deservingporcupine's review
3.0
I loved the first 2/3 of this story. Kids who love fairy tales and fantasy play are my favorite and I appreciate a good retelling. I was very invested in the friendships and Hazel’s story. The last part of the book felt disconnected, though. Some characters who seemed important don’t reappear, the woods were more nightmarish than storybook, and there were loose ends. I enjoyed this as an adult, but the tone was so melancholy (really very few moments of joy) I’m not sure if kids would.
lindasdarby's review
3.0
We listened to this book and it was entertaining but not great. We felt like the ending was not good at all - rushed and lacked resolution.
thechristined's review
3.0
I really liked this until the end, the ending was way too sudden and didn't have any real sense of closure for anything that happened to the characters.
lorathelibrarian's review
4.0
I really liked this book. However, I think it might be one of those books that adults really like (for the beautiful writing), but that kids will just not enjoy.
The writing was so lovely and description, which caused the book to move at a bit of slower pace then most middle grade novels. In addition to the great writing, all the different fantasy elements and nods to classic stories was really fun to read. I felt like I was treasure hunting and when a reference was mentioned that I understood, I loved it!
But this wasn't a high fantasy novel by any means. In fact, the first half of the book reads so much like a normal realistic fiction school story. Children will really relate to Hazel and how she feels left out and just doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. The reader's heart breaks when Jack (her best friend) suddenly is mean to her and no longer talks to her. Which spurs Hazel on a journey into the woods, where the fantasy really kicks in.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and I think certain kids would too. This is more of a book to recommend to certain children, maybe not a booktalking book to share with an entire group of kids with all sorts of levels and interests. You need to know your audience on this one.
The writing was so lovely and description, which caused the book to move at a bit of slower pace then most middle grade novels. In addition to the great writing, all the different fantasy elements and nods to classic stories was really fun to read. I felt like I was treasure hunting and when a reference was mentioned that I understood, I loved it!
But this wasn't a high fantasy novel by any means. In fact, the first half of the book reads so much like a normal realistic fiction school story. Children will really relate to Hazel and how she feels left out and just doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. The reader's heart breaks when Jack (her best friend) suddenly is mean to her and no longer talks to her. Which spurs Hazel on a journey into the woods, where the fantasy really kicks in.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and I think certain kids would too. This is more of a book to recommend to certain children, maybe not a booktalking book to share with an entire group of kids with all sorts of levels and interests. You need to know your audience on this one.
andrearbooks's review
4.0
Breadcrumbs by Anna Ursu was a truly captivating modern-day fairy tale. Hazel and Jack have been best friends forever. However, they're getting to the age where people start to question a boy and a girl being best friends, and that has an impact on them. Hazel notices they've started to drift apart, and that's hard for her. Then, Jack completely vanishes. Even though they haven't been spending much time together lately, Hazel just knows something is awry. She commits to figuring out what has really happened to her friend. This means she has to go into the woods after him. Y'all, in the woods, it is a literal other world, and Hazel encounters all the things. However, she's committed to finding Jack, so she treks through it all. This was such a unique blend of a real-time story with the elements of a fairy tale fantasy, and I was so drawn into this angle. I loved the driving force of friendship with a side of magic and mystery throughout. This is truly one that's a story good for all ages that I just adored!
pagesofpins's review
4.0
Hazel's struggle to fit in at a new school where right answers matter more than creativity, understand how she is perceived as an Indian American with white parents, cope with her father leaving, and deal with the pressure to no longer be best friends with a boy now that they are both eleven is beautifully and sensitively handled in this middle reader book. The author's prose is beautifully done, and she describes the pressure Hazel feels to grow up and her unswerving loyalty to her best friend (especially when his mother's depression forces her out of day to day life) in a way that rings true.
Unfortunately, the second half of the book, in which Hazel goes to rescue Jack from another world (this book is a retelling of the Snow Queen) there seemed to be a lot of repetitive conversations and a fairly predictable ending. I did really like that for once there are no natives to this fairy tale world--everyone there has entered a classic fairy tale that reflects everything wrong with their real life. This is a dark revisiting of The Little Match Girl, The Red Shoes and other darker Anderson fairy tales awash in themes of how sometimes life is too hard, but you choose to face it anyway.
The main criticism of this book seems to be that the themes are too sophisticated for children, but at 11 or 12 I would have found a lot in this book to think on and appreciate. I would definitely recommend it to an advanced reader of middle grades.
Unfortunately, the second half of the book, in which Hazel goes to rescue Jack from another world (this book is a retelling of the Snow Queen) there seemed to be a lot of repetitive conversations and a fairly predictable ending. I did really like that for once there are no natives to this fairy tale world--everyone there has entered a classic fairy tale that reflects everything wrong with their real life. This is a dark revisiting of The Little Match Girl, The Red Shoes and other darker Anderson fairy tales awash in themes of how sometimes life is too hard, but you choose to face it anyway.
The main criticism of this book seems to be that the themes are too sophisticated for children, but at 11 or 12 I would have found a lot in this book to think on and appreciate. I would definitely recommend it to an advanced reader of middle grades.
mehsi's review against another edition
4.0
Let's just say that the blurb, is somehow right, and somehow not. :)
I expected immediate fantasy and a search throughout a forest that is enchanted. Instead, we get about 50% before that happens stuff, filled with just friendship, friendship breaking, a wonderful girl with too much imagination and snow. After all that, we get a beautiful search throughout the woods.
I have to say I really liked Hazel, though her insecurity irked me a bit and also her obsession with Jack. I can imagine you want him as your best friend, but he should also be able to have other friends, without you being jealous as hell. She clung to him like he was a life vest and she was drowning. I wish we had more of Hazel and that other girl. I really liked those parts and how they were doing ballet and stories and more.
Hazel was a wonderful girl, though again, I wish she would open more to people. And also do her best on school. I know girl, you want to go to your fancy school with apparently no rules, but you won't go there any more, unless of course your mom finds the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so the best is to do your best and make do.
With the whole contemporary part over, we dive head first in the fantasy part. Mysterious woods not far from her house, and Jack has been kidnapped. She takes the bare minimum with her (for a girl with imagination and book-knowledge, I would expect she would know what to bring) and goes on the journey. She meets strange people, people stuck forever in the forest, girls lost, witches and evil creatures, and last but not least, the witch that stole Jack. And let me say this, I was surprised by this witch.
But I loved the journey, and I was glad when like a lot of these books it had a HEA.
One thing though, I wish we had a little bit less referencing going on. I had to search things at times and that distracts from reading the book.
But in overall, a fun and lovely book. Really recommended to all. :)
I expected immediate fantasy and a search throughout a forest that is enchanted. Instead, we get about 50% before that happens stuff, filled with just friendship, friendship breaking, a wonderful girl with too much imagination and snow. After all that, we get a beautiful search throughout the woods.
I have to say I really liked Hazel, though her insecurity irked me a bit and also her obsession with Jack. I can imagine you want him as your best friend, but he should also be able to have other friends, without you being jealous as hell. She clung to him like he was a life vest and she was drowning. I wish we had more of Hazel and that other girl. I really liked those parts and how they were doing ballet and stories and more.
Hazel was a wonderful girl, though again, I wish she would open more to people. And also do her best on school. I know girl, you want to go to your fancy school with apparently no rules, but you won't go there any more, unless of course your mom finds the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so the best is to do your best and make do.
With the whole contemporary part over, we dive head first in the fantasy part. Mysterious woods not far from her house, and Jack has been kidnapped. She takes the bare minimum with her (for a girl with imagination and book-knowledge, I would expect she would know what to bring) and goes on the journey. She meets strange people, people stuck forever in the forest, girls lost, witches and evil creatures, and last but not least, the witch that stole Jack. And let me say this, I was surprised by this witch.
But I loved the journey, and I was glad when like a lot of these books it had a HEA.
One thing though, I wish we had a little bit less referencing going on. I had to search things at times and that distracts from reading the book.
But in overall, a fun and lovely book. Really recommended to all. :)