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A review by tigger89
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I liked this a lot, as the change in perspective led to a different take on the post-apocalyptic genre. After all, as mentioned in the book, what's one more apocalypse to a people who have already weathered multiple? In addition, we're used to following such narratives from the perspective of the wanderer, rather than from the village the wanderer happens to wander into. I will say it takes a while to build tension, but by the time things really start going I was flipping pages, desperate to find out what happens next. I was reminded of Stephen King's social horror, where he introduces you to a small, self-contained community and then crumbles it before your eyes.
If you can go into the story without having the "monster" spoiled for you, I recommend it. See if you can figure it out yourself(there is enough information, but you have to have some background knowledge to recognize the clues), and if not you can read the acknowledgements at the back for a keyword to google. I actually liked that it wasn't completely spelled out in the text, because that allows two interpretations of the plot. I first enjoyed a plot taken literally, then did a bit of homework reading and got a bonus plot for my consideration.
My only real complaint is that some loose ends weren't tied up. A few characters just kind of disappeared near the end, with their fates unspecified after the climactic scene. For a book where the tension centered so much about the fate of the community, it's a glaring omission when the narrative seems to forget about members of said community. We also never get an answer as to what cut the community off in the first place. I was personally okay with that one, but I can see it being a dealbreaker for some people. There is a sequel coming out this fall, Moon of the Turning Leaves, which might hold some answers.
If you can go into the story without having the "monster" spoiled for you, I recommend it. See if you can figure it out yourself(there is enough information, but you have to have some background knowledge to recognize the clues), and if not you can read the acknowledgements at the back for a keyword to google. I actually liked that it wasn't completely spelled out in the text, because that allows two interpretations of the plot. I first enjoyed a plot taken literally, then did a bit of homework reading and got a bonus plot for my consideration.
My only real complaint is that some loose ends weren't tied up. A few characters just kind of disappeared near the end, with their fates unspecified after the climactic scene. For a book where the tension centered so much about the fate of the community, it's a glaring omission when the narrative seems to forget about members of said community. We also never get an answer as to what cut the community off in the first place. I was personally okay with that one, but I can see it being a dealbreaker for some people. There is a sequel coming out this fall, Moon of the Turning Leaves, which might hold some answers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Alcohol