Free to grow up as she pleases, but with only little animals and a loyal palace lute player as her companions, Jessica, pale and lonely, eventually earns the nickname Snow. Fleeing her stepmother's attempts to harness her youth with magic, Snow arrives in London, where she is immediately rescued by a band of likewise lonely outcasts. But her stepmother isn't finished with the young princess, and her magic is growing stronger, threatening Snow's very life.

Traditional in only its opening line -- "Once upon a time" -- this retelling of a familiar tale presents teen readers with a heroine who is not the stuff of fairy tales and legends. Snow is trying to find her way in a new world that is changing constantly and must decide whether to take control of her life, or to remain a sheltered little girl who never grows up.