“SNOW WHYTE AND THE QUEEN OF MAYHEM,” by Melissa Lemon, Cedar Fort, Dec. 11, 2012, $16.99 (young adult)
Kat has never been outside of her uncle’s apple orchard. At least not that she knows. Kat’s life started out under far-richer circumstances than the humble home she knows. Kat was born a princess, only to be scorned by her queen mother and quickly ferreted away by her father.
Kat has lived with her uncle ever since. Not that she’s ungrateful. She loves her uncle, but she doesn’t know the whole story. She doesn’t understand why he won’t let her leave the orchard. She has no idea why her only outside contact with the world is Jeremy, the boy her uncle hired to help with the apples.
It’s because of Jeremy that there’s a change in the status quo. He gives Kat ideas and confidence, and one day, he convinces her to run away. But life away from the home she’s always known is different for Kat, and she soon learns nothing is quite as it seems.
There’s a lot to like about “Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem,” but there are some parts readers will likely feel ambivalent about, too.
The story is told from the magic mirror’s point of view — or rather the man stuck inside the mirror’s point of view. This novel idea of telling Kat’s story allows author Melissa Lemon to take readers to different places at the same time while interjecting information that they normally would not be exposed to. The mirror also has a bit of snark to him, which creates a specific tone throughout.
Kat is sweet and more intelligent than one would initially expect. I found Jeremy and another love interest to be somewhat irritating, but they’re passable. The seven dwarves are interesting and have a depth to them that really adds to the overall feeling.
Though there are a few plot turns that may raise some eyebrows and a few characters that could be better fleshed out, the positive outweigh the negatives when it comes to “Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem.” It’s an easy enjoyable twist on a beloved story.
