Snow

by Kathryn Hewitt

Snow is a very tough coming-of-age novel in which 15-year-old Ruth struggle to learn the meaning of love and, tragically, removes God to the backseat. It could be called a romance, I suppose, but once you read this book you will understand how terribly misguided that label is. Rather, it's a Christian YA novel--fiction, and yet the story of so many very real teens. This novel quickly overtook control of my emotions thrust me on a winding journey.

I liked the premise of Snow, and for the most part I enjoyed reading it. However, I think Snow falls short of its full potential. Sometimes I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again as Ruth maintained the same emotions, repeated the same questions and argued the same points. She seemed like a very close-minded and somewhat flat character, even given her situation.

What bothered me most, though, was that Ruth's boyfriend is portrayed as a villain. His motives were selfish, heartless and seemingly inhuman, and he never felt the slightest amount of remorse for any of his offenses. Yes, he did some terrible things, but the book felt like an attack on him, without stopping once to think that he is human, too, that he has a soul.

Overall, I think Snow was a decent read with a very important message. Because of the difficult topics involved, I recommend this book for ages 15 and up.

3/5 leaves

(Thanks to Kathryn Hewitt for sending me a free book in exchange for an honest review!)