East (East, #1)

by Edith Pattou

[Stephanie]

East is a retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Rose has to stay with White Bear in a castle dug into the side of a mountain. She doesn't know for how long or how safe she really is, but she goes along with it. She keeps herself busy by weaving and telling stories to White Bear and by trying to figure out the mysteries of the White Bear. And at night she has a visitor who comes into her room and sleeps next to her every night. There's never a light for her to turn on to see who the visitor. This bothers Rose the first few nights, but then she grows used to it and is even comforted by the strangers presence at night. When she breaks the rules of the castle she is sent on a wild journey to the north to get her White Bear back and make up for her betrayal to the bear.

...And that's only half the book. The first half goes on about Rose's life at home and her mother's superstitions. Rose's parents lied to her about being East bairn instead of her real birth direction, North, all because of her mother superstitions. When Rose finds out, she gets mad and runs off with the White Bear. Blah, Blah, Blah, lets get to the good part!

I have read two other stories that are a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon (Ice by Sarah Best Durst and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George) So I knew what to expect for the most part. I liked Pattou's version, but it wasn't my favorite. It stretched out for too long, and after almost 500 pages I felt like it could have been cut down a bit.

The story also switched point of views. Rose's point of view was the majority but her brother, Neddy, the Troll Queen, White Bear, and Rose's dad also had their POV's here and there. Usually the switching of that many POV's bugs me but Pattou pulled it off nicely. I liked getting to read what was happening back at Roses home while she was away with White Bear.

I got a little bored at times though and found myself thinking about other things as I read, but then the story would pick up again. I expected more magic to be involved, but it seems Pattou was trying to weave some reality into the story. There weren't any winds mentioned, and the Troll Queens castle seemed like it was placed somewhere anyone could reach it if they really tried.

So, I was a little iffy after reading East. I didn't love, and I didn't hate it. I just got a little bored at times. But I did enjoy reading Rose's journey through the north and all the things she encountered along the way.