calisotas's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i've consumed pretty much every version of frozen out there because i am obsessed with this story for some reason, so this was a necessary read for me. it was also my first twisted tale and i definitely enjoyed it! i wasn't quite sure where things were going at first, but it sucked me in and i ended up finishing it pretty quickly. the way the characters were written was interesting and i honestly enjoyed this version of hans much more than the movie's- the fact that he's involved earlier and thus also gets to 'turn' quicker made him so much more believable and i have to admit i was always excited when he showed up. it was also neat seeing him get an equal dynamic with both anna and elsa. in general, like most disney adaptations this was another case of 'fixing the problems most people have with the original', but in a creative way that didn't feel forced or spiteful, and i enjoyed the extra time and new situations we got to have with these characters.
my one big critique is that as the story went on, it started to feel almost too close to the original. i thought that maybe this was just a twisted tale thing, but from others' reviews, it seems like this one shied away a bit more than the rest perhaps due to the movie's impact. the new characters lost focus and there were a lot of times during moments that were originally songs where lyrics would be converted into dialogue, or where a conversation from the movie would be added in with only a slight change. it felt a bit forced, like the scene had to go that way just because that's what happened before. the ending especially was almost one-to-one, and with the altered relationships i think it would've been more interesting to get more closure to the new material ie. elsa dealing with hans' betrayal, anna and elsa getting more time to catch up as sisters, etc., especially as it all wrapped up in only a chapter or so.
my one big critique is that as the story went on, it started to feel almost too close to the original. i thought that maybe this was just a twisted tale thing, but from others' reviews, it seems like this one shied away a bit more than the rest perhaps due to the movie's impact. the new characters lost focus and there were a lot of times during moments that were originally songs where lyrics would be converted into dialogue, or where a conversation from the movie would be added in with only a slight change. it felt a bit forced, like the scene had to go that way just because that's what happened before. the ending especially was almost one-to-one, and with the altered relationships i think it would've been more interesting to get more closure to the new material ie. elsa dealing with hans' betrayal, anna and elsa getting more time to catch up as sisters, etc., especially as it all wrapped up in only a chapter or so.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
lackyducks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
A fun story, but the depth at the start seems to filter out as the action kicks in.
I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the greater focus on their lives. It felt like you really got to know Elsa and Anna, as well as the people around them. The slower pace was enjoyable and offered something the movie could not.
However, once the instigating event of the magic reveal happens, things speed up a lot and the story loses the intrigue of waiting for the sisters to realise their connection. Instead, it turns into a game of Anna trying to play catch up with Elsa. Their reunion is also overshadowed by the dramatics happening around them, and a lot of the plot felt too far-fetched for me to completely enjoy it, even for a Disney movie (how is a duke suddenly able to override the heir to the throne and lock away staff members? Why is the supposedly locked away staff member suddenly free?? What.)
The story lacks the darkness the other Twisted Tales books I've read had - which is likely to suit the younger target audience Frozen has. The plot beats follow the movie nearly one to one. I also found the way they weaved in references from the songs a bit distracting, but somebody who's a bigger fan of the movie might enjoy it more. A good book for somebody who's a fan of Frozen and wants a better telling of it, rather than someone who wants a Twisted Tales story.
I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the greater focus on their lives. It felt like you really got to know Elsa and Anna, as well as the people around them. The slower pace was enjoyable and offered something the movie could not.
However, once the instigating event of the magic reveal happens, things speed up a lot and the story loses the intrigue of waiting for the sisters to realise their connection. Instead, it turns into a game of Anna trying to play catch up with Elsa. Their reunion is also overshadowed by the dramatics happening around them, and a lot of the plot felt too far-fetched for me to completely enjoy it, even for a Disney movie (how is a duke suddenly able to override the heir to the throne and lock away staff members? Why is the supposedly locked away staff member suddenly free?? What.)
The story lacks the darkness the other Twisted Tales books I've read had - which is likely to suit the younger target audience Frozen has. The plot beats follow the movie nearly one to one. I also found the way they weaved in references from the songs a bit distracting, but somebody who's a bigger fan of the movie might enjoy it more. A good book for somebody who's a fan of Frozen and wants a better telling of it, rather than someone who wants a Twisted Tales story.
Spoiler
It was nice that both of the sisters sussed out Hans earlier though. I enjoyed that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, and Grief
fiwwa's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The concept is fun but I barely remember what happened after I finished the book... I keep reading because I genuinely curious bow they will found out about them being sisters lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
woolgathering_jane's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
“Riches come and go, but no one can take away your education.”
It was a cute fanfiction, nothing more, nothing less. I was a little disappointed because I expected a darker story, but I can't blame the book for that - I should've known what to expect since I'd read this author in my childhood.
The author handled the missing songs well, and I enjoyed that she had used some original lines from the movie, but I think I was too old for this one.
The author handled the missing songs well, and I enjoyed that she had used some original lines from the movie, but I think I was too old for this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
nadja77's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
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