I had a really hard time connecting to this book. And I think it was a me thing instead of the book itself. I was looking for more of a who did it and why and that climax I was looking for did not happen for me.

When I started this book, I was expecting a mystery or suspenseful story based on what I thought the book was about, I was very disappointed. This story is about three characters; Cameron, Jade and Russ and what they learn about themselves in the aftermath of the death of a ninth grader, Lucinda. The mystery element is there, with the investigation here and there throughout the book, but it was almost an afterthought. I plugged away at the story, but found it very slow moving and there was not much happening until almost 75% of the way through. As we learn more about the three characters, we see their dark sides and their secrets. There is a lot of foreshadowing throughout the book, but it is still hard to catch the clues and information as you go through. Much of what we learn about the characters had nothing to do with the murder.

Having said all that, Danya Kukafka's writing is beautiful. It’s lyrical and very descriptive. It often felt like you were in a dream or hazy foggy place wondering what would come next. I did not become attached to any of the characters while reading this book. It was not until the last quarter or so of the book where the real killer is revealed that had me interested. It moved quickly and the suspense built up.

I did not enjoy this book, but it does not mean others would feel the same way. If you are a fan of introspective writing styles and like books that explore inner turmoil or struggles of the characters, then you will probably enjoy this book much more than I did. As I said above, the writing is wonderful, I did not enjoy the story.

4 stars for Danya Kukafka's Girl in the Snow. When a young girl Lucinda is found murdered on the school play yard in a small Colorado town, Who's to blame for her death, this novel is well-written and the characters well developed except for that of Lucinda (hence the 4 star rating) I felt I could connect with the other characters, the storyline and it all felt so real except I seem to feel nothing when it came to Lucinda.  I loved Jade's POV as it was done in a way of what actually happened as opposed to what she wishes she had said & done. If your looking quick read that's enjoyable add this one to your list of books to read,  I received an advanced copy of Girl in the Snow thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book a couple of times and it took me a little bit to get into.  I appreciate this is a debut book for a younger author and believe she has touched on a lot of deep feelings and ideas while walking us through each chapter, written from the perspective of the given characters.  I think part of what I was having a hard time grasping was why I wanted to finish the book and if I was really dedicated to finding out what truly happened.  I feel like I wasn't connected enough to the characters and the storyline to feel I needed resolution in the end.  I did enjoy the unique way the story was written, seeing the story unfold through the eyes of each character the chapters were assigned to.  I believe this story will appeal to many readers who enjoy a detailed, suspenseful tale, but it wasn't one of my favorite books.

Did not like this book.  It was boring, repetitive and jumped around a lot.  This a more like a YA but with some adult issues tangled in between.  I think this author may have a great talent it just wasn't with this book.  The book follows Jade, Russ and Cameron and they all tell a story and the only one I really cared about at all was Russ and he wasn't in it a lot.  There is a murder of a beautiful girl and no one knows who did it.

I really couldn't get into this book. I think, because it was requested during my reading slump, I was finding most things difficult to get into, though.

3/5 stars. Wish the characters were more indepth. characters. This book is along the same lines of girl on a train or woman in the window. If you like flawed characters with a story to tell this book is for you.

This book was definitely a page turner. I read this book in one day. Great mystery/thriller. I would recommend it.

Not really what I expected from something listed as mystery/thriller. It was a bit slow for my taste and not as much intrigue as I hoped for after reading the synopsis. It was an OK story, that's really all I can say about it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to any of my friends. I'm sorry. But I appreciate the opportunity to read it.

Review limited to Goodreads

2.5/5

While this book was not horrible, I found numerous aspects of it that were simply not well researched and just thrown in for the sake of the storyline making the story simply implausible. As a result, I found my enjoyment of the story diminished. Had I not been reviewing the book for the publisher via Netgalley, I would have abandoned because I felt the mistakes were that sloppy.

I loved this one! I love strong character driven stories, especially ones that link with a bit of mystery. This one fit the bill perfectly. I am in awe that this is a debut work and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I reviewed this book on Goodreads as well.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Snow-Danya-Kukafka-ebook/dp/B073V39QC4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524400535&sr=8-1&keywords=girl+in+snow

Set in a small Colorado town where nothing much happens, a high school girl named Lucinda Hayes, who seemed to have everything going for her is found murdered.  As the investigation unfolds, so does a snapshot of three individuals connected to her in some way.  There's Cameron, a socially awkward voyeur who had a crush on Lucinda and had become somewhat of a secret stalker.  Then Jade, a classmate who both envied and despised Lucinda and finally,  Detective Russ Fletcher, the shady character who happens to be investigating the murder.

This was a decent debut novel but, I do think it had a YA audience feel to it.  I liked the way that my opinion as to who the murder might be had changed as I read.  I do wish that the story was a bit more plot driven but, overall, the author did a good job.

DNF.

I just couldn’t get into this one. Maybe it was my mood or the slower pace. Just wasn’t the right fit.

Girl in Snow by Danya Kukalfka

Too often authors try to be so, so literary and unfortunately they wind up being silly in their pomposity.  For example, here is a quote which is supposed to be the thoughts of a high school student:

 “If this moment were a song, Cameron thought, it would be a quiet song. the sort of song that drowned you in your miserable chest.  It was stunning and tender.   It dropped, it shattered and Cameron could only feel the weight of this melody, this song that felt both crushing and delicate.”

REALLY?  These are the thoughts of a high school student?

Another quote:  “Last night,  almond eyes glaring out into the lawn.  A pink palm spreadwide on Lucinda’s bedroom window screen.  The clouds overhead, moving in fast, a gray sheet shaken out over midnight suede.”

Ayyyyy….. here is the author is stretching so hard to sound LITERARY, to put in so many descriptive words into one sentence and the outcome is that it isn’t either literary nor comprehensible.

Or how about his one:  “He hated to imagine his sadness inside her.  Mom didn’t deserve any of it. “  UGH.  What does this mean, “his” sadness inside of her?  

And another which may be the worst:  “Her cheekbones were high and bright!....”her mouth was open in laughter;  you could see the gap between her two front teeth.  Cameron loved that gap.  It unclothed her.”
How are cheekbones bright?  How does the gap in her teeth unclothe her?

Also, please editor, if there is one, can you just cut location 72 (on my Kindle).   It goes on and on and on about foreheads resting against a frosted window.  Say what?  Several sentences?  A whole paragraph?

One more: “He could not look at Lucinda like this because he had missed her most important parts: the way her legs flew out when she ran, from all these years of ballet”.  Her most important parts?  Flew out?  Flew out when she ran? Flew out where?  And p.s. legs don’t fly out in ballet.

“Her pink striped sweater looked fake and sad….!”   I started laughing out loud at that one.  I was trying to imagine that if it were a happier moment, would her sweater have looked real and happy?

This does not make any sense at all.

In fact, I have given up trying to make sense of this book.  Rating of 0

The author cleverly intertwines the varying perspectives of this story, which revolves around the death of a young girl. The dead girl is immortalized in the minds of those who knew her, while the police officer investigating her death finds hidden surprises in the life of someone who, to everyone else, seemed to have the perfect life. Who you are on the outside often doesn't match who you are on the inside, and the three characters-the boy, the girl, and the cop-who are left behind must come to terms with the fact that the dead girl was merely human, just like them.

Simon & Schuster and NetGalley provided me with a copy of Girl in Snow.  I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

When 15 year old Lucinda Hayes is found murdered, the police quickly narrow in on a short list of suspects.  Will Russ, the primary investigator, be able to keep looking objectively when he has a personal connection with two of the subjects?  Fellow student Cameron, as a stalker of the neighborhood and of Lucinda in particular, seems a logical subject of interest. So is Jade, whose jealousy of Lucinda could have morphed into something more.  With a few adults rounding out the list, will the investigation reveal their secrets?

Written in three perspectives, that of Russ, Cameron, and Jade, Girl in Snow is disjointed and lacks the thrilling pace that books of the genre have typically.  The novel lacks the punch that it needs and does not allow the reader to form a connection with any of the characters.  Girl in Snow lost my attention part way through and not even the ending was enough to pique my interest.  There was not enough realism to make the book believable, especially considering the fact that the Russ would have not been allowed near the case in real life.  As far as debut novels go, it was a good first attempt by the author.  The premise had promise, but the execution of the idea was such that I just could not get behind the book.  For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Girl in Snow to other readers.

I wanted to love this book. I thought the premise sounded fantastic, the characters were intriguing, and the plot seemed great. As I started reading I noticed that it seemed a bit more YA than it was portrayed. The plot was slow and at times a bit thick to slog through. I did like the writing style as more of a narration than flipping POV.

Great story. Felt connected to the characters. Loved the premise. Looking forward to more from this author.

This book held so much promise but it just wasn’t for me.