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I reviewed this book as part of GeekDis 2022 an event discussing disability representation in pop culture from the perspective of the disabled and neurodivergent community. The book's winter cold setting contrasts the warm, heartfelt message of this story. It's like a warm hug on a cold day. A winter-ful debut novel. An amazing and captivating, curl-up-on-the-sofa debut about a magical frost fair and the lasting power of friendship. The narration is in the third person focusing on Thomasina's point of view. This helps the reader separate from the more challenging parts of the story, whereas the first person may have been just too personal and close to them. It also allows for a much broader understanding of the time and what it meant for different members of that society.
Alex’s intricate, magical illustrations perfectly replicate Natasha’s sensitive story. There’s movement and depth in every stroke, adding grace laced with a smattering of magic as the story embraces sorrow and hope with plenty of action and emotion along the way. It isn’t unusual for authors to be inspired by their own experiences. For Natasha Hastings, writing as a means of escaping a traumatic period of hospitalisation not only encouraged her to be brave, but began a career that will surely establish her as a legendary storyteller.The first thing I noticed when I started this book was that it was perfect for a winter’s night curled up in front of the fire. It is set in London in 1683 during the Great Frost when the river Thames completely froze over for two months. I knew a little about this before going into the book, but I love that it explains the way people used this to their advantage to sell their wares on the river. I love middle-grade historical fiction because it always makes the past engaging and interesting for children. As Thomasina continues to visit the Other Frost Fair she helps her father sell their sweets and biscuits on at the Thames Frost Fair, befriending Anne Hawke a young woman who has just moved to London with her uncle to open an apothecary. Anne dreams of opening her own shop and as their friendship grows the girls develop a business plan which combines both their talents; Anne’s apothecary skills and knowledge of herbs and Thomasina’s sweet making and baking. Together they make a range of medicinal sweets which they are given permission by Thomasina’s father and Anne’s uncle to sell at the Frost Faire once their normal duties are done. Their sweets sell incredibly well, and they start to develop more products. Plus he is also so independent. Does his parents/caretakers really have that much trust towards him? We don't know, and I feel like we're supposed to just accept and move along. The theme of friendship features quite heavily in this book. Thomasina meets and befriends Anne Hawke, a young girl who recently moved to London and works at an apothecary shop. Together they form a friendship by baking and selling goods at the markets by the frozen Thames festival. Both characters have their own charms and quirks and I loved seeing how their friendship blossomed amidst Thomasina's own personal troubles. It's a gentle reminder that it is never too late to meet new friends, and in most cases, new friends come into our lives for a reason. You don’t have to be the same as you always were. People change when things happen to them. It isn’t a bad thing.”
One of my favourite aspects of the book was the writing, which treads the balance of readability especially for a younger audience, but also indulging in some truly fantastic descriptive prose. Hastings has absolutely got her finger on the pulse of winter, and all the different elements that we associate with that time of year, and the atmosphere she manages to conjure as a result feels like stepping out a cold winter’s day and into the warmth and light of a Christmas shop, with all the colours and smells, and nostalgia that comes with it. The author also uses all the senses throughout this book, particularly when exploring the sweetmaking aspect, and it got to the point where I could practically taste the creations that Anne and Thomasina were coming up (and I certainly want to try them). This skill with the description was also evident with all the fantastical elements, and it made it so easy to imagine the Other Frost Fair and the tendrils that were twining around the real one and Thomasina’s life; and the imagery for the Frost Folk and Father Winter was spectacular. Anne and Thomasina are such a powerful duo; together they are strong, brave, and very smart, even coming up with their own business idea to combine both of their talents! I kind of got some Anna and Elsa vibes from this (together with the wintry theme overall), and while I’m not the biggest fan of the movie Frozen, I did love this book a lot! With another two books in the series, Natasha is currently working on the second, which is due to be published in early 2024. Both follow-ups will feature the same characters but facing different areas to explore and new magical systems. The year is 1683, and the River Thames is transformed almost over night by the Great Frost which sees what is usually a route for trade, become something all the more magical, wondrous and perhaps with more than a hint of bite to the ice….The book opens on a sad note with Thomasina’s twin brother dying. We then move forward a few years and see how life has dramatically changed for the young girl after his death, with her mother unable to speak or leave her bed and her father hardly saying more than a grunt, plus now Thomasina is needed to help out with the family’s sweetshop. Overall this is such a lovely story with an ending that is so good and also so beautiful and poignant at the end too. It’s a lovely tale and one I know I’ll be re-reading again. In fact it’s one of my favourite children’s books this year and one I would really recommend especially if you like the idea of magical night time frost fairs and historical fiction set in the 17th century.
There are other instances as well but to keep my review as short as I can, I'm just going to highlight these two. My point, though, is that these small details definitely add up over time and there's only so much disbelief I can suspend in one story. The descriptions of this fantastical night-time spectacle are so richly imaginative; I particularly loved the Frost Beasts who only accept Thomasina's presence there on special terms. However, as captivating as it may be, there's a creeping sense of foreboding and this is a rather chilling book, in more ways than one. It's not just a tale about the impossible though, and as with all the best stories, there are more relatable subjects examined here too. The characters are beautifully represented and the themes such as death, deception, mental illness, and asthma are handled with care and understanding. It is a touching story and will pull at your heartstrings. This is a book you will be invested in and one you won’t want to put down. The Frost Fair” by Natasha Hastings had a heart wrenching beginning, fascinating middle, and a happy ending. The author kept me guessing throughout the story with vivid imagery and magical details sprinkled throughout.
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The Miraculous Sweetmakers is the perfect winter read for middle-graders to young YA readers. The plot is filled with friendship, family, and an air of mystery when our main character Thomasina is invited to the frost fair. I also enjoyed the friendship that grew between Inigo and Thomasina. This was a very different friendship, and I will admit it was one I didn’t trust for a large proportion of the book; but I loved the bond that had been forged between them by the end of the book, and how the acceptance of each other and themselves, also played into the conclusion of Thomasina’s arc and past and present coming together with the realisation that the former can’t be changed, but that there was a future to look forward too. Thomasina, our main character is still struggling through her grief, as well as her parents after the death of her twin Arthur four years previously. I really liked this main character from the start and found her very human, relatable and loveable. I also really enjoyed how she made a few very good friends during the book, which really warmed my heart.
As the story continues things begin to change after Thomasina’s visits the other frost fair and we find out more about this strange magical place and the dark and creepy atmosphere emitted by some of the Frost Folk and Father Winter. After the second time we see Father Winter I did guess what was happening with him and Thomasina but I didn’t know anything else about how this story would go and it was so brilliant and I like how weird and eerie everything is along with Inigo’s character who is more interesting the further you read on. Not surprisingly, during Natasha’s childhood, she was encouraged to read and cites the Narnia series and anything by Jacqueline Wilson (‘I like the way she writes stories around powerful, emotional themes’) as some of her favourite books. Perhaps her own stories will one day be as revered. While I won't say that Thomasina was one of my favourite MG characters, I do think she's realistically flawed and she's a teenager who has to process her trauma and loss alone while taking care of herself, her parents, and the family business, so maybe it's okay that she doesn't always make the best decisions and gets a bit snappish at times. I don't think I connected with her character, or tbh with any of the other characters, as much as I hoped to but I could still root for her to solve the mystery of the Frost Folk and Father Winter, and to find happiness in whatever form that'd take. She does grow considerably throughout the story and she slowly comes to accept that despite her wish not coming true, there's a way forward towards healing and letting go of the guilt and grief that the family have been hanging on to.
It’s the 1680s and health information is limited at best and asthma is not the only disability representation present in The Frost Fair. No one understands what is happening with Thomasina’s mother and neighbours band together to have her institutionalised. I applaud Hastings for such a well written storyline about mental health and including it in a children’s book. Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark...
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