Snow Struck is perfect for middle grade readers who enjoy survival themed books such as Bowling’s Dust, Across the Desert, Vrabel’s When Giants Burn, Gratz’s Two Degrees, etc. Siblings Marty and Elizabeth have been stuck in a hotel since their Florida home was destroyed by a hurricane and a visit to New York City to visit cousin Ashley seems like just the break they need. But a freak snow storm hits the city, shuts off power, stranding people everywhere. Ashley dog Fang gets out and the trio sets out to rescue him. From this point on, the action never ceases and as rapidly as the plot moves, the perspective changes move equally fast which allows for much more information to be given to readers but may also leave some confused and having to check chapter headings to see who is doing the narrating. On the plus side, the variety of narrators-the kids, a dog, a scientist-give so much dimension to the storm. The page count may also be off-putting to some but the fast pace should keep most anxiously turning each page to see who was going to fall through the ice or get lost in the blinding snow next.

Text is free of profanity and sexual content and the violence is limited to that of nature.

This is a Middle Grade book. I wanted to love this book. My biggest problem with this book is that there was so many characters, and we change different points of view so many times that is was really hard to really get to know one character. If you are not a character driven reader then this style would not bother you like it did me. This book is more about the snow storm then the characters. I found the book to be ok, but I wish I loved the characters more. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

I received an ARC, of Snow Struck by Nick Courage. This is a good book for middle school students. Winter time is fun until a blizzard hits. Trying to find your dog, Fang, in a blizzard is really hard.

This nail-biting action story is full of suspense and brings home, in vivid detail, the real implications and unpredictability of global climate change. Written like a Michael Crichton or Tom Clancy novel with alternating points of view (even including those of several animals!), this story will keep readers turning the pages. For example, who knew a scene about a Pomeranian trying to escape its collar could be so full of tension and suspense?! Matty, Elizabeth, and Ashley figure out how to navigate big changes in both their external and internal lives. The writing really involves all the senses, immersing the reader in every detail of the storm. It made me wince, hold my breath, and pull up my collar, even though I was sitting in a warm house while reading. Especially when the news can mirror the "fiction" in the story.

And that collision of events in a white-knuckle scene toward the end, hoo boy! Readers should also be sure to read the Author's Note at the end.

I'm a huge fan of natural (and unnatural) disaster stories, and this story of young teens trapped in a snowstorm in New York City sounded like it was made for me. Unfortunately, I thought there was issues trying to flesh the story out.

The story is very choppy, I like it when stories build up, the dangers creeping ever closer. This doesn't do that, it switches constantly to different view points. While I liked seeing the story from the cousins different perspectives, the random animals, the cousin's dog and the scientist with a love of sweets was just too much.

This pulled me out of the story and the action constantly, and I often found myself leaving the book entirely to go scroll through Twitter or play games, instead of being fully invested in the story. I even resorted to skim reading entire chapters from the dog's perspective.

The disaster was really interesting, I just wish I could have experienced it more. When we did get to it it was really descriptive, but the cousins heading back home before heading back out during a snowstorm to find a dog was wildly reckless and I found myself questioning parenting choices after Ashley broke her arm.

For siblings Matty and Elizabeth, this is going to be a Christmas to remember. Having grown up in Florida, they are looking forward to spending the holiday with their cousin and her family in New York City, especially because there is a chance they will see snow for the first time. Unfortunately, all the winter layers they packed seem initially unnecessary due to unseasonably warm temperatures causing them to sweat like they would in the summer. But when the heat causes a sudden shift in the air over the polar ice cap, New York City is caught in a blizzard of epic proportions, leaving countless people fighting for their lives as the snow continues to fall.

Written from several perspectives, this story is a fast-paced and pulse-pounding adventure that feels real even though it is not. As the climate changes around them, characters around the world—human and animal alike—are interconnected: they are all affected by the unprecedented meteorological events described in the novel. These voices receive their own chapters, and clear denotations at the beginning of each section ensure that readers are aware of where the story has gone and who is speaking. Because of this design, readers are able to more easily settle into the minds of the characters to better understand the struggles they face in their individual situations.

Fans of the I Survived series will love the similarly realistic approach of this book despite the fact that the events described within it have not actually taken place. However, as an author’s note at the end describes, much of the reality presented within the pages of this story are not outside of the realm of possibility. Climate change is a natural occurrence in the world, but its progression has been accelerated by human behavior. The results of this are seen more and more every year, and it is up to humanity to do what it can to heal the earth before it is too late to do so. Filled with heart and intensity, this action-packed narrative is a noteworthy inclusion to library collections for middle grade readers.

After a disaster made their home in Tampa uninhabitable, which resulted in a extended stay at a hotel room, Elizabeth and Matty fly to NYC for Christmas vacation with their Aunt Charly, Cousin Ashley, and Uncle Jack. When they disembark in NYC, they are greeted by temps more common in the heat of summer. Matty, who has become obsessed with extreme weather since his ordeal in Tampa, immediately checks his phone and that starts his ongoing campaign to alert his family of an impending disaster. Meanwhile the scientists on the research ship “Mjolnir” and Joy of the National Climatic Research Center are also focused on the convergence of abnormal fronts along with the deadly consequences for marine life as the glaciers melt. Realistic animal interactions abound--a white fox, a pomeranian dog named Fang, deer, and those famous subway rats. This is an excellent book to read during a blizzard, and the adventure of trudging through the snow, ice and wind from 77th Street to Union Square (almost) allows many NYC landmarks to play a role in the plot. The reader will turn each page feeling just as wet, cold, and exhausted as the characters. Each chapter is narrated by either Matty, Elizabeth, Ashley, or one of the animals, which allows all to relate their point of view on the situation with Fang portraying the happy go lucky puppy unfazed by the weather, and Matty, on the opposite end of the spectrum, is fit to be tied that no one listened to him especially since everything that could go wrong did. Recommended. Thank you Delacorte Press, Random House Children's and Netgalley for the e-galley

This was a face paced and suspenseful book about climate, weather and natural disasters. I enjoyed how the author told the story through various points of view. It felt very much like the threads of the story through each POV would eventually connect and it was really fun to watch it unfold. The author did a great job at bringing the setting to life. I felt like I was actually in the middle of New York City in a massive blizzard. This is an excellent choice for readers that enjoy survival stories, such as the I Survived series.

When Ashley's dog goes missing, Ashley and her cousins go looking for him during an unexpected blizzard hitting the eastern coast. The story also follows the pomeranian Fang point of view and his adventures through the city. I think students will enjoy the kids travels through the city and the problems they tackle as they fight through the amount of snow the blizzard is dropping on NYC. Kids that enjoy I Survived stories will enjoy Snow Struck.

Elizabeth and Matty have had a hard time of it; their house was badly damaged by a storm, and their family has been living in a hotel while it is beign repaired. For a Christmas treat, they are sent to spend time with their cousin Ashley in New York City. Ashley's parents are divorcing, but still live near each other, but it's still a difficult dynamic. Elizabeth is looking forward to snow, but when the children arrive in New York, it's 80 degrees. Matty, who has been extra anxious ever since the storm at home, is worried about the weather. When a cold front rapidly approaches the city, he warns his sister that they should stay put, but his worries are ignored. We also see a couple of other perspectives-- a fishing boat in Eternity Fjord, Greenland that is experiencing the effects of climate change, and Joy, who works in emergency response for the National Climatic Research Center in Washington, D.C., and would like to get back to visit family in NYC. The children are at an art gallery with Ashley's dad over forty blocks from the aunt's apartment when the storm hits, and it's a strenuous journey to get back across the rapidly snow covered city. They face another challenge once they are safely home-- there's a blackout, although they still have a gas stove that works, and Ashley's dog, Fang, has slipped his harness and is out in the horrible weather. The children go out on various occasions to try to find him, and get to experience a New York that few ever get to see, complete with rats and deer on the move outside of their usual environs. At the same time, the ship is heading towards New York, as is Joy, and all of these different threads mange to be woven together during a crucial moment in the process of finding Fang. (Spoiler: Fang is okay in the end! Whew!)
Strengths: Elizabeth and Matty are not used to snow, but I loved that Matty, being anxious, was super prepared in his choice of gear, and Elizabeth regretted some of her choices. Those choices can be a matter of life and death in a winter survival situation. I liked that there were a lot of details about the snow, ice, traffic conditions, and what the subways and buildings were like. This reminded me a little of Moskin's 1978 The Day of the Blizzard, which also involved winter survival in a city. I was a little sad when the trio returned home from the art gallery, but going back out after Fang was a good adventure, and taking a short breather was good. The information about tracking storms and the National Climatic Research Center from Joy's point of view gave a larger perspective on the weather event, and the scenes with the research ship in the Arctic were important background for the climate change themes. This was fast-paced, had a good message along with the adventure, and (most importantly), Fang was found and was okay. It's always important that dogs survive, especially the cute, fluffy ones!
Weaknesses: It took me a bit to get into the story, since it started with an arctic fox, but I really have to admire how Courage brought together all of the plots.
What I really think: Storm Blown hasn't circulated as well as I would have liked, but part of that might be due to the fact that I got a copy of this book right before the pandemic started in 2020. Winter survival is generally more popular than hurricane stories, so I will definitely purchase. And NOT just because I'm a sucker for a good snowstorm book ever since Haywood's Snowboand with Betsy! I have two copies of Northrops' Trapped that are in tatters because they've been read so much... and they're over ten years old. Wow. Seems like just yesterday that I read that one!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

An engaging story set during a super blizzard in New York City. I liked how the story was told from various POVs, including that of different animals in the story, and although you weren't always sure how the POVs would connect, they were each compelling and you wanted to know how they connected. The book is filled with adventure and excitement as Ashley, Elizabeth, and Matty try to find Ashley's dog Fang in NYC during a blizzard.

This book would be great for fans of the I Survived series!

SNOW STRUCK is Nick Courage’s best book yet.

Beautifully and compellingly written like his two prior middle-grade novels (THE LOUDNESS & STORM BLOWN) from the first page that, btw, begins from the POV of a hawk, SNOW STRUCK is filled with a ton of excitement, heart & super rad kids (and animals!) all while showing the devastating impact climate change is having on the world.

All the stars & thumbs-up, and it’s an absolute must-read when released on January 25, 2022, especially for those who enjoy Lauren Tarshis’s fantastic I SURVIVED books.