The author of LITTLE THIEVES definitely recreates the feeling of an old Grimms fairy tale (an impression I had without even reading the BookishFirst summary that included that comparison). This is from the ‘Once Upon a Time’ opening phrase to descriptions such as “hungry as the wolf…cold as the icy wind,” and the unflinching hard-hearted replies from Death to the woman who has brought her thirteenth child into the forest to die since she feels this accident prone girl is bad luck. The concept of having Death and Fortune shaming the mother and then deciding to be godmothers to the four-year-old girl named Vanja immediately establishes a sense of conflict and foreboding. Having Death as a character reminded me a little of THE BOOK THIEF, even though it definitely would not be a comp title since Zusak’s book is set in a real country during a real war.
When Vania becomes the first-person narrator in chapter one, many years have passed, and she has assumed the identity of a giddy, platinum-blonde prinzessin named Gisele whose necklace of pearls have magical powers. But carefully placed decorative cushions contain quick-change disguises, and she easily becomes a servant girl. Of course, prior to changing her clothes, she was able to rob many of the elegant guests at the princess’s party by unexplained special techniques which allowed her to steal earrings and rings and bracelets. Other magical powers include the ability to morph her facial structure, body weight, and hair color in order to be one hundred percent Greta the maid.
This book’s strong points seem to be a well-planned fantasy world with a cast of characters to fill a family tree. However, I think that in order to enjoy this book that a reader must be a die-hard fantasy fan. I found some of the name, such as Sieglinde von Folkenstein and Graf von Kirchstadtler, distracting rather than enticing. When page twenty ended with Gisele/Greta saying she is actually Vanja, “And this is the story of how I got caught,” I did not feel curious to know the whole story. However, since I feel that MG fantasy readers will like it, I have rounded my rating to 4 stars.
When Vania becomes the first-person narrator in chapter one, many years have passed, and she has assumed the identity of a giddy, platinum-blonde prinzessin named Gisele whose necklace of pearls have magical powers. But carefully placed decorative cushions contain quick-change disguises, and she easily becomes a servant girl. Of course, prior to changing her clothes, she was able to rob many of the elegant guests at the princess’s party by unexplained special techniques which allowed her to steal earrings and rings and bracelets. Other magical powers include the ability to morph her facial structure, body weight, and hair color in order to be one hundred percent Greta the maid.
This book’s strong points seem to be a well-planned fantasy world with a cast of characters to fill a family tree. However, I think that in order to enjoy this book that a reader must be a die-hard fantasy fan. I found some of the name, such as Sieglinde von Folkenstein and Graf von Kirchstadtler, distracting rather than enticing. When page twenty ended with Gisele/Greta saying she is actually Vanja, “And this is the story of how I got caught,” I did not feel curious to know the whole story. However, since I feel that MG fantasy readers will like it, I have rounded my rating to 4 stars.