This is a fine story about friendship and identity. I have reviewed this on Goodreads, and included the link below. However, I am unable to copy and paste this from Goodreads to here as there is not the functionality for that. Please see link.

Delightful, classic-feeling MG story of a girl discovering her true identity and source of power. The characters are clearly portrayed and easy to believe in and the magical elements are fantastic in every sense of the word. Children of the target age will lap this up, with its themes of belonging, friendship and (of course) winter, but there is much here for the adult lover of children's books too :)

I was totally spellbound by this unique and bewitching adventure which held me tightly in its grip till the very last page. Amy has the most wonderful ability to seamlessly link contemporary and magical worlds, effortlessly transporting her readers to places crackling with darkness and enchantment. Her characterisation is superb, the exploration of Owl struggling to come to terms with the true identity of her father is captured thoughtfully allowing us to become inextricably bound with her feelings. A truly stunning debut!

A Girl Called Owl by Amy Wilson seemed like a perfect Wintery, Christmassy read for this time of year; the story of Jack Frost's daughter. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed.

A Girl Called Owl is more upper middle grade, so where I thought it would feel like a children's book, full of that wonderful magical, enchanting feeling you get with reading some children's books (like A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig), it was missing from this one. And though it's a re-imagining of the Jack Frost legend - which, in my mind, is as intrinsically linked to Christmas as Winter - there is nothing of Christmas. This feels more like a younger version of a YA book about fae, though they are called fay in this - an introduction to fae, maybe. And that's one of the main reasons I wasn't a fan. There is a difference between what I call "children's books" - the kind an adult would read with a child - and books for children who are past that stage. I can handle children's books, because they appeal to my sense of wonder. But middle grade, more often than not, is too young for me.

And, because it's young (or at least that's my assumption), not a huge amount happens. I could easily summarise the entire book in a sentence, but won't because of spoilers. What I can tell you is that Owl discovers she is Jack Frost's daughter soon after frost patterns appear on her skin, and soon after, she can freeze a whole room without intending, too. All the while, there's a plot against her father by other seasonal figures that Owl finds out about. It sounds exciting, like there's probably a lot going on, but there really isn't, and it's so slow. Plus the characters believe in the magical so easily, hardly questioning it at all, or freaking out. So many questions aren't answered, or explained well enough. It was such a let down.

There's so much potential in writing a book about Jack Frost, but for me, A Girl Called Owl just didn't reach it. Sadly, it's just not a believable story. A real disappointment.

This is of course Amy Wilson's debut, and a middle-grade book that is aimed at an audience younger than myself. But, I was intrigued by the inclusion of the famous figure Jack Frost and some other folklore characters, not to mention the magical synopsis and pretty cover. It seemed like the perfect choice!

Honestly? I thought this book was okay. It had a lot of potential with some interesting character profiles and very intriguing idea on how folkloric figures could be working behind the scenes to create our seasons. There were some great 'moments' in this book. Sadly, those 'moments' were not enough to hold it together and it never really felt more than 'okay' for me. The writing was pretty good and it had the makings of a solid, fun story, but it flitted from one thing to another without allowing me to become emotionally invested in what was going on. I didn't get enough of anything. I liked getting a peek at the 'Fae court' and meeting Jack Frost, the Green Man, the Earl of October etc. but I didn't get much more than that to be honest and I would have liked to have seen their personalities and backstories shining through, rather than just being told. Owl as an MC was bold but flighty. Her mood swings confused me and her reasoning didn't make sense.

Sadly, like is all I'll ever do for this book. Unresolved (and unnecessary) plot-lines such as Mallory's got in the way, Owl was prone to moments of strength, but also became irritating when she wasn't seeing her own ignorance. I read this book liking the idea of it a lot, but also not liking it enough to actually REALLY get into it. For a younger audience? I think it would be a pretty good read and a good start to a series, perhaps. However, I would have liked to have seen something fresher and more exciting.

This novel sounds like a cool concept and then you realise it about 13 years old. To be honest, I think making the protagonist thirteen years old was a mistake, it feels like she should be fifteen for some of the storyline. Her maturity is not of a fifteen year old (though she probably maturer side of some of the 15 yrs old found in YA) but is of a 13 yr old so she is written well in that sense. Parts of the storyline do match, but there was just a lot dancing around the birds and the bees.

The story seems to get lost a bit, then I started analysing the chosen villain and how the conflict makes little sense. I feel like it was added as a second layer because there wasn't a natural villain to push the plot and character development along. Might have worked better without the forced conflict. Some of the chosen mythology was just kinda odd to throw in without explanation. Like it took from Arthurian Mythology for some reason, whilst being based in fay with some own invention I believe (google shows nothing). I now would randomly like to point out that May used to be the first month of summer, and any Queen associated with that month that is an old myth would be a Summer Queen, and therefore next to Autumn already. Basically, I would have liked more thought, or explanation of thought behind the mythology. There was suggestions to things that would have been interesting, but were just intirgueing mentions.


There were important female characters in this book, but they're literally sat back and let the male ones rule the roost (for majority). Owl does have a girl best friend, but there was not she could add to plot/action as she is human.


The characterisation was consisted and decent for our main characters. But a certain important character's characterisation filp-floped so much that I for sure thought he had to be a different character. There is no explanation for this.


The romance is this book is very mild, but clearly hinted at. There's also weird vibe from it, because I have no idea how old this guy is next this thirteen year and I feel like there has to be two years at least with plot stuff, so that just humanly wrong (if you are 13 years old, please stay away from people two years or older than you. There is something wrong if they are interested in you romantically. This rings true till twenty basically) or he is immortally a thirteen year old and so is she so that might just be tragic. This could just me thinking way too much about the plot.

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for accidental freezes. In writing a review of this book, I have probably thought too much about this stand alone book was ever meant to be thought about (if there is a sequel, it will lose points, if you say the end, then its the end). Its charming, middle-grade book, that probably recommend past that age, but for that age sure.

The beauty of reading so much is that you’ll often come across a book that is a little bit different but is at the same time truly special and that was most certainly the case with A Girl Called Owl by Amy Wilson. Although, being a middle-grade book, it’s primarily aimed at an audience much younger than myself I was intrigued enough by its description to give it a go and I’m so very glad that I did. Including so many different elements, it certainly captured both my heart and my imagination.

With a mum who had the not so clever idea of calling her Owl, a best friend whose going through a difficult time and needs her support and a new boy at school giving her weird looks it’s safe to say that Owl really doesn’t need any more drama in her life. Owl’s always been told that she’s special, but she only begins to believe it when she starts seeing strange frost patterns appear on her skin. Knowing this is something that makes her stand out from her peers, Owl can’t help but wonder where she gets this extraordinary talent from, whether it’s from her father who she has never met before. Keen to find out more about her father, she goes on a journey of discovery but just where will it take her?

As a story that is mainly narrated from the perspective of Owl, one thing that can definitely be said is that Amy has created a wonderful lead character in her and, despite the age difference between both myself and her, I found that I was able to relate to her and the things that she was going through. Her story and everything that she experienced really did intrigue me and I was keen to read on and stay with her as she discovered all that she did. For such a young character I really loved Owl’s strength and determination and I also thought that it was a pleasure to see how she interacted so well with those around her, being an incredibly caring character and treating others with respect. When she eventually found her father, I loved seeing the way in which their relationship developed as the story progressed.

Growing up I read a few stories about young people who had never met one of their parents before, but none that I can remember were quite as imaginative as A Girl Called Owl turned out to be. Although the parts that went into the third person did sometimes throw me off the main storyline, I thought that overall it was a wonderfully well written book, one that most certainly had a very interesting plot. I really loved the way in which Amy had managed to include so much within her story, one that wasn’t just to do with relationships but one that also looked at a number of mythical characters that may so often be overlooked.

I found A Girl Called Owl to be a gorgeous, magical little book and one that I ended up adoring far more than I ever thought I would. As a book that focuses on the themes of identity, friendship and how to adapt to change, this is a story that should easily appeal to most readers over the age of 9 and I also think it would be ideal for those interested in mythical characters. A really beautiful debut novel that I hope many others will fall in love with!

Owl has enough problems, obviously really as her name implies at least one parent with a slightly unusual view on life. In fact her mum is the only parent she has, she’s never met her dad and frankly she’s fed up with her mum refusing to say who he is. It was all right her telling her fairy tales about Jack Frost being her dad but she’s too old for that now.

And now her best friend is going through some family upset and needs her more than ever, and a new boy at school is giving her weird looks. But all that is pushed aside when Owl starts seeing strange frost patterns on her skin, could her mum actually have been telling her the truth about her dad? And what will happen when she enters the magical world of winter for the first time?

This is classic children’s literature – particularly good for those aged 9-13 but as an adult I still enjoyed this. It updates a classic myth but unlike so many ‘disney-esque’ updates that will strip out some of the darkness this one puts it back in. it gives us a story which has real characters with modern-day problems that collide with ancient myths.

The descriptions of the worlds around the characters are breathtaking – this would be a beautiful movie to watch! Although I have to admit I’d be a little afraid to in case it didn’t live up to my imagination!

4 Bites

NB I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest review. The BookEaters always write honest reviews

3.5 stars

This is a cute book I'll definitely be picking up for my little sister in a few years time. The characters are well-drawn and realistic, and their emotions felt real and they had solid friendships and character development which were really great things to see in a middle-grade book. Owl and Mallory's friendship was lovely and I really liked both of them, and Alberic, as characters even though I couldn't really identify with either of them and Owl could be annoying at times (but tell me what thirteen-year-old girl who isn't occasionally annoying?). They were caring and gossipy in a realistic way, and I liked how Wilson showed their limitations and how it's not always easy to be a good friend, but it's the trying that counts. The plot felt warmly (or should I say coldly?) familiar, with elemental magic, figures from folklore and more modern incarnations of peeps like Jack Frost, which I'm sure kids will love. It was a bit predictable and not too challenging, but definitely enjoyable and engaging, with some pretty descriptions and ideas sprinkled about.

The only things that held it back from being a full four stars for me were the inconsistent/random use of archaic language and syntax which would flit in and out of speech and also Owl's narration of the story. I could understand why it might have been used initially for some of the mythical figures, but the lack of consistency just made it feel awkward and annoying whenever it popped up. I also think I wanted a bit more from the ending which felt rather too-quickly tidied up, and the snippets of Owl's mum's story which I didn't really feel came to much. It would have been nice to see those snippets meet with the present and Owl's mum get more of a role in the climax of the story. But overall it's a lovely book with some great themes and lots of fun magic, highly recommended for pre-teen girls and anyone with a soft spot for folklore and magic.

Owl has a strange name and a strange mum and has always wanted to know who her father was. She wishes she was just normal girl, but when she starts to find out the truth, she longs for the normality of the days she thought were so strange. Owl learns there is another world as well as this one and she is part of it. She can travel there and must learn to use her new power without letting it consume her. This is a story full of magic and fairies and elementals. Though it is a book about a 13 year old girl, in many ways Owl is so grown up and this book will appeal to all ages.

A young girl, saddled with the name Owl by her hippyish mother, has always wondered who her missing father was. Apart from that she only seemed to have fairly normal problems - school, friends and, as she gets older, boys - until the moment she starts to realise that she's possibly not totally normal. (My own theory on teenagers is that they are totally torn between wanting to be a unique individual and hoping they are completely normal - the pain is real...) Strange patterns appear on her skin when she is stressed or upset - like frost on her skin - and she thinks she has managed to hide them from everyone except maybe the new kid at school, a boy with the equally odd name of Alberic. She finds that the fabulous stories which her mother told her about a strange and magical world are not only true but they involve and endanger her, her best friend Mallory and the mysterious Alberic.

This is a great story for children of 9+ who enjoy stories with magic and a bit of peril. Which could mean lots of Harry Potter fans...It has hints of Narnia in its glittering wintry landscape and the perilous world of the fae reminded me enormously of Alan Garner's books. Owl is a recognizably modern child who is having to deal with mysterious dangers (and still has to get her homework in on time). All she really wants is to find out who her father is - but discovering that he is Jack Frost leads to all kinds of trouble.

An interesting new take on the myths and legends that surround the seasons, A Girl Called Owl explores the suffering of a young girl who doesn't know who her father is and has a mother who doesn't seem to be willing to share a single detail but fairy tails, and what happens when those fairy tails turn out to not be quite the stories they seem to be.

The desperation that Owl shows on wanting a father is shown beautifully and juxtaposed against the subplot of her friend's trouble with her parents separation. But I feel as though the fight between them was pushed in for no reason but to create conflict. From the start, Owl's friend was on her side believing her, so I feel like if Owl had been honest with her from the start, nothing would have happened.

All in all, I did really like this book and the mythology it explored, but I felt it could have been a bit more thought out and crafted.

Absolutely wonderful! I absolutely fell in love with all of the characters in this book from the get go. This filled my heart with joy and I can't wait for next Winter when it's out to read it to the kids I teach. Jack Frost and all the nature characters were a breath of fresh air in a story!

ISBN; 9781509832460.26 Jan 2017. Macmillan Children’s Books, Pan Macmillan. I received an ecopy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
It’s bad enough having a mum dippy enough to name you Owl, but when you’ve got a dad you’ve never met, a best friend who needs you more than ever, and a new boy at school giving you weird looks, there’s not a lot of room for much else.
So when Owl starts seeing strange frost patterns on her skin, she’s tempted to just burrow down under the duvet and forget all about it. Could her strange new powers be linked to her mysterious father?And what will happen when she enters the magical world of winter for the first time?
A glittering story of frost and friendship, with writing full of magic and heart, A Girl Called Owl is a stunning debut about family, responsibility and the beauty of the natural world.
I don’t know what it was about this book that drew me in. The ease of reading, the plot that meant I couldn’t put it down or the use of characters that are often overlooked when using classic myths and legends in modern society.
A Girl Called Owl is a short (for me) book, that only took a few hours to read, full of magic and adventure. A story of a girl who has to find herself, whilst helping her father, staying friends with her best friend Mallory, coping with the new boy in school, all whilst dealing with her own magical changes.
I absolutely LOVED this book so so much. I got completely lost in it and I cannot wait for release day to add it to my physical library. This book was funny, and heartwarming, made my breath catch a few times.
I give this a 5 out of 5 stars.