Breadcrumbs

By: Anne Ursu, Erin McGuire

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

A stunning modern-day fairy tale from acclaimed author Anne Ursu....

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

©2011 Anne Ursu (P)2011 HarperCollinsPublishers

Hard to understand

The book was pretty mediocre. It was hard to understand and follow along to because of character development going backwards. It was also hard to understand when the book introduced more characters and were never to be seen again.

Fantastic read for all ages

Middle grade novels are not just for tweens! If you don't believe me then read or listen to Breadcrumbs! I adore Hazel! Hazel is a fifth grader whose parents recently split and has to deal with many changes including a new school. Hazel is unpopular and gets picked on, but what makes things easier is her best friend Jack. He has been there for the hardest points in her life.

Except one day everything changes and Jack decides not to be her friend anymore. He even becomes close with the kids who bully Hazel. Hazel is sure Jack would never just change for no apparent reason and something must be wrong. How could she possibly lose him. When Jack acts cold to her I thought about what Hazel must be going through and I was close to tears.

Shortly after Jack's strange behavior towards Hazel, he stops showing up to school and his parents say that he moved with a distant aunt. Hazel knows he would never just leave. One of the bullies tells Hazel that he saw Jack walking into the woods with a woman who was dressed completely in white and seemed cold. Hazel can't believe that Jack would leave with anyone into the woods much less someone who she believes is an Ice Queen. Hazel's journey to get her best friend back is going to be a dangerous and possibly deadly journey, but one she is willing to take to save her friend.

Breadcrumbs won my heart and I can see myself re-reading this book many times over. I'm also excited to share this with my nephew when he is older. I have read and listened to Breadcrumbs and both times I loved it.

For anyone trying to find their way

Ursu loads Hazel with an incredible list of personal pressures sure to send a kid to the counselor's office. She is a poster child for stress. Her life is full of leaving. But she boldly leaves home to march into the woods and face the worst that any fairytale or Narnia tale can throw at her. This is a multilayered liminal story, and very contemporary.

A cross of many tales weaved into one

If you could sum up Breadcrumbs in three words, what would they be?

Entertaining, delightful, and heartwarming.

What other book might you compare Breadcrumbs to and why?

Narnia, the characters are similar.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Good will prevail.

Any additional comments?

its a good book to listen to while working.

Engaging even for adults

I wanted to experience a book written for young people and I feared I would be bored. However. the story was engaging and feelings well-expressed on a deeper level. The ending felt rushed and too easy to bring about resolution. A young person should be able to identify with the characters.

Great book

I really liked it, I had the actual book but never got to read it and now I found it on her and I got to listen to it. The book is funny, adventurest, and very interesting with a lot of imagination. I loved it

A wonderfully entrancing tale!

What made the experience of listening to Breadcrumbs the most enjoyable?

The characters in this book are sure to hook a young reader into the story. All of the references to other stories make the reader's imagination take off to the world of books inside of this book. The narrator does a delightful job of bringing the book to life.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Breadcrumbs?

I became frozen when the woman grabbed Hazel's arm and asked her "Where is it?"

What about Kirby Heyborne’s performance did you like?

The changes in his voice from hushed tones to the raspy voice of the witch were exciting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh my yes, it was hard to stop listening when I had to.

Breadcrumbs

This book was the best fantasy book I have ever read. I wouldReccomend this book for you

Beautiful story if you can get past funky narrator

Would you listen to Breadcrumbs again? Why?

No, but I don't re-listen to audiobooks.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hazel. Beautifully written, relatable character.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kirby Heyborne?

The narrator has a voice that sounds oddly like one of those phone voices that sounds out words bizarrely. He extends vowels in a way that is very strange at first, but I did get used to it. He does most of his characters well, though.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, it is a beautiful story.

Fantastic book!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to those aged 10 and up. It offers complex and compelling characters and storyline. It's a fantastic story that doesn't talk down to its intended audience.