This is a great dystopian story, translated from Korean, and like many others who have posted, it was a fun way to channel our childhood feeling with what we had in the dystopian realm. This was a new to me author and I look forward to more from them!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of dystopian young adult novels, having come up during their heyday, and this novel felt like a refreshing callback to those days. The premise was fun and felt fresh, and the characters all felt real and fully realized. I've seen some reviews that complain about part3: You being confusing, but maybe I've just read too much science fiction and dystopian novels, because I had no problem following. I look forward to a sequel, as the author bio says this is a duology (even though it could be read like a standalone).

That was a very fresh read. I am a huge fan of translations and think we don't have enough of them, and I think it's necessary to learn other perspectives. This book was clever, witty, and very well-crafted. Can't say much without spoiling the whole thing, but I'm pretty sure the voice alone will appeal to a large number of readers.
A must if you're looking for something new!

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an eARC of Snow Globe!

I am so excited that this book was translated from Korean. It was perfectly reminiscent of post-apocalyptic books from my teenagehood. I absolutely enjoyed reading it and it had many of the elements of PA books that we love so much. I hope more will read and enjoy!

Entertaining, descriptive, original, and well-written. Grateful I was able to read a translated version of “Snow Globe” as I could not put this book down.

From the very start there is a strong connections to all the characters, their environment, and ways of the current world. I also really enjoyed the complexity of the storyline, as I kept wondering what would happen next. Very action-packed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Delacorte Press for providing me the opportunity to review "Snow Globe” prior to publication. I am appreciative and leave my review voluntarily.

This was very different. I thought it was more like the The Truman Show, rather than Hunger Games. Anyway, I thought this was a unique story but felt there were still some loose ends. Finally at the back of the book in the About The Author section it mentioned this was a Duology which put my mind at ease. I will be looking for the second book for sure.

This story takes place in a very well thought out world. It had some really interesting quirks that added a lot of depth to the story. The machinations by the folks in charge, ie the Directors, made for some other interesting aspects. There are a few mysteries going on. A big one is resolved but it's resolution led to a bigger one and that is where the story ended. The writer's style was easy to read and she didn't spend pages on superfluous descriptions and the pacing was great.

I am really looking forward to the 2nd book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, Soyoung Park, and Joungmin Lee Comfort (translator) for the opportunity to read Snowglobe in exchange for an honest review.

Snowglobe is originally written in Korean. This version was picked up by Random House Children's and translated for a young adult audience by Joungmin Lee Comfort. Sometimes translations can be a bit clunky, but Comfort makes this novel run smooth.

Two-hundred years ago, the Earth fell into another ice age. The cold climate became unlivable. But only certain people were granted the luxury of living inside Snowglobe, a climate-controlled city surrounded by a protective dome. The people of Snowglobe have fame and riches, their fabulous lives filmed for the entertainment of the poor, those who must live, thrive, and survive out in the cold wasteland.

Chobahm's dream is to live the Snowglobe life. Being of the unlucky population, she lives in the wastelands, her favorite show and enjoyment watching Snowglobe's hit show Goh Around, staring the most popular person in the city, Goh Haeri. Chobahm's luck is about to change. When Goh Haeri dies, Chobahm is selected to take her place!

It must be fate, but Chobahm soon finds out that the lives projected on the screen are not accurate to the truth of living in Snowglobe. Chobahm learns there is more to Goh Haeri's death than meets the eye, and she is determined to find out what, all while playing faithful actress in the process.

A really neat novel that features a possible near-future situation. Ice ages have an occurrence pattern, and despite global warming, certain areas of the world are going to be facing an ice age in the near future (well, kind of far for those of us alive today, but in the future of humanity). This novel explores one resolution when that natural happening occurs, though it also explores the skewed shift humanity might take in its equality, ethics, and morals.

An intriguing novel with vibrant characters and a realistic world demonstrating another example of the dystopia humans see in their future. A great young adult novel to pair with books like Scythe and Hunger Games.

Sometimes you read a book and it seems clear that it's been written not just to sell as a book, but also to become a TV series or movie. Snowglobe is like that. It's got plucky heroines and excellent antagonists and so on, and is described in such a way that you can just imagine how Netflix will do it. This isn't a criticism--it's a well-written book (if a little predictable in places), and I enjoyed reading it. The ending sets up sequels, which I'm sure will be popular as well. Overall, it's a quick-paced book that questions reality and using humans' lives as entertainment, and how that might really work (I mean, we've already seen it happen), plus climate change/dystopia.

I’m always happy to see more Korean genre fiction being translated for English speaking audiences, and I was particularly surprised to see a YA title amongst 2024’s new releases. That being said, I was not terribly impressed with Snowglobe.

My biggest criticism with this title is it’s extremely tenuous world-building. The systems set up in place to support this entertainment-based dystopian society seem contrived only to give the characters an excuse to make the choices they do. I thought there would be far more tension with the idea that the residents of Snowglobe are under constant surveillance, but our main character seems to be able to easily avoid the cameras - whether by going to a place where they are inexplicably absent or via the convoluted system the author has set up to make sure that her actions are not immediately known to her director. I also don't really understand how this system of government allows the Yibonn family to consolidate and maintain power. Why are there no uprisings? Why are people outside of Snowglobe so content to live their terrible lives? A few outside residents have expressed their disinterest in the shows, so it’s not simple complacency. I’m rather disappointed because the story was poised to make some great criticisms about our tendency to idolize vapid media as a form of entertainment, but ironically ended up just reading like a piece of vapid media.

The writing is fine. There are a few moments where inconsistent metaphors seemed glaringly obvious (how does Chobahm know what seaweed in an ocean looks like when I assume all the oceans are frozen over?) and certain details are so deeply rooted in Korean culture that I fear it may alienate general readers (the whole chaebol corporate structure). I don’t have any particular complaints about our main character. I thought she made decisions as a teenager would, and was able to reasonably reflect on the mistakes she made. However, many of the supporting characters are rather one-dimensional, the worst of which border on comical caricature. The narrative seemed rushed from about the 75% mark where we’re quickly introduced to new characters in an “Avengers assemble” type montage. Many of the shocking reveals in this portion did not seem to hold an particular weight and it baffles me that many of the characters came out at the end of the story harboring no ill feelings or discontent towards the system they live under, and instead blamed it on one bad actor. I hope the dismantling of said system will play a larger role in the second book of the duology, but there was really no inkling of that at all.

I realize this is a YA title, but I don’t agree with the notion that a book can be poorly written just because it’s intended for a younger audience. In fact, I feel like such a mindset is an insult to it’s targeted readers, who deserve well constructed and thoughtful narratives as much as adults do. I realize this review might come off as rather scathing, but this book really had the chance to echo some of the problems that plague our current media landscape. I do plan to read the second title to see if any of the issues set up by the first book are addressed, but in my opinion, Snowglobe succeeded in concept, and then fell short in the category that really mattered - using that concept to say literally anything.

I really like this book. Although it does sort of get a little hard to understand as time goes on I really liked how it all starts out. I liked seeing the disparity between the two worlds and how what seemed so obvious actually was a lot more complicated when you looked a little closer. I could easily see this being a movie that I would definitely watch. It was cool to see how the MC changed and became her own person even after the truth is revealed. Usually I’m annoyed by cliffhangers because you can usually see them a mile away but this one left me so curious about the next book. Please tell me when that is!!! So, this is a book you gotta check out. It was so cool and badass.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc.

This was a fun book. Set in a world ravaged by a long ago war and now suffering eternal cold and winter, there is only one ray of hope for most people: Snowglobe. Snowglobe is the only functioning city, encased so that it provides weather beyond the freezing temperatures. As payment for being able to live there, most Snowglobe residents live their lives on reality tv, letting the world view everything about them. The mc is one such onlooker until one day a director from Snowglobe scouts her for her near identical looks to a star that recently committed suicide, leaving the director with a need to find a double fast. The world of Snowglobe is interesting and very dystopian, there's a lot doing on in the setting that isn't really addressed that i'd loved to see more of. The focus is instead on the mc and her attempts to perfectly copy Haeri, and the seedy behind the scenes truths of Snowglobe's entertainment industry. The book was well written and very well translated, though it was a little slow and dragged in the middle before finally revealing a bunch of the plot the last fourth of the book. I feel like the pacing could have been stronger, but otherwise it was a good read.

Chobahm's deepest desire has always been to reside within the Snowglobe dome, the last warm place on Earth. However, there's a catch – the lives of Snowglobe citizens are broadcasted for those outside the dome to watch. Chobahm, by contrast, has spent her life in the cold wasteland where people toil at the power plant to keep the Snowglobe running and catch glimpses of the televised lives inside.

But when the famous Snowglobe star, Haeri, tragically passes away, Chobahm's life takes an unexpected turn. Her striking resemblance to Haeri leads her to be chosen as the replacement. As Chobahm assumes her new role, she quickly begins to realize that the reality inside the Snowglobe is far from what she'd imagined. Now, she must embark on a journey to uncover the truth.

“Snowglobe” by Soyoung Park was so interesting. I loved the dystopian feel in a unique way. The snow world is so cool to image. The concept of the Snowglobe, with its treadmill-like existence and public surveillance, feels reminiscent of 'Black Mirror,' while Chobahm's journey into the inner workings of her society carries echoes of 'The Hunger Games.' I like the idea so much. 4 out of 5 stars.

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

An amazing book I had trouble putting down. The story grabbed me immediately. Overall a great and disturbing read that seemed a bit too close to real life. That said I’d love to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

I love the premise of this book, it was a little difficult to follow because of the format, I had to zoom in and out and translation. DNF 20% however I will definitely be reading this when it is published and is not in a weird format.

Let me start with that I absolutely LOVE translated works. This was everything I thought it was and more. The twists and turns blew my mind, and holy cow the ending! This would be a perfect entry into thriller. Mind you this isn’t a creepy scary thriller, but a what the heck is going on thriller. I would definitely recommend this to any and everyone. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with this E-ARC. Definitely a must read!

I was really exciting read this book but will unfortunately have to wait because my ereader can not use pdf files and I can’t read on anything besides an Eink screen. Will review when book is released in more formats.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing.

This was an interesting ride of Black Mirror but in YA form dystopian type novel. I thought it was really well done. My one complaint is not with the story itself but more for the publisher. Please do e-reader books not pdfs. It's hard to read when not on my kindle.

❅ ARC Review: Snowglobe ❅

Rating: ✨4/5✨
Spice: N/A
Triggers: torture, murder, forced work

❅ Overall Thoughts: Wow. What a book. This story was translated into English from Korean. Let me say, sentence cadence is different in every language, so that took a little getting used to, but it didn't detract from the story. And what a story. It's very reminiscent of old school dystopian like Divergent and Hunger Games.

‼️Spoilers below this point‼️

❅ Enclosed under a vast dome, Snowglobe is the last place on Earth that's warm. Outside Snowglobe is a frozen wasteland, and every day, citizens face the icy world to get to their jobs at the power plant, where they produce the energy Snowglobe needs. Their only solace comes in the form of twenty-four-hour television programming streamed directly from the domed city.

Chobahm lives for the time she spends watching the shows produced inside Snowglobe. Chobahm has been chosen to take move to Snowglobe. Only, life there is nothing like what you see on television.

❅ Chobahm: What an interesting character. She's so relatable. She wants to escape her small frozen wasteland of a town to become a famous director and her wish is granted. I think Chobahm is very relatable. I wish I could say that I would've turned down the offer Cha makes, but I can't think I would've done anything different.

❅ Bonwhe: I wanted to learn more about his involvement here. I don't think him and Haeri were together the way we're supposed to infer. But I do like him and Chobahm as love interests.

❅ I'm also very interested in getting more background on Snowglobe. Though the setting is there for most of the book, I feel like we never dug deep into the city or even the world. I'm hoping book two goes even deeper. Also into the mirrors. I'm so confused on those and what relevance they had other than Chobahm to be like, I saw some sh*t. Lol.

❅ I do recommend. The pace is really good. It took me a while to finish this book, but only because it's a complex plot with sentence structure that's unique. I want book two.

ꕥ Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for an ARC. Soyoung Park, I'm ready for book two. 😏☺️

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This review was made possible via an ARC through NetGalley.

This was my first YA by a South Korean author and it was a very strong first impression. The use of the idol industry, the Black Mirror-esque worldbuilding (particularly Fifteen Million Merits but for a YA audience) and the later twist make it all feel topical and current while also very dystopia. The worldbuilding around the Weather Person role really impressed me as it was something I probably never would have thought of, but it really makes sense in the grander world of everything is snow and ice except in Snowglobe where you can have rain and sunshine.

There is minimal romance in this which is perfect if you are looking for books with less romance and more focus around personal identity and personhood. And the strongest theme really is individual personhood and the greater scheme of personhood within in the context of a system like a ramped up idol industry and value placed on watching the lives of other people.

If Black Mirror but make it YA sounds like you're kind of thing, I would recommend this.

I would not recommend this to people who aren't at least casually familiar with the K-pop idol industry, reality TV, and maybe Korean webtoons as there are moments that I wonder might be jarring for someone who isn't familiar with them.