A review by thet0meraider
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

Honestly, I was expecting more from this novel. I went into reading thinking it would be the greatest book of all times - chiefly because the person who recommended it to me was so enthusiastic about it. In the end it was a nice read, but it isn't one I'd easily recommend to anyone.

I'm way more into fast-paced books and thus it took a while for me to get used to this novel's moderate narrative rhythm. Once I did, though, the story caught up, giving way to a thrilling sequence of events that made me devour chapter after chapter.
Was I content with the ending? Not really.
Will I remember this book by the end of the year? I'm honestly curious to find out.

Spoiler For one, I was expecting Ruthie and possibly her mother to give a sort of closure to Gertie's legacy. Plus, I'm not a big fan of open endings and this one, with all the hints left around saying how dangerous sleepers are, clearly points to an "after" that the book doesn't explore.
.

Overall, then, I am subtracting a quarter of a point because of the slowness of the first few chapters, and a point because I'm not big into open endings. 
The plot itself was good, the sort of scavenger hunt the author contrived really got me hooked. Some parts were eery enough (much to my enjoyment!) and I've truly appreciated the book-in-book trope - one of my all-time favourites. 
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