Winter's Child (Once upon a Time Series)

Free-spirited Grace and serious Kai are the best of friends. They grew up together listening to magical tales spun by Kai's grandmother and sharing in each other's secrets. But when they turn sixteen and Kai declares his love for Grace, everything changes. Grace yearns for freedom and slowly begins to push Kai -- and their friendship -- away.

Dejected Kai dreams of a dazzling Snow Queen, who entices him to leave home and wander to faraway lands. When Grace discovers Kai is gone, she learns how much she has lost and sets out on a mystical journey to find Kai...and discover herself.

Free-spirited Grace and serious Kai are the best of friends. They grew up together listening to magical tales spun by Kai's grandmother and sharing in each other's secrets. But when they turn sixteen and Kai declares his love for Grace, everything changes. Grace yearns for freedom and slowly begins to push Kai — and their friendship — away.

Dejected Kai dreams of a dazzling Snow Queen, who entices him to leave home and wander to faraway lands. When Grace discovers Kai is gone, she learns how much she has lost and sets out on a mystical journey to find Kai...and discover herself.

Children's Literature

Grace and Kai always have been best friends. When both their grandmothers die—leaving them orphaned at sixteen—it makes sense for them to get married and take care of each other. At least, it makes sense to Kai; Grace craves adventure, not stability. The night after Grace breaks his heart, Kai is visited by a figure out of his grandmother's fairy tales, the frozen Winter Child. Fated to spend eternity healing others' hearts while hers remains broken, she is drawn to Kai's pain and lures him away. Too late, Grace realizes what she has lost and embarks on a journey to the Winter Child's snowy kingdom. With three hearts now broken, can only two of them be healed? This retelling of "The Snow Queen" differs most notably from the original in that the Winter Child character is sympathetic, not evil, and the ending—while still "fairy tale"—is far from what the reader would expect. While this makes the story friendlier to modern audiences, the conclusion does lose some of its impact. The book would serve best in the classroom as a literary comparison to the original. Part of the "Once upon a Time" series. Reviewer: Cara Chancellor

Cameron Dokey is the author of nearly thirty teen novels. She lives in Seattle, Washington.