February 1, 2018
Gr 4-6-Dwarves live and work underground, and dwarflings are taught to fear the Surface and the humans who live there. Borlen's scandalous curiosity about the Earth and his fear of depths make life underground a misery, earning him the nickname Grump. When he eventually escapes to the Surface, he befriends a human queen who treats him as a trusted advisor. It is only when the queen uses Borlen's words to justify her attempt to kill Snow White that he realizes her true character. When he finds himself magically sworn to serve the queen and to protect Snow White, he struggles to do the right thing while finding a place where he belongs. Shurtliff's fourth fractured fairy tale boasts the same intricate world-building, expansive character development, and rich imagery as her other novels. By shining the spotlight on a seemingly secondary character, Shurtliff explores the theme of how we assign value to people: being different can make you either an outcast or someone special. The story moves at a fast pace and deftly balances lighthearted humor with emotional weight. Many readers will recognize the feelings of isolation and dread Borlen endures when he's teased by groups of other dwarves. Fans of Disney's fairy tales will enjoy the slow reveal of how Borlen's crew syncs up with the movie dwarves as well as the subtle setup for a true tale of Rapunzel. VERDICT A recommended purchase and a sure hit for Shurtliff's fans.-Elizabeth Lovsin, Deerfield Public Library, IL
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2018
Shurtliff (Red, 2016, etc.) continues her series of hilarious and heartfelt fairy-tale retellings by relating "Snow White" from the grumpiest dwarf's perspective.An anomaly among dwarves, young (he's 52), friendless Borlen has an unnatural fear of depths, preferring to be as close to The Surface as possible. When Borlen is appointed to a work crew as the lowly, purposeless Seventh (crews almost always have only six), he finds his chance to escape the tunnels. As the crew mines ever deeper, Borlen digs to the forbidden Surface, where he meets the vain and paranoid Queen Elfrieda Veronika Ingrid Lenore. Life on The Surface is more wonderful than Borlen could have dreamed. The queen is so kind! Definitely not like the humans in the cautionary tales he grew up with. She gives him purpose by appointing him her personal adviser and keeps him well-fed with a never-ending supply of sweet, euphoria-inducing rubies. To repay her generosity, Borlen turns her looking glass into a magic mirror. A rambunctious princess with snow-white skin, a poisoned apple, an enchanted sleep, and true love's kiss--all the familiar elements are here, but not in the way readers might think. Lovable Borlen's grumpy first-person narration explores themes of belonging, friendship, and doing the right thing.Sure to please fans of reimagined fairy tales. (Fantasy. 8-12)
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February 15, 2018
Grades 3-6 Borlen is not like other dwarfs. Born close to the Surface, he suffers from horrible depth sickness. Forced to work in the mines as a seventh, a crew member who does tasks no one else wants to do, he soon finds himself nicknamed Grump. When he accidentally breaks through to the Surface, he meets Queen Elfrieda, who welcomes him in friendship. When Grump's fate stone, a simple mirror, foretells the queen's future, she becomes obsessed with being the fairest of them all. Grump ends up caught in the middle when both the queen and Snow White take him by the beard, an act that forces a dwarf to do whatever the person commands. The queen wants Snow dead; Snow wants Grump's protection. Can Grump, the misfit dwarf, find a way to save Snow and overthrow the villainous queen? Shurtliff's fourth fractured fairy tale (after Red, 2016) presents a hilarious reimagining of its origin story with a wonderfully detailed world and interesting twists on classic characters. Sure to be a hit with fantasy fans looking for comedy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2018
Borlen (a.k.a. Grump) is not a normal dwarf living underground: he fears depths and longs to explore the surface. But in the world above he becomes ensnared by an evil queen intent on killing her stepdaughter, Snow White. Shurtliff (Rump; Jack; Red) includes inventive details (such as gemstone flavors) as she successfully explores themes of friendship and belonging in another fresh fairy-tale reimagining.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)