Después de la nieve

After the Snow #1

by S.D. Crockett

Willo sólo ha conocido el mundo de hielo y nieve. Desde antes de que naciera, la Tierra ya había sufrido las consecuencias de un desastre ecológico. El chico de quince años vive con su familia en las montañas, para evitar el gobierno opresor de las ciudades. Un día, las habilidades de Willo son puestas a prueba: llega a casa y sus papás han sido secuestrados. Para rescatarlos, tendrá que emprender un viaje y enfrentar toda clase de peligros. En su camino, conoce a Mary, una chica que necesita su ayuda más de lo que se imagina. Eventualmente, llega a la ciudad, la cual no conoce y siempre ha evitado, y su manera de ver la vida cambiará para siempre.

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Survival, Fiction, Adventure

271 pages, Paperback

First published March 27, 2012

About the author

Sophie D. Crockett was born in 1969. She graduated from London University’s Royal Holloway and Bedford New College with a degree in Drama and Theatre Studies.

On leaving university she travelled to Russia as a timber buyer in the Caucasus Mountains but after the birth of her son in 1996 she returned to the East Coast of Suffolk where she spent five years restoring a derelict Ancient Scheduled Monument - a Martello Tower on the mouth of the River Deben.

After moving to a smallholding in Tunstall Forest and with her son now at school, she started a business selling walnut gunstocks from Eastern Armenia.

Currently living in the beech forests of the Montagne Noir of Southern France, she still regularly travels to Armenia buying timber. Her experiences in far-flung places inform much of her writing.

SD Crockett is married to artist, Timothy Shepard, and has two children.

AFTER THE SNOW is her first novel.

Reviews

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Willo lebt mit seinem Vater, seiner Stiefmutter und den Geschwistern in einem Haus in den Bergen. Sie verstecken sich vor der Regierung, wollen lieber frei und unabhängig leben. Das Leben ist hart, seitdem es das „normale“ Leben nicht mehr gibt. Jetzt bestimmen Kälte und Schnee den Tagesablauf. Eines Tages kommt Willo nach Hause und findet es leer vor. Dafür findet er vor dem Haus Reifenspuren. Es scheint, als habe die Regierung seine Familie mitgenommen. Willo beschließt, sich auf die Suche nach seiner Familie zu machen.
Unterwegs begegnet er Mary, die ebenfalls alleine ist und ihren Vater sucht. Gemeinsam gelangen die beiden schließlich in die Stadt, wo Willo viel Neues kennenlernt und schließlich eine unglaubliche Entdeckung macht…

* Meine Meinung *
Es fällt mir nicht ganz leicht, dieses Buch zu bewerten. Rein inhaltlich ist es sehr unterhaltsam und kurzweilig, aber mit dem Schreibstil hatte ich teilweise Probleme. Die Sätze sind recht kurz und wirken abgehackt, und der Erzählstil ist betont jugendlich gehalten, was mir beim Lesen leider negativ aufgefallen ist. Es wirkt etwas übertrieben.
Auch gibt es in der Geschichte einige Begebenheiten, die mir nicht logisch erscheinen. So zum Beispiel die Szene, in der Cath Willo hilft, aus der Gefangenschaft der Gang zu entkommen und zu fliehen. Willos wertvoller Mantel liegt als Bündel neben ihm. Als die Flucht geglückt ist, verlangt Cath als Gegenleistung für ihre Hilfe Willos Mantel. Nur aus diesem Grund hat sie ihm ja geholfen. Da frage ich mich, warum hat sie den Mantel nicht einfach genommen, als Willo noch geschlafen hat!? Er lag ja neben ihm; sie hätte nur danach greifen müssen.
Auch erscheint es mir etwas seltsam, dass Willo so viele Gefahren und beschwerliche Wege auf sich nimmt, um seine Familie zu suchen, und dann lässt er in der Stadt so viel Zeit verstreichen ohne einen Versuch zu unternehmen, sich nach seiner Familie umzuschauen!? Das kann ich nicht ganz nachvollziehen.
Trotzdem habe ich den Roman im großen und ganzen gerne gelesen. Man hätte aber meiner Meinung nach noch etwas mehr aus dem Thema herausholen können.

[karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

i don't know if i can guarantee a great and focused review right now. i might have to revisit this (read: float) at a later date. but i am gonna try.

first and foremost - my three-star ratings are all over the place. know that this book is a super-shiny three-star book, and not one of my "i didn't dislike it enough to hate it" three-star ratings. i mean, if my star ratings do anything in terms of swaying you to read a book, know that i did like this and i do recommend it...with reservations.

other people have complained about the language in this book. not the profanity, although there is a little of that, but people who get all revved up about cussin' really shouldn't be allowed to read books in the first place. this book isn't written in dialect or slang so much as "we are struggling to stay alive here - grammar's gonna have to take a back seat right now, 'kay?" so for people who only like to read books written exactly the way they themselves speak, then this book is going to grate on you:

But he's my dad like I said, and you got to respect your dad I reckon. My mum got dead when I been a baby still scrieking in my ass rags. That happen a lot up here when the snow been deep and your breath freeze in the air. But Magda live with Dad now, up in our end of the house. Magda's in charge of the little kids and I don't envy her that job. If it been me I'm gonna bash them all.

my own personal reasons for not loving-loving it are twofold. one - i wasn't sold on the protagonist. he's an odd mix of the very capable and the overly-introspective slash possibly delusional. all the dog stuff was my personal thumbs-down, and that's all i am going to say about that. you'll see.

the second reason is mostly my own fault. i had forgotten the details of tatiana's review, (why didn't that link work, goodreads?? OKAY I GOT IT TO WORK NOW!!)having read it oh so long ago, and i forgot that this wasn't a straight "survival in the snowy woods all alone" book, but that it would at one point morph into a dystopian situation. however, events that occur at the end of the book point towards it maybe having more of the survival stuff i so love in the second part. fingers crossed.

umm- yeah - tell you what - i am in no condition right now to review this properly. i will return in the am to make it all better. INTERNET, WILL YOU SURVIVE WITHOUT MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK?? if i wake up to a smoking barren wasteland, i will completely understand. and i apologize for the death of you all.

okay, i'm back.

and i thought i would have more to say about this, but now i am beginning to doubt that. maybe you should just go read tatiana's review, since she's better at this than me. bottom line is that the characters are a little flimsy, but towards the 3/4 mark, it really picks up with some good ol' violence and a broadening of the story that could make the second part either really interesting or completely overambitious and porous.

no more book reports - i am on vacation...

i feel like my favorite character from the book:

I can look after myself, Callum. You know that. I was born in a tent like you but I've grown soft. I remember the feel of rags on my feet but I found chinks in the walls. You're like a dog but I am a cat, always seeking the warmth of the fire...

i am exactly the same way. i read all these survival books thinking that when the time comes (and it will come), i will be prepared because knowledge is power and all that but honestly, i will be the one always looking for the fire. i'm no dog.

and right now, i am going to go seek my fire...

come to my blog!

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

As seen on The Readventurer

I feel neither here nor there about After the Snow.

From literary standpoint, the novel is written skillfully. The book's narrator, 15-year old Willo, a half-wild boy raised to be able to care for himself in a world of almost endless winter (Earth appears to be back to the Ice Age in After the Snow), is not of overly educated stock. He can barely read, he speaks in a dialect (akin to Saba's in Blood Red Road or Todd's in The Knife of Never Letting Go) which is sure to put off many readers, if I am to judge by the early reviews of the book. Not me though. Language and the narrative style are the best part of the novel, in my opinion. They fit the desolate, possibly post-apocalyptic landscape and Willo's nature boy persona very well.

The beginning of the novel is particularly enthralling. After coming back from hunting, Willo finds his mountain home empty and his family gone. He suspects that their neighbor, who first impregnated and then married Willo's 14-year old sister, has something to do with the disappearance. So Willo embarks on a freezing cold journey to visit this neighbor and to figure out what happened to his family. He has only his sled with a few necessary for survival items, his knowledge of living in rough conditions and his memories with him. Some of those memories are pure gold:

Magda got her books in that cupboard. Some of them are proper interesting - like the one about every kind of decease a sheep gonna get if you just let it alone and don't go checking under its tail for maggots and under its wool for maggots and behind its ears for maggots. I tell you, sheep must be like a big pile of shit to flies, cos they sure gonna get a maggoty disease just by standing still. Or be falling off a cliff or giving birth in a snowy ditch or some other trouble if you're gonna believe what that book tell you.

(I don't know what it says about me, but I read books for voices like this and and for bits of information like this.)

Things get even more exciting when Willo meets a dying of cold and hunger girl and her little brother in an isolated shack. At that point I was very much looking forward to a survival- in-a-snow sort of story.

To my regret, my expectations never materialized. A series of unfortunate events (involving wild dogs and cannibals!) brings Willo to a government-controlled and guarded city, and here After the Snow transforms from a post-apocalyptic survival story into a dystopia. The settlements appears to be of a totalitarian, oppressive kind, with a very tight security from outsiders and a necessity for everyone to have "papers." But it all made no sense to me. With a lot of military guarding this place, there is very little order inside. And whoever in this regime suggested living in tents (!) in this climate definitely lacked basic common sense. Overall, the main conflict of the story - which is, apparently a tension between people who live in the "official" settlement and those, who like Willo's parents, decided to live separately and fend for themselves in the mountains - made very little sense to me. The novel lost me then.

I wish I could be more positive about After the Snow and recommend it for more than just the writing style, but I am more inclined to suggest a couple of other wintery reads for those who want something of the kind, but better plotted - Marcus Sedgwick's Revolver and Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness.

[Giselle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started After The Snow with high hopes. Post-apocalyptic books often become favorites or mine, thus I was looking forward to a story happening after Global Warming turns our planet into Snowmageddon. Unfortunately, it took me completely off guard with the bizarre writing style, then failed to captivate me with its unusual and slow-moving plot.

Writing in slang/dialect can be done well, look at Blood Red Road for example, which I loved. However, it's a risk to take that will not always be taken well by all readers- which was the case for me and After The Snow. To give you an example:

"The dog gonna tell me what to do. The dog gonna help me. The house look proper empty, don't it, dog?"

I could not, for the life of me, imagine a 15 year old boy when I was reading this; I kept thinking of him as 5 or 6 which made it extremely hard for me to relate to him or get drawn by his narration. It also caused details about the world building to slip through my fingers, leaving me feeling misled.

I do prefer a high-action plot, but slower paces can also end up thoroughly fascinating. At first it had a lot of potential to become a truly enthralling story, regrettably I never understood where the story was leading up to, which, in the end, left me highly disappointed. The characters' intentions are never made clear, so I was constantly confused as to what the story actually was about. I was also thrown off by strange events and behaviors throughout the novel, like cannibalism, talking to a dog skull, wearing this dog skull, the dog talking back - really this dog disturbed me to no end. For these reasons and lack of explanations, the plot simply was not one I could easily swallow, nor understand.

The setting is the one part I actually enjoyed. The never-ending snow, the mountains and even the disturbing caves; it's all very well described with a lot of detailed scenery. This is what kept me going in the hopes that it would eventually tie off into a great, mysterious story.

I truly wanted to like this one, I do not enjoy writing negative reviews, at all, but sadly it has to be done. I can't exactly recommend this one to many, although you can always give it a try as it seems to be a book that would enchant a select few who get a kick out of unorthodox stories with peculiar writing styles.

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I just want to start this review by saying that I skim read the second half of this book so please bear that in mind if you’re thinking of reading this book. I may … no, I must have missed the entire point of this story.

Let’s talk about the things that I liked first.

The idea: Oooh… a dystopian book that isn’t based solely on a flimsy idea about a random government doing something for no absolute no reason? Yes please. Considering the fact that even the idea of snow makes the entire British Isles grind to a halt (The term ‘snowpocalypse’ was thrown around a few times this past winter), I loved the idea.

The Characters: I really loved Willo and I loved Mary. Willow was a little bit mental but overall he was really intriguing. And Mary was just precious. I can’t help but feel sad that I didn’t meet these characters in different situations.

The Writing: YES. I am all for crazy writing. Even at the end of the book when I was staring at my Kindle in bewilderment, I was still underlining certain quotes from this book. I loved it. Ms Crockett is a talented word mistress.

And now the things I didn't like...

The Story: If you said “Hey Jo, I will give you a million pounds if you could tell me what happened in the last half of that book!”, I honestly couldn’t tell you.

Something about the Arndale Centre, a coat of vast importance that takes five months to make, people drinking grog, Chinatown, something about ponies, a chap called Patrick, a few trucks, Welsh valleys, a reveal that apparently was incredibly shocking and important that I thought was part of the story from the beginning, and something about beacons.

[I’m sorry if there are any huge spoilers in that section. People who have read it (and understood it) please tell me and I’ll put it in tags!]

My brain is too small for this book. I just didn’t understand this book. I tried, really I did, I think if I tried harder to understand it I may have got a nosebleed. I have so many questions about everything... queeestions.

I’m really wish I had better news but this book just wasn't my thing at all. I hope you all have better luck. :)

Also, possibly a little off topic, I don’t know who it was who first thought that Manchester would be the perfect place to hold government operations after an apocalyptic situation.
Because they are wrong.
Did they learn nothing from 28 Days Later?
We’re horrible people and we’re manipulative and we will lie to you and we will make everything worse and you’ll end up getting eaten by rabid, infected Northerners.
Is that what you want?
Is it?

[image error]


Do not trust us with your future.


[This aside may have been an excuse for me to post pictures of Christopher Eccleston but I feel I make a valid point.]


I received an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the Snow by Sophie Crockett is like an orange; hard to get into, but worth it once you’re there. Willo is a young ‘straggler’ boy, which I like, as so many books are written from a female perspective that it’s great to read something different – and this book was certainly something different.
There’s one thing about this book that many will love, but many may hate. The book is written how someone of Willo’s age would speak. The sentences don’t all make grammatical sense, but by using this technique you really feel like it’s being narrated by a child. You see the child’s world through his eyes, and the descriptions make you see things differently.
“Outside the snow’s falling heavy. There ain’t no wind so the flakes are all big and round and soft and they just keep dropping down from the sky one after another straight down like they ain’t never gonna stop”
The story is gripping once you get into it. Willo is out hunting and trapping hares when his family is taken away, with no trace of where they’ve gone. Alone and cold, freezing in the snow, he goes on a journey of survival – him against the world.
His personality and self-worth really develop throughout the book, and other characters like Jacob and Mary shows how he grows as a person.
This is a really good book that, although may not be appealing to everyone, is a worthwhile read that I fully recommend.

[oliviasbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, but not the right book for me. After not being able to gather enough motivation to plunge back into the narration (I had read 115 pages this winter), I have finally decided to put the book behind me. I would recommend it to readers who liked the writing style of The Knife of Never Letting Go and who are into books which display the inner monologue (which employs the language of a mainly oral culture) of a loner, his struggle to survive in harsh dystopian surroundings (a realistically painted future ice-age in Europe), and his efforts to grasp the mystery of his own dangerous situation.
The pages which mark my abandoning the story might be the ones that herald a turning point, though: Against his own reasoning the hero picks up a stranger who would starve without his interference. But in my private opinion a third of the book is too long to let only flashback-conversations intrude the one-man-show.

[Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morris Award Finalist--deservedly in my opinion.

Kirkus star
PW star
Sunday Times Book of the Week
NY Times Sunday BR Editor's Choice


4.5 stars. Fine teen post-apocalyptic dystopian debut--and far more earthy and believable than most of the teen dystopians these days--about teen boy and trapper Willo's survival after the mysterious disappearance of his father and family from their isolated mountain home. Part Riddley Walker, part The Road, with a flicker more hope thrown in at the end. Great voice, beautifully written and a page-turner to boot.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure I bought the novel, and I think it has to do with the fact the premise feels both very convenient/contrived but also extremely underwhelming and confusing.

Willo's dialect works well for me, as it gives him a lot of character and it gives readers the immediate sense of his class, his education, and his lifestyle (he's half-wild, rather than fully civilized). Very reminiscent of Blood Red Road in terms of how it's used to grow a character. The problems start, though, when Willo's experiences and decisions are grounded in absolutely nothing. It kinda makes sense if you think about the fact he is half wild and he acts on animal instinct alone, but seeing this is a foreign world to us as readers, the world building doesn't offer enough to make this explanation work as well as it could/should. Because we're in his head and following him, we deserve more knowledge about why/how and we don't ever get it. Back story -- which is the key to making the plot come together at the end of the book -- should have been built into Willo's story more.

The problems emerge more when Willo leaves his home and is dropped into the government-run dystopian world. He takes up residence when an older man and woman and works in exchange for safety. Except we never really know why the government is bad. We can infer but we never see anything. It's cold out. That sucks. But why isn't Willo just doing what he wants to do? That's how he has ALWAYS acted. That he doesn't while in the city makes no sense. If it's out of fear for government retaliation, then we need to SEE the government's power. We just get a lot of rumors. We get a lot of being told what it's like rather than seeing it. And since the whole story pivots on the fact Willo's dad is really this big deal anti-government guy who hates his son because he's a half-wit...why didn't Willo pick up on it sooner if he's buying what other people are telling him now?

This felt like the kind of book that could have been knock out with a few more revisions, more beefing up the worlds that are started. Secondary characters here were actually more interesting to me than some of the main players (especially Mei-Li and Alice, the sister who has no page time but who we hear a lot about). Pacing is uneven at times, too, and I can't say I felt much desperation in Willo's story. Especially in the end. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact he's made out to be half-wild so well that it's challenging to connect with him on a human level. I wanted to, but I just couldn't. Also the ending didn't work for me. It was obvious, so so obvious from the beginning. I had hoped it would be a twist or a surprise but it wasn't .

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of my reviews at: Ageless Pages Reviews

3.75 out of 5 stars.

I so badly want to give this odd little novel 4 stars, but I just can't do. I'm adhering to the GoodReads' strict system of a four being 'really liked it' as opposed to a three's merely "liked it" for S.D. Crockett's debut. I want to really like After the Snow as a whole but I just can't do it. I love love loved the first Part, but Parts II & III wiped out all the building momentum previously acquired. Giant sections where nothing happened for far too long in the mid-portion of the novel killed my waning interest, and the characters introduced during those pages (Jack, Elizabeth, Cath, exception: Dorothy) lacked the interest of the ones from before. Luckily for Willo, Mary and mostly me because I'm self-centered like that and I want to be entertained, damnit, the ending surprised me with its strength. Also, since this book was quite a bit different than anything I've read in a while (I'm told the voice is like that of Saba from Blood Red Road but I've yet to read that one), the review is going to be a bit different from my norm. WARNING: Some slight SPOILERS, implied or otherwise, but nothing major.


The Good:

I loved Willo immediately, even before adjusting to his distinct distracting speech patterns. A very distinct and interesting idea for a post-apocalyptic novel. The twists and surprises are nicely hidden behind the author's narrative sleight of hand. Willo's unique and strong voice is consistent and matures. Crockett manages to nicely wrap up the existing plotlines of novel without being absolutely final. This stands/will stand out in a growing subgenre of YA post-apocalyptic dystopias with the controls of 'settlements' 'the city', the ominous ANPEC, etc. Crockett would occasionally impress me with its imagery or tactility, even in Willo's mangled dialect ("Soon I get the fire lit good, and it make a soft dance on the walls..." p. 26 ARC). The open supported idea that China was the promised land, not America/the West.

The 'Meh':

I didn't dislike the 'dog voice' that Willo hears; he's a very solitary, laconic kid abandoned in the new Ice Age. I just didn't love that aspect, either. The extended hunt-and-chase scenes before Willo and Mary get to the road was one of the few part of the Part I I could've done without. I liked Willo very much, but I didn't emotionally connect to any other character/ feel and buy the emotional weight to the motivations of various people (Dorothy, Callum).


The Bad:

Sometimes I wished for another perspective (Mary's, for example would've been a lovely complement not only for her normal voice but for her experiences), just to give a break from translating Willo-thought into English. Not enough details about the apocalyptic event that caused the issues/what is provided lacks proficient explanation. The ANPEC organization in control of the people (with such actions overt like controlling food, money, nuclear reactors making them a de facto dystopic entity) is also largely mysterious - enhances the aura, sure, but leaves me feeling cheated.

So, in Conclusion:

After the Snow is uneven 304 page novel; it starts strongly to falter midway, only to make up for the lack of action later, but, on the whole, its individuality makes up for the most of its missteps. As a debut and a possible first in a series, I'm feeling more inclined to be tolerant about the large gaps of knowledge in the worldbuilding of this future - with hopes for more details later on.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The dystopian novel is intriguing because global changes in climate have occurred. It is perpetually winter with a very short growing season, at least in Great Britain and all of Europe. There are those who idealistically believe in a better tomorrow; either by leaving Europe altogether or waiting it out as it will warm again. Others believe that the Westerners were behind in the game by trying to go green rather than developing alternate power supplies like the Eastern countries.

Regardless, the political structure in Great Britain is completely in shambles. Capitalism is dead, the black market is slowly closing down, and the population is being gathered in certain areas of the country. One corporation is taking over the wilderness and purging it of all stragglers and any other people left behind.

Although the POV is a 15 year old boy, his speaking style is quite simple and he seemed illiterate and unfocused. Although the writing style stays consistent, it is only distracting at first until you get used to it. Then it is only occasionally irritating. On the other hand, it is clear that this is the way Willo talks. He sounds simple which is probably purposeful as he truly has no idea about the rebellion.

The author paints a cold and unforgiving landscape. I felt cold, hungry, and claustrophobic for most of the novel, longing to return to a safe cave that may or may not still exist. At the same time, I was unclear about the objectives of the more powerful people and what they wanted with all the land once it was purged. I didn't understand the gangs or what was really going on in the city. Maybe you had to be British.

Anyway, I didn't find the book to be poorly written (just poor grammar due to the protagonist's POV) and I did find the premise interesting. For me, though, I found it a little on the forgettable side.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book I thought ‘this is strange, I’m not sure if I’m going to like this.’ But I was very much wrong.

Sophie Crockett’s novel involves a young boy, Willo, who speaks quite unusually compared to the way we speak. To begin with I found it a little hard to read, as I wasn’t use to the way the Willo spoke. But that easily changed after a few chapters of the book when I began to start enjoying the book.

After the Snow is a future waiting to happen. With cold summers and freezing winters, people have been separated into categories and have to find there own way to survive. Willo is a straggler living in the woods with family and neighbours, he has grown up in a stable environment, happy and alive. Until one day his whole world is taken and he must go on an adventure to find out the truth.

After the Snow is a gentle story, with lively, realistic description. Sophie Crockett has written this beautifully, so if at first you find it strange or difficult to read, don’t give up, because this is a book worth reading.

[Ryan M · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess the theme of this book is that people just make it worst because he lost his family and now he has to care for 2 kid which is inhibiting his survival. Ad he is tryig to find his family but the kids are annoying

[Misty Baker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have been sitting here for a while trying to think of a graceful and interesting way to open this review. I’m failing horribly. So, in the interest of saving time (for those of you that like quick easy to read reviews) I’ll just go ahead and start with the obvious:

I did NOT like this book.

For everyone else, let me share with you the synopsis and then tell you why I gave it 1 star. (ouch!)

The oceans stopped working before Willo was born, so the world of ice and snow is all he’s ever known. He lives with his family deep in the wilderness, far from the government’s controlling grasp. Willo’s survival skills are put to the test when he arrives home one day to find his family gone. It could be the government; it could be scavengers–all Willo knows is he has to find refuge and his family. It is a journey that will take him into the city he’s always avoided, with a girl who needs his help more than he knows.

When I first got this book I was intrigued by it’s concept. Even more by the means in which it came to life in the author’s head.

“What if winter never ended?”

Good question, right? Unfortunately…Crockett never actually answered it. Yes, there was blistering cold and the effects that it had on the human race and the planet as a whole, but the WHAT was very vaguely tapped into, and even when it was addressed it felt shifty and generally confusing.

The story as a whole centers around Willo, who (for those of you who are curious about the entourage of “awkward writing” reviews posted for this book) is a mountain raised (aka backwoods) child in every sense of the word. His speech is impaired (leaving out necessary conjunctions such as the, and, at) and filled with slurs (coz, for example.) He spends a significant amount of time alone (which leads to a “Cast Away ” Wilson the volleyball-ish type internal dialogue with a dog – which happens to be dead and worn as a hat.) And his main focus is on survival skills and trapping animals (no big surprise there.)

When looking at it from a “big picture” standpoint it all makes sense, (even the rough language) but that doesn’t make it any easier to read. As a matter of fact it is horribly distracting AND had me shoving the book aside for almost 3 months because I just couldn’t get passed it.

The plot itself wasn’t much better. It had mounds of potential, just steaming right there under the surface, and could have (if written properly) made a huge splash in the Dystopian craze that is sweeping the literary world (there was strife, corrupt government, and even a resistance) but somewhere along the 200 page mark Crockett got lost.

Lost?

Yes…lost, and I had NO IDEA what I was actually reading. Was it a dystopian novel? A survivalist novel? A manifesto? A lesson in human behavior?

Crockett was throwing around ideas and strings of rambling thoughts so fast that it was hard to sort the story from the junk, and in the end it felt as though even Crockett had no idea what she was trying to say so she ended it in a horribly drab shoulder shrug (aka, oh well…this is life, let’s get a horse and move South. WTH?!) Characters were left hanging, there were plot points never expanded upon and the society (as a whole) was never really explained (Why did they lock down the settlements? Why is China the promise land? Why? Why? Why? *sigh*)

In the end (as my title implies) I was left feeling disappointed and annoyed. Not exactly what I’m looking for in a book.

My suggestion, spend your money elsewhere. This book will give you nothing but a headache and a strong appreciation for public schools.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: there is a time and a place for everything…

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

To begin with, I chose this book from the wonderful Raincoast Books because it reminded me of one of my sister's favourite series: the Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness. And guess what? The first page seemed like a twin copy of the plot from the Chaos Walking Series. The main character is a guy with a dog. The book is written in slang/weird dialect. The dog talks to him like Patrick Ness' book. But this dog was a formless dog. It never really been described. Its thought just come into Willo's mind. The only time it was described as a real dog was when the family first found it, when it was a broken and mangy.

Format:
The slang and the intentional grammar errors will not sit well with everyone. But without it, the character really don't have a feel to it. With the slang, it seemed like there is something tangible with the characters.

Setting:
The setting reminded me a lot of a scene from the TV mini series Pillars of the Earth, where the family is walking in the frozen forest. At least that is what I thought of it. And as the novel went on, it kind of reminded me of the Relic Master Series by Catherine Fisher. I don't know why it reminded me of it but I just had the same feelings that I had with Catherine's series.
Audience:
It was very disturbing to see that a fourteen year old girl has a baby with a old man but I guess that is the whole point of dystopian. Plus all around the world, stuff like this happen. Very disturbing! There was gory stuff in the novel. And it did feel more of a boy-ish type read (which I love).
Plot:
I started to like the book more and more as I read on. The suspense was amazing. I wasn't breathing because I was scared that I would change that fate of the characters.

The government in the novel was very secretive. The author painted a vivid and imaginary picture of the government and it seemed very dystopian and very interesting. I couldn't wait to learn more about the government and. For most of the book, I wish Willo could just hurry into the city and told me more about the government.

I did enjoy how the novel did not focus mainly on romance. In fact I don't think there was 5% of it in the book.

I do like fairly short chapters but the thing is that the story moved too slow. In the beginning, I felt the magic here and there but it didn't spark me. The reason I read on was that I wanted to see what the government was like. If the author cut the first 40% of the book down to 10%, we got ourselves a good book. I mean the beginning of a book is VERY important. Most people would give up a few chapters in. I say the fun starts on pages 100 and onward. And the thing is that most people give up a book on page 100 or lower. But when you hit part 2, that's when the fun started to party :)
And as part 3 hits, "OH MY GOD! Please readers! Don't give up on this book! There are some great actions, some great secrets, some great unexpected things in this book. I am SOOOO glad that I didn't gave up on this book." Yup that was what I typed frantically on my iPod as notes when I read into part 3.


Final thoughts:
This book is not like the nowadays YA dystopian, it is like 1984 dystopian, but of course for YA. there is no guys fighting for a girl. It is refreshing and kind of bring me back the love I had for 1984.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to lovers of the Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness and boy-ish book lovers out there. Just bare with the story a little in the beginning, and when you get to part 2 and 3, you won't regret reading the book.

[mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Να που ήρθε η στιγμή που ένα δυστοπικό μυθιστόρημα δεν μου άρεσε καθόλου.Η αλήθεια είναι πως είμαι πολύ απογοητευμένη καθώς περίμενα πολλά περισσότερα από το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο και τελικά έπεσα έξω τελείως.
Ο πλανήτης γη στο μακρινό μέλλον βρίσκεται αντιμέτωπος με μια ακόμη εποχή των παγετώνων όπου τα πάντα έχουν καλυφτεί από χιόνι.Ο δεκαπεντάχρονος Γουίλο ζει μαζί με την οικογένεια του στα βουνά και έχει συνηθίσει σε έναν αρκετά άγριο τρόπο ζωής.Μια μέρα οι δικοί του εξαφανίζονται μυστηριωδώς και ο ίδιος ξεκινά ένα μεγάλο ταξίδι για να τους βρει έχοντας μοναδική συντροφιά το πνεύμα του σκύλου, του κρανίου δηλαδή που φορά στο κεφάλι του.Όλα αλλάζουν όταν θα συναντήσει τη νεαρή Μέρι και μαζί θα προσπαθήσουν να ανακαλύψουν το μυστήριο που καλύπτει το παρελθόν τους.
Ειλικρινά δεν ξέρω από πού να αρχίσω και που να τελειώσω και νομίζω πως είναι λογικό, αφού αισθάνομαι ότι αυτό το βιβλίο δεν είχε καμία απολύτως συνοχή ούτε κατέληγε κάπου.Η συγγραφέας αναλώνεται σε ανούσιες περιγραφές και κουραστικούς μονολόγους του κεντρικού ήρωα που δεν προσφέρουν τίποτα στην εξέλιξη της ιστορίας κάνοντας με να μετράω συνεχώς τις σελίδες, ευχόμενη να φτάσω μια ώρα αρχύτερα στο τέλος.Η έλαχιστη εξέλιξη του βιβλίου περιορίζεται κυριολεκτικά στις τελευταίες 50 σελίδες όπου μας λύνονται μερικές απορίες αν και οι περισσότερες μένουν αναπάντητες μέχρι και το τέλος.
Οι ήρωες από την άλλη, ούτε αυτοί βοηθούν στο να γίνει η ιστορία καλύτερη.Ο Γουίλο προσωπικά μου φάνηκε από αδιάφορος εως αντιπαθής.Ο τρόπος που μιλάει και ο τρόπος που σκέφτεται θυμίζουν περισσότερο εξάχρονο παρά δεκαπεντάχρονο.Δεν ξέρω αν η συγγραφέας με αυτό το τόσο απλοϊκό τρόπο γραφής ήθελε να δώσει έναν πιο νεανικό τόνο για μένα πάντως έκανε τον Γουίλο να μοιάζει χαζός, σαν να είναι μωρό και να μην ξέρει πώς να μιλάει.Δεν ξέρω επίσης αν με την αδιαφορία για τους ανθρώπους γύρω του, ήθελε να το κάνει πιο ρεαλιστικό, εγώ προσωπικά τον βρήκα αλαζονικό,εγωιστή και εκνευριστικά περήφανο.Αυτός ήταν ένας από τους κύριους λόγους που βρήκα το βιβλίο τόσο αδιάφορο, εξαιτίας του πρωταγωνιστή.Δεν περίμενα να είναι τέλειος απλά δεν βρήκα κάτι συμπαθητικό πάνω του.
Ειλικρινά αισθάνομαι εκνευρισμένη με το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο γιατί νομίζω πως υπήρχαν πολλές προοπτικές για να είναι πολύ καλύτερο.Η ιδέα σαν ιδέα δεν ήταν καθόλου άσχημη, αλλά από εκεί και πέρα η πλοκή και η εξέλιξη της ιστορίας δεν καταλήγουν πουθενά και προσωπικά βρήκα όλο το μυθιστόρημα από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος αδιάφορο και βαρετό. Δεν γνωρίζω αν θα υπάρξει συνέχεια, εγώ πάντως δεν έχω καμία διάθεση να το διαβάσω.

[Jo Bennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willo is alone, hiding in the snow on the mountain above his home. His family are gone, his father, stepmother, brothers and sisters dragged away by strangers.

As Willo's speaks in his own demotic speech his life takes shape before us. Willo is very unusual in being born on the edge of the Welsh mountain he is hiding on. Most people live in what is left of the cities but he is a 'straggler', a person living on the edges of a diminished society. We are not too far in the future, global warming has caused the Atlantic currents to shut down resulting in the Snowball Earth scenario - Britain is covered by snow which only thaws for a very brief period in the summer time. Willo has been taught by his father to survive in these extreme neo Ice Age conditions, to hunt, set snares, make furs and clothing from them.

Willo gathers his courage and goes in search of his lost family, aquiring Mary, abandoned by her father, and struggling to survive in the much altered city of Manchester. He navigates his way haphazardly through a host of characters Dickensian in their suffering in an anarchic city teetering on the edge of total disaster: an old couple sewing fur coats for the rich with a secret utopian hope; a ratcatcher who gives Willo and Mary shelter for the night; an impossibly rich beautiful woman living in luxury; and roaming gangs of brutal inebriated enforcers and feral children. Resistance to the authorities is swiftly crushed, and when Willo finds himself betrayed by the one person he trusted most all seems lost. But there is always hope.

I really enjoyed Crockett's book. Willo's idiosyncratic speech mannerisms bring to life a young man on the edge of adulthood unwillingly promoted from pack member to lone wolf. His wildness and connection with the landscape are vividly communicated, as is the bleak possible future we all face if our climate does fail. I found Willo's choices brave, his struggle between his survivalist 'dog' mind and his deep humanity compelling. Crockett's plotting is brave, she doesn't allow for improbable happy endings and Willo has to endure terrible horrors to become the person his father raised him to be, a 'beacon of hope'.

A perfect dystopia, in that it made me reflect on the present but wasn't completely pessamistic, there was hope that perhaps humanity can do better than just devolve into savagery

[Amanda Makepeace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought of half a dozen ways to start this review, but in the end I have to admit I’ve let societal beliefs and stereotypes affect me when it comes to dialect and accents. We’ve all seen the characters on tv, the rednecks and hillbillies, with their distinct way of talking portrayed as the uneducated. As a northerner living in the south I’ve tried to remind myself regularly that the two do not always go hand-in-hand. Nor, that having less than a college education makes you some how less of a person. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t times when I slip.

Last month I read a short blurb for After the Snow by S.D. Crockett and I thought, this is a book I must read. When a friend (and fellow blogger) sent me her ARC for my birthday I was thrilled and eager to begin reading. But, as my brain began to interpret the first few paragraphs I paused. What was I reading?

As young students we are taught to appreciate dialect in dialogue, but this was dialect on an entirely different level. After the Snow is the story of a 15 year old boy’s journey to find his family in a world devastated by long winters. It’s written from his perspective, in his broken English. Even the phrase, broken English, implies there is something wrong with the way he speaks, but it’s not an uncommon phrase. I was determined not to let stereotypes stop me from enjoying this book and connecting with the characters. My determination paid off.

After the Snow is an incredible story. The more I read, the more I was more entranced by how Willo viewed the world and his perseverance to survive. If you love YA post-apocalypse novels, read this book, and don’t judge it by the reviews you read on Goodreads.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

When a Book Breaks Up with You: A Reading Confession

You know that moment when you're on a date and you realize there's just... no spark? That's exactly what happened with this book and me back in 2012. It was my first "it's not you, it's me" moment with literature that year, and boy, did it sting.

Look, I fell for the premise hard. A male protagonist in what promised to be a mind-bending journey? Sign me up! I was ready to cancel plans, curl up with tea, and lose myself in those pages. But sometimes the chemistry just isn't there, no matter how much you want it to be.

The writing style turned out to be like that person who speaks in riddles at parties – interesting in theory, exhausting in practice. I tried, folks. Three separate times, I dove back in, convinced that maybe I just wasn't in the right headspace. But each time, it felt like trying to dance to music I couldn't quite hear.

Here's the thing, though – books are like people. What makes one person yawn might keep another up until 3 AM, frantically turning pages. My DNF (Did Not Finish) story shouldn't be your stop sign. For all I know, this could be your next literary soulmate. The book's still out there, waiting for the right reader. Maybe that's you?

[dionysus · Rating 3 out of 5]

By finishing this book, I finshed Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2017, too, something I'm really happy for! :))

After the Snow, REVIEW:
To begin with, 'After the Snow by S.D. Crockett' was suggested to me by the librarian of my local library. When I first read the title, checked the plot about Willo and his adventures and found out the book takes place in a future Ice Age, I completely fell for it. I was fascinated and I had high expectations for this book. But, it unfortunately turned out I didn't like it so much, except some parts that were good, smart and really imaginative...
First of all, Crockett writes in a very unique way by using laconic, poetic sentences. That was something I enjoyed a lot, although it took me a few chapters to get used to it. The ending -especially the 34th and the 35th chapter- was very meaningful, optimistic and real, which I loved in the book too. But.. that's all.
What I disliked. Many chapters passed by leaving me totally confused, and, to be sincere, I quite still am.. Moreover, some scenes were absolutely emotionless. (ex. When Willo leaves Mary -so easily, after all the adventures they experienced together). Lastly, the consequent usage of the same metaphors and anadromous narratives, were overdramatic in comparison with the rest of the book that left me mostly neutral. However, they were used correctly and made the book more enjoyable.
Taking everything into consideration, 'After the Snow' wasnt so bad -at some extent I liked it and helped me understand some things-. I may be wrong but some scenes could be omitted and the book would still be good, or be more specfic/descriptive, and be much better. My too high expectations may affected me negatively and consequently be unfair with the book... Anyway, my 30th book's review is quite large and confusing, but that's why I'm a bit confused too.
3/5 Stars for 'After the Snow'

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

After The Snow by S.D. Crockett is a thrilling writer. He made this novel a survival book. A young man, named Willo, has to survive a major snowfall; and find his father who is starving and close to death in the middle of nowhere. On the way to find his father, he finds an ill girl but doesn’t have enough supplies for them both. He needs help! He needs to find his family!

I enjoyed this book, but at first I didn’t understand it. But as I read on, I began to better understand the novel and started to enjoy it as well. I would recommend this book to other people, especially to people who like survival novels. The one thing I loved about this book is the suspense fullness of the dialogue, in the novel.

[Emeté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. No es una historia memorable, aunque hacia la mitad se pone interesante y me quedo satisfecha con el final. Me ha gustado que hayamos visto el punto de vista de un niño con discapacidad, y me ha hecho reflexionar sobre lo poco común que es encontrar personajes así en las novelas distópicas, de ciencia ficción y fantasía. Me hubiera gustado que se hubiese indagado más sobre algunos personajes, como Jacob o Dorothy, ya que podrían haber dado mucho desarrollo a la historia, pero solo aparecen de pasada.

[Tom Houlton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story definitely gets more interesting as this goes on, but it doesn't reach the climax points you want it to. The narration varies between being both very insightful and quite disjointed.
It's worth a read though and a good Young Adult book.

[Neily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasnt too fond of the book as a whole and its hard at times to stay focused with reading the book and sticking to the plot as well as the characters.

[Riandi du Toit · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️'s

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: After the Snow is difficult to get in to because of the narration style and the reason for what is happening is never fully developed.

Opening Sentence: I’m gonna sit here in my place on the hill behind the house. Waiting. And watching.

The Review:

After the Snow starts when Willo sees his family being taken away in trucks, and he runs off to hide in a cave until they leave. The time period is never clearly stated, but we find out that this takes place in Europe after the weather drastically changed, leaving the world blanketed in endless snow. Willo lives out in the woods away from civilization with his father, step-mother, and lots of kids. He never feels like he fits in well, so he spends most of his time hunting and praying to his dog skull to inherit some of the dog’s qualities. The dog often speaks to him and gives him advice on what he should do. He takes the dog’s advice sometimes, but ignores it when he disagrees.

He knows he is alone now, so Willo sets out for the closest homestead where he thinks he will find answers about why his family is missing. Unfortunately, he never makes it there. Instead, Willo comes across two abandoned children in an empty house along the way. The dog tells Willo to leave them, but he comes back the next day, and takes the only living girl, Mary, with him. The world is a harsh and brutal one, but Willo knows how to hold his own against nature. When it comes to people and towns, he has no clue how to act. Willo and Mary are picked up by a caravan heading to the nearest city. The two get separated in the city, but both manage to survive for a while until they are brought back together through unusual means.

It is not until almost to the end of the book that we find out anything about the political situation going on. The town seems to be under some sort of marshal law, and the citizens are terrified. A certain book by John Blovyn that urged people to live freely in nature instead of cities has been banned, and anyone with a copy is treated like a criminal. The book with the revolutionary status is not unknown to Willo, but he never really sees the importance of it. Honestly, this portion of the book did not seem well executed. I still do not really know why the Blovyn’s book was a killing offence to own. This may be because it came through Willo’s point of view, and he did not care much about books. I would have liked to see the political side developed more. All it did was leave me confused since I didn’t know why so many people were dying.

This book is told from Willo’s point of view and in his voice. By that I mean his sentence structure and word choices are very primitive. He knows how to read, but he can hardly form a complete, correct sentence. I have to admit that it was extremely hard to get through the first time I tried to read After the Snow. The second time I tried, I was able to get used to it, but the speech patterns are very jarring and uneven.

Notable Scene:

“Anybody here?”

I got to listen good, cos if someone been upstairs waiting for me, I want to hear them creaking on the floor above.

But the only creaking is just the old house moving in the cold.

And there aint no answer.

I put my hand against the wall and feel my way down the passage. I can feel every lump under the cold plaster, and I know my palm’s gonna be dusty white if I can see it. I come to the coats still hanging on the pegs, the fur all soft. But no one go out without their coat in this weather? I don’t understand why the coats still here and the people aint.

I got a funny feeling about being all alone in the house, cos my back’s to the door and it’s dark and I don’t like it with no one here.

But like the dog say, Can’t stop to think about that now.

I get to the kitchen, the same roundside smells seeping out of the dark. I tap along the beam to find the box of tinder, cos I got none in my pouch–but the box fall to the floor with a bang. It really make me jump, and I got to stay still for a while more. But no one come leaping out the shadows, so I reckon the house is safe for now.

The dog worrying me too much. Thing is dogs can’t make fire and stuff, so they got to be more careful than us. That’s the only trouble with wearing the dog skull. The spirit of that dog get right inside me sometimes, and I forget who I am. That’s what my dad say when he make me stay in the house with the others and do my reading with Magda.

I say, “Dad I can read enough.”

FTC Advisory: Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends provided me with a copy of After the Snow. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ορισμένα βιβλία, προορίζονται για να διαβαστούν από έφηβους. Άλλα πάλι, για να διαβαστούν από ενήλικες. Και μπορεί το "Μετά Το Χιόνι" να υπάγεται θεωρητικά στην πρώτη κατηγορία ωστόσο, είναι ένα ανάγνωσμα ξεχωριστό που καλό θα ήταν να διαβαστεί και από τα δύο ηλικιακά target group καθώς, τα μηνύματα που θέλει να περάσει, είναι εξαιρετικά σημαντικά και δοσμένα με έναν τρόπο μοναδικό, χαρακτηρισμένο από λυρικότητα και ευαισθησία, κάτω από το πέπλο της σκληρότητας που εμείς οι άνθρωποι, ξέρουμε πάρα πολύ να γεννάμε και να τρέφουμε. Κι αν το γοητευτικό και σκοτεινό του εξώφυλλο, δεν σας έχει ήδη προκαλέσει ώστε να το πάρετε στα χέρια σας, ίσως σας πείσουν όσα ακολουθήσουν.

Ο δεκαπεντάχρονος Γουίλο, ζει μαζί με την οικογένειά του στα χιονισμένα βουνά μιας επαρχίας, που ζει μια νέα εποχή παγετώνων. Μακριά από τις πόλεις, και χωρίς να έχουν τα απαραίτητα χαρτιά ώστε να θεωρούνται νόμιμοι πολίτες, ο Γουίλο και οι δικοί του, κάνουν ότι καλύτερο μπορούν προκειμένου να επιβιώσουν. Η καθημερινότητά τους δύσκολη, αλλά ελεύθερη. Μπορεί να είναι "Αδέσποτοι" όμως, δεν είναι υποχρεωμένοι να ακολουθούν κανέναν. Όλα όμως αλλάζουν όταν η οικογένεια του Γουίλο απομακρύνεται από δυνάμεις των αρχών και εκείνος, μένει πίσω μόνος του. Το μοναδικό που μπορεί να κάνει, είναι να ξεκινήσει ένα ταξίδι αναζήτησης των δικών του ανθρώπων, έτσι ώστε να μπορέσουν όλοι μαζί να επιστρέψουν σπίτι τους. Ένα ταξίδι που θα του δείξει διάφορες πλευρές της ζωής που ούτε καν, να φανταστεί δεν μπορούσε. Ένα ταξίδι επιβίωσης αλλά και συνειδητοποίησης για το ποιος πραγματικά είναι, και τι μπορεί να κάνει.

Συμβαίνει κάτι περίεργο με τον βιβλίο της Crockett. Κατά την διάρκεια της ανάγνωσης, αν και σε παρασύρει, αισθάνεσαι ότι δεν μπορείς να το αγαπήσεις. Πως όσο κι αν προσπαθήσεις, δεν μπορείς να του δώσεις μια θέση στην καρδιά σου. Όταν πλέον έχεις γυρίσει και την τελευταία σελίδα, ξαναφέρνοντας στο μυαλό σου κάθε πτυχή της ιστορίας, αντιλαμβάνεσαι πως η πραγματικότητα είναι πολύ διαφορετική. Γιατί τελικά, συνειδητοποιείς πως αγαπάς αυτή την ιστορία, πως έχει μπει βαθιά μέσα στο μεδούλι σου, προκαλώντας σου σκέψεις για το μέλλον του κόσμου αλλά και της ίδιας της ανθρωπότητας, ένα μέλλον που όσο το σκεφτόμαστε, δεν φαντάζει τόσο μακρινό. Από τη φύση μας, είμαστε άγρια αρπακτικά, ικανά να κατασπαράξουμε τις σάρκες οποιουδήποτε προκειμένου να επιβιώσουμε, να πετύχουμε τους σκοπούς μας. Θεωρητικά, αν κάτι μας διαχωρίζει από τα ζώα, αυτό είναι η δυνατότητα σκέψης και επιλογής. Όμως τελικά, κατά πόσο αξιοποιούμε αυτά τα δύο χαρακτηριστικά για το κοινό καλό; Μάλλον πολύ λίγο!

Η γραφή της Crockett είναι ταξιδιάρικη, ποιητική, πλημμυρισμένη από λυρικότητα, που σε γοητεύσει και σε ταξιδεύει. Άλλες φορές σου γεννά αισθήματα απελπισίας και άλλες πάλι, αισιοδοξίας. Κάποιες στιγμές, ζεσταίνει την καρδιά σου και άλλες, σου προκαλεί τρόμο, σε κάνει να ανατριχιάζεις μέχρι βαθιά μέσα σου, σε προκαλεί να κοιτάξεις τον εαυτό σου στον καθρέπτη και να αναλογιστείς, ποιος πραγματικά είσαι, τι είσαι ικανός να κάνεις, μέχρι που μπορείς να φτάσεις και για ποιον λόγο. Είσαι περισσότερο άνθρωπος ή ζώο; Λειτουργείς με το συναίσθημα ή με κτηνώδη ένστικτα; Και αν κόσμος μας πηγαίνει από το κακό στο χειρότερο τελικά, η θέση σου μέσα σε αυτόν, ποια είναι πραγματικά; Μπορείς να καθορίσεις εσύ ο ίδιος το μέλλον σου, να αλλάξεις την πορεία σου; Μπορεί να χτίσεις μια νέα ζωή οπουδήποτε, αρκεί να έχεις πραγματικά βαθιά μέσα στην καρδιά σου, την θέληση και την πίστη που απαιτείται για να πετύχεις κάτι τέτοιο;

Η ιστορία αυτή, είναι ένα δυστοπικό παραμύθι που όμως, δεν κρύβει κανένα στοιχείο φανταστικού μέσα σου. Το μόνο που κρύβει, είναι η αλήθεια για το ποιοι είμαστε και που οδηγούμαστε, για το που οδηγούμε την ίδια μας την ύπαρξη, τον κόσμο μέσα στον οποίο ζούμε. Και τελικά, πως επιλέγουμε να πράξουμε; Να ζήσουμε παθητικά, απλά και μόνο καταφέρνοντας να επιβιώσουμε, να προχωρήσουμε σε μια επανάσταση που μπορεί να αλλάξει τα πάντα και να σώσει τους λίγους, ή μήπως να συνειδητοποιήσουμε τι πραγματικά μπορούμε να κάνουμε και πως ο κόσμος δεν μπορεί να αλλάξει, αν δεν αλλάξουμε βαθιά μέσα μας εμείς οι ίδιοι; Όχι ψάχνοντας την ελπίδα κάπου εκεί έξω αλλά, στα βαθύτερα μονοπάτια του μυαλού, της ψυχής και της καρδιά μας. Γιατί σπίτι μας, είναι όπου είναι η καρδιά μας, όπου ζει η θέληση για να φτιάξουμε ένα καλύτερο μέλλον, έναν καλύτερο κόσμο, ακόμα κι όταν τα σκοτάδια μας τρομοκρατούν και οι συνθήκες, προσπαθούν να μας πείσουν για το αντίθετο.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the Snow is the debut novel of author S.D. Crockett. Crockett brings us a dystopian set near a Welsh mountain during an ice age. Unending snow has shut down society and forced humans into settlements. This tale shares with us the journey of a fifteen year old boy, as he searches for his family. While the author captures the landscape with beautiful imagery, I found the lack of world building and the pace to be difficult.

The tale is told from the perspective of fifteen year old Willo. Willo was born on the mountains and lives in a home of the grid with his father, siblings and a group of strangers who have formed a family unit. The story opens with Willo sitting in a cluster of trees and rocks above his home. We learn that his entire family has been taken. He is alone and fearful of returning to the house. He can still hear their screams. He takes solace and seeks comfort from his companion “dog”. The author through Willo gives us a brief history of what life was like on the mountain, of his father and his family. Here the author gives us clues as to what may have happen. We learn that everything is controlled by ANPEC. They guard the settlements, control food and electricity and arrest those without papers. Willo decides to travel to the home of his sister to get answers and find his father. His journey has him facing death, saving a young girl, named Mary and entering the settlements. As he travels, we learn more about his father and his role in an underground movement. We meet many different characters throughout the tale. Some help Willo and others use him. Crockett gives each character originality and depth.
I want to thank netgalley and MacMillian publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
The dialect through the entire book is told in the voice of Willo. This language is entirely in slang and at first I thought the author’s intent was to paint him as uneducated, however we later learn he is simple. Willo’s companion “dog” is dead. Willo has cleaned the bones and sewn them, along with the dog hide onto his cap and coat. Picture this child walking around with the skull of a large dog on his head. All of Willo’s decisions in the first half of the book are made after consulting “dog”. The dog's voice is lyrical and spiritual as he guides Willo. Willo doesn’t trust easily and is leery of the people he meets. He connects with Mary, and even when he is away from her he makes plans to find her. Willo faces a lot of difficult situations and relies on his father’s teachings and the voice of “dog”.

The tale moves at an uneven clip. It starts of strong, then in the middle it becomes stagnant and it is here that I almost quit the book. I seriously thought about making this my first DNF. I set the book down for the evening and resumed reading the next day. The third part of the book picks up and in my opinion was the strongest part of the tale.

The world-building frustrated me. Crockett paints the ice age beautifully and I could picture the mountains and over run settlements but the lack of information kept me from truly connecting. I cannot tell you for sure the time period. There is a mention of WWI, so this may have occurred before WWII? I know it takes place somewhere in Europe. I know that people dream of escaping to China. We learn the settlements and cities are controlled by a militia under the control of ANPEC. There is a movement to escape this oppressive area and those in the movement study and follow a book by John Blovyn. As we learn more about Willo's Dad, the story loses some of its plausibility. I find it hard to believe Willo's Dad would not have better prepared him. While the author hints of tales told around campfires to the young, I find it difficult to believe that, at fifteen, Willo's father wouldn't have passed on all knowledge of the movement to him.

Overall I was impressed by Crockett's writing style and imagery. I was disappointed by the pace and frustrated by the world-building. I am however glad that I continued reading. In my personal opinion, with Willo’s voice and a more tightly woven tale this could have been absolutely brilliant.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went to the book launch party for this book last week and received a free copy which I got signed by the author. Everyone there was really excited about this book and I was feeling the buzz. I was eager to get started but had to finish the book i was already reading for work and so had to put this one aside for a couple of days. I was feeling the pressure a bit, hoping I would love it as I had seen so much excitement for it, but I have to be honest in my review.
I ended up reading this book in three different sittings. I'm going to split this review into the things I struggled with and the things I really enjoyed. There were definitely aspects of both and this book has me a bit torn really. I'll start with the negatives.
When I first picked up the book I really struggled, it's written in a sort of broken English, none of the sentences are fully structured sentences, which I found very hard to read. Sometimes I would have to re-read the 'sentence' a couple of times to get what was being said. I struggled for quite a while, it was about page 55 before i found a rhythm that I could read it to, once I had found the rhythm though I started to enjoy the story.
However every time I put the book down for whatever reason, when I came back to it, it would take a few pages to get back into the rhythm so it became very disjointed and a bit frustrating. I don't know if the author was trying to make a point with the language, it probably did have a purpose, but for me it jsut didn't work properly.
At 307 pages this should have taken me about 2 and a half hours to read, but in total it actually took about 6 hours I think.
Also the whole 'Dog' thing really confused me. Why would he have a dog skull on his head as a hat and why would he think it could talk to him? And it's not like it's a permanent thing, one minute the 'dog' would be giving out all sorts of advice, arguments etc, then it would go like 4 chapters without appearing. Was the dog supposed to be a sort of conscience? or a Spirit Guide? or an imaginary friend? I'm really not sure. Had me puzzled, I preferred the chapters where the dog didn't feature.
That's it for the negatives, two things that didn't work for me. Maybe I was missing a point, but for me, it just missed the mark. But now onto the positives.
The descriptions in the book are great, I had a perfect image in my head throughout the story as to what the places and people would look like, I could follow the character on his journey and have a perfect visual of where he was going. I really entered into the snowy landscape.
Once I got past the language issue, I did like Willo as a character, he comes of as strange and a bit simple at the beginning, but you see him grow and become more sensible, and you see he has got a big heart, he goes back and helps a little girl and a puppy in the book, even when he knows there is a risk. He has a good sense of right and wrong and a determination to help. He has a good head on his shoulders, but still makes mistakes like all humans. Although I'm still not sure how old he was supposed to be.
Mary, the little girl he rescues is another great character, I really liked her, she had determination to survive and a good instinct. I love how she can keep Willo in line even though he is older than her (i think). I love her moments of vulnerability, made me want to hug her.
The overall plot is good, Willo's hunt for his missing family is a good idea, and you see him grow and change throughout. I quite liked the ending, but did feel that his time in the city dragged a bit, it was like really slow then BAM big ending, lots of fighting and running etc, then a sense of calm and achievement.
I really am torn with this book, there were bits that I thought were spectacular and I can see why everyone was so excited, but there were also bits that I really didn't like.
I would say, good to read as it's very different in style from other books, but I don't think I would read it again.

[NyiNya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our fifteen year old hero, Willo, lives in a dystopea that might be similar to the way most people lived during those dark years of European history. Scrabbling to survive, scraping a meager existence off of an unwilling land, with families forming their own little tribes united against all outsiders...and all outsiders posing a threat. Government is shadowy and threatening.

The story takes place in Wales, some time after a new ice age has decimated the population and turned cities into a horror show where survival of the fittest has devolved into survival of the most brutal. Religion has been reduced to totem worship (Willo wears a dog's skull to help him as a hunter), and goodness is pretty scarce on the ground. The harsh realities of life turn survivors into scavengers...upon the environment and one another.

Willo's family are "scragglers," who escaped from the city and its oppressive government and lawlessness to take their chances in a frozen and inhospitable wilderness. Apparently the oppressive government frowns on this and one day Willo comes home from tending his animal traps and find them gone. No explanation is offered and Willo doesn't seem all that curious. They could have been "disappeared" by the government, rounded up by those who trade in human flesh, who knows. Willo consults his totem...the dog in his head... and heads into the city where he hopes to find some alternative to the endless emptiness and loneliness of life in the wild.

Bad idea.

When civilization fell apart, it fell apart so completely that no vestiges were left. Even memories of how things were have been eradicated. No one is rebuilding, no one is combing the libraries for books on how to use solar power to warm things up, develop cold resistant crops, or remove an appendix. Humanity just scavenges whatever is handy for immediate needs, for food and shelter and clothing. We don't see many signs of the world that came before. There must be millions of vehicles rusting away on every street, but only the government makes use of them. Instead of developing alternate fuel sources, the citizenry just lug their bundles on their backs. Virtually none of our vast technology is available or of interest to the average survivor.

Compared to the ease with which books like the "Hunger Games" series allow us to suspend belief, After the Snow has several toe stubbing moments where we just shake our heads and say "No way." And the dialect spoken by Willo -- a kind of Dystopian Futuristic Welsh-Influenced English -- wears thin after a while. After all, translators of Anna Karenina didn't feel it necessary to make Vronsky and Anna sound like Boris and Natasha. Willo's colorful jargon is more annoying than illuminating, and a little would have been sufficient. After a while I was telling that dog in his head to sic him.

Still, the book deserves four stars. For young readers who may not be so analytical, it provides a very different experience from the usual end of the world as we knew it epic. It's challenging to read, somewhat thought-provoking, and provides an important glimmer of hope. Who wants kids thinking the future is hopeless? Let them believe we are not destroying it faster than we can fix it.

For what it's worth, Far North by Marcel Theroux is a much better book, his frozen dystopia is more realistic and interesting, his villians more believable, and his big, lumbering heroine -- whose cloddish appearance belies a very find mind -- is one of the best and most original characters in young adult fiction. Far North is classified YA, but has enough substance to appeal to adults.