Stealing Snow Review

*Mini-Post by The Belle*

Title: Stealing Snow

Author: Danielle Paige

Pages: 372

Summary: First kisses sometimes wake slumbering princesses, undo spells, and spark happily ever afters. Mine broke Bale.

Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent her life locked in Whittaker Psychiatric — but she isn’t crazy. And that’s not the worst of it. Her very first kiss proves anything but innocent…when Bale, her only love, turns violent.

Despite Snow knowing that Bale would never truly hurt her, he is taken away — dashing her last hope for any sort of future in the mental ward she calls home. With nowhere else to turn, Snow finds herself drawn to a strange new orderly who whispers secrets in the night about a mysterious past and a kingdom that’s hers for the taking — if only she can find her way past the iron gates to the Tree that has been haunting her dreams.

Beyond the Tree lies Algid, a land far away from the real world, frozen by a ruthless king. And there too await the River Witch, a village boy named Kai, the charming thief Jagger, and a prophecy that Snow will save them all.

This edgy reimagining of “The Snow Queen” by New York Times bestselling author Danielle Paige begins the epic story of Snow’s rise to villain, queen, and ultimate once-upon-a-time heroine.

Belle Rating: DNF (Did Not Finish)

Target Audience: Young Adult

Story Notes: Have you ever had a really weird dream that you know makes absolutely no sense but you and your dream self decide to go along with it anyway?? Like no, silly brain, there is no such thing as flying hippos but sure I’ll go along with it since they’ve invited me to tea. That’s the best way for me to describe this book. Except this book is not a fun, weird dream…it’s just awful and confusing…

Snow here has been stuck in a psych ward for most of her life. She was put there because she tried to walk through a mirror with a friend at a very young age and she also has some anger issues. After that little intro, you find out she is so totally in love with this boy named Bale who was put into the psych ward because he loved fire and burning things to the ground. Even though he later brakes her arm?? Yep…that was my first red flag. Why would you want that in your story?? Sure, he’s mentally unstable but, geez, having him break your main character’s arm is a bit unsettling…especially when this is supposedly Snow’s true love…In the end, he gets taken away to Algid and she quickly finds a way to flee the ward to save him (because LOVE that’s why!). But I guess you find out she’s not that into him because this young girl who doesn’t know how to socialize properly ends up with 3 love interests….3!!! If you’re going to write a book about someone who has no social skills with some serious anger problems, I’d expect these issues to be the major flaw of the character and watch as said character struggles to overcome them!! Not someone who is really stupid and falling head over heels over every guy she’s met after a day of being around them. It’s really gross and disturbing…There are also loads of other things that happen in the book that makes absolutely no sense to me… like the roles of the other witches in this world…or the fact that thieves go grave digging so they can steal people’s faces and use them as magical masks (I stopped after that).    

Writing Style: Reading the story felt like the author had ideas (or possibly a dream) and instead of taking the time to come up with something to help the story flow, she just jotted everything down and handed it over to a publisher. It is also sick and wrong to have your main character fall head over heels with 3 different men and think that she should be with each and every one of them. According to Snow, they should be with her an no one else. And the thought of them being with anyone else drives her nuts. You don’t write up a character, whom you hope to be somewhat relatable to your readers, to act this way! 

Weaknesses: Awful plot and terrible characters…need I go on??

Strengths: None…sorry. I was not happy at all with this book.

Final Thoughts: Don’t bother with this book. It’s a waste of time and money. I know I regret purchasing it.