Young Sophie knows she isn't special like her beautiful and
smart friends. When a lady requests her specific presence
in Russia, Sophie is shocked. She is even more shocked when
she arrives in Russia with her friends, and they are greeted
by a princess, a princess who has a big interest in Sophie.
Thus begins Sophie's journey of danger, excitement, and
self-discovery.
Told in a fairy-tale like manner, THE WOLF PRINCESS combines
magic, wonder, and mystery. It is primarily set in the depth
of Russia with descriptions of the atmosphere and weather
that set the stage perfectly for the adventure Sophie and
her friends, Marianne and Delphine, take. One of the things
I enjoy most in a story is the weaving of both normal,
everyday problems and extraordinary issues that most could
never or have never dealt with, a weaving that brings the
reader further into the mystical or beyond average elements
of the story through general concerns most people can relate
to. Cathryn Constable does a fabulous job of that in THE
WOLF PRINCESS. Sophie is young and very insecure of herself.
While this at first did not have me liking her very much
(I'm more drawn to outspoken, bold main characters), she has
a certain quirkiness that I find a surprising warmth in. Her
development is the focus of the story, beyond the mystery of
the Russian princess that keeps you on your toes.
THE WOLF PRINCESS holds that charm in the characters, both
in Sophie's quirkiness and the dynamic friendships of
Delphine and Marianne, that I highly enjoy, but I did find a
little struggle in having patience with their character
growth. Sophie's character is a pushover for a good portion
of the story that stems from her insecurity that, though is
highly regular for a young person, can be more of a drag. It
did not stop me from liking the story, but it did halt
loving it. I also would like seeing more magic in this
story. It does have a magic feel in it that wraps the reader
up, but there is little actual magic. It would be
interesting how more of that would change the story.
Overall, THE WOLF PRINCESS is a solid read, one I think
middle grade and younger young adult readers can really dive
into, or anyone who needs reminded that adventure can happen
even to the most unlikely suspects.
Sophie Smith is a teenage orphan stuck in a boarding school
in London, but at night she dreams of Russia and
wolves--then, on a class trip to St. Petersburg, she finds
herself and her two friends deliberately separated from the
group and whisked off into the silver forest of her dreams,
where a mystery awaits.
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