Equal parts mystery and character study - everything I want out of a story.

This is a mystery about a teenage girl who is murdered. Approached as a character study, three individuals tell the story of their experience throughout the novel- a young man that stalked her, a girl who hated her and a policeman. The plot unfolds quite slowly at times making it difficult to continue. However, it was well written and fascinating to follow the perspectives of Cameron, Russ and Jade.

Teenage girl found murderer. Who done it ?
Background as seen through the eyes of three people through alternating chapters.  Feels like a YA book.

This book is clearly a 4.5, told in a very different writing style. 

You get pulled into every single character, especially the three that have voices...Cameron, Jade and Russ. Danya Kukafka's writing makes them just come alive in the retelling of this story. I love how you empathize with all the characters in the book, through their good and bad.

Here is just one quote I really liked from this book.

Nostalgia is my favorite emotion. It's like, you think you know how to deal with the passage of time, but nostalgia will prove you wrong. You'll press your face into an old sweatshirt, or you'll look at a familiar shade of paint on a front door, and you'll be reminded of all the time that got away from you. If you could live it all again, you'd take a long moment to look around, to examine knees against knees. Nostalgia puts you in this dangerous re-creation of something you can never have again. It's ruthless, and for the most part, inaccurate.

A thriller about the mysterious death of a small-town golden girl and the secret lives of three people connected to her. Each chapter is narrated by the three different characters. All the characters are pretty miserable so this is not a happy read! I realise that death is never a pleasant topic but this really does make you feel down. The opposite to a 'holiday read'.

This was an alright book. It was interesting and had my attention for most of the book, but it did drag on and I lost interest at points. I wish that it stuck to the storyline more and describes the characters less. A bit could have been cut out. But all in all it was good.

Mystery thrillers are a thing, ya know? Cheating husbands are a thing, ya know? Unreliable main characters with memory loss are a thing, ya know? And this just combined that but ya know what? It failed. It failed so much I can't even believe I finished it. I  finish it because I was curious as to who actually killed the girl and why and how it will be revealed. Mysteries keep me going, you see. And when it's poorly done, I get sad and disappointed af.

Girl in Snow is about the death of 15-yr old, Lucinda Hayes, a well-loved high school student. This is told in three points of view -- Cameron, Lucinda's stalker; Jude, a girl who hates Lucinda; and Russ, one of the investigator assigned to Lucinda's case. These three POVs tell not only the events leading to Lucinda's death and the investigation that comes after. These POVs also tells the things they observe as by-standers in the life of other people.

As a psychological thriller fan (but this statement might be a bit too much for me. lol.), Girl in Snow was an insta-read for me. Death of a teenager, narrators with their very own issues, an unrealiable point of view? Count me in, please! However, as I said, Girl in Snow disappointed me. It tried to carry the Girl on the Train vibes with one of the narrators, Cameron, who stalks Lucinda, found himself unsure of the events that happened the night she died. He's not even sure if he was home or not, if he has anything to do with her death or not. It's all a crazy blur to him.

What pushed me to keep on reading: (1) the NEED to know who actually killed Lucinda, and (2) how will things be revealed. Let me go through my first NEED. This is a psychological mystery. So you see, it's a MYSTERY. I NEED to know the answer. When there's a mystery there has to be answers and theory-making, and all that fun things. I analyzed the characters. I read and tried to analyzed them and understand them and their involvement in the Lucinda's death. And that really motivated me to finish this.

In relation to my first motivation, I'm really intrigued by the revelations in psychological thrillers. Usually there's tension and a thrilling surprise once things were revealed. However, Girl in Snow majorly fails in this department for me. Instead of going into that heightened tension, the revelation was just so plain and anticlimactic. It was a real let down. I was like: that's it?

OVERALL, Girl in Snow is a mystery thriller that tried to ride the thriller-hype but failed to stay on board. It has an interesting premise and nice story-telling. The multiple POV is certainly a great mystery thriller drive but the execution of the story itself just didn't work out well for me. I would still be interested to give Danya Kukafka another go though since this is her debut novel.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book is a slow burner. It gives you multiple mysteries in reality. What happened to Lucinda? Why was Cameron’s dad gone? What made Russ so melancholy. This small town is racked by the murder of one of their bright stars. The pretty blond that everyone loved. The golden girl of the neighborhood that had secrets heavier than her years. The story alternates POV between Cameron, the outcast “stalker” in love with Lucinda that has a habit of peeking in on other people’s lives. Jade, the misunderstood darker female in the story. And Russ, the weary detective with a strained marriage and sad heart. It’s actually beautifully told in an almost artistic manner. The author weaves a tale that leaves you wanting more and hoping that your suspicions are wrong. Each soul is tarnished in this small town but that doesn’t always indicate guilt. This is the story of the outcasts suspected of a heinous crime because they stood in the shadows in someone else’s shine.

I had a hard time even finishing this book. The characters were boring too me and I even skimmed pages trying to find a part that would keep my interest... This book is written more for a teenager .

Three stars: A troubling novel with unlikeable characters, a haunting story line and beautiful writing. 

When a beautiful golden girl turns up dead, everyone in a small Colorado suburb, starts whispering. Who would kill Lucinda and why? Of course, all eyes turn on Cameron, the eccentric, quiet artist who fell in love with Lucinda. Cameron isn’t quite normal. He spends hours and hours, still as a statue staring and observing everything around him, his favorite pass time was to watch Lucinda. Would Cameron kill Lucinda? What about Jade, the sharp tongued, acne covered teenager who had every reason to hate Lucinda as she took many things that Jade held dear. Then there is police officer, Russ, who promised to watch over his partner’s son. Russ has his own trouble and secrets, but he is determined to help find out who killed Lucinda. Who is the murderer?
What I Liked:
*Girl in Snow is a difficult book to read and review. It is one of those books that takes a long time to grab hold, but when it does, it will keep you reading. This is a book with a slow pace that manages to work despite the unlikeable characters. What makes this one tick is the mesmerizing writing and attention to detail.
*The book features three points of view. Cameron was the voice I found the most fascinating. It is never revealed what makes Cameron different, if I had to guess, I would say he has some form of autism. He is bothered by loud sounds, he doesn’t function in the social world, and his preferred pass time is to stand for hours on end, quiet like a statue and observe. It was interesting being inside Camron’s head. Jade is a sharp tongued teenage girl full of hate and self loathing. She is hiding her guilty secrets and anger at her mother and the rest of the world. I found her voice funny, and I especially enjoyed her snarky scripts. 
*What made this book work for me was the haunting writing. The writing is gorgeous. I appreciated the attention to detail. The descriptions are carefully crafted and stunning. If you like lovely writing that focuses on the details, this is one to read. 
*Of course with any good mystery, there are lots of suspects and plenty of motives. I have to admit, that I was never sure as to who the killer was, and then when it was finally revealed, I was shocked. I didn’t see it coming. 
&The ending draws to a satisfying close. Everything is revealed, the questions are answered and it ends as well as a story can end when it involves a murdered girl. 
And The Not So Much:
*I was never sure as to why the author included Russ, the police officer’s voice. I did not like Russ at all, and his view point really didn’t offer much toward the story. I could have done without Russ all together. I hated his chapters. 
*As I mentioned, the pace of the story is slow. It plods along, exposing little secrets as it goes. If you want a fast paced mystery with exciting twists and turns, this is not for you. 
*I was bothered by the whole story line centered around Cameron’s dad. I wanted to know more. Where did he go? 

Girl in Snow is a sophisticated type of mystery. This is not a book for everyone as it features a slow pace and an unlikeable cast of characters. What makes this book fascinating is the writing that is full of rich descriptions and haunting detail. If you want an interesting story, check this out, just remember to be patient. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review. 
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Each chapter is narrated by three different characters: Cameron, Jade and Russ. The main plot is the death of a young girl who was found dead in the snow, apparently she was hit in the head with a object and left to die. Well, I should start saying it was a bit hard to get into this book and even harder to keep reading it. I found it really slow and by the end of the book I was tired and I just wanted to finish it.

All the characters are really sad, although I liked the way the author combined the three of them in the end of the book. Definitely is a well written book with a promissor plot, I didn't fell connect at all with anything in it though. It was just an OK book, nothing that I will remember in the future.

Have you ever read a book with disturbing, unlikeable characters and an uncomfortable plot (as well as uncomfortable sub-plots) (Gone Girl comes to mind), yet you can’t put it down? Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka is just that kind of a book. 15 year-old Lucinda Hayes has been found murdered on the playground of a nearby school. Cameron Whitley is a strange kid with few friends who has been stalking Lucinda for years (he calls it “statue nights” where he sneaks out of his room and simply watches Lucinda); he is of course a prime suspect, as well as overweight, acne-scarred, backwards Jude Dixon-Burns, who lives in an abusive home with an alcoholic mother and only a homeless man as a friend, who hates Lucinda because she is popular. Russ Fletcher is the police officer investigating the murder in this small Colorado town. He is very backward, has no ambition, has been friends with Cameron’s mother, Cynthia for years (was her husband, Lee’s partner until Lee left after a scandal some years before), and is married to a Mexican National, Inéz, whose brother, Ivan, is the night janitor at the school; Ivan is a suspect because he discovered the body and because he is a convicted felon.

The book is written in the style of Gone Girl, in that the chapters are entitled Cameron, Jude, or Russ, and tell the story through each of those characters. The novel is extremely well-written, and the author is able to tell the story with amazing expertise, especially since this is a debut novel for Kakafka. Through her writing, she is able to invoke emotions in readers that are unexpected, and the dénouement is quite surprising. 

While this is an uncomfortable read, it is highly recommended for anyone who is looking for something different. Although the style of this novel has been compared to Gone Girl, the story is nothing like it and this unique story will appeal to readers who enjoy suspense, thrillers, general fiction, and good writing.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

GIRL IN SNOW by Danya Kukafka has been chosen as The Marvelous Site's Novel of the Month for February 2018.  The following review is a "reviewaka" which is based on an ancient Japanese poetry form.  (To learn how to read/write a reviewaka, you can go to http://www.themarveloussite.com/quick-guide-to-reading-a.html.)

Girl in Snow
by Danya Kukafka
c2017

circling teen’s murder
beats the heart of voyeurism
loving from afar

where sight is not always true
powerful, lovely, gritty

                            MM

DNF review: I read to page 135 and then skipped to the end and read the last 60 pages.

I loved the synopsis of this and I’m 100% here for a murder mystery, so I was all over this. Sadly, it was disappointing.

There are three POVs, a lot of characters, and barely any murder. The characters are flat and boring and didn’t seem to actually do anything.

Plot wise, it was boring. Nothing happened and there wasn’t any sort of tension or uneasiness. The last few chapters were mildly intriguing and I didn’t expect the murderer, yet once I read through to the ending, I couldn’t make myself go back and read the middle of the book.

Overall, the idea was interesting, but the execution was lacking.

**Huge thanks to Simon and Schuster for providing the arc free of charge**

I would give this book 2.5 out of 5 stars.

I really enjoyed the commentary in this story about people and situations not always being what they seem on the surface.

Unfortunately, I didn't overly enjoy this story. I didn't like the characters and found the story to be very slow moving.

I just couldn't find a way to motivate myself to finish this book. No matter how many times I'd go through my reader, I could never remember what this book was about.

Lucinda Hayes is found murdered and everyone in her town is affected.

Cameron Whitley,watches her from a distance in a weird stalking way and Jade detests her. 

All the characters in this book have issues and this is a good insight into the quiet town in which they live and the thoughts and feeling they have in common.

I liked the slow pace and I was interested in how this book would end. I am a people watcher so it was fascinating to see how the murder affected each individual

Danya Kukafka has managed to imbue an air and feel of mystery and suspense with a hint of melancholia in her debut novel Girl in Snow.

Written in the point of view of three characters, the novel explores the life death of Lucinda Hayes through the eyes of Cameron, a distant admirer, Jade, a girl who lost to Lucinda, and Russ, a police officer connected to a few of the suspects and the investigating officer in this case.

Kukafka has written a balanced set of characters major or minor, showing us their beauty and ugliness, their vulnerability, and how their lives changes due to Lucinda’s action, her very presence, and her eventual death.

Lucinda, a popular high school girl, remains the mystery glue, the invisible thread that keeps all the players interlinked with each other. Her actions begin a chain of event in lives associated with her, intimate or not, and we reach a point where every witness/suspect has a motive to cause her harm. Who has the opportunity? That’s for the readers, Lucinda’s schoolmates, and a police officer with a lot of baggage, to find out.

The shift in POV is smooth, clear, and the story progresses with lovely ease of pace, balancing on the delicate threshold of action and emotion. Unreliable narration by one of the POV’s who is a prime suspect is superbly done. I enjoyed Kukafka’s writing style immensely. The air of sadness softly transforms into hope as all the key people find their silver lining at the end of the story. Subtlety is this book’s beauty.

However, as it always happens, I do have some tiny niggles about this book. I found it more general fiction than a mystery novel. The crime was never really in focus as the story was written in multiple POV who expressed a lot of thoughts and feelings that often took our attention away from the murder. The book rushed into a solution too soon, too quick, and the motive and the guilty party never get the desired attention as expected in the genre. I wish the motive and the convict had a little more focus. I wouldn’t mind a little less highlight on pimples and other teenage physical agonies either. But I must remind myself here, that this book is about teenagers and clearly marketed as general fiction/mystery-thriller. So I really shouldn’t complain a lot.

I found the character of Jade very interesting, the way she coaxes Cameron into bringing out memories no matter how sweet or ugly, hence forming the first crack on his shell. I love the idea of keeping the line between the suspects and witnesses blurred for an entire two third of the book. Kukafka is a capable writer no doubt. I hope to read a lot more from her.

A well-rounded four stars to Girl in Snow.

I received an advanced reader copy from Dana Trocker via Netgalley and couldn’t pick it up before December due to personal reasons. I take this opportunity to express my apologies for the delayed review and gratitude for a lovely piece of fiction. I haven’t read a lot of books in the last few months as you can see from the blog updates but this one belongs to the handful of interesting ones I wish I had made time to pick up sooner.

This mysterious story kept me riveted to the page and just as cold as the setting. The characters add so much to this story, it was compelling and interesting in a way that felt new, while also being deep and creepy.