Review Detail

SNOW DROWNED is an engaging YA thriller that takes place on a small island, where the villagers have a long history. Grace is left behind with her father during a snow storm where her sister has other plans and her mother is heading to the mainland for a delivery. Upset about being left behind, she follows her mother's instructions to leave flowers on her grandmother's grave before the storm begins. When she is there, she is approached by the strange nun she has been warned away from since childhood and stumbles upon the cute, popular, and wealthy guy from her school, Joseph.

Together, they find a murdered man in some kind of weird ritual. A bit shaken up and with her father asked to examine the body, Grace finds herself alone in the storm. Luckily, her aunt appears, but things get stranger when the power goes out and she begins to see things. As the storm rages, Grace will find herself mixed up in something bigger than she could have imagined.

What I loved: This was an interesting locked-room style thriller that brings themes of family, betrayal, religion, and obsession amidst a terrible snowstorm. Grace is a compelling main character who feels like your typical teen - she does not want to be home in the storm because of the risk of losing cell phone signal, and she has no interest in whatever other weird things are going on - until she ends up stumbling upon it all. Her perspective kept the surprises coming, and there were plenty of unexpected twists and turns while she does not know who she can trust - and given the limited time, she will have to figure it out fast.

Nothing and no one is as they seem, and the tensions were high throughout this read. The suspense was well-paced, and the story definitely included some shocking twists that were hard to predict. With the unknown frequently hanging over the story and strange behaviors from people she should have been able to trust, there was definitely a great psychological thriller element to the story. The themes were really thought-provoking as we consider family/duty, betrayal, religion/obsession, and self-determination amidst the narrative.

Final verdict: SNOW DROWNED is a twisty and intense YA thriller that keeps the reader on their toes amidst unexpected betrayals, shocking histories, and the danger of the snow.