Oh my god--Snowglobe is the dystopian YA I've been waiting for! I've never stopped loving dystopian stories even when they flatlined, but it was hard to find truly good dystopian stories during the drought. But I'm so hopeful that Snowglobe will light this genre back on fire. This story already has an amazing pitch so I won't bother trying to summarize it here. What I do want to talk about is how this book confirms my firm belief that a K-drama flair can breathe new life into dead or dying trends because this story has so many of the K-drama tropes that make those dramas so compulsively watchable. I won't spoil the book here, but suffice it to say that there are so many delicious twists, unhinged characters, deeply flawed yet sympathetic characters, and truly diabolical villains. All of this is set in a fascinating dystopian world that is so terrifyingly similar to our present-day obsession with entertainment, fame, voyeurism, and social media that this setting could very well be considered near-future. Snowglobe is such a fast-paced, unputdownable read! I've already recommended it to some of my favorite readers and will continue to scream about it for a very long time!

I was given this book my NetGalley in exchange for my review. My review contains small spoilers.

This book really caught my attention. I was interested in it because it was a post apocalyptic world, but I was captured by the second chapter and it really pulled me in. The writing had a few grammatical errors, and a few sentences that I had to reread to because the words didn't seem to go together in a way that made sense, but that's to expected in a translated book. I really enjoyed the story, the characters, and the world, however I wanted more. The end of the book said there's a sequel coming, but if it's going to be written in the same way I worry that I'll still be left wanting more. I want more of the characters, more of the world building. I'd love spin off stories about each of the girls, the director, the president and her family. This world was so interesting and really grabbed my attention. And the twists! Just when I thought I had things figured out one of the girls would say something and reveal another layer of deception and more twists and it kept me on my toes like not many books do. I didn't want to put it down, and I read the book in one sitting. Honestly though it could have been 1000 pages and I probably would have loved every bit of it. I can't wait until publication so I can own this book, and I definitely want to own the Korean copy as well. And 2025 can't come fast enough so I can have the sequel!

I loved the plot, setting, and characters. This was a fantastic idea for a book and the pacing was great.
I was just a little disappointed because there wasn't much action. This was described as "hunger games meets squid game", so I was expecting fights for survival, terrifying games, action, and thrilling scenes. Unfortunately you don't get much of that in this book. I am hoping that the next book in this duology has more action.

This book reminds me a lot of Hunger Games and little bit Divergent. Living in a world that is completely frozen over and the only ones that are safe in the snow globe are the rich and famous. Chobahm who looks like Haeri is selected to take over her life after she passes away. She learns real fast that this life is not as easy and safe as she has thought.

Wow. I loved this. Park did a wonderful job driving you into Snowglobe and creating connections to the characters. The world of Snowglobe was something of the Truman show, while also taking on its own life. You meet an array of characters that all present different views of the world they’ve been handed.

It presents a really interesting view of wealth, social presences, and family. I found myself really invested in the different motives and ideas behind each character too.

However, this book is also hard to review without giving too much away. You must just trust the storyline and follow the characters. It does get a little hard to follow the characters towards the end, but that will make sense once people read! Interested to see how the sequel turns out.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advance copy of this 2.27.24 release. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Finally, a new dystopian I could get into! In a future world ruined by climate change, the elite live in a dome called Snowglobe while the rest of the world freezes while using manual labor to produce geothermal energy. The citizens of Snowglobe are all actors and directors, and their lives are streamed as TV shows to the rest of the world. Jeon Chobalm dreams of being a director while toiling at the power plant, until one day she is whisked away to Snowglobe by a powerful director. Her job? Not directing. Instead, she will be standing in for her favorite actress and golden child Goh Haeri, who has taken her own life. As Chobalm gets further into Snowglobe, she realizes the dangerous secrets that lie within - and what she can do to bring justice to the victims. A second installment will be out next year, and I will definitely be reading that as well. Recommended for mature 7th grade readers and up.

I stopped reading at the 25% mark in the book. The novel didn't seem unique. I stopped reading at the 25% mark in the book. The novel didn't seem unique.

Five glorious stars for this amazing book! I've been looking for a new dystopian for ages. Snowglobe ticks all the boxes. I fell in love with the characters, and the luscious world. This book takes an almost Black Mirror approach in creepiness as well. Definitely will be purchasing multiple copies, as not only is the story amazing. The book is absolutely beautiful!

Dystopian is so back, baby! I loved Snowglobe and the classic YA dystopian feel it had, and I liked the experimental worldbuilding! The sci-fi mystery/thriller definitely caught me off guard but I loved the book all the more for it! I would definitely recommend!

This was very hunger games meets black mirror and I really really enjoyed it. I’m actually bummed it ended on a cliff hanger and I cannot wait to continue the series. Will highly recommend!

As someone who started reading again in 2015 at the height of YA dystopian releases this was so nostalgic to read. I absolutely loved every moment of it, it gave me the feels I had when I first read the hunger games. It is absolutely believable that this could happen with global warming and it was interesting to see how Soyoung Park portrayed it. Snowglobe also had me thinking about how we treat celebrities in real life as well. The twist in this I was not expecting at all and really enjoyed that as well. I highly recommend to those who love dystopians!

I thought this was really clever and well done. It reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games, though the characters weren’t quite as well developed. Some of the writing was a bit stilted, but I think that may come down to the translation. Overall, I found this book really enjoyable and will definitely look out for the sequel!

I really liked this book! I think it will be super popular with the YA crowd and Middle Grade.

It was a unique take on a dystopian world combining extreme weather, creating actual power (like electricity), and social media. The role of social media in the book was eye-opening and thought provoking.

The story found it's characters questioning who they really were and who they wanted to be. I think it's relatable, and I can't wait to share it with my students.

And while we "don't" judge a book by it's cover, you've got to admit it's got a fantastic cover!

Snowglobe is the first YA book I've read in a while and there is a LOT going on in this book. The brief description provided by the publisher does not even hint at the directions this story goes.

Our heroine is Chobahm, a teenage girl living in a frozen apoplectic world. Snowglobe is actually the name of a city that is kept warm under a glass dome where everyone is continually filmed in a Truman Show-meets-Reality TV mash up. Chobahm, who lives outside the city and works in a power plant, is given an opportunity to take over a role in one of the shows in Snowglobe, but what she really wants to do is direct. Plus, the role she is taking over isn't a fictional character, but instead, she'd be stepping in the life of an actual person who she resembles. A young woman who took her own life offscreen - a secret the director is trying to keep. Chobham agrees and the show goes on!

That is a crazy enough premise for a YA book and it works well. However, the story twists and turns becoming a murder mystery, a survival story, and a science fiction tale with clones, trains, and hamster wheels. This book has everything!

The book does end with a cliffhanger and there is a sequel planned for spring 2025. I would recommend this book to teens who like sci-fi and fantasy, because the world building is quite encompassing. I also would recommend it to adults who grew up with the Hunger Games series or enjoyed Squid Game on Netflix.

I received an advanced copy of this title from the publishers via NetGalley. Thanks to both!

When I saw Snowglobe being compared to the Hunger Games and Squid Games,there was little doubt that I would choose to read it. I was hooked from the beginning. The landscape of perpetual winter was scary to contemplate given the current climate catastrophes of our world. The details of survival in this vast winterland was amazing to contemplate and horrifying to consider if ever it becomes reality. Parallels to our current world hooked on social media and viewing other people’s lives rang very true with the idea of Snowglobe, a place where “actors” lived their lives while others viewed them. I especially liked how the story did not get bogged down with unnecessary, detailed thoughts and explanations. However, some elements were not as clear to understand, such as the mirrors for transport. Although the book had enough hooks to keep me reading to the end (quickly I might add), as a middle aged woman from the south, the names were hard to keep track of and thus keep characters, especially the supporting characters, straight. This became harder for me when the details of Goh Haeri were revealed. The ending leaves little satisfaction, so the next book is highly anticipated already. I have questions and hopefully it provides the answers.

Snowglobe is The Hunger Games, Snowpiercer, and Divergent rolled into one, with a highly creative spin! Who doesn’t want to read about reality tv stars who thrive admist a global climate disaster?

There story has so many themes - classism, competition, climate change, rebellion, with each chapter unveiling a new and shocking twist. I was glued the pages! The world building was by far the book’s biggest strength. I wish more of the characters were better developed, but I could easily follow Chobahm’s transformation as she begins to question her own ambition and greed. I’m excited to see how the overall story concludes!

Thank you to Netgalley, Delacorte Press, and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC of this novel.

Another librarian that I know told me that she didn't know if she liked or didn't like this novel. I found that characterization puzzling, but after reading it, I think I know where she got that.

The twists and surprises in this novel were wild. Most readers are going to want to keep reading just to see how wacky the next twist or moment might be. I was riveted by the futuristic world of ridiculously cold temperatures and a special protected area where inhabitants trade privacy for warmth. Ultimately, I think I wanted more from the characters. To be fair, this is a duology, and that need for more from the characters may be satisfied by the second books.

Had this novel had more character development, I would have enthusiastically recommended.

Was cool but not AS cool as I was expecting some of the elements fell quite short such as the characterization. World building was Gorgeius ! Thanks for the arc

This is not the type of book I'd usually pick up but I had seen some publication reviews that sung its praises and couldn't stop thinking about it. Plus it's great to see more YA getting translated.

This is a super engaging dystopian that feels just real enough. The Hunger Games/Squid Games comps feel spot on, though I would say this feels a little less violent - though it does have it's moments.

As a reader, all my questions were answered and it gave me just enough info to want the sequel ASAP (so rude to make us wait a whole year).

I hope this one gains a lot of traction because it deserves it.

This dystopian thriller throws you headfirst into a world teetering on the edge of chaos. Imagine a glistening dome protecting a society from the cruel eternal winter outside, fueled by the labor of those in the frozen wasteland and sustained by the fabricated reality of a televised paradise. This is a mind-bending puzzle where the very lines between truth, control, and identity are fluid and terrifying.

At the heart of this whirlwind is Chobahm, a young woman thrust into the spotlight after a tragedy. Thrust into the role of a beloved TV star, she grapples with the suffocating expectations of a prefabricated life while searching for her own lost identity. Her journey becomes a poignant mirror reflecting the struggles of all Snowglobe's citizens, each a pawn in a grand, televised game.

Each chapter is a new avalanche of shocking twists and revelations and I cannot wait for the second book in this duology.