Fifteen-year-old Lucinda Hayes is found murdered on a snowy carousel in the park. The police have a list of suspects, but no firm leads. In alternating chapters, three people who are close to the case tell their stories. As they talk readers learn more details about their lives, as well as Lucinda’s life.

Jade hated Lucinda and wanted her gone because her boyfriend was Jade’s former best friend and only true love. To make sure Lucinda disappeared she performed a witch’s spell, and it worked. Did she kill Lucinda with her spell? Cameron loved Lucinda but, though they went to school together, Lucinda never noticed him. He liked spying on her at night but, sometimes, things went fuzzy and he didn’t always remember. He loved her, but did he kill her?

Russ is one of the detectives assigned to the case, even though he’d been partners with Cameron’s father and knows the family. As he tells his story, readers soon realize he is hiding a secret of his own. Each of these three talk about other suspects so, when the killer is finally revealed, readers will be in for a huge shock. Kukafka definitely fooled me.

Though the book has teenage protagonists, there are many themes which tilt the book more towards adult readers. Thus I will recommend it for readers eighteen and older.

Recommended for Adults.

Fantastic! Jodi Piccoult, watch out, you have a rival fast on your heels!

Lucinda Hayes is found murdered on a carousel in the elementary school playground of a small Colorado town. No one can believe she has been killed. Lucinda was 15 years old, popular and well liked. Police have very little clues, but quite a few suspects.

Cameron is the strange outcast in Lucinda's grade. His father has a history with the police department and he has a history with Lucinda. Russ is one of the policeman assigned to Lucinda's case. Russ was close to Cameron's father and at times has taken Cameron under his wing. Jade and her sister grew up with Lucinda. She always looked up to her and wanted certain things that Lucinda took for granted. As police get closer to solving Lucinda's murder, lives in the Colorado town start to fall apart.

This was a very quick and easy read. I liked all the characters, even creepy Cameron. Chapters were told from alternating points of view of Cameron, Russ, and Jade. Throughout the story all the characters became somehow connected.

I would have liked the final chapter to be told from Lucinda's point of view. I would have liked her to be given a voice after reading so much about her. It would have been interesting to see things from her perspective.

It started off interesting. All of the characters are interesting and the murder started off right away. But, after maybe 50 pages it started to feel more like contemporary then mystery/thriller. Honestly I would say this is 80% contemporary and only 20% mystery. That disappointed me a bit. I went in to this thinking it would be a character driven thriller but there was no thrilling elements at all. Just the mystery that starts off the book and doesn't wrap up until the last bit of the book. The murder reveal was also a little anti-climatic. This was mostly about three characters (whose POV's you read from) and how they connect to each other and the murder.
The characters themselves felt real and are interesting. I think most of us have met people that can closely resemble their personalities. It was only because the characters were interesting that I was able to finish this book. Cameron was my favorite of the three.
The writing was good, very strange at times. As if world missing but that seemed to be intentional. I liked it some times other times I just reread the same sentence over and over confused. But I still enjoyed the writing despite that small flaw.
All in all I would say this book is contemporary with hit of mystery. It wasn't my type of book but I do think it was well done. I will also check out this authors future work because I believe she has a lot of potential.

Danya Kukafka's debut novel of the Girl in Snow is a gripping psychological tale of murder in a small American town.

Cameron Whitely is the stalker and voyeur with a watchful eye for Lucinda. Jade is Lucinda's reluctant friend and knows his secret and carries some dark ones of her own. Russ Fletcher is a detective called to investigate the scene of the murder. His first body. And Lucinda Hayes, a local high school girl is found on an elementary school playground. Bludgeoned to death as the snow is falling.

Kukafka spins a fascinating tale which reads like a character portrayal of the inhabitants of a small suburb. Lucinda's death is established at the beginning of the book and is ruled a murder. Cameron, Jade, and Russ tell the story of their lives and experience of Lucinda in alternating chapters. Within each character section, we learn their nuances and what their lives are like in Broomsville in the setting of grief. Jade's edgy and envious character is also the vehicle that paints a portrait of Lucinda and her past.

The writing styles of alternative chapters, characters, and tenses can often fragment a narrative, but the author does a phenomenal job with propelling the plot. The suburban setting provides a perfect backdrop for the quirky characters. Fear, blame, and quick judgment are just some of the ingredients of how this small town deals with Lucinda's murder. The main teenage characters are emotional which creates a coming of age story as well as a mystery. Teenagers are the most complex and uninhibited creatures. The author gets it! Cameron's awkward story of unrequited love and being bullied touched me. His reality is vivid and harsh. And as for who did this, you will have to read the book!

Overall, Kukafka paints a vivid and concise who-dun-it tale with without being too wordy. When she describes certain scenes, she has a lyrical and poetic quality. Enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Danya Kukafka and Simon & Schuster for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an amazing ride! The story revolves around 3 characters. The quiet guy who doesn't understand the social norms. He normally sneaks out and spies on people in their homes. He isn't doing it to be creepy, but he crosses some lines. There's the teenage girl who is having a rough adolescence. She understands what is okay and what isn't, but she still keeps her eyes open. And finally, there's the police officer. He's married and was partnered with the boy's father, before said father ran off.

This story is full of twists and turns. There is so much going on with each character that this book is full and rich. I was afraid of it being too dark, and trying to follow that whole "girl" thing that seems to be in right now. But it stands on it's own. It's a fantastic mystery!

I read a few chapters of this, but it just didn't hold my attention well enough to continue.

Well written psychological thriller. Even though it is told from various character perspectives with non-linear chronology, it flows easily and moves at a steady pace. The secrets and struggles of the characters is the real focus of this novel. The murder mystery is secondary to the characters and the identification of the murderer is anti-climatic, coming out of left field.

Girl in Snow is the debut by Danya Kukafka. It’s labeled an adult thriller. However, I think it is suitable as a mature young adult read, as well, since two of the main characters are young adults. When I was contacted by Simon and Schuster and asked if I wanted a galley, I debated. I love books. Well, reading them, specifically. And I enjoy finding new authors. But I had so much of my own writing and editing to work on, that I really didn’t feel I had the time to devote to reviewing. Then, I read the synopsis:

“The mysterious death of a small-town golden girl and the secret lives of three people connected to her: the social misfit who loved her from afar, the rebellious girl who despised her, and the policeman investigating her death… Girl in Snow investigates the razor-sharp line between love and obsession and will thrill fans of Everything I Never Told You and Luckiest Girl Alive.”

Well, how was I supposed to say no to that? So here I am, staring at the computer screen, my cat dropping his toy on my desk for me to throw (yes, he plays fetch. Just like a dog), trying to gather my thoughts enough to write a somewhat logical review. I finished the book yesterday and I just can’t get the words down to explain how much I enjoyed it.

First, the writing, voice, pacing, and descriptions are wonderful. I love the author’s voice. When I first started reading, I was somewhat put off with her frequent use of choppy, fragmented sentences. But as I read, these sentences became part of the narrator’s natural voice and they flowed smoothly into the story.

The descriptions were perfect. Every scene, every place, I could picture with ease. From the description of Lucinda’s body dusted with snow mixed with blood on the carousel, to the mundane, everyday tasks of life.

There are three main characters the reader follows in Girl in Snow. Cameron, the boy who loves Lucinda. Who plays a game he calls “Statue Nights” in which he stands like a statue outside her house at night and watches her through the windows. Creepy, yes? But, it’s not, really. Cameron is different (in case his nightly ritual didn’t clue you in) and there really isn’t anything creepy about what he’s doing in his mind. One thing I liked about Cameron: his lists.

Then there’s Jade. She’s the prerequisite bad apple. The rebel who really doesn’t have a clue what she’s rebelling against. She’s a screwed-up kid, with a screwed-up life, and just happens to hate the girl everyone loves—Lucinda. The murdered girl. We, the readers, get to travel with Jade over the course of the few days the book spans and watch her make revelations about herself, her life, and the people around her. One quirk I enjoyed about Jade was the screenplay she was writing titled: What You Want To Say But Can’t Without Being A Dick

Finally, there’s Russ. He’s a middle-aged, or there about, police officer. I don’t really think the reader is given his age. If so, I don’t remember. And that’s Russ. Unmemorable. Not because Kukafka did a poor job of writing his character. No, she wrote him wonderfully, but Russ himself is forgettable. I think even he knows this. And of all the characters, I think I felt the sorriest for Russ. He searched for himself, like all three characters did. But, it took him the longest to discover who he really was. And, in some ways, it was already too late. No, I’m not saying more. You have to read the book.

The characters were well-developed. And even though the book only spans the course of a few days, there is a definite and noticeable growth in each of them. They each learn something about themselves, their world, or both. They are wonderfully flawed and real and relatable. And if the book goes through another round of edits before the finished copy is released, I hope the author and editors are careful not to lose one speck of personality from any of them.

The story itself… the plot, well, there just isn’t much I can say, other than I enjoyed it a great deal and when I wasn’t reading, I worried something would happen while I was away. When I first began the book, there seemed to be a lot of description or mention of things that, I felt, helped frame a scene or give it depth, but otherwise didn’t add anything to the story. Oh, so wrong. Everything comes together in the end. The author doesn’t waste words on unnecessary things. So, if a dog is barking, pay attention. Because at some point in the story, that dog’s bark will play a pivotal role. And that’s all I can say without including spoilers. And really, Girl in Snow is a book readers need to experience themselves. That’s how the author intended it to be. Reading a watered-down review just isn’t the same. So, read the book
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Bottom line: Girl in Snow was a huge surprise. I enjoyed it more than I anticipated I would. Every sentence was beautifully written and had a purpose. When I reached the end, each thread was woven together beautifully and answered every question—some I didn’t even know I had. And I realized that even the tiniest of things, played a huge role. It was a twisty maze of a thriller that also gave a glimpse into the minds of three very different people who struggled with the same question: who am I, really? If this is what Kukafka produces for a debut, I can’t wait to see what she releases next.

Lucinda, a young girl has been killed, turning upside down the lives of the inhabitants of a town by the mountains in Colorado. The story is told from the points of view of a girl who hated her, a boy who stalked her and a police officer with a promise to keep.

Both Jade and Cameron not only share the same high-school but they also have in common dysfunctional families. Russ, the policeman investigating the murder, is struggling to make his marriage work while trying to find the culprit.

If you are expecting a novel about some jocks and cheerleaders solving a murder and living happily ever after, this book is not for you.

However, if you want to read a story about some real people who are not the luckiest or the prettiest and still manage to survive, this book is for you. It is sad, it is depressing and shows how bad life can get in a small village, but it also shows hope.

My favourite part of the book is when Jade imagines the things she would like to say but can't say. I think we all have that feeling more often than not and we all picture an alternative reality in which we vent our frustration without consequences. Unfortunately, some things are better left unsaid, although just like in the novel saying sometimes how you really feel can also have an unforeseen positive effect in your life.

I would recommend this novel to adults who are not so young and want to read something different from cliché high-school books.

Nicely written but overlong book about the murder of a teenager in small town America. For the most part, great characters except from the detective, who I didn't believe in at all. Great at showing the hypocrisy and gossip that goes on in any small town. Nice plotting too, but too much padding.

*3.5 stars.

This is the debut work of Danya Kukafka and I hope we will see much more from this young author. While it is a murder mystery, the solving of the crime is almost secondary to the delving into the psyche of the three unique characters from whose point of view the story is told.

The murder victim is Lucinda Hayes, a popular middle school student, whose body is found on the carousal of the local park. One of the first people to be suspected is Cameron, her neighbor and fellow student, a misfit and loner. Some say he stalked Lucy...he was occasionally spotted staring into her bedroom window, standing still as a statue. And later in his own room, he would draw sketch after sketch of her. Was it love or obsession?

Then there is Russ, the police officer investigating the crime, who used to work with Cameron's father, who left town after being accused of beating a woman during a routine stop--the woman with whom he was having an affair. Russ is struggling with his own unresolved feelings.

And the final character is Jade, another creative misfit student who resented Lucy for her perfect life--for stealing her boyfriend and her babysitting job. Jade's story is told in the first person which contrasts her dysfunctional family life with Lucinda's. Jade often mentally rewrites her interactions with other people as a scene from a play in which things turn out as she wishes they would. Jade is my favorite character and is somewhat the hero of the story when the killer is finally revealed.

I found this story to be quite satisfying on many levels and wish to thank the publisher and author for the offer to read an arc of the book through NetGalley.

I'm not sure if I really liked this book or not. It starts out with a lot of promise and then just kind of fizzles out for me. The story is not much about the girl that is found dead in the snow as it is about the 3 people that were somehow tied to her. Different, very different and different can be good!

Kukafka's writing was beautiful, but the writing didn't grab me. A literary mystery that could have used more bite and character development. I would give her work a chance in the future because she definitely has promise.

The girl in the snow is named Lucinda. She lies on a schoolyard merry-go-round dead. Three people are connected to her story. Cameron a boy who feels strongly about Lucinda and for her but who seems to be autistic. Jade another outsider who is jealous of Lucinda and tries to befriend Cameron. And Russ a cop who was Cameron 's fathers partner on the police forever.
All suspicions seem to be on Cameron a boy who wanders the dark neighborhood streets in the dead of night spying on his neighbors. At various turns in the story each character plays out their part in Lucinda's life and her last night. Slowly the true becomes known until a shocking ending. The story is interesting because it is predominant told from the voice of children who see the world differently than adults. Cameron is an interesting character to explore since it is seldom autism is a major part of the mystery. Well written and a good read

I surprised myself by liking this book a lot more than I originally anticipated. This was my first time reading this author, and I will definitely be reading Kukafka again. Told from three perspectives over three days and a while after the murder of a school girl named Lucinda, the points of view are drastically different: the boy who loved her, the girl who hated her, and the detective desperate for an answer he can live with. There were times the author went off on a few tangents, or where one of the characters got bogged down in their own bad habits longer than I cared for. Regardless Kukafka wrote three very separate people and blended them beautifully into one story. I also loved how Kukafka describes emotions in this novel. Somehow they are described perfectly, even down to how they differ between teens and adults; Kukafka even goes into detail about the physicality of grief and guilt and anger, it is truly beautiful and all encompassing.

What an amazing writer! I've never read anything like this before. It was just so intriguing. The author was grossly eloquent when describing the characters unpleasant flaws and you can't look away. I guarantee that if you set this book down you won't be able to stop thinking about it until you pick it back up again.

GIRL IN SNOW: Danya Kukafka's first novel has a beautiful cover and an intriguing title but it is long. While it is only 350+ pages it felt like so much more to me. Much of it felt like padding. Why? I loved the way it was written. She wrote character chapters. Short chapters that focused on each character and furthered the story bit by bit. Or sometimes not at all. I liked a couple of the characters, the rest were largely forgettable.

Parts of GIRL were totally believable - the parts that related to how teenagers act. The rest of the book I found completely unbelievable - and I read mostly horror, which requires a suspension of belief.

I wanted to like GIRL IN SNOW a lot more than I did. It was a hard book for me to finish, but I really wanted to know whodunnit. In the end, I gave it three stars, which means I thought it was OK. Will you like it? Why not sample the writing and see?

Simon and Schuster gave me a digital to review.