As Simple As Snow

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Author(s)

Gregory Galloway

Publisher

Putnam Juvenile

Genre(s)

Mystery

Age Range

16+

Release Date

March 03, 2005

ISBN

0399152318

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A mesmerizing labyrinth of art, magic, cryptic codes, and young love that sparks the imagination and teases the mind-an arresting first novel about a young man's quest to unravel the puzzle his missing girlfriend may (or may not) have left behind.

Anastasia (Anna) Cayne is a complicated high school girl with a penchant for riddles and affectionate mind games, who spends much of her time writing obituaries for every living person in town. She is unlike anyone the narrator has ever known, and her energy and enthusiasm explode his quiet universe, revealing a world of Houdini tricks, strange art, covert messages, and ghost stories-although her past remains an even bigger enigma. Even so, he couldn't be happier.

But a week before Valentine's Day, Anna disappears, leaving behind nothing except a dress placed neatly near a hole in the frozen river, and a string of unanswered questions.

Determined to find Anna-to comprehend what happened, and why-he begins to retrace their past five months together. Soon the fragments of events, conversations, and letters (and new messages that continue to arrive) coalesce into haunting and surprising revelations about friends, about family, and especially, about Anna Cayne. And perhaps these revelations will solve the puzzle of Anna's disappearance, whether it was her own invention, or is simply another of life's great mysteries.

But a week before Valentine's Day, Anna disappears, leaving behind nothing except a dress placed neatly near a hole in the frozen river, and a string of unanswered questions.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Complex Simplicity

July 27, 2008 (Updated: June 29, 2026)

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

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Some say that all stories can be narrowed down to one of two plots. This story employs the "new person moves to town" plot - but it's far more complex than that.

Anna, a high school student, is more than what she seems. She likes to write obituaries for people who are still alive - for every person in town, even though she's just moved there with her parents. She wears black clothes, black boots, dark makeup, offsetting her blond hair. She loves Lovecraft, making mix CDs, and discussing the codes Houdini and his wife shared. She can argue both sides of a debate with equal passion and knowledge, thus making it unclear which side she herself would support. She insists that people call her Anastasia.

The narrator calls her Anna. He's a high school student as well. His name is unknown; it is unimportant. What is important is their relationship. He finds himself intrigued with Anna, despite her status as a "Goth," and the two begin dating. Her ideas challenge him; her intelligence impresses him; and, seven months later, her disappearance baffles him.

Author Gregory Galloway has created a stunning and haunting tale. Just as Anna herself, this book is hard to categorize. Many would call "As Simple as Snow" a mystery, but just as many might refer to it as a coming-of-age story. The writing is engrossing, placing the reader on the same page (no pun intended) as the narrator, trying to figure out Anna herself as well the codes she used. Readers will be looking for clues in the grand design while falling for this strong, willful character and wondering why she left.

This isn't a run-of-the-mill mystery, nor a cautionary tale. It's a story about a boy, a girl, a town, a code. It's a story about that time in your life when you realize nothing is as simple as it seems. Once you realize that, you can't go back, no matter how hard you try. You can only go forward.

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User reviews

2 reviews

Overall rating

4.5

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4.5(2)

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Houdini Act

December 12, 2008 (Updated: June 29, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

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4.0

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Reader reviewed by Lrn

This book is imparative for those who love mystery. Upon Anna Cayne's disappearance a series of clues previewed and encored giving an infinite solution set to what really happened.
It is a great book to have a a discussion on because people will automatically assume a series of situations Anna got herself into. Ordinarily, this would not be so hard to discover except for the fact that Cayne's boyfriend feels like Anna is still trying to reach him. He goes through various senarios and at one point makes a list of everything imaginable that could/might have happened to his beloved Anna. It's narrarated from a boy's point of view so both genders would be able to relate to this novel.
its one of the best ever, and if Gregory Galloway had completed the end of the mystery, his audience might have been disappointed.

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Brain Bending

October 04, 2008 (Updated: June 29, 2026)

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

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Reader reviewed by Jessica

This book recounts the author's story of a strange girl. She comes to town one day, leaving little hints and clues in the author's world about herself, but never giving him a straight answer. Everything that is mentioned in the book is part of a much larger and higher classed plot that cannot be seen during the first read.

The novel and thoughts continue far after the book ends, leaving the reader with a mixed brain and too many things to think about in a clear manner. One can take everything that is said in two different directions, making the real solution impossible and unbearable.

This novel is not for those who like a simple, all ends tied up mystery. The book is the plot and the mystery is for the reader to determine by recieving clues from the author's website. The book is only the beginning of a never ending path that leaves the reader lost in translation.

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