As a literature teacher, I felt I had to pick this up, since it is loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. The nods to character names and plot echoes are there, though the connection feels pretty loose overall.

That said, I could not put it down. The story was gripping, and I really enjoyed the way it unfolded. The ‘almost ending’ (Anthony’s fate) felt a little overdone to me, but it worked and wrapped things up well.

This book does carry some definite trigger warnings, so I would recommend checking those beforehand. Oddly, while reading I found myself reminded of Untamed (Netflix), and those same kinds of vibes ran through the story.

Annie Cardi is now firmly on my list of authors I will read again without hesitation.

#NetGalley #WinterWhite

This was a really well written retelling of the Shakespeare classic, it uses the storyline in a way that was engaging and worked as something new to work together. I enjoyed how good Annie Cardi wrote this and was able to weave the story that was needed. I thought the characters worked well and was invested in what was happening to them in this, it left me wanting to read more from Annie Cardi.

Thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pia and her brother, Max, live with their father in a secluded farm in the rural part of Maine. Their father says the only way to stay safe is to keep their heads down and stay on the farm. However after their father has an accident and breaks his leg, he has Pia begin going to town to not only make errands but to mostly make mysterious deliveries to people. As she goes into town, she begins to learn that not everything is as it seems and she meets a boy, Felix, who she instantly connects with and seems familiar somehow…

A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, this YA was super well written I thought. Pia and her brother’s relationship is really sweet despite the environment that they are in. And I love Pia’s slow realization of what her dad said is true and what isn’t the more she goes into town. It’s a heavier story but everything wraps up nicely in the end. I had a hard time putting it down and finished it really quickly. It was tense and I was on the edge of my sheet especially the last 20% of the story. This is my first novel that I have read by Annie Cardi, and I look forward to reading more of her work!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgally for this ARC.
This is a modern retelling of Shakespears A Winters Tale. I would say it follows the play exceptionally well with the themes of jealousy, infidelity, exile and love.
The story follows the life of sixteen year old Pia, her brother and father who live and work on a farm.
As the story unfolds we learn through Pia's pov that life as she knows it isn't normal.
When her father breaks his leg in an accident it comes down to Pia to continue her fathers delivery service running, which earns her some freedom.
I loved the budding relationship between Felix & Pia, it was so sweet and heartwarming.
I also enjoyed the pov of Pia and experienceing her world through her eyes and thoughts.
The end was predictable but I still really enjoyed the book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book.
This is a modern retelling of winter’s tale by Shakespeare. I think it nailed the central themes of the original work while still being its own.
Pia is living in a farm in Maine with her younger brother Max and her dad. Pia goes into town once a year until her dad breaks his leg and can’t do his daily deliveries. Pia has to replace her father and make deliveries. This gives her an opportunity to go into town and meet new people, including Felix.
The writing was nice. It was pretty YA, but it does deal with domestic violence, drugs and death. The ending was predictable from the beginning but I still enjoyed my time reading this book. I’d recommend it if you want a new take on a classic story!