School Library Journal11/01/2013
Gr 5–8—Next to fashionable Delphine and bookish Marianne, English orphan Sophie is easy to overlook. Her clothes are worn and drab, her guardian doesn't want to deal with her, and her school's headmistress is constantly on her case. But on a school trip to St. Petersburg, the girls find themselves abruptly abandoned in a snowy wonderland. Soon, they meet a beautiful and mysterious princess who seems especially taken with Sophie. Swept away to her icy palace, the three are pampered and entertained until they begin to suspect that the princess has ulterior motives. The breathtaking, wintry setting brings this old-fashioned fairy tale to life. Readers can practically hear the howling winds, the cry of the wolves, and the silent beauty of moonlit snowfall.
