I had never read the fairytale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," so East felt like a sturdy mixture of Beauty and the Beast and Frozen.

What I Liked
Rose as a female protagonist is strong and inventive. She echoes quite well Valerie Frankel's The Heroine's Journey. Rose is likable, admirable, and a character to root for unconditionally. Her patience and self-revelation throughout the novel is beautiful.

I learned about the Norwegian culture through reading this book, without even realizing that I was learning.

I also appreciated the way that the book was split into the parts of the Compass. Pattou divided the segments appropriately and they helped to fit into the book's flow.

What I Didn't Like
At times, I couldn't help but feel like Rose's journey was endless. It made me feel cold just imagining her trekking through the cold wilderness for so long. I suppose that is to share her virtue of patience with the reader and perhaps I am along impatient, but instead of Rose meeting friend after friend, I preferred her to experience more in the main plot instead of the many subplots.