Reviews with content warning for Child death - Kind van sneeuw

hm, it's been quite some time since i last finished a book frowning. the snow child is an amalgamation of many beautiful aspects: vivid scenery that makes for several wonderful, stirring scenes--the snow child-making and ice-skating scenes, in particular--filled w/ characters that demonstrate the charm and oft-touching neighborly relationships in the alaskan wilderness, and themes of life's possibilities, found family, nature's breathless beauty. and yet, the thread that holds it all tgt--faina's existence--is flimsy, and unfortunately makes for a magical realizm book that, in my opinion, lacks realism. it feels like a story that teters between a fairytale and realistic fiction, struggles throughout w/ trying to be both and neither, and pulls the rug off my feet at the end. throughout the whole book, the old couple wrestles w/ the wonder and--as is asserted pointedly several times--the "real humanness" of their own snow child, thus the ending makes for a baffling conclusion.

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kodi_rae's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I saw another review use the word “bittersweet” and I think it’s a perfect description of this book. Deep sadness and loneliness paired with mystical wonder and tenderness. The ending did feel rushed a bit to me and I have some lingering questions, though I know that’s also the point.

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lil_micks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This books is so simultaneously beautiful and joyful and warm while also being so heartbreaking and melancholy at the same time. A gorgeous, cozy read that must be read in the winter during a snowstorm.

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caribbeangirlreading's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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bookishcori's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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charley0796's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This book is beautifully written, I felt like I was surviving the harsh and stunning Alaskan winter with the author. I felt like I was watching as Faina hunted. I normally skip lengthy descriptions and felt like Eowyn perfectly balanced this. This is the perfect tale for a cold winter’s day.

I loved the mystery added to the change in how dialogue was written when Faina appeared - keeping you guessing as to her origins, whether she really was human and a survivor or a fairy. A subtle touch!

I loved how the story evolved for the first few parts, with all the satisfaction and whimsical nature of a fairy tale crossed with reality. However, as many others have reviewed, the last part didn’t satisfy me. The lack of reflection on ‘and she returned to the wild’ or ‘they all melted into the woods, Garrett following her with his son’ or even how they got through the disappearance is something I wish was reflected more on - I feel this would have created that satisfying ending I needed.

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sigynmoon's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

This book will truly stay with me. Beautiful, sweet, sad and haunting. Very much about love, which this book captured perfectly. The only thing keeping it from being a five is that I feel one element lacks clarity in a way that hurt the story just a little bit. Still, a beautiful read.

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amberinbookland's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

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