Blood Red Snow White

by Marcus Sedgwick

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
This book was such a gem. It's historical fiction, yes, but so much of it is just plain authentically historical, with some fictional bits. So if you are going into this expecting a fairytale, this isn't one. In fact, the protagonist is a real person, an author in fact. But the fictional and fairytale bits brought the story together so well for me, and made it so appealing!

The story is set primarily in Russia, in a time of tremendous upheaval, not only in Russia but the world as a whole. I adored that we not only got to see inside World War I, which is so rare in books, but got to see it from a European viewpoint. If you are curious, you may want to read the synopsis of this Goodreads edition, because it kind of gives you a bit more to go on than the US version. Because this is part fiction, yes, but also partly biographical to an extent, and most certainly historical. I also don't really understand its marketing as Young Adult in the US if I am being perfectly honest, because there isn't really much room for even crossover- I think this is just straight up historical fiction, though that's just my opinion, so take it for what it's worth.

I enjoyed all the aspects of this story, it was so eye opening. I liked and empathized with Arthur, though I didn't quite have an emotional connection to him. I still was able to find him incredibly relatable, which is no small feat considering I have basically not a thing in common with this man. There is romance, there is war, there is deception. Family and friendships also play a huge role, as does politics of the time period. Basically, there are a great many things that can appeal to the reader, no matter what you enjoy reading about.

Bottom Line: I loved reading Arthur's story, as well as the story of Russia in the early twentieth century. It's such an incredibly fascinating and somber time in history, and I thought the author did a tremendous job of exploring it. That said, it is most definitely historical, and quite a bit factual, so just be prepared for that going in. If you are into historical books, I absolutely recommend this one!