execute it the right way.
The book follows the story of Ana the daughter of very beautiful Queen Veda. Queen Vedas goal in life is to be the most beautiful person of all time. So when she sees how beautiful her daughter is becoming she shuns her. All that Ana wants though is to have her mother love her. In result she tries to make herself as ugly as possible. But still her mother is worries of Ana becoming more beautiful then her so she sends her away to a special academy. But at the academy the girls are as obsessed with being beautiful as Ana's mother and maybe even more.
The thing that was the biggest issue for my was the way the author wrote the story it was written in a very exaggerated and over the top voice. Sometimes it also sounded kind of childish to me too. She also wrote the story in a very dark way sometimes which I wouldn't originally object to but sometimes it just came out being really strange.
There was also not much character development in the book. I also couldn't stand the main character Ana. She was so whiny at times and came across desperate and annoying. I could not connect to her at all and that made the book hard to read. Not one of the characters in this book actually stood out to me in a good way. They were either annoying, strange, or just boring.
Overall this book just did not don't for me, it was dark, annoying, and strange. I think this book could of had potential with the interesting synopsis but the author just did not execute it the right way.
December 9, 2013
Interesting concept, but it seemed rushed and a lot was not explained. For a girl who's about to be sixteen Ana is very immature and speaks mostly like a child, the tone I got from the writing was that she was closer to twelve.
November 24, 2008
This book could have used more character development. I definitely like Princess Academy by Shannon Hale much more!
December 29, 2015
Name: Mirror, Mirror
Rating:
Main Character: Princess/Queen Tatiana
Book Boyfriend: No One
Page Turner: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Happily Ever After: Yep
What I learnt from this book: Beauty isn't everything and doesn't matter if you're filled with ugliness inside. You should love yourself no matter what, and not hate someone else just because they're better than you. Be thankful for what you have.
And.... Don't be a bitchy mother.
Ana
Pell
Queen Veda
I really liked the story-line and this is probably the first non-romance book I've read in a long time and it felt good. Recently, I've narrowed my reading choices down to just romance and paranormal, but change is good.
The story was good, showing how a woman's love of beauty led her to feel hatred for her daughter and how she'd go to any extent to stay the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. It was kinda like Snow White, but with a twist. Ana wants her mother's love, and she does everything to make her mother love her again, even if it means eating pastries and getting fat and not showering and getting ugly. But her mother's love for beauty is too damn much and she's willing to do anything to make sure no one surpasses her beauty, and in the end, gets what she deserves.
Overall, A nice little read.
November 13, 2013
I love a fairy tale retelling and this one was a pretty good version of Snow White…well bits and pieces of Snow White. Evil Queen, check….7 dwarves…uncheck.
This was a pretty short book, more of a novella really and not worth the eight dollars I spent on it, it really should have been in the five dollar range.
The author had a good voice, storytelling and setting were decent, in fact the world she created for her characters was pretty fascinating and I would love to see more tales located in it.…I had a little bit of an issue with the character development and a teensy issue with the plot.
I felt that the Queen’s back story lacked…Why did she want to be so beautiful that she’d kill her daughter? What drove her…? In some parts the Queen seemed to love her daughter and then have that love turned to disgust and hate when her evil little Beauty Consultant would advise her that the girl was going to be the Queen’s competition. (He was the main bad guy of this story)It just seemed like a stretch that she would round up all these young beautiful girls and kill them… She just didn’t feel evil enough… I am not sure how to explain it, I felt she was a villain with potential that wasn’t realized.
Ana was supposed to be 16 or 17, however her inner voice sounded more like a 12 year old girl. She makes herself ugly and fat to win her mother’s love and then when at school her BFF ditches her for popular girls she comes out of her shell as a beautiful “true” princess. She suddenly is a heroine and saves the day, rescuing everyone…Which I felt was a bit of a stretch.
There was no romance in this novella, yes you read that right. This book had NO ROMANCE it was pretty awesome, it was completely plot driven (even if the plot lacked a tiny bit) and Ana was the star (though I craved more about her mother).
I felt the ending was rushed while the start was a little slow.
However I enjoyed reading this book and that’s important for me. It was fun and simple, had all the trademarks of a fairy tale, aside from the missing love interest. If you are looking for a fast easy read, perhaps something to take on vacation then this is the book for you.
This was a pretty short book, more of a novella really and not worth the eight dollars I spent on it, it really should have been in the five dollar range.
The author had a good voice, storytelling and setting were decent, in fact the world she created for her characters was pretty fascinating and I would love to see more tales located in it.…I had a little bit of an issue with the character development and a teensy issue with the plot.
I felt that the Queen’s back story lacked…Why did she want to be so beautiful that she’d kill her daughter? What drove her…? In some parts the Queen seemed to love her daughter and then have that love turned to disgust and hate when her evil little Beauty Consultant would advise her that the girl was going to be the Queen’s competition. (He was the main bad guy of this story)It just seemed like a stretch that she would round up all these young beautiful girls and kill them… She just didn’t feel evil enough… I am not sure how to explain it, I felt she was a villain with potential that wasn’t realized.
Ana was supposed to be 16 or 17, however her inner voice sounded more like a 12 year old girl. She makes herself ugly and fat to win her mother’s love and then when at school her BFF ditches her for popular girls she comes out of her shell as a beautiful “true” princess. She suddenly is a heroine and saves the day, rescuing everyone…Which I felt was a bit of a stretch.
There was no romance in this novella, yes you read that right. This book had NO ROMANCE it was pretty awesome, it was completely plot driven (even if the plot lacked a tiny bit) and Ana was the star (though I craved more about her mother).
I felt the ending was rushed while the start was a little slow.
However I enjoyed reading this book and that’s important for me. It was fun and simple, had all the trademarks of a fairy tale, aside from the missing love interest. If you are looking for a fast easy read, perhaps something to take on vacation then this is the book for you.
January 4, 2012
Ana wants to be ugly. She has worked very hard at it, ever since she was twelve years old. Ever since the day a man complimented her on her beauty and she saw the look of hatred, jealousy, and anger in her mother's eyes. Now she doesn't bathe, doesn't trim her toenails, doesn't brush her hair, and eats nothing but pastries, bread, and moldy cheeses. Her nutrition has left her body pudgy and her face blemished. She is happy because she seems to have her mother's favor; however, staying ugly takes a lot of effort.
Queen Veda, Ana's mother, is a calculating ruler. Vanity is her main focus and she is never without her strange Beauty Consultant. He is a creepy little man that is always lurking around. His eyes turn red whenever he approves of the way the Queen looks. He mixes beauty potions and creates creams out of ingredients like spiders and leaves for the Queen to use to maintain her beautiful appearance. It is Queen Veda's jealousy that leads her to devise her most diabolical plan ever.
The Queen creates a new Academy for the best and brightest girls of the land. About fifty girls receive personal invitations to attend this prestigious academy and Pell, Ana's best friend, is one of them. Ana is heartbroken, thinking that she will lose her best friend forever. But on the advice of the Beauty Consultant, Queen Veda sends Ana to the Academy, too. Pell and Ana are thrilled to be attending a school that will provide rigorous academics, while at the same time being roommates. However, a sinister plot awaits all the girls that attend the Academy.
BEAUTY is a fast-paced fairy tale that pulls at your heartstrings. The reader will cheer for Ana when she finally realizes the truth about her mother. The sinister plan could have been more sinister and the ending a little more complex, but overall this is a fascinating story, definitely one for fans of queens, princesses, and fairy tales.
Queen Veda, Ana's mother, is a calculating ruler. Vanity is her main focus and she is never without her strange Beauty Consultant. He is a creepy little man that is always lurking around. His eyes turn red whenever he approves of the way the Queen looks. He mixes beauty potions and creates creams out of ingredients like spiders and leaves for the Queen to use to maintain her beautiful appearance. It is Queen Veda's jealousy that leads her to devise her most diabolical plan ever.
The Queen creates a new Academy for the best and brightest girls of the land. About fifty girls receive personal invitations to attend this prestigious academy and Pell, Ana's best friend, is one of them. Ana is heartbroken, thinking that she will lose her best friend forever. But on the advice of the Beauty Consultant, Queen Veda sends Ana to the Academy, too. Pell and Ana are thrilled to be attending a school that will provide rigorous academics, while at the same time being roommates. However, a sinister plot awaits all the girls that attend the Academy.
BEAUTY is a fast-paced fairy tale that pulls at your heartstrings. The reader will cheer for Ana when she finally realizes the truth about her mother. The sinister plan could have been more sinister and the ending a little more complex, but overall this is a fascinating story, definitely one for fans of queens, princesses, and fairy tales.
August 9, 2015
a very interesting approach
Originally posted on Small Review
Snow White was never my favorite fairy tale either, but it's a princess story, so I'm always at least partially predisposed to liking it. And, overall, I did like this one. With some reservations.
Nancy Ohlin's version was definitely unique, twisting the traditional focus on Snow White's beauty into a story about body image and disordered thinking. This was a much deeper, sadder story than I usually associate with the original tale.
Nancy Ohlin did an excellent job exploring the relationship between the Snow White character and her mother and the disordered thinking and emotional pain between the two. These women are both damaged and ill and while it was very well done, it was also very uncomfortable to read.
Which is my main problem with the book. I don't like issues books, and this is definitely an issues book. Sure it's fantasy and takes place in a fantasy world with magic and potions, but it's really an issues book.
Check it out if you're looking for a short, unique fairy tale retelling like the Once Upon a Time series (particularly the The Rose Bride). Just be prepared for something much weightier and darker.
Originally posted on Small Review
Snow White was never my favorite fairy tale either, but it's a princess story, so I'm always at least partially predisposed to liking it. And, overall, I did like this one. With some reservations.
Nancy Ohlin's version was definitely unique, twisting the traditional focus on Snow White's beauty into a story about body image and disordered thinking. This was a much deeper, sadder story than I usually associate with the original tale.
Nancy Ohlin did an excellent job exploring the relationship between the Snow White character and her mother and the disordered thinking and emotional pain between the two. These women are both damaged and ill and while it was very well done, it was also very uncomfortable to read.
Which is my main problem with the book. I don't like issues books, and this is definitely an issues book. Sure it's fantasy and takes place in a fantasy world with magic and potions, but it's really an issues book.
Check it out if you're looking for a short, unique fairy tale retelling like the Once Upon a Time series (particularly the The Rose Bride). Just be prepared for something much weightier and darker.
December 30, 2011
There are enough teen books kicking around these days that do a really good job of exploring some really interesting ideas that I had high hopes for this one. It seemed like a take on Snow White that could have some good strong female messages about outer beauty vs. inner beauty, sacrificing yourself for someone else, and stepping out of others' shadows as you find your own true self. And to be fair, it did have all that. It just presented it in such a superficial way that I was left pretty unfulfilled.
For example, beauty as a potent drug? I figured that would be a metaphor. Maybe Ana would even succumb, and set some sort of catastrophe in motion that would require her to rise above it all and find her inner strength to save the day. But no. The drug was literal. There was an actual drug. Called Beauty. Which Ana herself never took. She just found out about it and then went to get some help to arrest people and get all the girls' stomachs pumped or whatever. Yawn. She didn't really learn anything except that her mom's extremely selfish and that it's OK to be pretty. Like I said, I just wanted more.
For example, beauty as a potent drug? I figured that would be a metaphor. Maybe Ana would even succumb, and set some sort of catastrophe in motion that would require her to rise above it all and find her inner strength to save the day. But no. The drug was literal. There was an actual drug. Called Beauty. Which Ana herself never took. She just found out about it and then went to get some help to arrest people and get all the girls' stomachs pumped or whatever. Yawn. She didn't really learn anything except that her mom's extremely selfish and that it's OK to be pretty. Like I said, I just wanted more.
November 2, 2018
To be honest this book was a little bit creepy, a daughter who is constantly making herself ugly so her mom will LOVE her, a mom who is so obsessed with her own beauty she barely notices her daughter and when she does STILL feels threatened by her beauty( to a point that she try's killing her daughter(multiple times)), a creepy beauty guy( who is the moms advisor),and a handsome ( evil ) tutor. YES I do get that the author tried to write her version of Snow White, but this book really just was about our "heroine" feeling sorry for herself/ trying and failing to please her mother. Overall this is not a book I would recommend to ANYONE!
February 12, 2017
Story: 1/2 - too many unanswered questions (who was the beauty consultant? What was he?)
Characters: 1
Writing: 1
World: 1/2 - where was it? There were hardly any descriptions of the world except for the academy and its gardens and even then it was limited.
Originality: 1/2 - i didn't feel as if a lot of new things were brought to the table. It's a Snow White retelling and yet the only new things were that the mirror was the beauty consultant - whatever he was - and that she tried to kill all of the beautiful girls in the kingdom with pills. Which makes me wonder if this was supposed to be semi-modern or if this was a fantasy world completely.
Actual Rating: 3.5
Characters: 1
Writing: 1
World: 1/2 - where was it? There were hardly any descriptions of the world except for the academy and its gardens and even then it was limited.
Originality: 1/2 - i didn't feel as if a lot of new things were brought to the table. It's a Snow White retelling and yet the only new things were that the mirror was the beauty consultant - whatever he was - and that she tried to kill all of the beautiful girls in the kingdom with pills. Which makes me wonder if this was supposed to be semi-modern or if this was a fantasy world completely.
Actual Rating: 3.5
August 12, 2014
This was some messed-up shite. That's mostly what I remember.
The one aspect that got me excited at first was that I thought Ana was smart and making her skin mottled and eating too much and not washing her hair as self-preservation. I thought she was smart. Nope. She was only doing those things to make her mom like her. Like, Ana legitimately believes that her mom loves her, but that she needs to make herself ugly to receive her mother's love. Ugh.
A really odd and slightly pathetic retelling of Snow White.
The one aspect that got me excited at first was that I thought Ana was smart and making her skin mottled and eating too much and not washing her hair as self-preservation. I thought she was smart. Nope. She was only doing those things to make her mom like her. Like, Ana legitimately believes that her mom loves her, but that she needs to make herself ugly to receive her mother's love. Ugh.
A really odd and slightly pathetic retelling of Snow White.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2015
This was sad, I felt bad for poor Ana. The ending was a little rushed though. If you like YA and retellings you might enjoy this. As far as I can tell it's kind of a spin on Snow White, maybe? While it was a decent read I don't know if I'll be in a rush to read others.
February 6, 2007
A short but enjoyable read.
March 8, 2008
Not the most well-written book, though the the idea itself is intriguing.
The cover is beautiful though.
The cover is beautiful though.
March 1, 2009
Beauty isn't worth dying for!
September 14, 2009
I REALLY liked this book! It was an extremely good read!!
(Ms Mellington, I recommend you read it!)
(Ms Mellington, I recommend you read it!)
March 28, 2010
This was a very interesting loose version of Snow White. Great writing, great story, I just wish it were a little longer.
January 29, 2020
This was definitely an interesting take on Snow White. And as I love fairy tale retellings, this definitely appealed to me, and I found certain dynamics of this story very interesting, and loved that those were explored.
We'll get into that shortly. First though, I'm gonna go ahead and tell you, that if you're looking for a strict retelling of Snow White, this doesn't fit the bill. It's more of a re-imagining of certain parts of the Snow White tale. Specifically, the part about the wicked queen's obsession with being "the fairest of them all," and having a daughter that suffers for it, with no real recourse to do anything, as her father is dead. And that is where the similarities end.
There aren't any dwarves, or poison apples, not of the other typical things you've come to associate with snow white, but what this story does have in spades, is an exploration of the relationship between the queen and "Snow White," whose name in this incarnation is Tatiana (Ana for short, or sometimes Tati). The queen, instead of being a step-mother who married into the family and them promptly rid herself of her husband but kept the kingdom, is Ana's birth mother, and they have a good relationship, until one day, the queen realizes that Ana's beauty may threaten her own. Ana realize that this causes a problem, and resolves to make herself ugly, by stuffing her face, getting fat, wearing servant's clothes, not attending to hygiene much at all, etc.
And I found that fascinating, that Ana would care enough for her mother that she would sacrifice herself in an effort to be closer to her. Because not only does the deeper character motivation give the story depth, but it also helps it relate to the original Snow White, in that it keeps with the idea that Snow White is a pure and gentle soul, full of only love. And proves often that she fits that description: her time with the rabbits, her rescue animals, how she tries to help other girls, all of it.
I also liked that though the story focuses primarily on physical beauty, it does touch on inner beauty, specifically near the end, where Ana points out that girls are miserable, and it seems as though their natural beauty has been taken from inside them, and taken away. (Or however she says it), point is, she points out that whatever light they had inside that also made them beautiful is now gone. For Ana to be incredibly caring and kind, and to (as we all know with the original Snow White stories), eventually become the fairest of them all), also says something to me, that beauty is more than just looks, and Snow White wins out, because she is full of love, rather than hatred. (Especially in this incarnation).
The other point I found fascinating was the queen's history, because in many Snow White stories, the queen is simply evil, but we aren't given a rhyme or reason as to why, and I liked her reasons for falling into her obsession with beauty in this book
Beyond any of the deeper story stuff, I like the way things are re-imagined in this story. Instead of an omniscient mirror, there is a strange little man, known only as the Beauty Consultant. I think those differences helped to keep the story fresh and interesting, because it could have easily become tired.
My big gripe however, the one that prevents this from getting more that 3 stars, is that the conclusion felt a little rushed, like it was all wrapped up too nicely an too quickly. It sort of felt like both Ana and the reader never got time to process anything at all, because things happened so quickly. It felt like a lot of buildup, and a lot of story, to more or less be like "this shit happened, then that shit happened because of it, and now we're done." I wanted more, like a little epilouge or something, so I could see how everything was going after.
Don't get me wrong, I liked the story a lot but I felt like certain parts could have been fleshed out more, there was opportunity to make this a longer, more in depth, or intricate story, and unlike some books, where that only makes them cumbersome and bulky, extra could have enhanced this story, and made it even better.
Overall though, I do like this as a retelling, and I think it's a nifty addition to the Snow White story family.
EDIT: I have decided to do the Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge
This book is going to count for challenge #30 - A fairy tale from a culture other than your own.
Now I stretched this criteria a little bit. First, I went with a fairytale that was German in origin, and seen as how I'm from America, I counted that as a different culture. (Even though my ancestors came from Europe, I'm so far removed, that I'm gonna count it, ok?) Secondly, I chose to read a retelling of a fairytale, not the original tale, because I wanted to, and these challenges are open to interpretation, so I interpreted that retellings were also acceptable.
And if you don't like it, well, it's not your challenge, so I don't really care.
We'll get into that shortly. First though, I'm gonna go ahead and tell you, that if you're looking for a strict retelling of Snow White, this doesn't fit the bill. It's more of a re-imagining of certain parts of the Snow White tale. Specifically, the part about the wicked queen's obsession with being "the fairest of them all," and having a daughter that suffers for it, with no real recourse to do anything, as her father is dead. And that is where the similarities end.
There aren't any dwarves, or poison apples, not of the other typical things you've come to associate with snow white, but what this story does have in spades, is an exploration of the relationship between the queen and "Snow White," whose name in this incarnation is Tatiana (Ana for short, or sometimes Tati). The queen, instead of being a step-mother who married into the family and them promptly rid herself of her husband but kept the kingdom, is Ana's birth mother, and they have a good relationship, until one day, the queen realizes that Ana's beauty may threaten her own. Ana realize that this causes a problem, and resolves to make herself ugly, by stuffing her face, getting fat, wearing servant's clothes, not attending to hygiene much at all, etc.
And I found that fascinating, that Ana would care enough for her mother that she would sacrifice herself in an effort to be closer to her. Because not only does the deeper character motivation give the story depth, but it also helps it relate to the original Snow White, in that it keeps with the idea that Snow White is a pure and gentle soul, full of only love. And proves often that she fits that description: her time with the rabbits, her rescue animals, how she tries to help other girls, all of it.
I also liked that though the story focuses primarily on physical beauty, it does touch on inner beauty, specifically near the end, where Ana points out that girls are miserable, and it seems as though their natural beauty has been taken from inside them, and taken away. (Or however she says it), point is, she points out that whatever light they had inside that also made them beautiful is now gone. For Ana to be incredibly caring and kind, and to (as we all know with the original Snow White stories), eventually become the fairest of them all), also says something to me, that beauty is more than just looks, and Snow White wins out, because she is full of love, rather than hatred. (Especially in this incarnation).
The other point I found fascinating was the queen's history, because in many Snow White stories, the queen is simply evil, but we aren't given a rhyme or reason as to why, and I liked her reasons for falling into her obsession with beauty in this book
Beyond any of the deeper story stuff, I like the way things are re-imagined in this story. Instead of an omniscient mirror, there is a strange little man, known only as the Beauty Consultant. I think those differences helped to keep the story fresh and interesting, because it could have easily become tired.
My big gripe however, the one that prevents this from getting more that 3 stars, is that the conclusion felt a little rushed, like it was all wrapped up too nicely an too quickly. It sort of felt like both Ana and the reader never got time to process anything at all, because things happened so quickly. It felt like a lot of buildup, and a lot of story, to more or less be like "this shit happened, then that shit happened because of it, and now we're done." I wanted more, like a little epilouge or something, so I could see how everything was going after.
Don't get me wrong, I liked the story a lot but I felt like certain parts could have been fleshed out more, there was opportunity to make this a longer, more in depth, or intricate story, and unlike some books, where that only makes them cumbersome and bulky, extra could have enhanced this story, and made it even better.
Overall though, I do like this as a retelling, and I think it's a nifty addition to the Snow White story family.
EDIT: I have decided to do the Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge
This book is going to count for challenge #30 - A fairy tale from a culture other than your own.
Now I stretched this criteria a little bit. First, I went with a fairytale that was German in origin, and seen as how I'm from America, I counted that as a different culture. (Even though my ancestors came from Europe, I'm so far removed, that I'm gonna count it, ok?) Secondly, I chose to read a retelling of a fairytale, not the original tale, because I wanted to, and these challenges are open to interpretation, so I interpreted that retellings were also acceptable.
And if you don't like it, well, it's not your challenge, so I don't really care.
June 11, 2022
YA retelling of Snow White with not quite enough Lucrezia Borgia thrown in the mix. Started off interesting, but seemed rushed and wrapped up disappointingly quickly. Would have loved to see Pell working towards becoming head of Ana's royal guards instead of just being told so in the epilogue.
December 2, 2020
3.5 stars, it really got dark and I really enjoyed it. I understand it wouldn't be for everyone but I think a lot of people will enjoy it. Didn't expect to like it that much.
November 12, 2017
Short little book. It wasn't too bad, but it had a lot of things that were interesting happening. It also discussed the true meaning of the word beauty.
August 30, 2013
This and other reviews can be found on my blog, Ramblings of a Reader.
I sat down to read this yesterday, and I honestly didn't get up until I was done {very engrossing + shorter book + Little D was taking his long nap = getting stuff done!}. Beauty combined newer YA with {dare I say it?} a bit of classic Disney. The story was great, and the plotline was really good, but there are some "buts"... I'll get to that in a minute. First, characters!
Ana is a love-starved young woman when she's first introduced. She craves her mother's love and affection, and has seen the only way she can obtain that is by trying to be as hideous as possible {think Snow White and her stepmother type of relationship, if Snow White was aware that her stepmom }. And the author does describe her as being pretty hideous {boils, zits, pock-marks, green and black nails, no personal hygiene whatsoever}, so it is a little weird that she can go from that to absolutely stunning within a short period of time when she goes to the Academy and starts actually cleaning herself up. But its also kind of interesting that Ana {our Snow} knows her mother resents her for the beauty people saw in Ana when she was young {before she started to make herself physically repulsive to earn her mother's love}.
Ana craves her mother's love like its a drug. She will do anything for it, which is evident by the way she treats herself. Its a little sad to read a story about a girl who will pretty much harm herself to make her mother not hate her {I honestly can't write that her mother even likes her... I just can't...}. Thank goodness she goes to the Academy, because she finally gets some self-worth and starts to value herself and treat her body like something she cares about {no more junk food 24/7, taking baths, just overall learning decent hygiene}. Too bad for her, that also makes her look more and more beautiful {beauty from the inside is able to blossom on the outside as well!}.
We all know the premiss of the Snow White story: girl is beautiful, stepmother is jealous when girl becomes more beautiful than her, stepmother hires someone to kill girl. The twisted part to this story is the stepmother is her actual birth mother who eventually wants her dead.
I enjoyed this book, but it was a little too anticlimactic for me. I had to read the ending twice just to be sure I didn't miss something, it all happened so fast. It was only 175 pages, and I think the first 145 or so felt like it was just the beginning of the story {not in a bad way}. Some of the characters could have used better development, but I am also used to read slightly longer books, so 175 pages doesn't seem like enough to do a really in depth story. Overall it was a nice read, but for such a quick read I think I would go with something a little "fluffier".
I sat down to read this yesterday, and I honestly didn't get up until I was done {very engrossing + shorter book + Little D was taking his long nap = getting stuff done!}. Beauty combined newer YA with {dare I say it?} a bit of classic Disney. The story was great, and the plotline was really good, but there are some "buts"... I'll get to that in a minute. First, characters!
Ana is a love-starved young woman when she's first introduced. She craves her mother's love and affection, and has seen the only way she can obtain that is by trying to be as hideous as possible {think Snow White and her stepmother type of relationship, if Snow White was aware that her stepmom }. And the author does describe her as being pretty hideous {boils, zits, pock-marks, green and black nails, no personal hygiene whatsoever}, so it is a little weird that she can go from that to absolutely stunning within a short period of time when she goes to the Academy and starts actually cleaning herself up. But its also kind of interesting that Ana {our Snow} knows her mother resents her for the beauty people saw in Ana when she was young {before she started to make herself physically repulsive to earn her mother's love}.
Ana craves her mother's love like its a drug. She will do anything for it, which is evident by the way she treats herself. Its a little sad to read a story about a girl who will pretty much harm herself to make her mother not hate her {I honestly can't write that her mother even likes her... I just can't...}. Thank goodness she goes to the Academy, because she finally gets some self-worth and starts to value herself and treat her body like something she cares about {no more junk food 24/7, taking baths, just overall learning decent hygiene}. Too bad for her, that also makes her look more and more beautiful {beauty from the inside is able to blossom on the outside as well!}.
We all know the premiss of the Snow White story: girl is beautiful, stepmother is jealous when girl becomes more beautiful than her, stepmother hires someone to kill girl. The twisted part to this story is the stepmother is her actual birth mother who eventually wants her dead.
I enjoyed this book, but it was a little too anticlimactic for me. I had to read the ending twice just to be sure I didn't miss something, it all happened so fast. It was only 175 pages, and I think the first 145 or so felt like it was just the beginning of the story {not in a bad way}. Some of the characters could have used better development, but I am also used to read slightly longer books, so 175 pages doesn't seem like enough to do a really in depth story. Overall it was a nice read, but for such a quick read I think I would go with something a little "fluffier".
July 13, 2013
'Beauty' is a retelling of the Snow White fairy tale. It follows main character Tatiana Anatolia - known as Ana - as she goes about her daily life as the princess of Ran. Her mother, Veda, is the queen of Ran and the most beautiful woman that Ana has ever seen. Ana used to be beautiful too, but that all changed on her twelfth birthday, when a visiting dignitary gave her a compliment and she saw how angry it made her mother. Ana has been actively keeping herself ugly ever since that day four years ago, mostly by eating pastries and not bathing. Soon, Ana and her best friend Pell are invited to study at the new and esteemed Academy in the mountains. Ana notices that all the girls that attend the Academy are beautiful and she can't help but question the real reason they are all at the Academy. Soon, the girls begin taking a strange pill called Beauty and they fall extremely ill. Ana must discover the truth about Beauty and the Academy in order to save her friends, but what she finds instead just might be the end of her.
This was a really well written retelling of the Snow White fairy tale and I loved the story as a whole. The plot was definitely told in a fairy tale fashion, but it also contained a bit of mystery as Ana tries to discover the truth behind Beauty and the Academy. The book wasn't very long at all and I feel that much of the story got cut off too early because of that. The plot was an excellent one - intriguing and enchanting - and it would have been so much better if it could have developed more. The characters were also well done, but they didn't have the chance to experience much growth and the reader didn't have enough time to connect with them as they should have. Like with the plot, I think that the potential was definitely there and the only thing that should've been different is the length of the book. With more pages, the characters and the plot both would've been able to ripen into an exceptional novel. However, for the short length that we did get, the book was impressive. I love fairy tale retellings and the author definitely delivered with this one. Like all fairy tales, this one speaks of deeper issues such as family, friendship, love, betrayal, and self confidence, among others. The reader is able to take away a valuable lesson about beauty and its true worth. I am definitely eager to read more titles by the author and I definitely would recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy and fairy tale retellings.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really well written retelling of the Snow White fairy tale and I loved the story as a whole. The plot was definitely told in a fairy tale fashion, but it also contained a bit of mystery as Ana tries to discover the truth behind Beauty and the Academy. The book wasn't very long at all and I feel that much of the story got cut off too early because of that. The plot was an excellent one - intriguing and enchanting - and it would have been so much better if it could have developed more. The characters were also well done, but they didn't have the chance to experience much growth and the reader didn't have enough time to connect with them as they should have. Like with the plot, I think that the potential was definitely there and the only thing that should've been different is the length of the book. With more pages, the characters and the plot both would've been able to ripen into an exceptional novel. However, for the short length that we did get, the book was impressive. I love fairy tale retellings and the author definitely delivered with this one. Like all fairy tales, this one speaks of deeper issues such as family, friendship, love, betrayal, and self confidence, among others. The reader is able to take away a valuable lesson about beauty and its true worth. I am definitely eager to read more titles by the author and I definitely would recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy and fairy tale retellings.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2014
I understood where Nancy Ohlin was going with Beauty but I don't think that the premise was executed very well. It's meant to a self-empowering story and I appreciated that there was no prince introduced to swop in and save the day. Instead it's entirely up to Tati/Ana to save her friends. However, I think that the plot was rather simplistic and it was just missing that extra something that Thorn Abbey had (and I'm not talking about a love interest).
Ana's very desperate for her mother's love. Her mother is Queen Veda, the most beautiful woman in the kingdom of Ran. However, Ana knows that her mother can't stand for her position to be challenged and deliberately sabotages herself so that she looks ugly and can continue to enjoy some of her mother's attention and care. However, the Beauty Consultant warns Queen Veda that she will not remain so youthful-looking and beautiful forever and that her daughter, Ana, will rival her beauty one day. Later, Ana is sent to an exclusive boarding school with her best friend Pella and strangely enough, the school is filled with many beautiful girls as well as a handsome (though smarmy) headmaster/teacher.
I think just by reading the description you probably have a good idea of where the story is going to go with this. And yes, it's every bit as predictable as the blurb makes it sound. I was really hoping that there would be a great twist at the end or some entertaining character but nope, it's quite a formulaic story and it was predictable.
Ana was also one of the most dullest MC that I've read about recently. Although she's supposed to be sixteen years old, I don't think her maturity level is quite there yet. And Ana's also got to be one of the most placid and obedient teenager too, eager to do whatever her mother asks her to.
Ana's very desperate for her mother's love. Her mother is Queen Veda, the most beautiful woman in the kingdom of Ran. However, Ana knows that her mother can't stand for her position to be challenged and deliberately sabotages herself so that she looks ugly and can continue to enjoy some of her mother's attention and care. However, the Beauty Consultant warns Queen Veda that she will not remain so youthful-looking and beautiful forever and that her daughter, Ana, will rival her beauty one day. Later, Ana is sent to an exclusive boarding school with her best friend Pella and strangely enough, the school is filled with many beautiful girls as well as a handsome (though smarmy) headmaster/teacher.
I think just by reading the description you probably have a good idea of where the story is going to go with this. And yes, it's every bit as predictable as the blurb makes it sound. I was really hoping that there would be a great twist at the end or some entertaining character but nope, it's quite a formulaic story and it was predictable.
Ana was also one of the most dullest MC that I've read about recently. Although she's supposed to be sixteen years old, I don't think her maturity level is quite there yet. And Ana's also got to be one of the most placid and obedient teenager too, eager to do whatever her mother asks her to.
May 25, 2013
What is beauty really? Is it smooth skin, fabulous bone structure, silky hair and bright eyes? Is makeup an essential part of beauty? And above all — what is beauty worth? These are some of the questions that came up for me throughout this fairy tale retelling. Initially when I saw the title, I thought maybe this was a Beauty and the Beast story, but instead, the book is a Snow White story and centers on the importance placed on beauty.
Some of my favorite novels are retellings of fairy tales. Retellings are often excellent because original fairy tales often have very flat characters and are mostly about the plot. Novels allow plenty of time and space for readers to get to know the characters well and see new aspects of the old tales. They feel familiar, but not boring and worn out, since authors add their own twists to the story or think up unique explanations for events.
In Beauty, Ohlin focuses quite a bit on the glamorous Queen Veda. She doesn’t have a mirror on the wall, but does have a beauty consultant who is an audience for her beauty and acts as a mirror. There are several interesting additions to the story (that I won’t share for fear of spoiling them), but I felt that the characters still were not fully formed and developed. We meet Ana and realize that she doesn’t want to outshine her mother, but other than that and her interest in history, we don’t learn all that much about her. Queen Veda is also very one dimensional. Yes, she is hyper focused on beauty, but that is pretty much all we know about her. It would seem that a fully developed character would also have some positives to note. There are no gray areas here and I found myself looking for them in vain.
I did appreciate the way the book led me to contemplation of beauty and of war. A standout line is “War is what human beings do to each other when their is no morality left.” This was way more of a thinking book than I had anticipated. I just didn’t feel like I got to know the characters all that well.
If fairy tale retellings are your thing, you should borrow it someday, but otherwise, you may want to skip this one. Some other fairy tale retellings I would recommend are Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Ash by Malinda Lo, and Beast by Donna Jo Napoli.
Review also available at http://richincolor.com/2013/05/review...
Some of my favorite novels are retellings of fairy tales. Retellings are often excellent because original fairy tales often have very flat characters and are mostly about the plot. Novels allow plenty of time and space for readers to get to know the characters well and see new aspects of the old tales. They feel familiar, but not boring and worn out, since authors add their own twists to the story or think up unique explanations for events.
In Beauty, Ohlin focuses quite a bit on the glamorous Queen Veda. She doesn’t have a mirror on the wall, but does have a beauty consultant who is an audience for her beauty and acts as a mirror. There are several interesting additions to the story (that I won’t share for fear of spoiling them), but I felt that the characters still were not fully formed and developed. We meet Ana and realize that she doesn’t want to outshine her mother, but other than that and her interest in history, we don’t learn all that much about her. Queen Veda is also very one dimensional. Yes, she is hyper focused on beauty, but that is pretty much all we know about her. It would seem that a fully developed character would also have some positives to note. There are no gray areas here and I found myself looking for them in vain.
I did appreciate the way the book led me to contemplation of beauty and of war. A standout line is “War is what human beings do to each other when their is no morality left.” This was way more of a thinking book than I had anticipated. I just didn’t feel like I got to know the characters all that well.
If fairy tale retellings are your thing, you should borrow it someday, but otherwise, you may want to skip this one. Some other fairy tale retellings I would recommend are Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Ash by Malinda Lo, and Beast by Donna Jo Napoli.
Review also available at http://richincolor.com/2013/05/review...
May 14, 2013
I have a weakness for fairytale retellings, and I really like what Nancy did with Beauty. She took the story of Mirror, Mirror / Snow White and gave it her own touches, and spin. I have loved Snow White since I was young, and Nancy's Snow White is a little different than the one I grew up loving. In Beauty we get to see the relationship between Ana and her beautiful mother Queen Veda. While the Queen looks more like the classic Snow White than Ana, Ana does have her own beauty, and it's one she grows into, by learning to accept who she really is.
Ana is a character who is strong in her own right. She wasn't a character who stood out to me as being incredibly strong, but instead it's her quiet strength that I liked. She's defiant in a way you wouldn't except a Princess to be. Yet she also grows into the person her Father had trained her to be. I have to say I liked the way her deceased Father played a role in the story and aided Ana.
Ana is a beautiful girl despite her out ward appearance. The Queen is constantly told her daughter will rival her for beauty, but Ana wants nothing to do with her mother, and does everything she can to make herself look ugly. I mean she literally lets herself go. She doesn't take care of her body and eats all the wrong things. In her "ugliness" she wins the Queen's favor. I admit, I liked this defiant side to Ana, because she didn't want any sort of approval from her mother. Her mother really is a wretched character. One thing is for sure, Ana can't hide from who she is forever, and at the Academy her mother set up for 50 of the land's elite girls, Ana finally steps into the role she's meant to have.
Just like in the classic story, the Queen is jealous of anyone who rivals her beauty. Ana's best friend and each of the girls start to change in ways that aren't what I or Ana excepted. There is definitely something sinister going on at the academy, which Ana takes it upon herself to uncover. Let's just say this is an enjoyable read with a creative spin on a beloved story. Beauty is a fast paced, enjoyable read, and one I'd recommend to fans who enjoy fairytale re-tellings.
Ana is a character who is strong in her own right. She wasn't a character who stood out to me as being incredibly strong, but instead it's her quiet strength that I liked. She's defiant in a way you wouldn't except a Princess to be. Yet she also grows into the person her Father had trained her to be. I have to say I liked the way her deceased Father played a role in the story and aided Ana.
Ana is a beautiful girl despite her out ward appearance. The Queen is constantly told her daughter will rival her for beauty, but Ana wants nothing to do with her mother, and does everything she can to make herself look ugly. I mean she literally lets herself go. She doesn't take care of her body and eats all the wrong things. In her "ugliness" she wins the Queen's favor. I admit, I liked this defiant side to Ana, because she didn't want any sort of approval from her mother. Her mother really is a wretched character. One thing is for sure, Ana can't hide from who she is forever, and at the Academy her mother set up for 50 of the land's elite girls, Ana finally steps into the role she's meant to have.
Just like in the classic story, the Queen is jealous of anyone who rivals her beauty. Ana's best friend and each of the girls start to change in ways that aren't what I or Ana excepted. There is definitely something sinister going on at the academy, which Ana takes it upon herself to uncover. Let's just say this is an enjoyable read with a creative spin on a beloved story. Beauty is a fast paced, enjoyable read, and one I'd recommend to fans who enjoy fairytale re-tellings.
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