Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow


By: Jessica Day George
Reviewed by: Annabelle L., 15
Rating: It was amazing!


A girl with no name. An everlasting winter. A magical polar bear dubbed isbjorn. A retelling of the Norse fairytale of "West of the Sun, East of the Moon," with a dash of "Beauty and the Beast."
The girl carries no name, yet she is blessed with kindness of the heart and with that attained the ability to speak to all animals. One cold winter day, she receives a visit and request from a strange magical being- an isbjorn. His massive size made him unique from the regular polar bears. His request? That the girl live with him in his palace for a year and a day. She agrees.

As much as she is kind, she is extremely curious. She wants to lift the sadness from her eldest brother, Hans',that appeared in his years away in Christiania. She wants to free her isbjorn from the mysterious curse that she found he could not talk about. She wants to help the mythical creatures that are her servants free from the tyranny of the despicable trolls. She wants to know... who is the stranger that sleeps with her every night? A stranger... or someone familiar?

I thought that this book was enchanting. I imagined myself in a world so connected to this one, yet it was another totally different place. The characters are tangible and you could feel as you know them. The plot followed the known folk tales, but it also had its own twists. I enjoyed the imagery, the slight mystery, and, of course, the happy ending. It was a wonderful book, with an added bonus of learning a few words in Old Norse or Norwegian. It may be a bit of an easy read but it was fantastic all the same.


Recommended to: people who enjoy retellings of fairytales, people who enjoy fairytales, people who are interested in a fantasia adventure with a happy ending