Review: A gritty tale of manipulation
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 4, 2012
I adore dark fiction.  The Color of Snow is about Sofie, who believes that she is cursed.  Those who love her die.  And the reason I loved this book is that until the very last chapter, I wasn't sure whether or not the curse was real.  This is a non-linear book.  It flip-flops between the current story of Sophie and the past with Sophie's father, Luke, prior to her birth.  Both Sophie and Luke are easy to sympathize with, and although Luke kidnapped his daughter at birth, as the story progresses nothing is black and white.It felt like I was playing Russian roulette with each chapter, wondering if Sophie and the other characters would survive to the next chapter, particularly towards the end.  Call me morbid, but I like the possibly of the star of the book dying.  Extra props for possibility of murder or suicide.  Although I loved the ending, there are quite a few unanswered questions.  Without revealing any spoilers:  I know what happens to Sofie and Stephanie, but all the other characters seem to be in limbo in the final chapter.  I'm not sure if this is a setup for a sequel, but I'm really left wondering.This book is labeled at YA contemporary but don't expect the traditional romance.  In fact, romance really takes a back-seat in this novel.  There's more development between Luke's romances than Sophie's.  As someone who doesn't enjoy romances much, it's a plus.  If you like your romances, you may be disappointed in that department.I liked how the many of the characters evolved from past (Luke's POV) to present (Sophie's POV).  Also, the grandparents were really fleshed out, as Luke and Sophie had very different perspectives on them.  I also likes Stephanie - she was a great friend to Sophie and her past was nearly as messed up.  My jaw dropped when I figured out what had happened to her.  I totally wasn't expecting anything like that, but it definitely helped the story.  I liked the morals of The Color of Snow:  Things aren't always what people tell you they are.  Bad things happen to everyone.  You can either give up or keep going.Overall, I really liked this book.  But as a stand-alone, I wish some of the minor plot lines were tied up before the story concluded.*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.