<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32920254-girl-in-snow" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Girl in Snow: A Novel" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1482353807m/32920254.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32920254-girl-in-snow">Girl in Snow: A Novel</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16056148.Danya_Kukafka">Danya Kukafka</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1957135783">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I thought this was great for a debut novel. It's a story about a killing, but the killing is not really what the story line revolves around. The novel is about relationships, honesty, secrets and how they affect us. The story is told from three perspectives and I thought the author did a good job interweaving the narratives. This kept my interest the entire time and I wouldn't mind a re-read down the road.
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Everyone has secrets in their lives that they keep hidden away. A murdered girl, a stalker who sketches, a rebellious girl hoping for revenge, and a cop struggling with his past comprise the main ensemble of characters in Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka, and the secret lives of these characters become connected to solve the mystery of murder.

The murder of Lucinda Hayes brings together three unlikely people to solve her death. Cameron Whitley has watched and loved Lucinda from afar, sketching her from his memory. Jade Dixon-Burns despises Lucinda because she appears to be perfect and she took her lucrative babysitting job. Russ Fletcher is a cop investigating Lucinda's death, who feels the need to protect two suspects, Cameron, the son of his former partner, and Ivan, the brother of his wife. In order to uncover the truth of who killed Lucinda, Cameron, Jade, and Russ must piece together bits of their lives to complete the picture of what happened to Lucinda.

The alternating points of view of the three characters helped to slowly reveal the details leading to the resolution of who killed Lucinda, pulling the mystery out to a length necessary to incorporate the unique insights of the main three characters without dragging it out to the point of being frustrating. As each of the three perspectives rely much upon observation and recollection rather than actual interaction, the intricacies of human relationships and communities come into play. The story is written quite well and thoughtfully with the shifting perspectives well managed, presenting Cameron, Jade, and Russ with both their likable and unlikable characteristics.

Overall, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

3 and 1 / 2 stars

This story is about the death of a fifteen-year old girl named Lucinda Hayes and the three people who for one reason or another either hated her, loved her, or is investigating her death.

Each of the three main characters tells his or her own story about Lucinda. This book is really a psychological study of life in small town Colorado. The suspicions, finger-pointing and blame that occurs whenever something like this happens is illustrated very well.

Cameron is “in love” with Lucinda, indeed he becomes her stalker. He thinks he knows her better than anyone else in town and he makes a great suspect.

Jade hates Lucinda for stealing her job and her boyfriend. The odd thing is that Lucinda appears to be oblivious to her “thefts.”

Russ is the police officer who is investigating Lucinda’s death. The odd thing is that he is the former partner of Cameron’s father. Russ harbors deep secrets that he must confront if he is to find Lucinda’s killer.

It’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel. Ms. Kukafka is a good writer who turns a phrase very well. I am anxiously looking forward to her next book.

I want to thank Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

Girl in Snow centers around the murder of Lucinda Hayes, a ninth grader in a small Colorado town. Lucinda had a reputation for being practically perfect, so naturally local authorities are stumped when her body is discovered. Throughout the novel we get three viewpoints (2 fellow ninth graders and one police officer) as the mystery of what, why and who unfolds!

One day! I devoured this entire novel in one day because I was completely and utterly consumed!! Danya Kukafka brilliantly crafts a plot that will keep you up into the wee hours of the night repeating to yourself "just one more page"...over and over! Just when I thought I had a handle on where this novel was going, several cleverly timed twists would completely change my conspiracy theory! I love everything about Danya Kukafka's writing style! Girl in Snow is Ms. Kukafka's first published novel, but she writes likes a seasoned pro! I am truly excited to see what Danya has up her sleeve next! Girl in Snow is a 5+++ star novel that is a 2017 favorite for me!!

Finally! What a moving book! I read this novel in one day.

This author has such a unique, beautiful style of writing, hinting about the characters and giving us the chance to really see what is really going on. I found this to be so much more the a murder mystery.

Kukafka not only told such a great story, but I truly loved the ending as there was an actual end to this story. I find that books that I have read lately have kind of either left us hanging, or left us with too many open ended questions.

I would love to read from this author again in the future.

Thank you Netgalley, thank you Simon & Schuster for this wonder read.

This stunning debut novel starts out by announcing the death of a local high school girl.  In trying to solve her death the story alternates between 3 points of view. The girl who hated her, the boy who secretly loved her and the police officer who gets called to the scene of the crime. What really grabbed me about this story was the characters. While on the surface most of them seemed to be awful or weird they were all hiding behind their pain and secrets that couldn't or wouldn't  be shared. Their vulnerability in this made them not awful but simply flawed and allowed you to feel a certain sympathy for their even through all these flaws. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to hear from this author again!

GIRL IN SNOW BY DANYA KUKAFKA

This debut novel seemed like it was written more for the young adult demographic. It is NOTHING like the winner and beautiful prose in "Everything I never told you." To compare the two is literary blasphemy. This is a dark, edgy atmospheric thriller is captivating and riveting enough to keep you turning the pages for wanting to know who did it. The more you read the more you can figure out who did it.

Told in alternating points of view; Cameron, Jade and Russ. Russ is investigating the death of Lucinda Hayes. She is already dead at the beginning of the book. Has a broken neck that was cracked on the edge of a carousel. Russ used to be Cameron's father's partner on the police force. Jade or Jay dislikes Lucinda because she blames her for stealing her boyfriend Zap whose real name is Edouard Arnaud.

.....The Suspects.....
1. Ivan Santos--the janitor who found Lucinda's body
2. Edouard Arnaud--nicknamed Zap, victims ex-boyfriend
3. Joe and Missy Hayes--the parents
4. Howard Morley--the homeless guy squatting behind the library
5. Cameron Whitley--the stalker--really is just watching everybody while he sneaks out his
window and plays statue.

Lucinda Hayes was smacked with something small and hard. If it weren't for the edge of the carousel after the force of the blow, which broke her neck on impact, she might have walked away with a few stitches and a nasty bruise. The snow covered up any footprints, the snow washed away any fingerprints. No sign of the murder weapon, or Lucinda's cell phone. Lucinda was at the top of the social ladder at school.

Detective Williams went to Cameron Whitley's house. Cameron was already asleep and his mother refused to wake him up. She did secretly pull Cameron aside and told him he wasn't in his bedroom the night before, but she lied to the police saying Cameron was home with her. She told Detective Williams to come back when he has probable cause or a warrant. They have neither of that for anyone. Everybody has caught Cameron standing outside of the neighborhoods back yards looking in the windows; watching. Jade has caught him spying on Lucinda, but she won't tell anyone.

Jade has a book on witchcraft which she has done rituals to wish Lucinda to be dead. She is glad she is dead. The Image, the dream, the token. The Image: a visual representation of the deceased. The Dream: just as it sounds, And the Token: something of yours that the deceased has claimed for themselves. You will have to read this to find out who killed Lucinda.

Thank you to Net Galley, Danya Kukafka and Simon & Schuster for providing me with my digital copy for a fair and honest review.

Wow. So intertwined and intricate, a delicately balanced story, with the puppeteer holding many strings and once and pulling each one at the precise moment it should be pulled, and keeping the reader on their toes and using their wit's till the very last page of the this page turner that sucks you in with no remorse. Such an amazing new talent, I feel I have just read a masterpiece. Shakespeare, it is not. Yet written with such precision and skill you know this talented author is going places. The cover was also so intriguing I found myself mesmerized for a few moments. Just overall an amazing book. Beavo, standing ovation. ..

Wow, this debut novel! I was captivated from the first page and my interest never wavered. When ninth-grader, Lucinda is found dead on the playground one snowy morning, the town is shocked as the search for the killer begins. Told in alternating voices by Cameron, the misfit who adored her; Jade, the abused teen who hated her; and Russ, the police investigator, we see the story of her short life revealed through differing perspectives, We also see the secrets that are kept from loved ones, jealousy that erupts when it's least expected, and families that are flawed but lovable. What a fascinating story that is a must-read for fans of thrillers.

I can not give this book enough praise. Even though it rotated between three main characters, I felt that I was able to become friends with each of them. Girl In Snow kept my mind racing and wondering how things would unravel. I found myself reading faster and unable to put the book down as I turned each and every page late into the night. A wonderfully written book that I can not wait to reread and discuss with my book club.