I really wanted to love this book, but while I liked it I felt it dragged on in spots. It is told from three different narrators and honestly I just didn't connect with them like I wanted to. The book is based on the murder of Lucinda Hayes, but it felt like we spent more time learning about the three narrators instead of diving into the investigation. The final outcome was unexpected so that helped me to rate it four stars. All in all, it was a good book it just didn't flow liked I would have liked.

Great story. A bit creepy but in a mysterious way. First novel and really quite well written. Looking forward to more from this author

I generally like this type of book, a bit of a "whodunnit" and a lot of mystery. However, this one, while not horrible, dragged on a bit and I lost interest from time to time. I think had it not dragged, would definitely have a higher rating from me.

It's a dark story about a teenage girl who is murdered in a playground. It is talked about as to how it pertains to the story, but not so much as to be overdone. There are several suspects: the boyfriend, the mentally unstable boy who has been stalking her, the ex of the boyfriend who is another teen with a chip on her shoulder, and an ex-con night janitor. Each of them have a story, and we learn them (although maybe a bit too drawn out).

I will say, the ending was good and not at all what I expected! That redeemed it somewhat, and I would probably give 3.5 stars if halves were included in the ratings.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me a copy of this book to read!

Loved how the story was told from different unique perspectives. Kept me intrigued throughout the novel and would recommend to friends

Lucinda Hayes, a teenager, has been found dead in the local playground. Her neck was broken. There are several suspects and at one time or another I had my mind made up who had done it. However, I was totally wrong. Yay!

The story is told by two teenagers that went to high school with Lucinda. Eaching having a different connection to the deceased girl. One a stalker secretly in love with her and the other, a friend who was (in her mind) betrayed by her. Jade and Cameron are both loners and total misfits. You can't help but feel for them. I loved Jade's screenplays that map out "what she should of said or done".

While the book starts out on a suspense novel with a gruesome death at the beginning, the gist of the book is so much more. A book of insights, discoveries, loss, finger pointing, betrayal and raw human emotion while dealing with a murder in a small town.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I was excited about starting this book over Labor Day weekend. I wasn’t working and had carefully chosen the books I wanted to read. Girl in Snow was second on my list. When I first started reading this book, I really found the characters interesting except for Lucinda. The story starts off with her being dead but you really don’t connect to her and you don’t feel sympathy-at least I didn’t.

As I got further in the story it started to fizzle and fizzle quick. I got about 20% in and realized this probably won’t be a finish read for me but I rallied on a little longer to see if it got better. Half way through the book, I gave up. When a person writes a thriller and there is nothing thrilling about it...ahem, go back to revisions! I know that sounds really harsh but it needed to be said. Don’t get me wrong, the premise is great and the characterization had potential for a physiological thriller but it missed its mark.
Another thing, I needed more dialogue and action coming from the characters! Showing in is very important in story-telling.

I am not rating this book since I did not finish it.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers through NetGalley. I feel bad for not liking this story but felt necessary to give my honest opinions why I did not finish the book.

Stephanie M. Hopkins

3.5 stars, rounded up.

This book really had some great elements: the characters were really well done, and the mystery at the book’s core was enthralling.

But I wasn’t a fan of the ending, which colored my view of the book.

The story begins when a young, beautiful high school student is found murdered. The town begins searching for her killer, and quickly, three odd-balls become overwhelmed by the mystery. These are our narrators: Russ, a cop and the former partner of Cameron’s father; Cameron, who was obsessed with the dead girl and can’t remember what he was doing the night she was killed; and Jade, who hated the dead girl and pretty much everything else.

The story is more of a suspenseful drama than a thriller, and I enjoyed it.

The story is a really great example of a character-driven plot. The three narrators are fascinating and really suck you into their stories, wondering where it’s all going to go. They’re all definitely “odd” and there’s no telling what their stories will reveal. I enjoyed their perspectives a lot.

But like I said, the main part of the story is the mystery and the conclusion to that is extremely anticlimactic. They just reveal it and…..it’s over. I still had a lot of questions. I wish there would have been more of a solid conclusion.

But I still enjoyed the book immensely. It was super easy to get into the story and while I had a guess as to the conclusion, I wasn’t sure.

I would read more from this author.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Great storytelling, diction, and suspense. It was a page-turner that I'd recommend to fans of thrillers and suspense.

I had a hard time with this book. I found the begining of the novel very confusing and slow. The end was surprising but there were many questions left unanswered.

When a popular teenage girl turns up murdered at her elementary schools playground, things start piecing together quickly. The cast of characters that made up her life and it's periphery each have their say as the culprit and motive is slowly revealed.
For me, this story is just ok. It didn't capture or keep my attention, which wavered and eventually died out about halfway through. I found the characters to be unique, but some of their point of view chapters seemed to drone on for me. I would try this author again, as she has a detailed way of looking at events but this one didn't do it for me.

Yet another “I can’t stop reading!” book for me this summer! I love these suspenseful mysteries. I actually figure this one out, but it wasn’t obvious. If you like these type of mysteries, pick this one up today!
Thank you for my review copy!

This will sound weird (and I know that's never stopped me before) but there was something about: the title of this book, its cover and name of the author which made me think I was about to embark on Nordic Noir. And I was a little worried as not all books I've read which have been popular in their country of origin have translated as I'd hoped. (And I guess the same can be said when a great TV show is remade in English and into something a little more mainstream.)

However... all of those weird prejudices aside, this book was very very different to whatever it was I'd imagined and was - most certainly - an excellent read.

While I'm confessing to my weird assumptions I should say that I tend to not expect amazing prose when I'm reading crime fiction / thrillers / mysteries. I know that makes me sound like some weird genre snob but most of my reviews involving crime fiction rarely include quotes. In fact, I tend not to notice the writing, which is a good thing as I focus more on the plot and characters. There are some authors who have a great way with words (Candice Fox and Adrian McKinty come to mind) but it's not necessarily something I expect.

Kukafka's beautiful writing however, had me highlighting phrase after phrase. Sentence after sentence. At the same time I realised I wouldn't be able to use most in my review as they're too 'telling'. They give too much away about our characters and the plot.

"If this moment were a song, Cameron thought, it would be a quiet song - the sort of song that drowned you in your miserable chest. It was stunning and tender. It dropped, it shattered, and Cameron could only feel the weight of this melody, this song that felt both crushing and delicate." p 10

The book opens just after Lucinda's body is found. We're in the heads of three characters: teenagers Cameron and Jade and police officer Russell Fletcher. And we pop in and out of their interconnected stories throughout the novel.

Cameron's known to all as 'the stalker' - seemingly fascinated with Lucinda. He talks about being 'tangled' and has learned to deal with blackouts and feelings of bewilderment and anger by fleeing to a place in his mind he calls Hum.

Jade is the disenfranchised daughter of a present-but-absent father and heavy-drinking and occasionally-abusive mother. She and her sister once hung out with Lucinda and her younger sister but that was a long time ago. Jade resents Lucinda now. To me it didn't feel like envy. Just resentment for the things Jade thinks Lucinda has taken from her.

And then there's Russ who seemingly became a cop by default. He was close to his former partner, but it ended badly and Russ is still reeling from the betrayal many years later. He's married to a woman who seemingly doesn't love him and they rarely communicate. Russ is unhappy and seems put-upon but he's a man of his word and he's made promises... some of which impact on his role in investigating Lucinda's death.

In reality this book felt (to me) mostly to be about Cameron and Jade. Both are outcasts and highly creative. Cameron is an artist and draws Lucinda repeatedly.

"I don't understand how you draw from memory, Mom had said once, as Cameron spread his art supplies across the living room floor. How do you hold onto all of the details? 

Cameron had shrugged and said, I guess I can't figure out how to lose them." p 233

Jade writes screenplays and parts of the unfolding plot are reflected in her creations. It's through them we learn what she'd like her family and friends to say and do. Reality is quite different.

"It's all about perception. What I see is automatically my truth, simply because I've seen it. I've interpreted it that way. (A character from Jade's screenplay. p 168)"

Kukafka does a great job of keeping us guessing. We're privy to a information about our characters and things they know about others. At times the circumstances surrounding Lucinda's murder seem obvious. Other times less so.

And mostly we want to be wrong about what we suspect because Kukafka ensures we come to care about the people we meet.

This book is about love, loss and grief. It's about vulnerability. It's about the disenfranchised and the fact many of us feel unable to be who we really are. And it's about the bravery of those who do so.

"Cameron wanted to tell Mr O about loss - the hissing sound it made, like air drained from a tire, how that sound could continue forever if you let it - but maybe Mr O already knew." p 91

This book came as a huge surprise to me. The plot is complex and intriguing. The characters are impossible not to love and sometimes painfully exposed. And the writing is beautiful. It's Kukafka's first novel and I can't wait for more from this talented writer and storyteller.

I truly enjoyed this book; incredible character development and stunning writing. I felt that the plot and conclusion accelerated too abruptly at the end and was left wanting more. I would've also liked more insights into Lucinda as a person.

When I saw the authors name I just had to read this book and I desperately wanted to like it because of it.

I found the book difficult to get into and halfway through it felt like it was too long and the language Danya uses is so poetic and descriptive it was almost too much and taking away from the actual story. I am so glad I persevered though as halfway through it's as if the language and the plot really come together to create not only a gripping story but also a set of characters who you feel very engaged with.

Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka is a debut thriller about a girl who was murdered one night. Although it was supposed to be a mystery, it felt like more of a study of the characters that were narrating it. Cameron was the boy who was obsessed with her, Jade was the girl who disliked her, and Russ was the investigator assigned to her case who comes with a ton of his own baggage.

The ending was pleasing but the overall book for me was just alright. Nothing excited me from the extremely slow pace Girl in Snow was written. All the characters were just so damaged that their daily turmoils took away from the overall murder of the story.

Kukafka has outdone herself on the quality of the writing though. From the creepy atmospheric descriptions to the character dialogue, I thought she did a good job. She was able to bring the characters to life in a way only a good writer can. With well thought out phrases and the raw emotions, Kukafka seems to know her craft.

If it wasn’t for the heavily filled backstories of these damaged characters, I feel like I might have enjoyed it more. It felt like the murder was just a backdrop to the life of Cam, Jade and Russ. Maybe it just missed it’s mark on me, but for what it was worth, it was still a good story.

The cover is gorgeous by the way. One of the reasons I picked this one up to begin with!

Intriguingly set up in a Colorado suburb, Lucinda Hayes, a high school freshman is found dead in the neighborhood. We have enough suspects, enough motives, and we have enough story lines merging, for both major and minor characters.

The three primary characters through whom we view both Lucinda and her death, are stalker-lover, Cameron, outcast-tough-broken Jade and Police officer Russ, repressing his memories and emotions. All three are inter-linked not only to Lucinda's story, but even in their personal narratives and struggles.

Cameron is Lucinda's classmate, neighbor, who stalks her, and is in love with her in his own twisted manner, and something the entire neighborhood seems to be aware of but does nothing to change his behavior or provide help. Cameron has a tragic past, with a Dad for a murderer. Dad who was a police officer, and a close friend of Officer Russ Fletcher. Cameron's mother Cynthia, and his relation is beautifully built. I especially liked how Cameron's knack for 'watching' Lucinda, and his attention to detail serve him very well in his art class.

Jade is a high school girl, constantly abused by her alcoholic mother. who looks at Lucinda as the beautiful girl, she'd envy if she had been mean to her, and whom she hates for dating her ex-best friend. Jade's character constantly writes short scenes, to reflect on what she'd actually want to say.

Both Cameron and Jade are stuck in their own miserable existence to ever look outside; as is often with teens. The set-up, the varied and diverse problem every teen faces in that suburb is very well put, almost reminding me of The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling. What was different here, other than the fact that these are two different genres, was conspicuous absence of Rowling's wit. Not that Kukafka disappoints, she compensates for that with a very melancholic strain and deep empathy for almost every character, major or minor.

We understand Russ's complicated relation with his partner, Lee Whitley, and his wife Ines. Russ is obsessed with evil and his morality compass. He almost wants to protect Cameron and throw some one else in the jail, even if he's related to him. We wonder if he's the one who might be in the know and hiding a lot of old secrets?

Jade who has enough hatred in her for the act, and Cameron, who has enough toxic love in him, come together to support each other through the tough time.

But, by the end we are basically in an almsot Lolita-esque haze, something Humbert might have done, if he had gotten Lolita in the first place. Or if Lolita would have been as demure, as Lucinda Hayes is supposedly shown to be, from the distance and layers of other characters' lens, that we look at her.

Danya Kukafka manages to hold your attention and interest in the characters and their life. Their problems are worth understanding and investing in. At the same time, Kukafka's writing is appealing, poignant, and has a much soothing, literary effect for a thriller (which worked very well for me).

This would be a fit read while traveling a short-long distance. Probably would also be a perfect 'beach read'. Or if you're stuck in a life of 9-9, this would be perfect for a quick weekend read. And worry not, Kukafka's narrative immerses you, in both the characters and setting; helping you escape the mundanity of life and making you think and ask enough questions.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon and Shuster for the digital copy of Girl in Snow by Danya Kakafka in exchange for my honest review.

This debut novel centers around the narrative of three very honest, raw and disturbed characters following the murder of a young teenager named Lucinda in this small town. This story reads less like a thriller or mystery and more like a look inside the dim and depressing lives of Russ, Jade and Cameron and how they cope with Lucinda's murder, uncertainty surrounding her killer and profound tragedies happening in their personal lives. The ending was surprising and did not play out in a predictable way. I would definitely like to read more this author.

Nothing is more dramatic than high school drama. Except for the real world. And when those two combine with a murder mystery than you're usually in for a good read. So many books bring these three different elements together and weave either magic or sow chaos. The balancing of teenage hormones and horrible crime is difficult and it doesn't always go well. Girl in Snow is a novel that balances on that edge but, sadly, is constantly on the point of falling off. Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

To quote Natalie Imburglia, I'm torn. It is undeniable that Girl in Snow has an intriguing plot with a lot of high stakes. It's also undeniable that Kukafka addresses a lot of interesting topics, as the blurb suggests. The small town struck by tragedy is a great setting to bring underlying tensions to the surface and Kukafka does so relatively well. However, there is something about the book that left me underwhelmed. Perhaps I have been ruined by psychological thrillers and mysteries where suspense lurks on every page, but Girl in Snow didn't capture me the way I really wanted it to.

Lucinda, this novel's sad victim, isn't truly at the centre of this novel. Rather, Kukafka focuses on Jade, Cameron and Russ as they are thrown into ever-deepening turmoil by her death and everything that comes with it. Kukafka explores the trauma of their lives before Lucinda's death and how these now affect their actions, choices, and ideas of self. In a way this is really interesting, but Lucinda therefore also becomes a side-character and about halfway through the novel I realised I didn't really care who killed her. The reader has no chance to build a connection to her and the novel's twists also don't really come from this plot line. Rather it is Jade, Cameron and Russ' lives which provide the reader with their excitement. Switching between their different points of view, Kukafka explores different angles of this small town's response to Lucinda's death, as well as showing how everyone has secrets, fears and hopes, how we all keep certain parts of ourselves hidden away. It is this that saves the novel, for me at least.

Danya Kukafka has a knack for describing emotional situations in a way that both places you inside the characters' minds while also removing you just enough to be able to appreciate the moment. You truly get a sense of who her characters are and what they feel, and this is the most interesting part of Girl in Snow. Occasionally the novel "breaks" its narrative to share excerpts from Jade's imagined screenplay, 'What You Want to Say But Can't Without Being a Dick'. This both works really well to give you an insight into Jade's mind and set up that everyone has thoughts they don't or can't share, but it also interrupts the tension Kukafka tries to build and snaps the reader out of the story. In a way it's emblematic of what didn't work for the novel. There are a lot of great ideas but the execution of them isn't always perfect. This also counts for the confusing mix of genres. On the one hand this novel is a murder mystery and crime novel, yet the pace is inexorably slow and halts Girl in Snow from truly building up momentum. Considering this is a debut novel that isn't necessarily surprising but it is promising. I'd rather have a book with great potential than an utterly boring yet beautiful one. As such, I would definitely give Kukafka's future books a try.

I have very mixed feelings about Girl in Snow. On the one hand I really wanted to know how it would end, how it would all unravel. But on the other hand I never found myself truly engaged with the novel, truly caught by it. I'm confused as to who to recommend this to, since for crime lovers this novel won't deliver. Its pace may also be too slow for YA readers. Yes, I'm torn.

A very well written book but also very strange to read ...to sit inside someone's brain that isn't quite normal. An interesting book.

It took me a while to get to this book on my list but I'm very glad I finally did. I'll put it into the "mystery/thriller" genre but it could be a book classified more on in the "character study / coming of age" genre. The writing is exceptionally good (especially for a first novel) and the story is told in a very captivating way, alternating through 3 main characters and moving from past to present. I have read books where that approach doesn't work; it does here - credit to the author. From a plot perspective, I found the bulk of the book almost creepy (some of the situations and musings had me shudder) but the last section was very positive .. the book's messaging turned from one of solace and hopelessness to one that was rather uplifting and comforting. I'm earmarking this author's name for future books.