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xan_48's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
belka2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
waterbearer94's review against another edition
5.0
Snow
I loved this book. The storytelling is quite something. I liked the use of old superstitions. The ending was also beautiful
I loved this book. The storytelling is quite something. I liked the use of old superstitions. The ending was also beautiful
jodiesbookishposts's review
4.0
I was given this audiobook via Netgalley for an honest review. I was starting to get in a wintery mood and this sounded right up my street.
The story takes place in a small community, highly religious where the status quo is controlled by the village elder men, who take on wives of their choosing and the women live very sheltered and controlled lives. All this changes when a young girl falls in love with an outsider, and to be allowed to marry him, he must return to the village before the first snow falls.
I went into this with not many pre-conceived ideas of what it would be like but I really enjoyed it. It definitely got me in a wintery mood and I felt the isolated community was done very well. It was easy to feel how stifled these women were in this.
I hadn't expected it to be as feminist as it was and felt it handled quite a few issues and handled them well.
The setting and vibe reminding me of The Bear and the Nightingale which I loved, and though it wasn't a fantasy, there are some fantastical elements in this that I thought were done well.
A solid 4 star read for me. The audio was done well and would recommend.
The story takes place in a small community, highly religious where the status quo is controlled by the village elder men, who take on wives of their choosing and the women live very sheltered and controlled lives. All this changes when a young girl falls in love with an outsider, and to be allowed to marry him, he must return to the village before the first snow falls.
I went into this with not many pre-conceived ideas of what it would be like but I really enjoyed it. It definitely got me in a wintery mood and I felt the isolated community was done very well. It was easy to feel how stifled these women were in this.
I hadn't expected it to be as feminist as it was and felt it handled quite a few issues and handled them well.
The setting and vibe reminding me of The Bear and the Nightingale which I loved, and though it wasn't a fantasy, there are some fantastical elements in this that I thought were done well.
A solid 4 star read for me. The audio was done well and would recommend.
beenb's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
kazza27's review
I love a dark fairytale and I was so attracted to the cover of this beautiful book.
Edith is the daughter of an alcoholic and like most people in their small village is indebted to the hideous butcher. He rules the village and pretty much always gets what he wants.
One day Demetrius arrives and him and Edith fall in love, they want to be married but the butcher makes Edith swear on the bible that if Demetrius does not return before the first snow then she will marry the butcher.
Demetrius is a shepherd and has to leave the village to tend his flock and you just know from the tension in the story that something bad is going to happen to him.
Edith is convinced he will return like he has promised but when he doesn’t the shock of what will happen to her turns her hair white and she no longer speaks. All the women in the village are married in a traditional gown but the butcher is insistent that she is married in a grand white gown which leads the villagers to say she will be cursed. I think at this point in the book that maybe a blessing for poor Edith.
The majority of the men in this book are really awful with the exception of Demetrius and Misha. As are Una and Vanda the butcher’s daughters. They reminded me of the ugly sisters in Cinderella. I loved the darkness of the story and the acceptance by the women that ‘Men will be Men was shocking. I found the fear that superstition holds over the villagers fascinating.
As the story progresses secrets start to be uncovered about it’s in inhabitants and the facade begins to fracture and truths are revealed and will Edith be able to escape her fate ?
This is a engrossing story and I couldn’t put it down, I loved the development of the characters and how the women try to overcome their oppression and how they begin to reveal their true feelings. One by one they come together to try to help Edith and even some of the men realise that the butcher has too much power over the village. Although Edith’s Father the cabinet maker was the character that evoked the biggest feelings for me. Weak, pathetic and greedy, how a father could treat a daughter in this way made me so angry.
The story takes an unexpected turn which I didn’t see coming and this was really really extraordinary and I loved it. Edith has such strength and she was an inspiration character in so many ways. My Nanny was called Edith so this made her even more special to me.
If you need to escape then this is perfect for transporting you away to this other land of myths and superstitions. A fantastic adult story which highlights some of the worse traits of humans, darkness but with beauty and an underlying feeling of hope.
Edith is the daughter of an alcoholic and like most people in their small village is indebted to the hideous butcher. He rules the village and pretty much always gets what he wants.
One day Demetrius arrives and him and Edith fall in love, they want to be married but the butcher makes Edith swear on the bible that if Demetrius does not return before the first snow then she will marry the butcher.
Demetrius is a shepherd and has to leave the village to tend his flock and you just know from the tension in the story that something bad is going to happen to him.
Edith is convinced he will return like he has promised but when he doesn’t the shock of what will happen to her turns her hair white and she no longer speaks. All the women in the village are married in a traditional gown but the butcher is insistent that she is married in a grand white gown which leads the villagers to say she will be cursed. I think at this point in the book that maybe a blessing for poor Edith.
The majority of the men in this book are really awful with the exception of Demetrius and Misha. As are Una and Vanda the butcher’s daughters. They reminded me of the ugly sisters in Cinderella. I loved the darkness of the story and the acceptance by the women that ‘Men will be Men was shocking. I found the fear that superstition holds over the villagers fascinating.
As the story progresses secrets start to be uncovered about it’s in inhabitants and the facade begins to fracture and truths are revealed and will Edith be able to escape her fate ?
This is a engrossing story and I couldn’t put it down, I loved the development of the characters and how the women try to overcome their oppression and how they begin to reveal their true feelings. One by one they come together to try to help Edith and even some of the men realise that the butcher has too much power over the village. Although Edith’s Father the cabinet maker was the character that evoked the biggest feelings for me. Weak, pathetic and greedy, how a father could treat a daughter in this way made me so angry.
The story takes an unexpected turn which I didn’t see coming and this was really really extraordinary and I loved it. Edith has such strength and she was an inspiration character in so many ways. My Nanny was called Edith so this made her even more special to me.
If you need to escape then this is perfect for transporting you away to this other land of myths and superstitions. A fantastic adult story which highlights some of the worse traits of humans, darkness but with beauty and an underlying feeling of hope.
bethi96's review
5.0
A balance of darkness and love, the snow song is a modern fairytale which would be perfect to curl up and read in the midst of winter.
Following the young protagonist Edith as she navigates love and finding your own path as a woman in a very traditional male dominated society, it is a beautifully written story of feminism and endurance.
I went into this book without knowing what to expect and it is outside my usual which would be fantasy but was so pleasantly surprised. The characters drew me in, and the scenery with its hint of winter, snowy mystique kept me there.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Following the young protagonist Edith as she navigates love and finding your own path as a woman in a very traditional male dominated society, it is a beautifully written story of feminism and endurance.
I went into this book without knowing what to expect and it is outside my usual which would be fantasy but was so pleasantly surprised. The characters drew me in, and the scenery with its hint of winter, snowy mystique kept me there.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
l1nds's review
5.0
This shares that wonderful ethereal quality that Once Upon a River has of managing to feel both completely new, and also like a folktale you've always known. The writing is lovely, and the story is by turns romantic, sweet, heartbreaking and hopeful. I read almost all of it in one sitting and it's been a long time since my broken, quarantined brain has managed that!
poppyjessica's review
4.0
Having previously read and enjoyed Sally Gardner's 'The Red Necklace' and 'Tinder' with my students, I was excited to read her latest novel 'The Snow Song'. It certainly did not disappoint. As I had come to expect with Gardner's works, the story she weaves here is both lyrical and magical but laced with a hard edge of darkness.
The novel follows the protagonist Edith and the citizens of the town in which she lives, their home perched in the mountains away from civilisation. At the opening, she meets Demetrius, a shepherd, and they fall in love. However, their love, between a towns-person and an outsider, is frowned upon by the traditions of this isolated town, particularly the domineering butcher who wants to marry Edith himself.
As the twisted plot unfolds, the reader witnesses a battle between the archaic traditions of the town and moving towards progressive freedom.The storytelling style is rather like a fairy tale but less Disney and more Brother's Grimm; Gardner does not shy away from darkness to highlight the extent of the town's corruption, particularly highlighted the disturbing repression and abuse of the women of the town. The setting may be picturesque but it is harbouring a myriad of sins and villains who give the story a biting edge.
Overall, the plot is pacey and magical, the words expressive and the characters fully realised. Gardner's new work absolutely lives up to the standard of her previous books. I look forward to reading her book with my students once again!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The novel follows the protagonist Edith and the citizens of the town in which she lives, their home perched in the mountains away from civilisation. At the opening, she meets Demetrius, a shepherd, and they fall in love. However, their love, between a towns-person and an outsider, is frowned upon by the traditions of this isolated town, particularly the domineering butcher who wants to marry Edith himself.
As the twisted plot unfolds, the reader witnesses a battle between the archaic traditions of the town and moving towards progressive freedom.The storytelling style is rather like a fairy tale but less Disney and more Brother's Grimm; Gardner does not shy away from darkness to highlight the extent of the town's corruption, particularly highlighted the disturbing repression and abuse of the women of the town. The setting may be picturesque but it is harbouring a myriad of sins and villains who give the story a biting edge.
Overall, the plot is pacey and magical, the words expressive and the characters fully realised. Gardner's new work absolutely lives up to the standard of her previous books. I look forward to reading her book with my students once again!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
evieintheshire's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0