Conceal, Don't Feel: A Twisted Tale

The Frozen Bandwagon. It is one that could not be avoided. I tried for as long as I could but upon seeing the movie the first time just a few short years ago, I was hooked. Not because it was Disney, not that I do not love Disney films, no it is because of the message of the movie. Frozen showed us all that love, true love isn't just romantic, but can be from family as well.

Sisterly love. It is so powerful it could break any curse. That is what makes the movie so compelling and so wonderful. It broke the norm of a Disney traditions in which princesses married men they barely knew. Now granted, that is something we have often over looked. So is the fact that most of our princesses were alone in the world, normally with only one parent or a step parent. The only one who broke that norm in the original golden age of Disney princess was Ariel, but her sisters never shared the connection that Anna and Elsa have.

Conceal, Don't Feel: A Twisted Tale makes the story of Anna and Elsa even more compelling. The book itself starts off very similar to the film in which Anna and Elsa are young girls who are playing in the great hall late at night. They use Elsa's magic to great snow, Olaf, and snow drifts. Elsa's Magic eventually hit's Anna forcing the red-head unconscious and a white streak to form in her hair. This part of the story we all know from the film.

The changes, the twist comes when King Agnarr and Queen Iduna take Anna and Elsa to the Valley of the Living Rock. As Grand Pabbie attempts to help Anna forget her memories of Elsa's magic, something goes terribly wrong and the girls are cursed. He is forced to make Anna and Elsa forget each other, Elsa's magic, and must keep them apart. Elsa being the eldest, grows up in the castle at Arendelle while Anna grows up in the mountain village of Harmon with a baker and his wife.

Growing up, Elsa always felt a part of her was missing while Anna feels constantly drawn to Arendelle. Neither knows why. It isn't until Iduna and Agnarr are killed at sea, that Elsa's dormant powers return and the curse keeping Anna and Elsa apart slowly begins to dissipate.

In Harmon, Anna has a different life than the one she had in the movie. She is social, happy, and can have friendships she didn't have when locked away from Elsa. She even meets Kristoff and Sven during her time as a girl there and later on as she gets older and Elsa is preparing for her coronation. Elsa on the other hand has gotten a different life. When her powers returned, her only companion was Olaf until a young prince from the Southern Isles comes to Arendelle. That's right in this case, Hans had his opportunity that he wanted in the film. He flirts with Elsa, shows affection to her. He has his plot to marry her.

This story is one that is so lovely and tragic. Instead of chosen isolation that Elsa created for herself after hurting Anna in the first film. there is forced isolation and neither girl knows why. It gives more to their personalities though and quite the insight on their lives. It is a book that I highly suggest and when buying it, go and get the Barnes & Noble edition as there is a bonus chapter included.