Thanks so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Danya Kukafka for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful debut novel - by a 24-year-old no less!

I thought the writing in this book was beautiful and I couldn't put it down. The story opens with the discovery of a teenage girl, Lucinda, whose body is found brutally murdered at a school playground, covered in a blanket of snow. The story is then told over a period of days by 3 different voices - Cameron, a young boy who was obsessed with Lucinda and had been seen watching her through her window; Jade, another teenager who hated Lucinda and resented her perfect life and who felt that Lucinda took her boyfriend and babysitting job; and Russ, a town policeman, who was best friends with Cameron's father before he left town.

All three of these characters have depth to their stories. You feel the longing that they just want to fit in and be accepted and loved. Great writing really made this book - bravo!

Very different. Writing is very splintered as story unravels. Told from three perspectives in alternating chapters. Each character more fractured than the other. Great read.

The book starts off with the murder of Lucinda Hayes. Her body is found on a playground merry-go-round. She has a dusting of snow on her body. The story it's self is more about the people around her. There is her boyfriend, a boy who the town says was stalking her, and Officer Russ Fletcher who used to work with the "stalker's" father. There is also Jade Dixon-Burns, who hated Lucinda and blamed her for taking her babysitting job and her best friend. The story goes into deep details of these peoples lives and how Lucinda effected their lives. This is a very
physiological story. But there is a surprise ending in this story, to which I will not reveal here, you will have to read to book to find out about it. I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley. The review is done voluntarily and my own opinions.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I put off this book for awhile, and it took me awhile to get through. Some books keep me up reading all night, but this one didn't. That said, it was written by a very young author and for a debut, it was very good. Part of it might have been that I didn't like the girl that died at all...so I didn't have much concern as to what had happened to her.

3.5 stars. I must admit, it took me a while to get into this book. Is it a psychological thriller? Depends on your own viewpoint, in my opinion. A young girl is found dead in a small town. The story revolves around three main characters. Can't say much as I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I did end up enjoying this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Book starts out with them finding dead girl in snow. Goes through the process of finding the killer. As they do they closely examine classmates and unwind some disturbing details.

I have reviewed this book for ReaderToReader.com where it will remain on site indefinitely. If there are any questions or concerns, please contact Vickie Denney at: Vickie@ReaderToReader.com.
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"Girl in Snow"
By Danya Kukafka
Simon & Schuster

Contemporary Suspense -- Release Date: August 1, 2017

ReaderToReader.com review for NetGalley download

Cameron Whitley is different from his high school peers. He does not fit into the typical mold, and many consider him weird. His passion is watching people, not as a voyeur, but his interest is in what makes them tick. His favorite person to watch is Lucinda Hayes, a fellow student he likes a lot.

One day he learns Lucinda has been murdered, and his classmates look to him as the culprit. He did not kill her, yet he cannot account for his whereabouts at the alleged time of her death.

Jade Dixon-Burns is another outsider and loner at school, and she hates Lucinda. Jade always coveted Lucinda's perfect life, and she knows Cameron was stalking her, albeit secretively. She befriends Cameron while they are waiting to be questioned by the authorities. Both want to ask each other many questions but are fearful to do so. They also wonder if the other is responsible for Lucinda's death.

Russ Fletcher, the officer investigating this murder had been good friends with Lee, Cameron's father, who was also once on the police force. After being found innocent for a crime he swore he didn't commit, Russ feels guilt for things he never disclosed about Lee.

The lives of these three characters unexpectedly converge as details about the killing are sought. Set in a close-knit Colorado town where everyone is privy to the goings-on, this fast-paced thriller consists of suppositions and finger pointing. Personal secrets are exposed by searching deep inside, recognizing their failures, not to others, but to themselves, while the actual killer turns out to be a complete surprise.

This wasn't the mystery I was expecting. Ultimately it felt like the mystery was secondary to the story the author wanted to tell so it reminded me of Robin Kirman's Bradstreet Gate.

Cameron was all things teen creeper Michael Skakel and Lucinda, this town's Martha Moxley. So I was all kinds of up for this story but somehow this didn't connect for me. I did like the parts with Jade's screenplay of her alternate self/life. The murder is solved well before the end of the book and in such a way that was fairly anti-climactic. Still, I'd read another by the author as she has a way with prose and character study. This one just wasn't really for me.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my unbiased thoughts & opinions.

GIRL IN SNOW is a well-written, well-plotted thriller. The characters are complex and Kukafka really lets the reader into the minds of the three characters telling the story, especially the teenagers. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to more by Danya Kukafka. Compares favorably to THE LOVELY BONES.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. The three narrators already have their lives interconnected before the night a teenager is found dead in the snow at the elementary school. As they take turns telling their stories after the murder, I couldn't help but think of "13 Reasons Why", and how lives are interconnected and you never know what someone else has going on in their lives. It was on okay tale, fairly predictable, made slightly more interesting because one of the narrators is not neurotypical. Labeled for adults, it reminds me more of the young adult stories I have read.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka. The story centers on the murder of a young girl, Lucinda Hayes, who is found dead at a playground. The story is set in the mountains of Colorado and the author does a great job describing the locale.
There are alot of characters and each chapter gives them their POV.
Young adults will get this one - not bad for a debut.

Fifteen-year-old Lucinda Hayes is found murdered on a snowy carousel in the park. The police have a list of suspects, but no firm leads. In alternating chapters, three people who are close to the case tell their stories. As they talk readers learn more details about their lives, as well as Lucinda’s life.

Jade hated Lucinda and wanted her gone because her boyfriend was Jade’s former best friend and only true love. To make sure Lucinda disappeared she performed a witch’s spell, and it worked. Did she kill Lucinda with her spell? Cameron loved Lucinda but, though they went to school together, Lucinda never noticed him. He liked spying on her at night but, sometimes, things went fuzzy and he didn’t always remember. He loved her, but did he kill her?

Russ is one of the detectives assigned to the case, even though he’d been partners with Cameron’s father and knows the family. As he tells his story, readers soon realize he is hiding a secret of his own. Each of these three talk about other suspects so, when the killer is finally revealed, readers will be in for a huge shock. Kukafka definitely fooled me.

Though the book has teenage protagonists, there are many themes which tilt the book more towards adult readers. Thus I will recommend it for readers eighteen and older.

Recommended for Adults.

Fantastic! Jodi Piccoult, watch out, you have a rival fast on your heels!

Lucinda Hayes is found murdered on a carousel in the elementary school playground of a small Colorado town. No one can believe she has been killed. Lucinda was 15 years old, popular and well liked. Police have very little clues, but quite a few suspects.

Cameron is the strange outcast in Lucinda's grade. His father has a history with the police department and he has a history with Lucinda. Russ is one of the policeman assigned to Lucinda's case. Russ was close to Cameron's father and at times has taken Cameron under his wing. Jade and her sister grew up with Lucinda. She always looked up to her and wanted certain things that Lucinda took for granted. As police get closer to solving Lucinda's murder, lives in the Colorado town start to fall apart.

This was a very quick and easy read. I liked all the characters, even creepy Cameron. Chapters were told from alternating points of view of Cameron, Russ, and Jade. Throughout the story all the characters became somehow connected.

I would have liked the final chapter to be told from Lucinda's point of view. I would have liked her to be given a voice after reading so much about her. It would have been interesting to see things from her perspective.

Danya Kukafka's debut novel of the Girl in Snow is a gripping psychological tale of murder in a small American town.

Cameron Whitely is the stalker and voyeur with a watchful eye for Lucinda. Jade is Lucinda's reluctant friend and knows his secret and carries some dark ones of her own. Russ Fletcher is a detective called to investigate the scene of the murder. His first body. And Lucinda Hayes, a local high school girl is found on an elementary school playground. Bludgeoned to death as the snow is falling.

Kukafka spins a fascinating tale which reads like a character portrayal of the inhabitants of a small suburb. Lucinda's death is established at the beginning of the book and is ruled a murder. Cameron, Jade, and Russ tell the story of their lives and experience of Lucinda in alternating chapters. Within each character section, we learn their nuances and what their lives are like in Broomsville in the setting of grief. Jade's edgy and envious character is also the vehicle that paints a portrait of Lucinda and her past.

The writing styles of alternative chapters, characters, and tenses can often fragment a narrative, but the author does a phenomenal job with propelling the plot. The suburban setting provides a perfect backdrop for the quirky characters. Fear, blame, and quick judgment are just some of the ingredients of how this small town deals with Lucinda's murder. The main teenage characters are emotional which creates a coming of age story as well as a mystery. Teenagers are the most complex and uninhibited creatures. The author gets it! Cameron's awkward story of unrequited love and being bullied touched me. His reality is vivid and harsh. And as for who did this, you will have to read the book!

Overall, Kukafka paints a vivid and concise who-dun-it tale with without being too wordy. When she describes certain scenes, she has a lyrical and poetic quality. Enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Danya Kukafka and Simon & Schuster for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an amazing ride! The story revolves around 3 characters. The quiet guy who doesn't understand the social norms. He normally sneaks out and spies on people in their homes. He isn't doing it to be creepy, but he crosses some lines. There's the teenage girl who is having a rough adolescence. She understands what is okay and what isn't, but she still keeps her eyes open. And finally, there's the police officer. He's married and was partnered with the boy's father, before said father ran off.

This story is full of twists and turns. There is so much going on with each character that this book is full and rich. I was afraid of it being too dark, and trying to follow that whole "girl" thing that seems to be in right now. But it stands on it's own. It's a fantastic mystery!

I read a few chapters of this, but it just didn't hold my attention well enough to continue.

Well written psychological thriller. Even though it is told from various character perspectives with non-linear chronology, it flows easily and moves at a steady pace. The secrets and struggles of the characters is the real focus of this novel. The murder mystery is secondary to the characters and the identification of the murderer is anti-climatic, coming out of left field.

Lucinda, a young girl has been killed, turning upside down the lives of the inhabitants of a town by the mountains in Colorado. The story is told from the points of view of a girl who hated her, a boy who stalked her and a police officer with a promise to keep.

Both Jade and Cameron not only share the same high-school but they also have in common dysfunctional families. Russ, the policeman investigating the murder, is struggling to make his marriage work while trying to find the culprit.

If you are expecting a novel about some jocks and cheerleaders solving a murder and living happily ever after, this book is not for you.

However, if you want to read a story about some real people who are not the luckiest or the prettiest and still manage to survive, this book is for you. It is sad, it is depressing and shows how bad life can get in a small village, but it also shows hope.

My favourite part of the book is when Jade imagines the things she would like to say but can't say. I think we all have that feeling more often than not and we all picture an alternative reality in which we vent our frustration without consequences. Unfortunately, some things are better left unsaid, although just like in the novel saying sometimes how you really feel can also have an unforeseen positive effect in your life.

I would recommend this novel to adults who are not so young and want to read something different from cliché high-school books.

Nicely written but overlong book about the murder of a teenager in small town America. For the most part, great characters except from the detective, who I didn't believe in at all. Great at showing the hypocrisy and gossip that goes on in any small town. Nice plotting too, but too much padding.