literarycari's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
somewheregirl7's review against another edition
3.0
The Snow Child is a modern retelling of the traditional Russian folktale of the same name. Mabel and Jack are an older couple who long to have a child of their own but have had to give up on that dream. Instead the two move to Alaska to eke out a living in 1920, farming a homestead far away from friends and family who may remind them of their childless state. One night the snow child they built disappears and instead they catch glimpses of a pale haired child of around 8, living in the forest. Eventually they come to know the child and fall in love with her. Every year she disappears with the spring and then returns to them with the first snow fall.
This is a pretty story, a nice retelling. The descriptions are beautiful and loving and the characters well developed. The plot is excruciatingly slow, however. It takes forever for anything to happen and for the story to wind to its eventual end.
This is a pretty story, a nice retelling. The descriptions are beautiful and loving and the characters well developed. The plot is excruciatingly slow, however. It takes forever for anything to happen and for the story to wind to its eventual end.
Spoiler
I was hoping for a better ending, but Ivey decided to go with the traditional ending to the tale. I was surprised that more didn't come of Garret searching for the girl the night she disappears. And nothing was made of the fact that her son is half fae, there has to be something of his mother in him. It's a sad story overall but with some truly beautiful moments.klichtle's review against another edition
1.0
So awful. Mostly boring. Lots of unnecessary graphic details of animal hunting, trapping, slaughtering. The ending was absurd. I don’t understand the high ratings at all.
poetrynati's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
In my old age, I see that life itself is often more fantastic and terrible than the stories we believed as children, and that perhaps there is no harm in finding magic among the trees.
One of my favorite books is Marley and Me, though not for the reasons you'd think. Following that crazy dog and his shenanigans was certainly fun, but what drew me in was the family. Their story was intimate, honest, gentle. By the time I was done, I felt like I knew those people personally.
I love that book, and I loved this one too. The charm of The Snow Child lies entirely in how realistic each character is, and how strongly atmospheric the setting was from the start. Mabel and Jack were an amazing representation of an older couple torn by grief, but in this story where only a few characters were involved, they weren't the only compelling ones. I loved Garrett and Esther. And I loved Faina and the mystery of her existence. So far, this is my favorite read of January.
voidkid's review against another edition
man I was really liking this book but I realllllly needed to return it to the library and also just forgot to keep reading it pffft
inthecommonhours's review against another edition
4.0
Apparently I lost the long review I wrote via Brian's iphone on our drive yesterday. So this will be brief. I just finished the book yesterday, and imagine over time I'll grow more critical as I ponder alternative endings (she wrote herself into a corner, didn't she?). I thoroughly enjoyed Ivey's writing and her characters, which is what matters most to me. Also, how rare it is to enjoy love scenes between old married people. Literature needs more of those. The only thing I was really left wanting was to renderings of Mabel's sketches.
leeeeeeeee's review against another edition
2.5
Meh. A good metaphor. A bit like magical realism Little House.