Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

I finished Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee last week and as you may or may not know, I am a sucker for a well-written retelling of old fairy tales and Ophelia is one of them.  And what makes it even better is that it’s not your typical retelling of Cinderella, it’s a retelling of The Snow Queen which is perfect for this year – we got at least another foot of snow yesterday and Disney’s Frozen just came out as well.  It makes me want to read The Snow Queen to see the differences between the three.

In Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, Ophelia in a quiet, scientific 11-year-old who travels with her older sister and father to a new city where her father is putting together a display of swords for a museum.  When Ophelia begins exploring the museum, she discovers a boy locked away by the evil Queen waiting for the right person to come along and fulfill the prophecy and defeat the Queen.  Interwoven in Ophelia’s story is the story of the marvelous boy and how he ended up in the museum.  Ophelia battles throughout the story as her scientific mind tries to understand the fantastical story this boy is telling her and the help he needs to be freed.  Written by Australian author, Karen Foxlee, there are a few things that might make American readers pause, such as Ophelia’s snack of sardines – but these do not hinder the story in any way, making it even more intriguing and magical!  As with all fairy tales, the themes of courage, friendship, hope and love are woven throughout the story creating a strong and unlikely protagonist in 11-year-old Ophelia.

Title: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
Author: Karen Foxlee
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Date: 2014
Page Number: 228 pgs.