A review by legatocasely
Snow Job by Charles Benoit
4.0
The first thing I will say is I went into the book expecting one thing and got the complete opposite. I like to be completely surprised when it comes to books. I saw the title and read the little blurbs ("Can Nick dig himself out before it's too late?") and thought this would be a thriller about a kid trapped in a log cabin in a blizzard without any food or heat. So, when I started reading and realized this is NOT a thriller, I was totally shocked!
That being said, I really liked this book. It did one of the best jobs of transporting the reader into the 1970s without being blatant. Rather than simply making 70s references, the author described the clothing, environment, and pop culture of the decade when it was relevant to the story. That was crucial.
This book did rely on some overdone tropes that I didn't like. For example, Nick has a list that he made to help him navigate life. I feel like I've read a dozen books where the main teenager has a thing for lists.
My biggest complaint was Karla. She seemed to be thrown in there as a plot device and wasn't given much substance. She got Nick in trouble at the college party and moved to Florida. That's kind of it. I liked her character, but she had so much potential.
By the end of the book, I was left wondering what Nick was going to do next. It ended with him going back to that list he made but we don't get to see what happens to him. He was a fantastic character with plenty of heart. I wanted more, though.
That being said, I really liked this book. It did one of the best jobs of transporting the reader into the 1970s without being blatant. Rather than simply making 70s references, the author described the clothing, environment, and pop culture of the decade when it was relevant to the story. That was crucial.
This book did rely on some overdone tropes that I didn't like. For example, Nick has a list that he made to help him navigate life. I feel like I've read a dozen books where the main teenager has a thing for lists.
My biggest complaint was Karla. She seemed to be thrown in there as a plot device and wasn't given much substance. She got Nick in trouble at the college party and moved to Florida. That's kind of it. I liked her character, but she had so much potential.
By the end of the book, I was left wondering what Nick was going to do next. It ended with him going back to that list he made but we don't get to see what happens to him. He was a fantastic character with plenty of heart. I wanted more, though.