My review of Girl in Snow will follow the publisher’s blurb :

“From its startling opening line right through to its stunning conclusion, Girl in Snow is a perfectly paced and tautly plotted thriller. Danya Kukafka’s misfit characters are richly drawn, her prose is both elegant and eerie—this is an incredibly accomplished debut.” —Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train and Into the Water

WHO ARE YOU WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING?

When a beloved high schooler named Lucinda Hayes is found murdered, no one in her sleepy Colorado suburb is untouched—not the boy who loved her too much; not the girl who wanted her perfect life; not the officer assigned to investigate her murder. In the aftermath of the tragedy, these three indelible characters—Cameron, Jade, and Russ—must each confront their darkest secrets in an effort to find solace, the truth, or both. In crystalline prose, Danya Kukafka offers a brilliant exploration of identity and of the razor-sharp line between love and obsession, between watching and seeing, between truth and memory.

Compulsively readable and powerfully moving, Girl in Snow offers an unforgettable reading experience and introduces a singular new talent in Danya Kukafka.


There is a delicate thread holding these three characters together. Although the murder is what unites them all – the murder is not what makes the story; the characters do. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a character study, no – it doesn’t feel that way at all. It’s not a thriller either. What is it ? – It’s a great read no matter what category you decide to put it in.

There are two main reasons I loved this novel. First: it was Cameron’s character. As a mother of a boy who is different, it was easy to see through Cameron’s eyes, it was easy to love him and understand how tangled he could become. His difference made him seem a little creepy at times, this just added to the tension of the murder inquiry.

There are a large number of books with broken and different characters in them on the market right now. Why is that? For me, books like this are either hit or miss, especially when it comes to characters like Cameron. This one was obviously a hit.

The second reason I enjoyed the book was because of the way Danya Kukafka addressed loving someone, how we see (yet not see) and how no one else can completely understand how we love. It tied in beautifully with the cover image. That cover image is everything. It’s probably why I was so drawn to the book in the first place.

Since I was young I’ve been drawing eyes – my mom has an art piece of one of my eyes hanging in her living room. But getting back to Girl in Snow, all three characters gave a little bit of themselves. Ahhh, that’s it !! That is exactly what made the book such a pleasurable read! It was how the three main characters opened themselves up gently, making Girl in Snow so poetic and emotional.

I was surprised to find out that this was Danya Kukafka first novel. It’s an outstanding debut and I’m looking forward to her next book.

———> If you are on Goodreads, there is a giveaway listed by Simon and Schuster Canada for this title…. here is your taxi. (Canada Only)

Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka available NOW !
Published by Simon & Schuster
368 pages
ISBN 9781501175367

On another weird note, I couldn’t for the life of me find a playground with a merry-go-round in it anywhere! It got me wondering if they were banned in this part of the world. I’m thinking that the playground police are involved in some way. I’ll investigate further.

An advanced copy of this title was provided to me in exchange for my honest thoughts and review. Thank you Simon and Schuster.

1 Comment on [Review] Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.