Told from varying viewpoints, this is a combination murder mystery and psychological study. Dysfunctional and dark, but at times, the writing was lovely.

2.5 to 3.0.   I was in love with this cover!  It captured me.  The inside pages were good. It not great.  Solid debut effort but at times felt choppy.

Fast paced, attention demanding, one sitting novel - you'll need to make time for this mystery and suspense novel.
Although the plot revolves around the death of a young girl, the story weaves its way via the lenses of characters of Jade, Russ and Cameron.
The book is a quick and easy read and I'm genuinely not sure if this is due to its YA-esk type theme, or if its down to being somewhat underdeveloped writing. I personally am going to give it the benefit of the former, as I genuinely enjoyed reading it.

I was given an ARC of "Girl in Snow" through Netgalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Danya Kukafka is an incredibly gifted writer. That being said, "Girl in Snow" was advertised as a thriller and I didn't get that feeling from this book at all. I mean, I certainly wasn't bored, it just wasn't the fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read I was expecting going into it. Though the book really embraced the "slow and steady wins the race" mentality by the time I reached the middle, every little detail and side story came together in the end in such a way that it made it all worth it. No minor character was forgotten, every loose end was tied, and all of your questions WILL be answered. Though only one truly matters: Who killed Lucinda Hayes?

Should you decide to give "Girl in Snow" a try (and you absolutely should), I urge you to stick with it. In fact, the only reason I didn't given "Girl in Snow" five stars instead of four was because of the way the book was advertised. I was expecting a thrilling read about the murder of Lucinda Hayes. By the end of the book, I knew all three main characters intimately, but I didn't feel like I or any of the characters truly knew Lucinda at all. Maybe that was the Danya Kukafka's goal... Still, I found myself a bit disappointed.

Do I recommend this book? Yes!

It's a well-cast, easy-read of a mystery, but the character development and back stories were what were most compelling here. The author does a beautiful job of playing with archetypes and forcing you to see beyond the expected - who "should" be guilty, who "shouldn't" be trusted, etc. The central plot wasn't as strong as I might have hoped, but the characters made up for it. A great read.

A little disappointed in this book.  Interesting story and characters, but it kind of dragged on a little too long for me

Just from this book's synopsis, I was captivated. Murder, scandal, and a thrilling chase to solve a mystery all made this a must-read.

Girl in Snow is a thoroughly impressive debut novel. Danya Kukafka's voice, flowing prose, and ability to comfortably switch between multiple character's perspectives is carried out seamlessly.

I am a sucker for books with multiple points-of-view. One of the things I love most about books that accomplish this task well is that it adds much more dimension to stories--intertwining plot lines and varying observations of the same event (especially in thrillers and mysteries) has always helped me to come full circle as a reader. This is definitely one of Kukafa's strengths as an author.

Girl in Snow's narrators couldn't be more different from one another, yet they all work together to tell a heavily nuanced story. Cameron, one of Lucinda's classmates, fights an internal battle upon learning of Lucinda Hayes' death--a girl whom he demonstrates an incredible fascination with. Upperclassman student Jade maintains indifference at the reveal of Lucinda's murder, but why? And Russ, a cop with little passion for his profession, winds up in the middle of a freshman girl's mysterious death--but somehow, they all intertwine and encircle the truth of what exactly happened that fated night.

Despite my expectation of a clue-for-clue murder-solving mystery, this novel reveals itself to be a strong character study of all three of these individuals, more so than anything. Enticed by the promise of secrets, I entered into this book believing that I'd gather a greater understanding of Lucinda Hayes leading backwards from her death, but rather than these characters exuding the truth behind Lucinda's downfall, you learn more about the characters' own demons than those of the murdered party.

Perhaps its my fault for honing these expectations, because beyond my confusion over the plot's intentions, this book is beautifully written. Kukafka eloquently expresses the rarely seen undersides of characters, like Cameron's character remaining largely in his head for a majority of the novel, and Jade uncovering her own truth through analyzing her interactions with others. These small details that may remain unseen in mysteries that focus only on the murdered, rather than those who must continue living afterwards, are a strength of Kukafka's debut.

While the character of Lucinda begins the story, she proceeds to become a mere plot device to further the three protagonist's internal discoveries. Her murder sparks thought, questions, and action from Cameron, Jade, and Russ. Lucinda is not so much a character--but a means of igniting change and discovery amongst those who lost themselves and need to be found. Solving Lucinda's murder reveals just as much about each of Kukafka's narrators as it does about Lucinda herself. 

Although I was not completely satisfied with the structure and the path the plot followed in Girl in Snow, it still showed itself it be a fascinating and intriguing breakout novel for Danya Kukafka. I'm sure that her future works will follow suit, with just as much entrancing prose and captivating character development as Girl in Snow. 

3/5 stars.

This book is hard to rate. But three stars seem about right if I had to use star ratings. The story is told from three perspectives following the murder of The Girl In Snow - 15 year old Lucinda Hayes. The first is of Cameron who was staking Lucinda, the second is Jade who hates Lucinda and the third is local police Russ. 

This is more of a character study novel, the reader is brought deep into the consciousness of the three characters as they respond to the aftermath of Lucinda's death. 

There is a strange slant towards describing the body, poor hygienic conditions of the three characters as well as others they interact with. 

The murder mystery itself wasn't easy to guess but the reveal was so swift that there was little satisfaction in the knowing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me access to this book.

This is a beautifully written solid 3 star murder mystery.

One snowy morning in Colorado high schooler Lucinda Hayes is found murdered, instead of graphic details about the murder this book is a character study from the point of view of 3 characters all who have a connection with the girl. Lucinda and her murder is very much in the background of the story it almost doesn't matter who actually murdered her so much as how life changes after the event and what is revealed about others as the mystery is unravelled.

The novel switches between the views of 3 characters a troubled boy, Cameron, who was in love with Lucinda from a distance leaving others to classify him as a stalker. Jade a girl who is not in the popular set who blames Lucinda for her life going wrong and Russ a cop who is part of the murder investigation team.

The novel takes place over the space of 3 days after Lucinda's body is discovered and each day features alternative chapters from the perspective of the 3 central characters in these perspectives we move back and forward in time over several years to form a cohesive view of how each character has got to the point where they are at the start of the novel.

This is a slow paced novel not a thriller so if you are after fast shocks this is probably not the book for you if however you like learning about people and what motivates them this should appeal. 

This book also looks at the different kinds of love people experience and how that love is relevant to what happens to them and how love can motivate actions both good and bad.

Here are some of my favourite quotes:

"The hum of the overhead fluorescent lights created a rhythm in time with the whispers that blossomed from every direction. If this moment were a song, Cameron thought, it would be a quiet song - the sort of song that drowned you in your own 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." This describes the whispers in the school assembly when Lucinda's death is revealed.

 It didn't seem fair, how loving someone made their precious things you precious things, too."

This was possibly one of the worst books I've read this year.  I very rarely struggle to finish a book, but with this one I, unfortunately, had to admit defeat.  Boring.  Utterly boring and droning on about village life.  Wit no purpose.  I struggled on.  It didn't get any better.  I persevered, and then failed.  This counts as one of less than a dozen books, in my entire life, that I have given up on.

I just listened to this audiobook because I am desperately trying to still complete the list from past reading challenges from Booksparks.
 
Girl in Snow was an interesting Thriller about a high school student named Lucinda who is found murdered. The boy who adored her (and some would say stalked her) has no memory of the night that she was killed and since he’s a bit off people point fingers towards him. Another student thinks she is to blame for totally different reasons. Then there are the adults in town; some of which are acting very strangely. The style in which this story was told was very interesting and I was not disappointed when I learned “who done it.” The cover art is absolutely stunning.

DNF. I didn't finish this book. It creeped me out for some reason. The 9th grade stalker who was obsessed with the dead girl seemed over the top and the language hinted of more disturbing things to come.

From what I did read, the book was interesting. but it was taking me entirely too long to get through the book so I sadly had to DNF it at page 78.

This book is filled with interesting and complex characters whose lives intersect in various (and sometimes unexpected) ways. The mystery of who killed the girl in snow is one that’s hard to figure out making it a worthwhile mystery.

I found this a slow and somewhat heartbreaking read.  It rotates between the contrasting stories of three inhabitants of a small and dreary town in Colorado where a murder has just occurred.  Given the context, I was expecting more of a pyschological thriller, but there is very little narrative tension and the death of Lucinda seems almost a sideshow.  

Instead, Kukafka gives us more of a character study, going deep into the pain and suffering of these three damaged individuals.  I liked the fact that this made them feel much more raw and human than characters in the average crime story.  On the other hand, I didn't feel especially involved in what I was reading - the story never seemed to gain momentum and the absence of likeable characters made it hard to care what happened to them. I'm not sure this one lived up to its initial promise.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read an advance copy of this work.

Lucinda Hayes is well-liked by most everyone who knows her in the small suburb where she goes to school. She has a secret admirer in an odd boy named Cameron Whitley, who lives nearby. Her rival for babysitting jobs, Jade Dixon-Burns, doesn’t like her much because they are opposites in many ways. She is popular at Jefferson High School. So, when Lucinda is found murdered on a playground carousel, there are plenty of secrets that will be revealed as police investigate her death. 

One man on the investigation team is Officer Russ Fletcher, who was once partners with Cameron’s father. Cameron is a very talented artist, and also prone to wandering the neighborhood at night, watching people through their windows, including Lucinda. He calls these his Statue Nights since he stands as still as a statue while he watches. Due to his odd behavior, he gets harassed at school, especially when a popular girl tells a teacher that she thinks Cameron is the type of kid who would bring a gun to school and shoot people. As a reader, you feel bad for the kid because he seems to have such a hard time. But, you also think, could he be a suspect?

Jade is an intelligent girl who has a bad relationship with her abusive mother. She’s also a talented writer who dreams up imaginary screenplays in her head. Her best friend, known as Zap, was dating the murdered girl, giving Jade a reason and motive to hate Lucinda. Could Jade be a suspect too?

As the investigation gets under way, more and more details come out. The suspicion falls on various people at different times, including Cameron, and the art teacher. Officer Fletcher recalls more details about Cameron’s father, who left town for some reason. We gradually learn the backstory on this too. 

The book is told from the perspective of these three people, Cameron, Jade, and Officer Fletcher. Through their eyes, the reader learns about the secrets held by various characters who make up the town. The story moves along at a good pace, but not so fast that you feel like the author is just throwing facts at you. She takes time to develop the characters fully and give them well-rounded backgrounds and histories. The ending is a surprise and I didn’t see it coming at all. 

I liked the fact that the characters had depth and were not just cookie-cutter characters populating the pages. They are real people to the reader, with real lives and real quirks. Flawed, just like we all are. The story is complex, but not so much that you can’t follow along. The new clues that are introduced as you read further help keep the story exciting throughout the whole book. Overall, I thought it was well done and polished. There is a moodiness to the story and the setting that the reader picks up on too. Things are not perfect in this town and the people that live there are not either. It’s quite a good book and a good solid read. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy I received in exchange for my honest review.

This book kept me guessing until the end. Three different people telling their story about their lives and connection to a girl who has been murdered. I thought the author did a great job telling the story.

This book had a lot of promise and I've seen it all over social media.  Unfortunately it just didn't quite work for me.  The uniqueness in the writing style just didn't really fit into what I usually prefer and drew me away from the story itself.

Who are you when no one is watching?

Cameron Whitley knows. At least he knew Lucinda, his 15-year-old classmate who’s been recently murdered. Love and obsession are one in the same for Cameron. His obsession grows through his nightly vigils, standing outside of Lucinda’s house, watching her through her bedroom window.

Jade, Cameron’s too smart and too self-aware classmate and neighbor, knows what Cameron’s been up to. She sees him outside every night and watches him watching Lucinda. But she’s not about to say anything, even after Lucinda’s murder. Coming from the perfect picture of a broken family, Jade hates everything Lucinda is and everything she has: the perfect body, perfect family, and popularity in school. Even the boy Jade loves is in love with Lucinda. When her former friend turns up dead, Jade wonders if her voodoo ritual to get Lucinda to disappear worked after all.

Russ is a cop who is working the murder and brings the ultimate small town feeling to the story. While managing marital problems and his own suspicions about who Lucinda’s killer is, Russ is also haunted by the ghost of his former partner: Cameron’s father. It begs the question of whether Cameron’s followed in his father’s violent footsteps.

As the three narrators circle around each other, getting closer to each other, the mystery of Lucinda’s murder burns slowly in the background. Built up with poetic prose, Kukafka examines the lives of Cameron, Jade, and Russ, showing the reader not their differences, but their similarities. Though their situations differ, Cameron, Jade, and Russ are connected through their broken hearts and their inability to understand their place in this new, Lucinda-less world.

Less thriller than literary fiction, Girl in Snow is a winter afternoon snowstorm: quiet, slow-moving, and beautiful.

A 15 year old girl is found dead on a snowy morning. She is beautiful, and loved by most. The story is told from the perspective of Cameron, a lanky guy who is not so secretly obsessed with Lucinda. Jade, a girl who everyone ignores, who hates Lucinda and Russ, a cop- a friend of Cameron's missing father. 
The story is a web of interconnected events, a web of interconnected stories. I had to go back and read the blurb once again, wasn't this book about the mysterious death of Lucinda? Because the book is barely about the death itself. 
It dwells into the life of Cameron , who's dad goes away after being a cop and a suspect. He is odd to say it simply. He doesn't have many friends, but art is his best companion. His description of the simplest things are complex- that's how he is. 
Jade is a typical teenager who hates her body, who hates everyone who is pretty. She is in love with Lucinda's boyfriend, she has all reasons to hate her. 
Russ is yet another twisted character. His best friend and companion Lee abandons everyone-how does this impact him? His marriage seems to be an arrangement of convenience, is there love ? 
The book was a very long read. I enjoy details, but the details in this book are far too many. Sometimes these details stand out, sometimes I just skipped through them because they just dragged the book on for no apparent reason. 
There were parts that give you a peek at a person's life who is mentally stressed. It gives glimpses of people's lives who are struggling with their identiies. There is barely anything about the death, the murder. Lucinda is a barely threaded into the story- just cause. 
At the end, I couldn't be bothered about who killed her, or why. The other characters overpowered the plot so much that the thriller bit is completely lost.
Overall, a book that I partly enjoyed. But am still looking for the thriller element.