Boy, Snow, Bird

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

I am not sure why this book is considered genre fiction. It really doesn't fit into fantasy as there are really no fantastical elements in it. The references to mirrors really don't seem to fit, as I assume that's why it is considered fantasy.

This book is the type of book that I don't really like, full of dysfunctional characters with a major "reveal" at the end that borders on the sensationalistic. The cast of characters is an interesting mix: Boy, a self-absorbed woman who was raised by her abusive father, the rat catcher; Snow, Boy's beautiful stepdaughter who grows up to know and expect people to treat her as a beautiful person; Bird, Boy's charming and intelligent daughter who shows the characteristics of her African heritage hidden in her father's side of the family. These characters are interesting. What they see (or don't) in the mirror is interesting. The family's interactions and secrets are interesting. The prose is beautiful, the metaphors and the symbolism excellent. And then comes the end of the book.

It seems like a lot of award winning books have to add some sort of grand "revelation" at the end to quickly tie up the plot. In this case, it ruined the book, as it became just another book about dysfunctional characters with a "National Enquirer-type" finish.