The widely acclaimed novel that brilliantly recasts the Snow White fairy tale as a story of family secrets, race, beauty, and vanity.
In the winter of 1953, Boy Novak arrives by chance in a small town in Massachusetts, looking, she believes, for beauty—the opposite of the life she’s left behind in New York. She marries a local widower and becomes stepmother to his winsome daughter, Snow Whitman.
A wicked stepmother is a creature Boy never imagined she’d become, but elements of the familiar tale of aesthetic obsession begin to play themselves out when the birth of Boy’s daughter, Bird, exposes the Whitman family secret. Among them, Boy, Snow, and Bird confront the tyranny of the mirror to ask how much power surfaces really hold.
Dazzlingly inventive and powerfully moving, Boy, Snow, Bird is an astonishing and enchanting novel. With breathtaking feats of imagination, Helen Oyeyemi confirms her place as one of the most original and dynamic literary voices of our time.
In the winter of 1953, Boy Novak arrives by chance in a small town in Massachusetts, looking, she believes, for beauty—the opposite of the life she’s left behind in New York. She marries a local widower and becomes stepmother to his winsome daughter, Snow Whitman.
A wicked stepmother is a creature Boy never imagined she’d become, but elements of the familiar tale of aesthetic obsession begin to play themselves out when the birth of Boy’s daughter, Bird, exposes the Whitman family secret. Among them, Boy, Snow, and Bird confront the tyranny of the mirror to ask how much power surfaces really hold.
Dazzlingly inventive and powerfully moving, Boy, Snow, Bird is an astonishing and enchanting novel. With breathtaking feats of imagination, Helen Oyeyemi confirms her place as one of the most original and dynamic literary voices of our time.
Sort:
Comments
2
Mishker
(Grade: B) I enjoyed the story, it was just not what I was expecting.The book is separated into three sections, the first told from Boy's point of view, the second from Bird, and the third from Boy again.It was very hard for me to connect with Boy and Arturo's character, there is supposed to be something a little off about Boy, but she felt very blank. However, I loved the section written from Bird's point of view. In Bird's section there is feeling and a little magic is brought in.
(Grade: B) I enjoyed the story, it was just not what I was expecting.The book is separated into three sections, the first told from Boy's point of view, the second from Bird, and the third from Boy again.It was very hard for me to connect with Boy and Arturo's character, there is supposed to be something a little off about Boy, but she felt very blank. However, I loved the section written from Bird's point of view. In Bird's section there is feeling and a little magic is brought in. (Rated on Sep 3, 2014)
1
HeathersCorner
(Grade: B–) This book was unique and engaging, particularly Bird's narration. However I didn't care much for Boy, and I wish we heard more from Snow. I also thought the racial commentary didn't always hit the mark, the characters were a bit confusing, and the ending was unsatisfactory.
(Grade: B–) This book was unique and engaging, particularly Bird's narration. However I didn't care much for Boy, and I wish we heard more from Snow. I also thought the racial commentary didn't always hit the mark, the characters were a bit confusing, and the ending was unsatisfactory.(Rated on Jul 1, 2015)
0
Brady
(Grade: C) Smartly written, loads of fun. Lotta wacky moving parts that don't always hang together, but do stretch out enough to compass a world. Bird's narration was the best, and the letters were the best of the best. Oyeyemi has a knack for tall tales, I kind of want to get a hold of her short fictions if she has some. Ending didn't really do it for me.
(Grade: C) Smartly written, loads of fun. Lotta wacky moving parts that don't always hang together, but do stretch out enough to compass a world. Bird's narration was the best, and the letters were the best of the best. Oyeyemi has a knack for tall tales, I kind of want to get a hold of her short fictions if she has some. Ending didn't really do it for me.(Rated on Jan 7, 2019)
0
kalchainein (Grade: F) The first and last book by Oyeyemi that I will be reading. The ending was disgustingly transphobic.
(Grade: F) The first and last book by Oyeyemi that I will be reading. The ending was disgustingly transphobic.(Rated on Apr 18, 2021)