A book that will delight fans of YA dystopian books like The Hunger Games, Snowglobe is an impactful and disturbing story. The premise - the elite live in climate controlled, decadent Snowglobe, while everyone else watches their lives on TV from the power plants in the frozen wastes - is an apt setting for today's world, where social media and reality tv are incredibly prevalent in young people's lives. I was impressed by the utter bleakness of the setting, both inside and outside of Snowglobe itself. The plot has elements of sci-fi and thrillers, and there were a series of twists/reveals that were impactful without being cheesy or too unexpected. The ending of the first book leaves a lot of questions unanswered, and in fact, raises some more; I'm ok with this, though, because it's the first book in a duology, and I definitely plan to read the second one!

Snowglobe is being translated from Korean for the first time in 2024!

I enjoyed this book, because a future mini ice-age may very well be what we experience in terms of climate change. Since dystopian fiction dominated book shelves in the mid-2000s, it kind of feels like the genre died out a bit in favor of other things. It is really nice to be able to revisit it through such a unique and fun lens!

Reading about how the people in the story respond to harsh winter conditions was really intriguing, and the pull to completely disappear into the world of television and synthetic reality is all too real today. This book pairs well with Hunger Games and Divergent, but provides its own fresh twist on the dystopian adventure story.

I wish I could have had this on the shelf when I was younger! Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an e-ARC.

Set in a dystopian society in Korea where winter is the permanent season, people struggle to survive with the bare necessities of food and shelter unless they are invited to live in the Snowglobe. Inside the Snowglobe, people enjoy luxury and warmth, but in exchange, their lives are recorded as part of a reality TV show that is broadcast to everyone outside the Snowglobe.

Chobahm and her twin brother live and work with their family outside the Snowglobe, where they struggle to stay healthy and warm. One day, Chobahm is offered an opportunity she can't refuse. She is asked to come to the Snowglobe and pretend to be the famous star, Haeri, who has tragically passed away. As Chobahm bears a striking resemblance to Haeri, no one suspects the switch. From this point on, the book is filled with several plot twists.

While I enjoyed the beginning and the end, I found the middle to be a bit confusing and overly long. Based on the other reviews I've been reading, I think this may be a situation where the book is good, but not the right fit for me.

Thank you to Soyoung Park, NetGalley, and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

A dystopian lover’s dream. Perfect to have been read in the winter (and feeling c-c-cold). Combines many elements of books I have read previously and loved. A little something for everyone.

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!