My thanks to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley.
When I first requested this book, I'll admit that I didn't read what it was about. All I saw was that fantastic cover, and I thought "snow, cold, blood and Flame Tree!" Really, that's all I needed to know.
Then, I finally got around to reading it, and read a few reviews beforehand. Everyone seemed to like it, but all I saw was Krampus and killer snowmen.
I thought, crikey! What the heck have I gotten myself into? I hate books like this. Still, I decided to give it a go. I loved it! The concept this author came up with is very imaginative! I had a few doubts along the way, but I was never bored. I've now gone to Amazon and put 2 of his books on my wishlist.
Kudos to the author!

This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

This is not my type of book. Sorry. I kept reading and could not get into it. It did not grip me enough to make it an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This was SO MUCH FUN.

Snowball is a perfect mix of Christmas and Halloween for adults. Mainly Halloween, because it’s all creepy and dark and atmospherically epic, but who cares?

The basic plot is simple: multiple people are stranded in a snowstorm on a highway. They begin to share their stories of their worst winters, and slowly begin to realize they have a very tangential and tenuous connection to one another.

Of course, once they find that out all he breaks loose. And let me tell you, it’s wild and weird and dark and grotesque and also kind of funny and I just had a blast reading it. I don’t know this author but after this novel I’ll happily pick up whatever else he writes. It was a perfect blend of ludicrous and creepy and I definitely recommend it.

Really enjoyed this novel - interesting premise and had me riveted for most of it. However, once it went a little metaphysical it started to lose me, personally feel it would have been better as a horror/thriller rather than the horror/metaphysical horror it tried to be! I'd still read another novel by the author, I just hope it's all as good as the start to this one was!

A tense and atmospheric first half falls apart a little once we get the full story. Once we hit Krampus and a world inside a toymaker's snow globe, the book is still entertaining, but no longer scary.

This was a great book! It held my attention and I couldn't put it down, kept me awake at night because I just wanted to keep reading! It was an easy to follow along story and contained good easy to follow characters. I highly recommend this to anyone and can't wait to read more by this author. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this.

Creepy and atmospheric, Snowball by Gregory Bastianelli is definitely eerie and has a great premise. Set in New Hampshire, it’s Christmas Eve during a brutal snow storm and travelers are stranded on a highway. They have gathered together in the RV of a strange older couple for shelter and company. There’s seemingly no connection between them but as the evening progresses and the stranded tell their most awful winter-time stories correlations come to light.
Snowball has every element needed to make for a great horror read: it has great characters with traumatic pasts, sets a sinister mood, and of course, there’s some really scary monsters.
It’s fast paced and kept my interest. A must read for fans of the horror genre. I’ll be reading more from Mr. Bastianelli in the future.
A big thank you to NetGalley & Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the story of a group of people travelling separately get stranded in a snowstorm in New Hampshire on Christmas Eve. Things then take a sinister turn.

I really wanted to love this book but I didn’t. Although this is a horror I really didn’t find it very frightening at all. There were some interesting elements to the story and if they had been expanded on I would have enjoyed it more. If as a reader you lean more into the fantasy side of the horror genre then I think that you will enjoy this.

I found this book difficult to get through, as it was repetitive and nonsensical. I want to believe that this was just not my kind of book but I think it was just a bit juvenile.

Oh man this book was freaking fantastic! It exceeded all of my expectations! If you are a fan of horror, you'll definitely want to read this. This is the perfect book to read on a winter evening, or even when it's 95 degrees out like it is here unfortunately. Seriously, this book was so good, I may just have to read it again when we get some cold weather, if we ever get any.

I had actually never heard of the author until I read this but I was impressed by his writing style and want to read more of his books. This story has so many layers to it, and twists and turns, and stories within stories that you'll want to read this in one sitting. I usually don't get creeped out by horror stories, only movies, but this book did creep me out some. Let's just say, I'll never look at a snowman or a snow globe the same way ever again.

The ups and downs and ins and outs with the maze of a carnival funhouse. What a crazy ride this this book was.

“A snowplow trudged along the narrow turnpike lane, trying to keep up with the onslaught of wet heavy snow piling up on the road in thick drifts.” From this first sentence until the last sentence of the book, I was completely hooked.

Snowball is a story about a group of strangers stranded in a severe snowstorm. As they all huddle together in an RV, they start telling their worst winter stories as they wait for the snowstorm to pass.

The story is well written with a variety of characters, all at different stages in their lives. The author’s descriptive writing gave me chills on a regular basis as my mind conjured up the scenes he was describing. His monsters ranged from a vampiric snowman ( I mean, come on, how could you not love this) to the folklore of Krampus and fueled my imagination. The story propelled forward easily as the story of each character was told. I love when a book can boggle my mind, while at the same time keep me entertained. The ending sentence was fantastic, and left me craving more, but yet, strangely satisfied.

I was not familiar with Gregory Bastianelli before this book. After reading Snowball, I definitely am going to read his other books. If you like Dean Koontz’s early stuff, you will love this book. Some dark and snowy night with a cup of hot chocolate by your side and snuggled in a blanket, grab this book. You won’t regret it.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this 5 star book.

A brilliant winter horror that is missing its chance not being released for Christmas - this book is surreal, interesting, engaging and well written. I really enjoyed the suspensful, tense storyline and read it in one sitting.

An interesting and entertaining read. It reminded me a bit of Doctor Who at the beginning with the toothy snowman.
A group of strangers trapped on a highway in a blizzard, it's a great premise for a story. The writing is engaging and the story has some great twists. Flame Tree Press are still coming out with some good material.

I found the characters well written and fully developed, I like that we got a little background into each one at the beginning too. I do like a good character story.

I feel I should have waited to Christmas to read this, but I'm sure I'll give it another whirl then.

I really enjoyed this Christmas-horror-cum-dark-fairytale by a surprise hidden gem of an author I've never heard of before, but whose work I'm now looking forward to exploring more of.

After an explosive opening scene, the first half of the book is kind of slow as it largely revolves around the cast of people stuck in their cars telling stories of the winters of their youth as they gather in one of their RVs for warmth. When two of them go to chase a light in the woods, the plot kicks off and we follow them as they battle various monsters from myth and legend.

It reads more like a dark fairytale than a horror novel, but that works just fine. Krampus and evil Whomping Willows and diabolical snowmen? Hecking yes. If that sounds good to you, then I recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like this novel a lot more than I actually did. It started out with so much potential. A once in a lifetime winter storm hits New Hampshire on Christmas Eve. It's so bad that it even strands a snow plow, which then causes an eight car pileup. There's no chance of relief until the highway can be reopened in the morning so eventually all of the drivers and passengers decide to group together in an RV that has been stranded but has plenty of propane and food to make the situation more tolerable. They are a motley crew: a soccer mom and her two kids, an unkempt alcoholic dressed in Salvation Army garb, a parole officer and his wife, and two old college friends (men). I really loved the first half of Snowball when the storm rolls in and getting all the characters together in the RV where they swap "worst winter story ever" tales. However, when the snowmen showed up, the author lost me. The premise was good, and the character controlling all the action was good. It was also well written, but I just couldn't get past the snowmen. Sorry.

Thanks NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for providing an ARC in return for an honest review. Two and a half stars rounded up to three.

A snow storm on Christmas A stuck snow plow with the driver missing leads to several motorists getting stuck on the highway. A couple on their way home, a trucker after his last delivery, a businessman visiting his parents, two childhood friends, college sweethearts, a mum and her two children, a member of the Salvation Army and a retired couple in an RV. They've all had a traumatic experience in winter and unbeknownst to them they all have a connection. Then there's the snowmen...

Absolutely loved this book. Had me hooked from the first chapter. Fantastic horror/thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Gregory Bastianelli for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Snowball gives new meaning to the old phrase, "When Hell freezes over....". Random highway travelers become stranded in their vehicles in a blizzard on Christmas eve. Like most people we share the highway with it would appear that they have nothing in common. Most of the travelers take refuse in an RV and, while sharing their worst winter memories, they begin to discover some common threads. As the night wears on, Christmas arrives with not-so-jolly Snowmen and well...this will not be a Silent and Holy Night.
I really enjoyed reading Snowball. Sections of Part II took me back to my own childhood board games. This was written in such a way that I could visualize this in two different ways at the same time. One way being as one of the travelers having to go through the experience and the other being someone watching this play out. You'll know what I mean when you read this. I don't want to say too much for fear of giving away a spoiler.
I think this would do well adapted to screen. It'd be a blast as a mini-series!
#Snowball #netgalley #reviewathon

I really enjoyed this book! It was thrilling in every ways! I couldn’t put it down!! It was my first read by this author, and it won’t be my last!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

What a read, not what I expected a deep dark thriller. I was hooked it was a scary read then at 51% I laughed. I could not take it seriously but I could not stop reading. The writer has mastered a skill at making it feel so real, I had goose bumps at times. The storyline is more fantasy thriller and had its gruesome bits with killer snowmen.
I really enjoyed it and was a surprise read, kept me hooked. Right upto the ending... Very disappointing. However never has a book been so bizzare, intriguing, scary and fascinating.