GoodRead - The Snow Child

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!! And, because of this, I decide to put my review of The Snow Child today (as, as after several date changes, that today is the PERFECT day for this book review)

Am going to admit this: this is outside my comfort-zone. This is an adult novel. Not crime/thriller-type adult novel that I normally read, but an adult novel. A proper adult novel where you take your time to read it and get swept along with the story.

Jack and Mabel have moved to the raw Alaskan wilderness in 1920. The distant between them is slowly growing wider and wider due to a terrible event. Then, one night, it begins to snow. And the mood changes. Mabel surprises herself by throwing a snowball at Jack and, in a moment of tenderness, they build a snow child together. The next day, the snow child vanish and both Jack and Mabel see glimpses of a small child hiding in the forest close to their homestead...

Now, I'm not sure how to write this review on this book as it's a strange book for me to review. I was told from several of my blogger pals (true bloggers, not like me who's faking it!) that I would just "inhale it" and "just fall for her prose". And for people to say that about a debut novel is a big deal for me! HUGE! And I can totally see it! This book takes it's time to reveal the story (like how I imagine a story set in Alaska to be) but there's something more to this book. It's as if the book breathes sometimes. That's the only way I can describe it. The Snow Child breathes...

Like I said before, this book doesn't rush itself so you guys who want fast-pace reads, you might want to avoid this.

And yet, this is a interesting tale for me. I think, on Twitter, I told the author and the UK publisher (thanks Sam from Headline for sending me a copy! She's the lady that told me about this book so I owe her...!) that the Snow Child is quietly beautiful. And I stick with that! The Snow Child isn't a debut that screams, shouts and demands attention: it's more subtle. It creeps into your mind and into your bones and lingers in the mind long after you've finished it. It's quietly beautiful and I am on baited breath for Eowyn Ivey's next book...




PS - I have to show this picture that Caroline from Portrait of a Woman put on her tumblr. When I first saw this, I immediately thought of this book (hence why I'm showing you!)


EDIT 1: after I wrote this review, I discovered that The Snow Child is Waterstones' Book of the Month for February as part of Waterstones 11. This makes me excited! And, after tweeting an image of my local Waterstones, the author herself used my image on her blog! Wanna see it? Here you go!

EDIT 2: I saw this pic (again on Caroline's tumblr!) And I thought it was perfect, again, for The Snow Child! I hope you agree!