The romantic subplot with Bear and Blanche needed more development.

Despite his drawbacks though Principal Fleek is a good antagonist without becoming too over-the-top. I understand that teenagers are petty and that teenage boys are especially rude, but it would’ve been interesting to see a little depth to all of them. Blanche and Rose’s peers in school were also flat characters, with all of them picking on Blanche and acting nice to Rose only to try and corrupt her. Fleek, the principal’s brother, was too one-dimensional a villain the stereotypical nihilist atheist. This is especially put to the test in the second half of the novel when the mystery behind Bear is revealed in the midst of a kidnapping and attempted murder. In contrast, Blanche initially doesn’t trust Bear when he comes in from the cold and develops a friendship with her and her family, but she slowly comes around and starts hoping for the best from him, in spite of his mysterious circumstances.

She learns through a narrow escape that just because a guy is nice to you doesn’t necessarily mean that he is a good man. Much like Marianne Dashwood, Rose is initially interested in a guy from school who turned out to have malicious intent in regards to her virtue. The sisterly relationship between these two reminds me of Sense and Sensibility, with Blanche being the sensible, skeptical sister and Rose being the outgoing, adventurous sister. The leading men are mysterious and seemingly untrustworthy until the bonds of friendship and love reveal their true worth.īlanche is the modern day Snow White while Rose is essentially Red Riding Hood.

The leading ladies are both beautiful young women who are seen as odd (at best) and who are mistreated by their peers. The protagonists in this novel are Bronte-esque heroines, with a bit of Austen flair thrown in. When the mysterious past comes to light, the girls are suddenly pulled into a world of suspense and horror as their friend is tied to an alleged drug bust and end up solving the mystery of the death of the pastor of an abandoned church. Blanche slowly starts to falls in love with Bear, even amongst the disapproval of others. Subscribe to Catholic Reads to find out when this book goes on Saleīear, a man with a mysterious past, befriends Blanche and Rose Brier, two ladies of virtue. This first installment is based on the fairy tale “Snow White and Rose Red.” This novel tells an intriguing story that will enchant readers with the sweet, genuine romance and then take readers on a thrill ride through the Gothic version of modern-day New York City. Shadow of the Bear is the beginning of a series of modern day fairy tales.

Regina doman fairy tale novels