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dclaw's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
salgalruns's review against another edition
4.0
More of a 3.5 review, but I bumped it up, rather than down... Initially, I had a tough time getting into this book. I just couldn't connect with the characters and it wasn't super clear if it was fantasy or reality half the time. Of course, that may be what the author intended to start.
After about halfway through, I couldn't put it down.
I grew to love Mabel once she got some spunk in her - thank goodness too, because I was getting a little bummed out with her. She grew to be an amazing worker, a dedicated mother, and an incredible friend. She had a calm about her that allowed her to be intuitive and understanding beyond all belief. She would be someone who I would want to get to know, and I'm a little jealous of Esther for being able to be with her. Esther - OMG, just love her. She was the comic relief of the book, but the author just made me love her sense of style with the overalls during the 1920's when flappers were the rage. Hysterical. Practical, yes, but hysterical.
I ended up truly loving this story, but sad that it ended - I wanted to find out the "next" part of the characters' lives. Truly the mark of a great book.
After about halfway through, I couldn't put it down.
Spoiler
The story takes place in the middle of nowhere, Alaska where Jack and Mabel have recently decided to live after a tragic loss back in the states. Mabel is extremely lonely and you don't get the sense that the two of them will even survive their relationship, let alone a winter in Alaska. On a whim, they build a snowgirl one evening, and then it disappears. However, they soon find out that there is a girl living in the mountain, highly reminiscent of their snow child, and they forge an amazing parental bond which seems to take place only in the winter.I grew to love Mabel once she got some spunk in her - thank goodness too, because I was getting a little bummed out with her. She grew to be an amazing worker, a dedicated mother, and an incredible friend. She had a calm about her that allowed her to be intuitive and understanding beyond all belief. She would be someone who I would want to get to know, and I'm a little jealous of Esther for being able to be with her. Esther - OMG, just love her. She was the comic relief of the book, but the author just made me love her sense of style with the overalls during the 1920's when flappers were the rage. Hysterical. Practical, yes, but hysterical.
I ended up truly loving this story, but sad that it ended - I wanted to find out the "next" part of the characters' lives. Truly the mark of a great book.
amandam71's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Infertility and Miscarriage
jvmilks's review against another edition
3.0
I had to restart this book on a few occasions. It reads like a harsh Alaskan winter, which seems as though it may never pass. I will credit the author with this as an intentional choice, which plays as a larger metaphor for the main character's life. I would have given it 2 stars except that the Epilogue's ending is a touch poetic. I think the story will stick with me. It's sorrow. So, I suppose something is to be said for a book that leaves that kind of an impact on your heart and mind.
madisonpearl's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Miscarriage
Moderate: Infertility and Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism and Suicidal thoughts
illusie's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book. I love how the story is based on a fairy tale about how an old man and woman make a daughter from snow. In this book a married couple also make a snow girl, and later they spot a little girl. I loved the parts when the girl visited and they tried to earn her trust. This book is no fairy tale, and soon reality hits. The story is set in the middle of nowhere in Alaska and life is hard. The book is melancholic and slow-paced, which is why I don't give it 4 stars.