The concept of this book is cool. I can appreciate any author that attempts to write a story in a dialect that differs from the norm, and that style along with the deep descriptions of the harsh landscape really sold me on this one.

The beginning was solid as Jorie sets out across a the dangerous, snow-covered world to save her sister from a creepy kidnapper. But about three-fourths of the way through, "magic" elements were introduced and it threw the story for me. There had been mentions of weird creatures and witches earlier, but they were treated more like fairy tales and I didn't expect them to become true. I was confused and lost rather quickly and the ending didn't quite pull through like the beginning did.

In addition, I was a little bit confused about the world-building. The story has this fantasy Western vibe to it, which is awesome, but then Jorie would mention something like the Northern Lights and I would wonder where this story is supposed to be set.

But I liked Jorie’s character. I even liked Cody, though at the beginning he made me wish someone would knock some sense into his head. I like the small kindling of a relationship that forms between them. It wasn’t too much that it overwhelmed other aspects of the book, but it made sense and had the right balance.

So while there were some aspects that didn't work for me, I enjoyed the story and would recommend this to someone interested in survival stories with a Western feel to the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for a review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I'm going to have to put this on the DNF pile, I'm so disappointed because by the description, this seemed like exactly the sort of book I would love. I love survival stories and I love Westerns, and this looked like it was promising the tone of a Western with the feel of a survival story since it was set in a frozen landscape.

I think what killed it for me was the first-person narration. I have nothing against the story being told this way, but it is hard to get in the right atmosphere when the narrator speaks with that kind of dialect. Also, admittedly I was also checking out when there were hints of magical elements. Isn't it enough that they're living in this world with cold so bad it could kill you? Do you really need to add magical elements to it? A story can still be "fantasy" in the sense that it doesn't take place in our version of reality while having realism-- aka no magic.

Clearly this book just wasn't for me, but I'm sure others will be able to get around the magical elements and the narrator's dialect to enjoy the story.

The world in this book was so well put together. I loved the roughness of the environment and how the characters were battling against time and the world around them. Cypher did such a good job with the twists and turns!

I really enjoyed The Revenant and that combined with a western vibe and frozen wasteland made me curious about this book.

Talk about your high stakes. After Jorie’s sister, her only remaining family, is kidnapped, Jorie is determined to hunt down the person who took her and bring her home. It’s not a simple task. Not only does she have to trade an unknown item for her sister, she has to survive a journey of several days and nights in frozen tundra with minimal supplies along with an inexperienced and unwelcome city boy companion just to get to her. The setting is a character in itself and has a big impact on this story. Trust me when I say you may need a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate while reading.

Jorie is a plucky MC and a survivor who’s suffered many losses in her young life. Other than the strong bond with her sister, she’s hardened herself to outsiders and has resolved not to let anyone in. Cody finds himself alone in the world after the death of his uncle and wants to avenge his death, although he’s far from equipped to do so. Watching him worm his way into Jorie’s cold heart was amusing, and found families are a favorite theme of mine.

Cody is a scholar and has studied tales of maps, treasures, beasts of snow and ice, and witches. Jorie heard these same stories during childhood and believes they’re only made up, but they come to figure prominently in the plot. Although hints about where the plot is leading are sprinkled throughout the book, something didn’t click for me. I felt like a piece of the puzzle that would tie everything together was missing. I don’t want to give away spoilers, and judging by other reviews I’m in the minority on this.

The pacing lags a bit in the beginning, but then takes off as Jorie and Cody embark on their harrowing journey filled with life-threatening obstacles. It’s an unusual blend of genres that I haven’t come across in YA, and a novel I enjoyed. I wouldn’t hesitate to read other books in the future by this debut author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC. A fast paced that left me exhausted a the end. This adventure with sisterly love at the center is perfect for the winter weather.

The Girl from Shadow Springs, Jorie, like so many others have said, bears a strong resemblance to the True Grit heroine Mattie. But this is no copycat story. Ellie Cypher expertly blends multiple genres by focusing on Jorie's voice and the compelling characters throughout the book. There are supernatural elements, so if that is a problem, you will be disappointed. So, what happens when True Grit meets C.S. Lewis? There is no Lion here, and it works wonderfully with complex characters and a blurry line between good and bad, even with an evil, world-murdering villainess. Pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie Cypher, and Simon and Schuster for an advance ebook in exchange for an honest opinion

#TheGirlfromShadowSprings
I liked this book. Once I got past my issues with the dialect and the issues with that I read it like a fantasy book. It has a solid plot the young adults will enjoy. I checked it out for the western theme and the frozen aspect of backdrop. Who wouldn't want to read a winter book in winter. LOL! It has a good story and if you enjoy adventure this one will please you!.

I was very curious about this one because the blurb made it sound like a wild west but its a frozen tundra. I know I have read books with a frozen tundra as a setting but not like this. The characters do talk like any character from a western movie. I thought that was an interesting choice but one that worked well for this book.

Jorie has grown up in this frozen environment with just her sister ever since their parents died. She does anything to keep them both alive and that involves finding whatever is left on the dead bodies. I don’t think I’d be able to do that job! Sometimes you mess with the wrong body and there are consequences.

As a character, Jorie is strong and determined. It also takes a lot of courage to brave the frozen tundra when you deal with the bodies of those who never make it. At least she knows what it takes to survive. I can’t say that her or any of the other characters ever had a lot of development. She definitely had more than the rest. This usually is the case for standalones and so I try not to be too picky about it.

When it comes to standalones, I usually rely on the plot to get me through when the characters are bit underdeveloped. I was intrigued from the beginning as it didn’t take long for something to happen but after that initial push, things died down and from there it was just a lot of traveling across the tundra with nothing to really hold my attention. There a few plot twists that happened but none were really surprising. I was also disappointed with the magic. There wasn’t ever a lot to it and it took over half of the book for it to make an appearance, besides as just talk. Even then, it was lackluster.

Overall, it was okay but lacked in too many areas for my taste.

The synopsis depicting a survival story similar to The Revenant captured my interest and I was excited to read this. I sadly had to set this aside because of the writing style. Jorie spoke and thought like an uneducated redneck. Improper grammar mixed with Southern dialect is a massive pet peeve of mine, and there was no way I would have made it through this book without rewriting the sentences in my head. Thank you for giving me the chance to read and review this, but I am going to pass.