I knew I was in trouble the minute I began this read. Kukafka has written an isolating and beautifully crafted, complex novel about a dead high school student. This novel is told from three different people. The boy who loved her the most, the girl who hated her the most, and the police officer just trying to piece it all together.

What I enjoyed about this read was how even though the plot really is centralized by the death of Lucinda Hayes, the three main characters are really the ones we get to know and at some points, I found myself wandering from her death all together and instead bonding with these three people who's lives change in such dramatic and tragic ways after she dies. I wasn't rushing through the pages to find out how she died or what really happened that night. I was embracing these three beautifully written and authentic characters and their own storylines. What I really enjoyed was how they were connected through the past and present. How things come to light is really a blessing for a reader with this read and the characters take you on such a realistic journey that I was happily surprised to find out that this was the authors debut novel. Bouncing back and forth between liking and not liking some characters was really interesting as you got a feel of them through other characters perspectives and then how they viewed themselves. Kukafka effortlessly made each perspective unique in their own ways and stomped through this novel creating perfectly woven voices for not only a male and female teenager, but also a middle-aged man.

This is by no means a light read. While, I could see this being appropriate for a high school student, the subject matter is not only dark and twisted, but it also deals with some really heavy social issues such as depression and abuse. With both small and large revelations sprinkled throughout, Kukafka wrote a story that is not only a domestic thriller, but a sad and beautifully crafted tale about loss, love, and the poison that secrets hold. She then ended it with not only a twist I didn't see coming, but left the characters onto three separate journeys that were not only tragic, but brilliantly bittersweet. Watch out for this one, she's onto great things.

An interesting look at small town life combined with a tragedy, and how so many lives can be interconnected. While it's not my favorite book ever, it definitely held my attention.

Beautiful teenaged Lucinda Hayes is found murdered in her Broomsville, Colorado neighborhood playground and we follow the aftermath from three different perspectives: her artistic neighbor Cameron who has loved her from afar (and, creepily, through her bedroom window) all through high school; jaded outsider and former playmate Jade who's always vaguely sneered at and pined for the victim and her seemingly picture perfect life; and tormented investigating officer Russ who isn't leading his authentic life. Deft interplay between these characters' back stories, and tightly interwoven dialog make for a very interesting mystery, full of tangible teenage angst and longing.

First, I want to say thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Danya Kukafka for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of how a small town suffers loss as a young girl, Lucinda Hayes, is found murdered at the local park. The story is told between three characters: Cameron, Jade, and Russ. Cameron is a young boy who’s father is an ex-cop who went AWOL, leaving him and his mother behind in this small town in Colorado. Jade is a girl who used to be friends with Lucinda. She used to be a lot of things before she secluded herself to only herself, her home, and her sister. She can barely take those things. Lastly, Russ is a current police officer working in that Colorado town. He watched many things throughout the years, including what happened to Cameron’s father, Lee. The three struggle through the death of Lucinda in their own ways, but intertwine and help each other along the way.

The first thing I want to talk about is the cover. Goodness, it’s beautiful. The cover was the first thing that drew me to this book in the first place. After reading the synopsis, it sounded like a book that I would really enjoy. Originally, this book wasn’t marked as young adult, but personally, I believe it should be classified as such. It’s a high school story that anyone would enjoy.

I want to congratulate Danya Kukafka on having such a beautiful debut novel. She really wrote each character delicately, making sure that they seemed like they were living the lives that she had for them. I appreciate when there is more than one character in a book because it’s easy to forget when there’s only one. With three characters, the going back and forth between them all really kept my attention.

The only thing that saddens me is that I feel like there was just something missing. I think it was towards the end, I was waiting for a certain thing to happen between a few people, and it unfortunately never did. It might be just more of a personal preference of what I wanted to happen, but it fell a little short.

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars because it was a great read. The characters throughout were amazing and I really loved a lot of the scenes that Kukafka had written. I wish I could’ve given this five stars, but there were some things missing for me.

A girls murder is anyway going to touch lives. Family friends and of course the detectives assigned to the case. It is such a waste of life that there is always trauma surrounding it.

In this case you have to add obsession, voyeurism, stalkers and simple straight forward blinding jealousy. A debut novel combining all these unhealthy factors should make for an interesting mystery murder and it does. It was not the average mystery murder thriller - it was a bit unsettling for me.
Goodreads review up on 15/7/2017. Amazon does not permit reviews as yet. Review on my blog in November 2017.

A very well written story about a murder, full of interesting characters with different motivations and secrets. Atmospheric and descriptive, the writing doesn't get in the way of the action. We see the plot from the perspective of three different characters: Cameron, a young messed up boy who was obsessed with the victim and who can't remember whether he killed her or not; Jade, a young messed up woman who envied the victim enough to wish her dead; and Russ, a - you guessed it - not so young messed up cop who is working in the murder investigation. They are all pretty flawed, damaged and confused. They all interact with each other and the rest of the supporting characters in different ways. A casual acquaintance of Jade's may be very close to Russ. That was my favorite part of this novel, how we are all supporting characters in other people's stories. The clues, hidden in seemingly unimportant details, are like a treasure hunt for attentive readers.

I think that Danya Kukafka is one new young writer to watch even if this book was not quite my cup of tea. "Girl in Snow" kept my interest and had some exceptionally beautifully written prose--it just did not make me really care about the girl who was murdered or who killed her. I realize that young Lucinda's murder was not the focus of the story-how her death affected others was. In addition, although the teenage characters were really fleshed out --the adult characters struck me as cardboard figures and did not seem real. I still don't understand why Fletcher the cop or his wife and her brother were even included in the book-in my opinion they really were not needed and with them out of the picture the author could have focused more on the teens Cameron and Jade. This was not a bad read so I don't want to discourage others from reading but if you are looking for a thriller this book won't fit the bill. If you are looking more for a character study of people's weaknesses and life's tragedies you should definitely pick this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and give an honest review.

'Girl in Snow' begins with the murder of a golden girl, Lucinda. The novel focuses on the impact her death has on the small town and the people who live there. Who killed her, and why? The events unfold through the perspectives three different characters: Russ, the cop investigating her murder; Cameron, the boy obsessed with her; and Jade, the girl who resented her.

The book is less of a mystery and more of a study of these three characters and how their lives intertwine. It was an enjoyable read, but not the sort of book that sticks with you after you have finished reading it. I didn't particularly care too much about the characters, and it was a bit anticlimactic when the killer was revealed.

Yep, another book with "GIRL" in the title. This time it is a beautiful, popular, if not a little complicated high school girl named Lucinda found dead on the playground. But how and why?

Each chapter is a point of view chapter from three different characters. Her not-so-secret admirer who is dealing with many personal issues along the way, an unpopular girl who both admires and hates Lucinda, and a local cop who has a few of his own issues to work out and is connected to one of the teens in a strange way.

The story started well, but the timeline jumped around a bit too much. And having flawed characters is key, I know, but sometimes it seemed there was a random flaw (and an over bearing sense of universal perversion or super-sexed tension) all the time. At times Kukafka is excellent in her prose and descriptions of what it's like to be a teenager in an average town. But other times it seemed a little surreal.

Admittedly there was a time when I thought, "should I finish this?", and I considered putting the book away as it seemed things were about to swerve all the rails for me. But I'm glad I finished it. . Girl In Show ended on a note that wasn't a total mess (which is where it could have gone) and was able to wrap up most of the loose ends in a satisfactory way.. Kukafka evokes much sympathy for kids from broken homes and with dysfunctional families. And this book has that in spades, I tell you.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, and Danya Kukafka.

I couldn't personally finish this book, largely because I had recently read two books which were remarkably similar - dead girl, obsessive teen admirer, disillusioned investigator etc so it just seemed too familiar I both plot and tone. However, I got far enough in to sense that it was well-written and may well be enjoyed by other readers.

Danya Kukafka has assembled a core group of characters who lead extraordinarily difficult lives in Broomfield, CO. Lucinda Hayes is at the center. She is found dead on the elementary playground covered by snow. Lovely small homes surround the school, each with characters who know her, care about her and one person who killed her.

<b>Girl in Snow</b> is a reference to Cameron's love of art and the art he does, mostly sketches of Lucinda. He has a huge crush on her, to the extent that he stands outside her house and watches her most nights. They are both in the same art class in the local high school.

After Lucinda's death, we meet the cast of characters who populate Lucinda's world. Russ Fletcher if the policeman who is investigating her case. He has lived in Broomfield all his life. He is still missing his partner, Lee Whiteley, who left town many years ago after his brush with the law. Russ and Lee were solid partners and good friends. Russ is married now but still misses Lee.

All of DK's characters have serious emotional issues or emotional hardships. The narrative plays out as we discover what makes the pain grow and fester. Will they every get through the horror the issues cause? This novel worked around the mystery of Lucinda's death, and it was fulfilling to find out who the person was who took a precious young life. The plot also served as a vehicle for helping the characters shake loose of some of the things that were making their lives hard to live. Kukafka gave us some relief in her fluid writing. The setting, the characters, the plot...it all worked.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon, Schuster for the advance opportunity to read and review this new book.

This was just not a book for me. I tried to get into it but could never emerse myself like I wanted to. It was just ok for me.

I was so appreciative to receive this galley. However, I had a very difficult time connecting with the characters, which made it very challenging to complete. I am an avid reader of mystery and thriller, but this title did not meet expectations for me, given alternating voice and lack of understanding how the characters are connected to the central plot line completely.

"Girl in Snow" is a very nicely told tale of the inhabitants a small town in the wake of death of one of their own, a contemporary drama with a hint of the murder mystery and dark undercurrents of human behavior and thought. It's a not a thriller, despite the use of "girl" in the title, but I enjoyed it the more for not requiring any of the elements of a traditional or psychological thriller. The writing is quiet but powerfully observed, forming a character and community portrait with the murder mystery element a hook to draw in your attention.

The three focal points of the novel are Cameron Whitley (the boy, Lucinda’s stalker more or less, who is complicated and a bit odd in terms of how he perceives things and expresses himself), Jade Dixon-Burns (a few years older than Lucinda, outcast and different to Lucinda's easy beauty and popularity, and erstwhile rival for the affection and attention of a high school boy), and Russ Fletcher (the police officer whose former partner was Cameron's father, harboring his own secrets and guilt as the investigation proceeds into Lucinda's death). Kukafka switches perspective throughout (third person for Cameron and Russ, first person for Jade) and while this can be difficult, she really pulls it off seamlessly. Cameron is sweet, simple, heartfelt and innocent, but also a bit odd which can veer into creepy, his tendency to be "Tangled" and his shifting, untrustworthy memories early on lead us to suspect he knows or did more than he believes or knows consciously, especially as it’s emphasized his long gone father did something criminal and brutal. Cameron’s explicit watching of Lucinda mirrors how the other inhabitants of the town watch each other, into and involved in each other’s lives. Jade is sharp, sarcastic, standoffish, but also creative and more than a bit brave. She’s the perspective that gives us the most on Lucinda’s past before her murder, and also what it means to be a teen girl in suburbia, desperate to break out. She tries to reclaim her life by turning it into scripts, dialogue to achieve either a narrative outcome or emotional thrust she’s looking for in her own life, with no friends anymore, a younger sister she dislikes yet protects, and an abusive, unfeeling mother. Jade was probably my favorite of the perspectives because I truly did feel immersed in her thoughts. Russ is the least important to the suburban mystery and town building, yet he is a compelling character on his own, dissatisfied with the state of his life and in denial about deeply hidden parts of himself, and his connection to Cameron and Cameron’s absent father (his former partner on the police force) are compelling and mysterious at first, and ultimately poignant as we better understand the nature of their relationship.

It’s not just the solving of Lucinda’s murder, it is how a small town reels, grieves, casts blame. And of course how life goes on for the living, as bad or as good or as messed up as whatever came before her death. And it can be unsettling for the reader at times, as I certainly could recognize elements of my own past ideas or behavior or judgments in regards to a moment of collective consciousness. Overall I was surprised about how much I liked this read. Kukafka does provide the whodunit answer for the murder mystery framing the tale and wraps the story nicely, but the book (and my emotional involvement) was transcendent of the thriller trappings to be a very solid, well written, character driven novel. I would definitely recommend this.

Girl in Snow is a unique take on the mystery genre.

This book is, first, foremost and almost entirely, an in-depth study of three characters in the aftermath of the murder of small-town Colorado high-school student Lucinda Hayes. Friends Cameron and Jade loved her and wanted to be her, respectively. Russ, a police officer involved in the investigation, is connected to many of the people around her - one of whom most likely is her killer.

All four, including Lucinda, are quirky at the very least; and they all have deep, dark secrets that are revealed in chapters that switch from perspective to perspective. As an aside, this is a technique that when done well - as it is here - is very effective; but it's also one of which I've grown weary over the last couple of years as author after author has adopted the style (much like sticking the word "girl" in the title). In addition to their secrets, every single one of these boys and girls (plus a few adults) speak a language that's way beyond the world in which I live. Take teenage Jade, for instance; at one point she utters at her shower door, "I step in with my pajama shirt still on and try to rinse the dream away from my vulnerable unconscious."

Okaaaaaay. The writing can be described, I'm sure, as eloquent prose; for me, esoteric is a better fit; to say that reading it was tedious is an understatement. That's not to say it isn't a well-crafted story, mind you, but it took me longer than usual to read because it's impossible to skim (three or four chapters were about all I could handle at one sitting before my brain started to hurt). I also must say that because there's virtually no investigation to follow despite the fact that the police, and the aforementioned Russ, were called in - nor is there much real action at all since almost everything takes place inside the characters' heads - it's very interesting, but not really a thriller, a police procedural or anything much beyond looks inside the heads of some seriously screwed-up people. Fairly early on, the girl's murder - and who did it and why - became almost inconsequential (yes, I was surprised, but when that person was revealed near the end, my reaction was much closer to, "All rightee, then" than "Wow!" )

Overall, I consider this to be a stellar effort, especially for a debut novel. It's a little too "deep" for my liking - especially for a book in this genre - but impressive nonetheless. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Good
This book was supposed to be a character-driven mystery. There’s a mystery going on, but there are also lots of other dark things going on in the characters’ lives. They’re all connected, though they might not realize it, and they have to face their own problems before the mystery can be solved. It’s an interesting way of telling the story and I appreciate that.

The Bad
Unfortunately, for a character-driven story I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters. Cameron was creepy and clearly had a ton of issues; Russ was a little boring and didn’t know how to relate to his wife, which was super off-putting; and Jade was the most interesting but also not really sympathetic. I don’t need my characters to be totally sympathetic, good people, but I just didn’t have anything to grab on to here. The story was lacking something, and I think it was in its characters.

The mystery’s resolution was also a little easy and sudden. The person who killed Lucinda came a little out of nowhere. I wasn’t too bothered by this bit, but if you’re looking for a good mystery with clues, this probably isn’t it.

The Verdict
There was nothing terribly wrong with this book, but nothing exceptional either. Check it out if it sounds interesting, but it didn’t do it for me.

Some books impact you in such a way that you continue to think about the characters after the story ends. ‘Girl in Snow’ by Danya Kukafka is that book! I was expecting a YA novel similar to ’13 Reasons Why’ but found a deft character analysis not expected by a debut novelist.

‘A Girl in Snow’ tells the story of Lucinda, a 15-year old high school student who appears murdered one snowy night in a small Colorado suburb. The novel is told in alternating chapters by 3 people in Lucinda’s life: Cameron, the boy who watched her from a far and loved everything he saw; Jade, the social misfit who was forced as a young child to spend time with Lucinda but never became her friend; and Russ, a patrolman part of the murder investigation. Each of the 3 storytellers have secrets that evolve over 3 days while Cameron/Jade/Russ think about their pasts, how they ended up at this point and who murdered Lucinda.

As a devoted mystery reader, it wasn’t difficult to figure out who killed a 15-year old girl and left her in the snow. If you want to read a mystery to figure out the who-done-it, then this book isn’t for you. ‘A Girl in the Snow’ evokes sympathy for the characters, frustration about misunderstandings and appreciation for a story well told.

Danya Kukafka is an author that I will keep an eye on. I don’t believe ‘A Girl in Snow’ is beginners luck.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I want to start by saying I really WANTED to enjoy this book. The premise is a bit different than a typical psychological thriller, and anytime something breaks a mold I want to check it out. I give the author credit for writing the story in a unique fashion. Unfortunately for me, there just wasn't much to keep me reading until the end (other than sheer willpower). The majority of the book is just thoughts. Thoughts that don't really lend much to the story or character building at all. The highlight of this story is different, considering it's not the family that we get to know, obsessive about finding out WHO did this to their daughter. Not even the victims best friends. In fact, the characters appear for the majority of the book to be chosen completely at random, simply to show the impact this girl's murder had on even those with minimal association with her in this smaller community.

Girl in the Snow was a unique, introspective view into the lives of three people, all affected by a teenage girl's murder. You come to know each narrator more intimately as you get through each chapter. The depth of the characters was nothing short of astounding. The way this author wrote had so much depth and alot of what she said was almost poetic. I found myself more than once re-reading a phrase or paragraph and just being in complete awe of how this talented author spun her words into such a beautifully written story. I highly recommend and look forward to more from this author!