This beautifully written, haunting story was an emotional read for me. I knew I was in trouble when the prologue had me in tears. Of course I cried for the snakes. As a lover of all animals I was appalled and disturbed by their treatment but it was really Hulda I cared for. I may never have snakes whispering their names to me but Hulda’s feelings were so relatable. Haven’t we all felt less than, not enough, and a failure in comparison to others? While this has always existed, it is especially pronounced in the present day with social media promoting those shining, golden girls who make us feel like a hot mess because we’re not as together as they are.

The encompassing theme of this book reminded me of an old movie which compared puberty to becoming a werewolf. After being bitten the teen girl becomes wild, wilful and a sexual being. Friends and family don’t recognize her as the good girl they knew. She becomes something else, something incomprehensible, something “other.” Milla’s family has a similar reaction when she begins to question the status quo and rebel against it. The adults in these stories believe that teen girls are not to be trusted. They are unpredictable, dangerous, and sometimes downright monstrous. When you add in an isolated environment, religious zealotry and a general lack of information/education things truly become a horror show. Being a teenager is hard. Being a teen girl who doesn’t fit into the very small box and very small life deemed acceptable by society can be disastrous.

These bigger issues are what make this book truly remarkable but of course it has all the elements of a great story. There are interesting, well developed characters, villains who are complicated and a plot that seems pulled from a dark fairy-tale. It was a suspenseful and quick read with a satisfying ending. Is there a happily ever after? You’ll have to read to find out!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

More like 3 1/2 stars

I really enjoyed the authors debut book. The Beast is an Animal. and was super excited that she was doing a retelling in the vain of Medusa. One of my favourite mythologies. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this as much as The Beast is an Animal. I did still enjoy The Cold is in Her Bones. The best part of the book was how atmospheric it felt. The author sure knows how to set the tone and mood of a book and she did it beautifully. The spookiness and tension was on point. I found the pacing of the plot to be lacking it was super slow in the middle and took me much longer to get through the book than I was anticipating. Milla our MC was quite believable. Having been isolated from everyone but her family. Her decisions about the curse which she never knew existed and her opinions fluctuated constantly but I found they were accurate. Milla had never been on her own and actually practise her social skills on strangers. Seeing her voice thoughts and doubts for once and being confused without anyone's influence was very accurate. The book also highlighted the abuse women endure in historical times and their perseverance towards said abusers. There is literally a witch hunt against a young woman. And they still stand tall. I also enjoyed how awesome female friendship can be. No catty behave we unfortunately see in too many YA novels.

did find the Medusa mythology to be a bit of a stretch. I can still comfortable say it is based of a fairy tale but very loosely. You really see he reimagining in the ending, which happened to be my favourite part of the story.

Lastly there is no romance in this book. So if you do love a good romance in you reimagining's you might want to skip this one but I do also suggest not as the book features the relationship between siblings instead. And no not in an incest way. This isn't Game of Thrones.

Overall The Cold is in Her Bones isn't as strong as the authors debut. It is still a good and spooky read that showcased great sibling relationship and women's unfathomable endurance.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, Peternelle van Arsdale and Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis-

Milla knows two things to be true: Demons are real, and fear will keep her safe. Milla’s whole world is her family’s farm. She is never allowed to travel to the village and her only friend is her beloved older brother, Niklas. When a bright-eyed girl named Iris comes to stay, Milla hopes her loneliness might finally be coming to an end. But Iris has a secret she’s forbidden to share: The village is cursed by a demon who possesses girls at random, and the townspeople live in terror of who it will comes for next. Now, it seems, the demon has come for Iris. When Iris is captured and imprisoned with other possessed girls, Milla leaves home to rescue her and break the curse forever. Her only company on the journey is a terrible new secret of her own: Milla is changing, too, and may soon be a demon herself.

“Be my friend.”

I actually really enjoyed this book. It kept me captivated from start to finish.
It was full of twists and turns, Magic, mystery and tons of plot twists!
I absolutely loved it!


“She wasn’t really the girl sitting in the chair by the window, the green snake coiled in her hair. Her body was there. But the other part of her, the better part, was gone.”

Hulda was locked away and didn’t get to go outside where she felt the most free. People had dubbed her a monster and even her parents and sister agreed.

“But then the cold reached her bones. The cold was in her bones. And that was when she allowed herself one last cry for help.”

A way to get the demons out is to freeze them out.

“To protect you home from demons:
1. If you see a snake, kill it. Then burn it.
2. Pour salt where the air come in- sills, thresholds, hearths.
3. Stay inside after dark. Lock tight doors and windows.
4. Pray.
Lord protect us from the demons.
Lord protect us from the demons.
Lord protect us from the demons.
Amen.

“If you were born a girl, you were fair game.”

All girls from age 9 to 18 are in danger of being possessed and taken by the demon. Once the symptoms start... there is no stopping what’s to come. The girls are already lost.

“She blinked at him. Once. Twice. I see you. See me.”

5/5 Stars.

Release date: January 22, 2019.

I adore Peternelle van Arsdale's writing. Full stop.

This is her second standalone novel and it delivered as beautifully as her first. Her style is reminiscent of the older, darker fairy tales, and I'm disappointed it's not to everyone's liking. It's a style of storytelling that sometimes needs to be taken with a grain of salt. It get's repetitive, it's choppy and moves in a way that defies a defined timeline, but the story the writing accompanies allows you to forgive it.

As with her first, The Cold is in Her Bones is as atmospheric and dark and whimsical. There is a classic magical quality to it that draws you in like when you saw your first Disney princess film. It enraptures you and you would be delighted to live in that world two, three, fifteen times over. The characters evoke strong emotions and reactions within you, and you sit firmly behind the main character. The monsters are tangible and present strong images in your mind.

I thought the ending of this one was better than her first. It wasn't anti-climatic or over in two pages. Instead it builds towards it gradually and I was grateful for that. However, I give it four stars, because I think the story and the characters it revolved around of the first book was just that much better.

This is going to be short because I just don't want to waste any more time on this experience. I did sorta like the opening chapter/first part of THE COLD IS IN HER BONES. I was intrigued as to where and how this Medusa retelling was going to go. But everything after it was a total snooze-fest of weird without answers or direction. As of 60%, however, things just got.. messy and weird and batshit no.

Would not recommend.

I was drawn to the cover of The Cold Is In Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale. There was something sweet and innocent about it, but also very haunting. With a description that mentioned demons and secrets, I was drawn in. At the time I didn’t realize this was loosely based on some mythological stories and was a retelling of sorts, which made me sad because this gave this story so much extra potential that I didn’t think was fully fulfilled.

This started as a beautifully, haunted book. On the surface it seemed innocent enough, showing us a young girl who lived under her strict parents’ rule on a farm on the outskirts of a village. She had only ever met five people. It’s innocent, with that subtle hint that screams cult or danger or more! You know something isn’t quite right, but can’t quite put your finger on it just yet. And then, the cold and the darkness starts to seep in and all that innocence is lost.

Milla was just an okay character for me. I enjoyed her drive to know more and want to see more of the world, but she didn’t seems a full as she could have been and sometimes she seemed a little more whiny and annoying than anything else. I tried to appreciate her love and loyalty for her family, especially her brother and her friend Iris, but it didn’t seem as solid as it was meant to. Milla didn’t seem as lonely as we were told she was. I didn’t feel it, I just read it.

I enjoyed the overall story, it felt a little like a fairy tale, but it did feel a little slow and repetitive at times and seemed like it would have been stronger if it had of been a short story as opposed to a short novel. It was a journey, and thus, there was a lot of walking with slow discoveries along the way for Milla. They were interesting discoveries and the concept of a curse drawing on the mythological story of Medusa was interesting, but it didn’t really take you very far. I just thought there could have been a lot more to this.

However, how someone can make a story about snakes seem soft and almost precious is a talent and van Arsdale does just that. The prose is beautiful at times and the cutting demonology is harsh, a nice contrast to the good and evil. Milla’s connection with her snakes is really interesting and almost makes you wish you had your own snakes growing out of your head. I said almost!

Milla's family farm is her whole world. She barely leaves the house and isn't allowed to wander too far. Her best friend is her older brother, Niklas. She grows up learning that demons are real, and that only fear and prayer can keep them away. One day, the grand-daughter of their closest neighbours comes to stay with them. Iris, the newcomer, tells Milla a secret: a demon is possessing all the girls in the village, and everyone lives in fear of who may be taken next.

There's another awful secret: Iris herself is becoming possessed. And Milla might be next.

I cannot stress how unexpectedly awesome this book was. It's loosely based on the mythology of Medusa, and reads like a fairytale, especially at the beginning. There's a slow-building, ethereal sort of quality to it. There really isn't a lot of world-building. The story is built more on superstition or the characters' beliefs, and the characters' relationships.

The prologue sets up the background for the rest of the story. I tend to hate prologues, but this one was actually so well-written that it could almost stand alone as its own short story. But it creates a lot of context for the main story that follows.

After the prologue, we switch to Milla's perspective. We follow her ordinary life in her family's small home. She's is a bit of an outcast in her own family; her parents dote more on her brother, Niklas, who has a lot more freedom because he's a boy.

The story picks up once Iris enters the picture because everything is thrown off-balance, especially when Iris becomes possessed. A small mystery unfolds as Milla tries to find out more about the demon and why all the girls are being possessed, while also fearing that she herself is becoming possessed. Slowly, the information we learn from the prologue begins to click into place.

I really liked this part of the book because Milla begins to test more boundaries. She is always a bit curious about the world, but she starts wandering more and asking more. All her life, she is told no, but she finally pushes back.

While I found the story to be consistent throughout in terms of pacing and voice, I did find the ending was a bit rushed. I also found it confusing at the beginning when Milla switched from calling her parents by their first names and then by Mom/Dad; for a while, I thought there was another woman living with them.

Otherwise, it was a really enjoyable story. I really liked the writing style, especially the fairytale quality of it. There were definitely unmistakable indicators of the story's loose origins in the Medusa myth (i.e. snakes); it wasn't heavy-handed but it was clever and original. Really superb if you want a quiet, fairytale-like story of a strange, extraordinary girl.

A very imaginative retelling of Medusa. I really loved the main character because I could easily relate to her feeling like an outsider as I felt the same way at her age. I was hooked from page one. The relationship between Iris and Milla was especially touching. I look forward to reading more by this author!

A young girl isolated in her home , never allowed to go to the nearby village, never having a friend to talk to only her brother. That is until one day their close neighbours niece comes to stay.. The story is about secrets, snakes and demons. I found it a big slow and very strange at times, but then I rarely read this genre, so I may not be the best person to review it. I will give it 3.1/2 stars for the writing and the ideas.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

A highly enjoyable and addictive read, The Cold Is In Her Bones made me feel like I was loosing myself in a fantastic movie.

I could NOT put this book down.
Right from the prologue that left me breathless, I felt completely sucked into this imaginative Medusa-inspired story.

I’m a big fan of “ordinary” characters who end up doing extraordinary things. It always makes me feel inspired, and honestly I’m just a sucker for stories like that.

The character development that happens in a book that can be considered short was incredible. Van Arsdale didn’t waste a single sentence. Her prose was stunning and the plot was captivating. She made it very easy to see every scene vividly in your mind.

If you’re a fan of retellings, you absolutely need to add this to your to be read pile.

After reading the prologue, I wasn't sure if i would continue reading. But im glad i picked it back up.
I actually enjoyed this book. It had a creepy dark feel, honestly perfect for October. A Medusa retelling; it was perfect in every way.
I cant wait to read more from this author

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the story of a young girl named Milla who has lived secluded from everything and everyone beyond her family in the hopes that this will save her from the curse that haunts her family and village. It is a coming of age type story of Milla discovering truths about those around her as well of herself.
Overall I enjoyed this book it had a creepy dark feel perfect for October reading lots of dark fairy tale type stories and dark vibe. I thought the idea of the medusa-like snakes was interesting and found myself wishing they played a bigger role in the overall story.
What I didn't like was that is felt like the flow of the story as well as some of the aspects within the story were a bit disjointed or needed more background and detail.

I would have loved more I think more with the snakes, more about the place, more romance between Nikolas and Iris more Hulda more of the witch and her cranky wisdom and even her story more of so much, it seemed almost like it could have been a duology with the right details.

This book reads like a scary story told over a fire, or handed down generation to generation. Much of the repetition of prayers would sound creepy spoken out loud, and there are many mini-stories included within the main tale that add to the atmosphere. This would be a great story to listen to on audio book on a dark night. The story itself is a fairly standard fairy tale like setup with a curse, and a girl disliked by her family striving to learn the truth about her world and her place in it. I expected the mythological and fireside story atmosphere to end after the opening and read more like a traditional YA book, but that never happens. Instead themes like nature, madness, true names vs false names, guilt, and fear play out in text that feels very much like a story is being told to you to learn from. There is a bit of a moral at the end like all fairy tales but it feels earned. A really unexpected and interesting read.

This is a beautifully written and absorbing mythopoeic fantasy that explores the damage that can be caused by "othering." It is set in a small forest community - and the claustrophobic atmosphere of this locale adds to the overall affect of the book - where girls and young women are always at risk of being possessed by the spirit of a woman who was ostracized because of her strangeness. Milla lives with her parents and her brother on a small farm. Both her parents seem to distrust her, and she longs to be loved. When a girl moves in to a neighbouring farm, she gains her first real friend apart from her brother, and when both Milla's brother and her new friend are threatened by the "demon," Milla risks everything to save them.

van Arsdale conveys Milla's feeling of isolation and her longing to belong very well. I think what I appreciated most about this story was the portrayal of how lack of affection can be a form of abuse. The coldness of Milla's father, in particular, is painful. Milla is a strong character, brave and true to her friend and brother without the author resorting to cliches of the feisty heroine, and I also liked that there was no need for the romance tropes of much YA fiction. This is in some ways a disturbing little book, but overall a very effective one.