I loved this except for one huge thing – the way it turned out. This is a slow-burn, day-by-day winter thriller that’s immersive, scary…but so frustrating. I read one chapter a day as an advent read to start and I looked forward to seeing how the characters were doing every day. Then it got scary high stakes and I couldn’t help it, I read it all in a day. 

 

Energy: Troubling. Instinctive. Ruthless. 

 

🐺 Growls. Don’t expect any of your questions to be answered 🥺. I don’t know if it was to make a statement or for a sequel, but it felt more like written-into-a-corner unfinished.   

 

🐕 Howls. The survival aspects make up most of the story and are so intense, every horrible thing that could happen is being thrown at them (I’m not a big survival trope person) so I kept overanalyzing how they’d even be alive still. 

 

🐩 Tail Wags: How it started off cozy and creepy where something unsettling lurks in the background. Immersive and atmospheric. How if you read it as an advent read, it felt like these characters were out there living this story in real-time somewhere.

 

Scene: 🌎 Set in woods near the small community of Willowbend

Perspectives (4): A family of four. A spouse/parent hoping to reconnect with their spouse who has been distant lately. A spouse/parent not feeling anything for their spouse. A 15 year old. Their younger 9 year old sibling. 

Timeline: Dec 1st to 25th. Each chapter is a full day. 

🔥 Fuel: Will the holiday vacay help reconnect the spouses? Who is leaving ‘presents’ and what do they mean? Who keeps coming around the property? Is the family being stalked? Are they in danger? Will they survive?

📖 Cred: Plausible to suspended disbelief

 

Dancing snowflakes. Biting cold. Photo slides. Stocking. Snowman. Bunnies. Valley. Snowy road. Snowmobile headlights. 

 

Content Heads-Up: Animal cruelty, death (

chicken, rabbit

). Gun violence. Injuries, wounds, infection, fever. Kidnapping, confinement (unsanitary conditions). Stalking, threats. Torture. 

 

Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Pale, freckled and ambiguous skin tones.

 

📚 Format: Kindle Unlimited