I was so excited to be approved by the publisher for this book, and I tried to read this book a few times, but just couldn't get into it and had to finally give up. It has a very different style which just didn't work for me. I wish I could submit my review without a rating, because I believe that not every book is for everyone and this one was certainly not for me.

It took me a while to get into this book. I wasn't sure where it was heading with three characters. I enjoy reading procedurals more than character study, but I should have known from description that the story was plotted that way. There were times that I enjoyed the way the story was written and there were frustrating times when I wanted to learn more about the deceased and why she was, well, dead. When I got my answer, I felt short changed. It wasn't developed enough for me and I didn't get answers to all the questions I was left with.
If you like character study in mysteries or psychological thrillers, then this one will fulfill your needs. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this novel.

Girl In Snow

The cover of this book intrigued me and the blurb drew me in. Girl In Snow is a compelling murder mystery that also touches on being a psychological study of the characters as well. It is beautifully written debut novel that is worth a read! 3.5 stars from purplebookstand.

I was lucky to be provided with an advanced copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it.

An addictive, spell-binding read that captures adolescence in all its pain and beauty.

Girl in Snow starts off with a dead teenage girl called Lucinda and switches between three POVs, Cameron, the boy who was obsessed with Lucinda, Jade, a girl who hated Lucinda, and Russ, the cop investigating her death.

I felt the switching of POVs really worked for this book. Sometimes it can get very confusing and you wonder why the author did it, but in this book it made perfect sense. Each chapter another little piece of the puzzle of the mystery of her death was added, until you could slowly piece things together (view spoiler). None of the characters were particularly likeable but they were relatively interesting and I loved seeing their different backstories, from Cameron's father, to Jade's mother, to Russ' wife.

The writing style was incredibly descriptive and I was torn between whether I liked it or not. I think this writing style really wasn't suited to a thriller/mystery book at all because it really slowed the pace down and there were huge parts of the book where I forgot that the main plot is about Lucinda being murdered, especially when the suspects being questioned were left out entirely. There were also times where it felt like the characters were all fairly miserable and it made me miserable reading about them, like none of their lives were ever going to get any better because they had such a negative outlook on everything (especially Jade and Russ at times). On a slower, more character driven plot, this writing style could have worked but not for a murder mystery.

I liked the plot of the book, the different suspects being pulled in for Lucinda's murder and who ended up being the killer in the first place. I felt the whole Cameron thing was a pretty weak plot point but other than that, I liked the plot. I really liked how the book ended, how it wasn't the perfect ending but it wrapped everything up pretty well, and I think that was what pushed the book up to three stars for me.

This book was not what I was expecting. It’s about a girl named Lucinda who was found murdered in the school playground by the janitor. You follow three characters. Cameron : the boy who loved her , Jade : the girl who was jealous and then Russ : a police officer.

Cameron was as creepy as he can be. I was really uncomfortable at times reading his parts because the way the author describes different things creeped me out.

Jade : was just jealous for no reason. I won’t tell you why but I didn’t like her character. I did feel bad for her since she did get abused by her mom.

Russ : his parts BORED THE MESS OUT OF ME. Honestly sometimes I would skip his parts.

The ending really blew me. I was not expecting for the murderer to be who it was (tbh I was thinking it was Cameron) but this was an ok read.

I hadn't been able to find a solid thriller until Girl in Snow. The author is a master at making the reader dislike all point view characters, and secondary ones too.
This would be a good first step for people who are looking to get into thrillers but don't know where to start.

This compelling title is definitely literary fiction and murder mystery in equal parts. The author was skilled in unfolding tiny bits of the mystery through alternating characters in a close-knit community. While the victim and two of the main narrators are teenagers, this novel blurs the line between teen-YA and adult fiction. Another of the "Girl in...... Girl on...." titles so popular, many women's fiction or literary readers will enjoy this.

Colorado-based mystery novel – quite good

Based in a small town in Colorado, this novel deals with the murder of a high-school student, Lucinda, and the investigation into her death seen through the eyes of three narrators: Cameron, a student with developmental problems, Jade, a high school loner, and Russ, a policeman assisting with the investigation. ~With an interesting surprise at the end, it's reasonably interesting but I found the language a bit too affected in places. Characters are well-developed and murder, adultery, abuse all come into the plot.

Quite good therefore but certainly not a favourite of mine.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good debut novel and I look forward to reading more from the author.
The story takes place in a small Colorado town and revolves around the murder of a teenage girl.
It is told in 3 different voices, Russ, Cameron and Jade, all misfits in their own rights with very different personalities.
Each of them had a connection to the murder victim, Lucinda and the story follows how the death of this girl has effected each of them.
Lucinda could have been killed by anyone in her small suburb, but as more backstory is revealed through the eyes of different narrators, the identity of the murderer becomes inevitable.
The book really suck you into their stories, wondering where it's all going to go as their secrets are revealed.
The book starts out on a suspense novel with a gruesome death at the beginning but it is more about the characters themselves and the insights, discoveries, loss, finger pointing, betrayal and raw human emotion as opposed to a crime thriller or a whodunits.
It is quite slow-paced but it is worth sticking with it, even if its not quite the story you imagined.

What an intriguing read! This was a book that kept me guessing and engaged throughout. I found it difficult to put down as I wanted to know what happened!

What I love about the mystery genre is that there exists such a continuum of stories and the distinct subgenres. For example, there are the detective mysteries that are by the law and nitty gritty. You have the civilian murder mysteries where ordinary people investigate. There are the more thriller types where the narrator may in fact be a victim, or is fending off attack. All give me a rush.

Girl in Snow combines elements from several types of crime books, as there are three main narrators to the story. Taking place in a quiet town in Colorado, the state I wish I lived in, the novel opens with the discovery of a teenage girl’s body, coated in a fresh layer of snow. The official investigation is headed by narrator number 1, Russ. Throughout the novel, Russ is put in the tough situation of investigating his ex-partner’s son, Cameron (narrator number 2), who appears to be a top suspect in the murder. You see, Cameron stalked the victim. And then there is narrator number 3, Jade. She despises Lucinda (the victim) and worries that she died because of her ill wishes.

I have to say, I never became super attached to any of the characters, so it was hard to get involved in the novel. Yet, I don’t think this is the kind of novel designed to have you get attached to the characters. They are all three shrouded in loneliness and their own problems. In other words, they are all struggling to get by. And while that fact usually hits home for many, these characters just aren’t the kind you feel sorry for. They are the kind that if they were real people, you would advert your eyes and walk right by. And that kind of feeling hits you straight where it hurts, in the truth of our nature. We are the people that allow this loneliness to continue and worsen.

All of this aside, it was a fast and enjoyable read. In fact, it is one of the only times I have ever been able to solve a murder in a novel (for reading so much mystery, you would think I’d have it figured out by now).

High-school student Lucinda Hayes is found murdered on a playground - an event that shakes a small Colorado town. A novel that initially seems like a thrilling mystery is actually a complex character study of three individuals whose lives are impacted by Lucinda's death in one way or another.

The story is told by these three different perspectives. First there's Jade, who has a deep resentment for Lucinda, even in her passing. Jade lost her babysitting job to Lucinda, and then Lucinda took Jade's love interest.

Then there's Russ Fletcher, the police officer assigned to investigate Lucinda's case. As he tries to put together the missing pieces and determine who is responsible for her murder, he can't help but come face to face with some demons from his own past.

Most important of these characters is Cameron, the odd but harmless boy who loved Lucinda although he hardly knew her. When people find out that he spent a lot of time watching Lucinda through her windows, and drawing pictures of her, he becomes a prime suspect in the case.

The novel is beautifully written, and Kukafka excels in characterization - but she spends just a little too much time developing Russ, Jade, and Cameron. While their stories are interesting, none of these characters are particularly likable. Very little is revealed about Lucinda, which creates a significant disconnect throughout the entire novel. I wasn't entirely compelled to find out who killed her - and once the killer was revealed, there were sparse details to accompany this information. The ending was very dissatisfying to say the least.

Girl in Snow is Kukafka's first novel. I believe she is an extremely talented writer, and I hope she takes the time to read the reviews and use them as constructive feedback. I do much look forward to seeing what she comes out with next.

Multiple POV's always make the reading experience a little different and at times hard, not always work and when it does like in Girl in Snow we end up with an enjoyable and great story.
Lucinda Hayes was a very interesting character to read about so were James, Russ, and Cameron.

The body of 15-year-old Lucinda is found one early morning in a small town in Colorado. She’s been murdered and there are three people who are really affected by her death: Cameron, the introverted boy who used to spy on her; Jade, the goth girl who thinks that Lucinda stole her babysitting job and her best friend; Russ, a police officer who used to work with Cameron’s father and who is going to do everything to protect him. The novel is not much about the murder that seems to be just a backdrop to the story, but it is about the psychology of the three main characters, their darkest secrets, and their search of identity. The character of Lucinda remained a bit of a mystery for me but Cameron, Jade, and Russ are complex and very well-crafted characters and their stories kept me absorbed in the book. The novel is beautifully written and it is told from the three main characters’ point of view, switching from one perspective to the other. Because this is a novel more about psychology than the murder, it is not the typical fast-paced thriller, but it’s still suspenseful, dark, and thought-provoking.

A body. A murder. That's in common with many books, and more reality than we'd like. Now we work with those dealing with the murder of teenager. There are multiple viewpoints. Some are relived. Some are scared. We get to know several people and their take on this loss. It's dark sometimes. It's less about the who-done-it, and more about the how certain people cope. It's kind of slow, though interesting enough, but slow. I had a harder time being drawn in, or connecting with some of the characters.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

What started out as a traveling sister read quickly turned into a solo act...leaving me to finish this one on my own. This was no easy task! On more than one occasion I wanted to step away from it as well!

Lucinda, a local teenager is found murdered in a playground, buried under a light dusting of snow. Told from three POV. Jade - who blames Lucinda for stealing everything good in her life. Cameron - a classmate, and lonely neighbor, he harbored a long-standing and serious crush on Lucinda, bordering on stalking! And Russ - a policeman, who may have more than just a passing interest with the suspects, to be impartial.

This book had more of a YA feel to it than an actual thriller. I found it to be extremely slow moving, and seemed to nearly stall out completely about half way through. I just wanting it to come to a quick end, as I had little interest in the characters or the storyline. The only thing that kept me from a DNF was wanting to know who killed Lucinda. Unfortunately even that fell flat.
This book was just not a good fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Danya Kukafka for an ARC to review in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this novel. I found myself having trouble connecting with the characters and I did not like any of them which hindered my progress even more. I am very disappointed in myself for not completing the book and only making it half-way through, but I had to throw in the towel eventually.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC for my Kindle.
The description of the book sounded good, but it was actually geared to a young crowd. This "YA" book was a little disturbing but not because of the story line, but the detailed descriptions of some of the teenagers' intimate acts. Yes, we know it's going, but no, I don't want to read the details.