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The Winter People #1
The Winter People
An engrossing, complex, romantic fantasy perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore or Maggie Stiefvater, set in a wholly unique world.
Salome Montgomery fears winter—the cold, the snow, the ice, but most of all, the frozen pond she fell through as a child. Haunted by the voices and images of the strange beings that pulled her to safety, she hasn't forgotten their warning to "stay away." For eleven years, she has avoided the winter woods, the pond, and the darkness that lurks nearby. But when failing health takes her grandparents to Arizona, she is left in charge of maintaining their estate. This includes the "special gifts" that must be left at the back of the property.
Salome discovers she’s a key player in a world she’s tried for years to avoid. At the center of this world is the strange and beautiful Nevin, who she finds trespassing on her family’s property. Cursed with dark secrets and knowledge of the creatures in the woods, his interactions with Salome take her life in a new direction. A direction where she'll have to decide between her longtime crush Colton, who could cure her fear of winter. Or Nevin who, along with an appointed bodyguard, Gareth, protects her from the darkness that swirls in the snowy backdrop. An evil that, given the chance, will kill her.
Salome Montgomery fears winter—the cold, the snow, the ice, but most of all, the frozen pond she fell through as a child. Haunted by the voices and images of the strange beings that pulled her to safety, she hasn't forgotten their warning to "stay away." For eleven years, she has avoided the winter woods, the pond, and the darkness that lurks nearby. But when failing health takes her grandparents to Arizona, she is left in charge of maintaining their estate. This includes the "special gifts" that must be left at the back of the property.
Salome discovers she’s a key player in a world she’s tried for years to avoid. At the center of this world is the strange and beautiful Nevin, who she finds trespassing on her family’s property. Cursed with dark secrets and knowledge of the creatures in the woods, his interactions with Salome take her life in a new direction. A direction where she'll have to decide between her longtime crush Colton, who could cure her fear of winter. Or Nevin who, along with an appointed bodyguard, Gareth, protects her from the darkness that swirls in the snowy backdrop. An evil that, given the chance, will kill her.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2014
38 people are currently reading
3715 people want to read
About the author
Rebekah L. Purdy
20 books500 followersI was born and raised in Michigan (just look for the giant mitten on the map—it’ll likely throw a snowball at you). I spent most of my time in Michigan, but while in the army got to call KS, SC, MO, and CA home for awhile as well.
As a kid my family moved around a lot. Try spending both your freshman and senior years at new schools (yeah, loads of fun). I could’ve changed my name to “new girl”.
I love writing for teens because those are the years I remember falling in love with most of my favorite books. Some of the authors I couldn’t put down were L.J. Smith, Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, Richie Tankersley Cusick, Joan Lowery Nixon, Lois Duncan, amongst several others.
My husband and I have a large family. There are six kids total! So we have LOTS of fun on vacations (although hours on the road, cooped up in the Expedition is kind of stressful—although we pass the time with MAD LIBS and hoping no one gets carsick).
Some fun facts about me:
My first real crush was on Luke Skywalker (LOL—hey, I was like 8 years old and it came out before I was born).
I’m obsessed with several TV shows/Movies: The Vampire Diaries, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Sean of the Dead, The Sing Off, Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, True Blood, Being Human, Fact or Fake, and all the cake designing ones! Oh and all the spoof movies!
I still own all the books I bought as a kid/teen.
I have a hankering for chocolate (like all the time, seriously. If my arm was made of it I’d chew it off).
Celebrity crushes: Johnny Depp (woohoo), Taylor Lautner (okay, I know he’s kind of young for me), Ian Somerhalder (ooh, he’s just right. We’re the same age). Wow, this was like a Goldie Locks and the Three Bears moment. Johnny Depp too old, Taylor Lautner too young, Ian Somerhalder—JUST RIGHT.
In my spare time I like to write (obviously), read, sing, hang out with my kids, play with my animals, camp, play soccer, check my email (hehehe), watch football (go LIONS). I also love hanging out with my sister and hubby!
Look forward to chatting with everyone! And if you’re lucky, I’ll break out the opera voice and chase you around singing!
As a kid my family moved around a lot. Try spending both your freshman and senior years at new schools (yeah, loads of fun). I could’ve changed my name to “new girl”.
I love writing for teens because those are the years I remember falling in love with most of my favorite books. Some of the authors I couldn’t put down were L.J. Smith, Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, Richie Tankersley Cusick, Joan Lowery Nixon, Lois Duncan, amongst several others.
My husband and I have a large family. There are six kids total! So we have LOTS of fun on vacations (although hours on the road, cooped up in the Expedition is kind of stressful—although we pass the time with MAD LIBS and hoping no one gets carsick).
Some fun facts about me:
My first real crush was on Luke Skywalker (LOL—hey, I was like 8 years old and it came out before I was born).
I’m obsessed with several TV shows/Movies: The Vampire Diaries, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Sean of the Dead, The Sing Off, Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, True Blood, Being Human, Fact or Fake, and all the cake designing ones! Oh and all the spoof movies!
I still own all the books I bought as a kid/teen.
I have a hankering for chocolate (like all the time, seriously. If my arm was made of it I’d chew it off).
Celebrity crushes: Johnny Depp (woohoo), Taylor Lautner (okay, I know he’s kind of young for me), Ian Somerhalder (ooh, he’s just right. We’re the same age). Wow, this was like a Goldie Locks and the Three Bears moment. Johnny Depp too old, Taylor Lautner too young, Ian Somerhalder—JUST RIGHT.
In my spare time I like to write (obviously), read, sing, hang out with my kids, play with my animals, camp, play soccer, check my email (hehehe), watch football (go LIONS). I also love hanging out with my sister and hubby!
Look forward to chatting with everyone! And if you’re lucky, I’ll break out the opera voice and chase you around singing!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
February 20, 2016
I'm just going to say this right off the bat; I honestly did not like this book. It was torture to get through half of it, and by 60%, I had enough.
This is my first DNF review, so I have no idea how I will go about this. It'll most likely just be a rant of what made me stop reading.
Basically, this beautiful cover is a lie. It's misleading, and I have yet again fallen into the trap of requesting just based on cover. I know, I know, but hey! That blurb was really interesting too. And I was really excited to read this ARC, truth be told.
The story centers around a high school, Salome, who is deathly afraid of winter because she constantly hears voices. It also doesn't help that she almost drowned in a frozen lake when she was much, much younger. Though the truth is, which no one is willing to tell her for some unknown reason, is that her family line is cursed. By someone, or something.
I will try to keep this short. I promise.
There are two things about this book that wanted me to tear my hair out.
1. Everyone refuses to tell Salome about the curse. This means her grandmother, her mother, and her "boyfriends", who are probably not human. And the worse part is, they all make her believe that she is crazy. They make her see a psychiatrist, and they make her take drugs for it.
AND NOT ONLY THAT. We later find out that the curse is responsible for the DEATHS OF OTHER 18 YEAR OLDS. Oh but no, no one will tell her this will happen. So she goes off wandering ON HER OWN into places she's not supposed to go into.
THIS ISN'T EVEN HER FAULT, surprisingly. SHE NEVER KNEW
2. Her "boyfriends" are basically all the same person. I literally could not tell them apart. And apparently they all have beef with each other, and are all pinning or "protecting" Salome, but yet again, don't tell her what's going on. Or when it happens right in front of their eyes, they just come up with an excuse, and tell her she's mistaken.
This is why I did not finish the book. Even though I was already at 60%. I just couldn't go through with it because I was tired of seeing this poor girl being told over and over again that she's seeing and hearing things.
And the guys are annoying. And I don't care about them.
This is my first DNF review, so I have no idea how I will go about this. It'll most likely just be a rant of what made me stop reading.
Basically, this beautiful cover is a lie. It's misleading, and I have yet again fallen into the trap of requesting just based on cover. I know, I know, but hey! That blurb was really interesting too. And I was really excited to read this ARC, truth be told.
The story centers around a high school, Salome, who is deathly afraid of winter because she constantly hears voices. It also doesn't help that she almost drowned in a frozen lake when she was much, much younger. Though the truth is, which no one is willing to tell her for some unknown reason, is that her family line is cursed. By someone, or something.
I will try to keep this short. I promise.
There are two things about this book that wanted me to tear my hair out.
1. Everyone refuses to tell Salome about the curse. This means her grandmother, her mother, and her "boyfriends", who are probably not human. And the worse part is, they all make her believe that she is crazy. They make her see a psychiatrist, and they make her take drugs for it.
AND NOT ONLY THAT. We later find out that the curse is responsible for the DEATHS OF OTHER 18 YEAR OLDS. Oh but no, no one will tell her this will happen. So she goes off wandering ON HER OWN into places she's not supposed to go into.
THIS ISN'T EVEN HER FAULT, surprisingly. SHE NEVER KNEW
2. Her "boyfriends" are basically all the same person. I literally could not tell them apart. And apparently they all have beef with each other, and are all pinning or "protecting" Salome, but yet again, don't tell her what's going on. Or when it happens right in front of their eyes, they just come up with an excuse, and tell her she's mistaken.
This is why I did not finish the book. Even though I was already at 60%. I just couldn't go through with it because I was tired of seeing this poor girl being told over and over again that she's seeing and hearing things.
And the guys are annoying. And I don't care about them.
September 20, 2014
With so much pre-release hype around this book! But woe is me, it does not make for good reading my friends. Nope. What a terrible let down. I know you can't judge a book by it's cover, but look at it! It's gorgeous, but sadly what is inside is not so wonderful.
So what's the book about?
Salome Montgomery fears winter—the cold, the snow, the ice, but most of all, the frozen pond she fell through as a child. Haunted by the voices and images of the strange beings that pulled her to safety, she hasn’t forgotten their warning to "stay away." For eleven years, she has avoided the winter woods, the pond, and the darkness that lurks nearby. But when failing health takes her grandparents to Arizona, she is left in charge of maintaining their estate. This includes the "special gifts" that must be left at the back of the property.
Salome discovers she’s a key player in a world she’s tried for years to avoid. At the center of this world is the strange and beautiful Nevin, who she finds trespassing on her family’s property. Cursed with dark secrets and knowledge of the creatures in the woods, he takes Salome's life in a new direction. A direction where she’ll have to decide between her longtime crush, Colton, who could cure her fear of winter. Or Nevin, who, along with an appointed bodyguard, Gareth, protects her from the darkness that swirls in the snowy backdrop.
An evil that, given the chance, will kill her.
My Review:
It sounds great right? I was so excited to read this novel but totally let down once I got into it and judging from other reviews I am not alone.
There is a love quadrangle in this book, not a triangle, a quadrangle. Yes, you read correctly. Salome is actually throwing herself at a few men at once, three of them to be exact. What bugged me was that she hardly gets to know them before fawning and swooning all over them. Not the greatest female role modelling in a book that might influence teen girls.
Girls! Throw yourself at as many men as you can, as soon as you meet them! And be super girly-swooning-fawning pathetic at the same time.
Her best friend is just as bad if not worse, it's like females on the rampage in this book, lock up your sons! It was fairly depressing really.
I didn't like the writing style of this book, I found it lacking badly and as for character development, I felt there is no depth or realism to the characters. They are often doing things that just make your eyebrows pop up or you might be eye rolling at their antics.
I wanted something really special from this book. It needed something spectacular to happen in the first 20% of the book to hook the reader in but it didn't. I had to give up on it as many others did and did not finish it, I just couldn't. It did not pull me in one bit. But dear readers, reviews indicate SOME people loved it, so you decide for yourself. This one is not one I will be picking up again. I am moving on.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
So what's the book about?
Salome Montgomery fears winter—the cold, the snow, the ice, but most of all, the frozen pond she fell through as a child. Haunted by the voices and images of the strange beings that pulled her to safety, she hasn’t forgotten their warning to "stay away." For eleven years, she has avoided the winter woods, the pond, and the darkness that lurks nearby. But when failing health takes her grandparents to Arizona, she is left in charge of maintaining their estate. This includes the "special gifts" that must be left at the back of the property.
Salome discovers she’s a key player in a world she’s tried for years to avoid. At the center of this world is the strange and beautiful Nevin, who she finds trespassing on her family’s property. Cursed with dark secrets and knowledge of the creatures in the woods, he takes Salome's life in a new direction. A direction where she’ll have to decide between her longtime crush, Colton, who could cure her fear of winter. Or Nevin, who, along with an appointed bodyguard, Gareth, protects her from the darkness that swirls in the snowy backdrop.
An evil that, given the chance, will kill her.
My Review:
It sounds great right? I was so excited to read this novel but totally let down once I got into it and judging from other reviews I am not alone.
There is a love quadrangle in this book, not a triangle, a quadrangle. Yes, you read correctly. Salome is actually throwing herself at a few men at once, three of them to be exact. What bugged me was that she hardly gets to know them before fawning and swooning all over them. Not the greatest female role modelling in a book that might influence teen girls.
Girls! Throw yourself at as many men as you can, as soon as you meet them! And be super girly-swooning-fawning pathetic at the same time.
Her best friend is just as bad if not worse, it's like females on the rampage in this book, lock up your sons! It was fairly depressing really.
I didn't like the writing style of this book, I found it lacking badly and as for character development, I felt there is no depth or realism to the characters. They are often doing things that just make your eyebrows pop up or you might be eye rolling at their antics.
I wanted something really special from this book. It needed something spectacular to happen in the first 20% of the book to hook the reader in but it didn't. I had to give up on it as many others did and did not finish it, I just couldn't. It did not pull me in one bit. But dear readers, reviews indicate SOME people loved it, so you decide for yourself. This one is not one I will be picking up again. I am moving on.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2015
So Meh! Couldn't finish reading this book! :-(
PS: Don't fall for the cover!
PS: Don't fall for the cover!
dnf
August 6, 2014Abandoned at 10%. The prose is lacking in the beauty I like in fae books, and the protag just seems so young. No rating as I didn't really get into the meat of the story.
July 13, 2016
I'm just pissed right now.
Don't get me wrong, I liked this book! But the outcome of this story... no.
Let's begin with the characters.
We follow our main protagonist Salome, which is frightened of Winter and everything that comes with it. Snow, coldness, ice. You get what I mean. :D The reason for this is something that happened to her, when she was a child.
At the beginning of this book, her Grandparents travel to Arizona and Salome is left with the task of taking care of their estate. When she meets a stranger, named Nevin, on their property, the story picks up.
Now, let's be real here, I had quite some issues with Salome. Overall, she wasn't a terrible character or anything, but she tended to do extremely DUMB things. And guys, this is coming from someone, who accepts almost every female character, because we all do dumb things. In our daily lives. So, who am I to judge a fictional character, especially teenage girls?
But still, Salome did some things I couldn't help but roll my eyes at. For instance, she managed to say embarrassing things on EVERY SINGLE PAGE and then think: ''Oh my God, I need to shut up, I'm so embarrassing.''
Yeah...right. I mean do it once. Do it even twice. But don't effin do it on almost every single page. :'D
But wait, that's just a small thing. If it only were for this, I wouldn't even have mentioned it.
What pissed me off BIG time, was how she dealt with the overall conflict of the story. I get that you want to find out what's happening, when everybody else seems to know, but...just let me give you an example first:
Let's pretend you want to keep something hidden from your mother, and your friend tries to talk about that same thing, even though your mother is somewhere near, and is able to hear everything you say.You try to show your friend, that now is not a good time to talk about it, by shaking your head and making grimaces, but that person just doesn't stop.
Yep, that dumb friend is Salome. Her Grandma is telling her: I CAN'T TALK ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON BECAUSE OTHERWISE I AM GOING TO DIE! and Salome is like: WHY WON'T YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT IT? and I'm sitting there like: SHUT UP SALOME. Just... Shut up.
But the best thing about it? When her Grandma tells her were she'd get answers, the first thing Salome does is.... nothing. In my understanding, someone who really wanted answers, would immediately have gone there, but Salome needed almost 100 pages to finally say: ''Oh yeah. Answers. Right.''
For me that said, that she didn't want to do anything, but get the answers thrown at her.
And then there are the guys. No not two, but three! I mean yeah, you know that something's totally wrong with one of them, but still. He has an interest. The fact that she actually ended up with the one I found to be extremely boring and unnecessary, makes me so angry! :'D All of them had their flaws and I can't say I loved either. But the way the other guys were handled with in the end, was something I disliked so very much!
You see, I wasn't too fond of the characters, but I have to say, I really enjoyed the whole world and how it differed from other stories surrounding this topic! It was definitely my favourite part of the book!
Overall The Winter People is a really nice read, and if you love the characters, than you'll probably enjoy it way more than me. I liked it, but I couldn't fall in love, simply, because I didn't care about any of the characters. :D
Don't get me wrong, I liked this book! But the outcome of this story... no.
Let's begin with the characters.
We follow our main protagonist Salome, which is frightened of Winter and everything that comes with it. Snow, coldness, ice. You get what I mean. :D The reason for this is something that happened to her, when she was a child.
At the beginning of this book, her Grandparents travel to Arizona and Salome is left with the task of taking care of their estate. When she meets a stranger, named Nevin, on their property, the story picks up.
Now, let's be real here, I had quite some issues with Salome. Overall, she wasn't a terrible character or anything, but she tended to do extremely DUMB things. And guys, this is coming from someone, who accepts almost every female character, because we all do dumb things. In our daily lives. So, who am I to judge a fictional character, especially teenage girls?
But still, Salome did some things I couldn't help but roll my eyes at. For instance, she managed to say embarrassing things on EVERY SINGLE PAGE and then think: ''Oh my God, I need to shut up, I'm so embarrassing.''
Yeah...right. I mean do it once. Do it even twice. But don't effin do it on almost every single page. :'D
But wait, that's just a small thing. If it only were for this, I wouldn't even have mentioned it.
What pissed me off BIG time, was how she dealt with the overall conflict of the story. I get that you want to find out what's happening, when everybody else seems to know, but...just let me give you an example first:
Let's pretend you want to keep something hidden from your mother, and your friend tries to talk about that same thing, even though your mother is somewhere near, and is able to hear everything you say.You try to show your friend, that now is not a good time to talk about it, by shaking your head and making grimaces, but that person just doesn't stop.
Yep, that dumb friend is Salome. Her Grandma is telling her: I CAN'T TALK ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON BECAUSE OTHERWISE I AM GOING TO DIE! and Salome is like: WHY WON'T YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT IT? and I'm sitting there like: SHUT UP SALOME. Just... Shut up.
But the best thing about it? When her Grandma tells her were she'd get answers, the first thing Salome does is.... nothing. In my understanding, someone who really wanted answers, would immediately have gone there, but Salome needed almost 100 pages to finally say: ''Oh yeah. Answers. Right.''
For me that said, that she didn't want to do anything, but get the answers thrown at her.
And then there are the guys. No not two, but three! I mean yeah, you know that something's totally wrong with one of them, but still. He has an interest. The fact that she actually ended up with the one I found to be extremely boring and unnecessary, makes me so angry! :'D All of them had their flaws and I can't say I loved either. But the way the other guys were handled with in the end, was something I disliked so very much!
You see, I wasn't too fond of the characters, but I have to say, I really enjoyed the whole world and how it differed from other stories surrounding this topic! It was definitely my favourite part of the book!
Overall The Winter People is a really nice read, and if you love the characters, than you'll probably enjoy it way more than me. I liked it, but I couldn't fall in love, simply, because I didn't care about any of the characters. :D
September 20, 2015
I had a lot of problems throughout this book; everything from multiple occasions of insta-love to a main character who wouldn't stop crying... But overall I enjoyed it and the ending won me over
December 31, 2014
First I would like to thank the publisher for providing me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Doing so does not change my review in any way.
Oh my! I can't believe what a whirlwind of a ride I've just been on. This book kept me captivated from the very beginning. It's starts with a mystery that lasts just about the entire book. I had an idea of who and why but the how totally evaded me. Well done Rebekah, Bravo!
This is a book of suspense and mystery, mixed with magic, horrific creatures of the woods and fairies. This is quite unlike most magical books that I've read, and that's a compliment. Salome sticks to her morals and although several times she could have been corrupted, she never gave in. A strong heroine, sometimes a damsel in distress, but not one that played the role. When she asked for help, she indeed needed it.
There is a whole collection of different people in this story, each with their own wants and ways. Each are portrayed in ways that it makes it very easy for the reader to discern who is who. Nevin, the mysterious boy in the snow, Colton, the school boy she's crushed on for ages, Gareth, the bodyguard who seemed to appear at a moments notice. What are their agendas? Who will Salome choose? How will the curse be broken? Will Salome live to see 19? Amazingly, this book gives you all the answers you need, not in a rushed way, and leaves the reader satisfied.
This book had me on the edge of my seat. Between being creeped out and feeling scared for Salome and trying to put the pieces together too, the author has totally proven herself to be an amazing storyteller. Did I have issues? Yes, but not with the book itself. The characters at times really ticked me off. Salome's grandmother really could have given her some more info before they left for the winter, her father was a bit underdeveloped but he served his purpose in the story and her mother could really have snapped out of her own shell and faced reality sooner.
I recommend this to anyone who likes a good suspense story filled with mystery, magic, and the unknown. There are Fae in this book, but to me the story is so much more than them, it's the story of the curse and how Salome finds her way during times of uncertainty. I look forward to reading further books from this author.
Oh my! I can't believe what a whirlwind of a ride I've just been on. This book kept me captivated from the very beginning. It's starts with a mystery that lasts just about the entire book. I had an idea of who and why but the how totally evaded me. Well done Rebekah, Bravo!
This is a book of suspense and mystery, mixed with magic, horrific creatures of the woods and fairies. This is quite unlike most magical books that I've read, and that's a compliment. Salome sticks to her morals and although several times she could have been corrupted, she never gave in. A strong heroine, sometimes a damsel in distress, but not one that played the role. When she asked for help, she indeed needed it.
There is a whole collection of different people in this story, each with their own wants and ways. Each are portrayed in ways that it makes it very easy for the reader to discern who is who. Nevin, the mysterious boy in the snow, Colton, the school boy she's crushed on for ages, Gareth, the bodyguard who seemed to appear at a moments notice. What are their agendas? Who will Salome choose? How will the curse be broken? Will Salome live to see 19? Amazingly, this book gives you all the answers you need, not in a rushed way, and leaves the reader satisfied.
This book had me on the edge of my seat. Between being creeped out and feeling scared for Salome and trying to put the pieces together too, the author has totally proven herself to be an amazing storyteller. Did I have issues? Yes, but not with the book itself. The characters at times really ticked me off. Salome's grandmother really could have given her some more info before they left for the winter, her father was a bit underdeveloped but he served his purpose in the story and her mother could really have snapped out of her own shell and faced reality sooner.
I recommend this to anyone who likes a good suspense story filled with mystery, magic, and the unknown. There are Fae in this book, but to me the story is so much more than them, it's the story of the curse and how Salome finds her way during times of uncertainty. I look forward to reading further books from this author.
August 28, 2014
Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?
After seeing this cover and then reading this blurb at NetGalley it was really hard for me to resist and not to request it. Weak as I am, I couldn't and now here we are. This blurb creates certain expectations I had for this book and sadly not all were fulfilled.
The Winter People promises you a really mysterious and unique world, which you get. Maybe not that unique world, as some unique elements of it, and that is something I really liked her. Another thing that worked really well here is mystery, which was something that made me really happy. It all started when Salome was six years old after she fell in a frozen pond. She was lucky enough to survive that and now some years back it's time to face the consequences. It took me a lot of time to connect everything and realize what was behind this.
I wish I could tell you that everything else was as good as the whole idea of the story, but sadly there are some flaws that ruined the whole experience for me. One thing, as the author put it love "quadreangle" here was really annoying. Boys weren't problems, some were a really good material, but I felt like watching a bee that goes from one flower to another throughout the whole story. Not to mention Salome's best friend. That girl is something I wish to educate on some things. Yes, it does present teens nowadays, but it's a really bad influence which I want to keep out of the YA lit.
This story was engrossing, complex and enchanting even, I give it that, but there are many elements here that didn't work for me. It mainly focuses on Salome's love issue(s) and not enough on paranormal elements. I realized what it was all about nearly at the end of the book. It was a really good idea and it was all nicely put together but it could have been better organized.
The author has a really good writing skills as well. The story was nicely written, so I really hope that in the future she will stay away from stereotypes and over-complicating things, which tend to ruin the story. And sadly they ruined this story for me.
After seeing this cover and then reading this blurb at NetGalley it was really hard for me to resist and not to request it. Weak as I am, I couldn't and now here we are. This blurb creates certain expectations I had for this book and sadly not all were fulfilled.
The Winter People promises you a really mysterious and unique world, which you get. Maybe not that unique world, as some unique elements of it, and that is something I really liked her. Another thing that worked really well here is mystery, which was something that made me really happy. It all started when Salome was six years old after she fell in a frozen pond. She was lucky enough to survive that and now some years back it's time to face the consequences. It took me a lot of time to connect everything and realize what was behind this.
I wish I could tell you that everything else was as good as the whole idea of the story, but sadly there are some flaws that ruined the whole experience for me. One thing, as the author put it love "quadreangle" here was really annoying. Boys weren't problems, some were a really good material, but I felt like watching a bee that goes from one flower to another throughout the whole story. Not to mention Salome's best friend. That girl is something I wish to educate on some things. Yes, it does present teens nowadays, but it's a really bad influence which I want to keep out of the YA lit.
This story was engrossing, complex and enchanting even, I give it that, but there are many elements here that didn't work for me. It mainly focuses on Salome's love issue(s) and not enough on paranormal elements. I realized what it was all about nearly at the end of the book. It was a really good idea and it was all nicely put together but it could have been better organized.
The author has a really good writing skills as well. The story was nicely written, so I really hope that in the future she will stay away from stereotypes and over-complicating things, which tend to ruin the story. And sadly they ruined this story for me.
April 30, 2019
I really liked The Winter People by Rebekah L. Purdy. It is a wonderful young adult story about fantastical beings and a centuries old curse. There is romance but it is subtle and the hero isn’t definitive until near the end. Who Salome ends up with is part of the mystery of the book but I will say that I loved him and he was the one I was rooting for all along.
The plot is secretive and filled with misdirection. I was frustrated along with Salome at how those around her either couldn’t or wouldn’t give her the answers that she sought. I admit I was tempted to take a peek at the ending to get some answers but I held firm and I’m glad I did. The payoff at the end is worth a bit of frustration. Though now that I know how it ends, I’m tempted to reread it so I can enjoy it from a different perspective.
The Winter People is well written with an intriguing plot and interesting characters. There is magic, mystery, action, danger and a touch of romance. The characters are crafted with emotion and depth and the story kept my interest from beginning to end. I loved the ending. It was intense, emotional and enchanting, the perfect ending to a great novel.
I would recommend The Winter People to fans of the genre.
To see more of my reviews please visit Paranormal Kiss.
*ARC (Advanced Review Copy) received from Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley.
The plot is secretive and filled with misdirection. I was frustrated along with Salome at how those around her either couldn’t or wouldn’t give her the answers that she sought. I admit I was tempted to take a peek at the ending to get some answers but I held firm and I’m glad I did. The payoff at the end is worth a bit of frustration. Though now that I know how it ends, I’m tempted to reread it so I can enjoy it from a different perspective.
The Winter People is well written with an intriguing plot and interesting characters. There is magic, mystery, action, danger and a touch of romance. The characters are crafted with emotion and depth and the story kept my interest from beginning to end. I loved the ending. It was intense, emotional and enchanting, the perfect ending to a great novel.
I would recommend The Winter People to fans of the genre.
To see more of my reviews please visit Paranormal Kiss.
*ARC (Advanced Review Copy) received from Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley.
September 25, 2015
*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult, Fantasy
*Rating* 3
*My Thoughts*
When Salome Montgomery was SIX years old, she fell through the frozen pond on her grandparents property and nearly died. Luckily, someone saved her, and warned her to stay away from the woods or SHE will find her. Eleven years later, Salome still has hallucinations from nearly drowning and dreads when winter comes around. She doesn't wander very far from her property, and really only has one true friend in Kadie Byler who keeps her from diving off the deep end of the pier. Then her grandparents leave for Arizona for the winter, and puts Salome in charge of doing various chores including leaving shiny objects behind in a tree.
*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
Published September 2nd 2014 by Entangled: Teen
*Genre* Young Adult, Fantasy
*Rating* 3
*My Thoughts*
When Salome Montgomery was SIX years old, she fell through the frozen pond on her grandparents property and nearly died. Luckily, someone saved her, and warned her to stay away from the woods or SHE will find her. Eleven years later, Salome still has hallucinations from nearly drowning and dreads when winter comes around. She doesn't wander very far from her property, and really only has one true friend in Kadie Byler who keeps her from diving off the deep end of the pier. Then her grandparents leave for Arizona for the winter, and puts Salome in charge of doing various chores including leaving shiny objects behind in a tree.
*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
Published September 2nd 2014 by Entangled: Teen
January 26, 2015
2.5
this book was a hell of a disappointment!
characters? meh! and love story ? insufferable boring!
it turned out totally different from what I thought in the beginning...
this book was a hell of a disappointment!
characters? meh! and love story ? insufferable boring!
it turned out totally different from what I thought in the beginning...
September 2, 2014
The Winter People is a romantic fantasy at heart that's rich in atmosphere, as the author Rebekah L. Purdy creates a beautiful and deadly Winter-landscape as a backdrop to a suspenseful mystery and romance with a twist. A unique mix of modern and fairy tale, where all is not as it seems.
First off, I must tell you that The Winter People completely sated my craving for a highly atmospheric, wintery setting that included a touch of Otherness that often accompanies anything related to fairy tales and the realms of fairies. The descriptions made me feel and see the crunch of snow, and the deadly and beautiful forest that Salome was forbidden to cross into. The strange creatures lurking within. There's also a fun mix of pizza parlors, sandy beaches, parties, and proms that grounded the story in the contemporary world too. Yet, there's also the shadow of the Otherworld that looms just across the boundaries.
The Winter People should be noted as romance first and foremost, a fantasy second. And, just to be clear there's three, yes, three young men that all play a role in Salome's life and the actual mystery behind the Winter people themselves. Now, before you get all worked up, and hear words of "love quadrangles" let me explain why I thought in this case it actually worked well. Each of the boys that enter into the story and into Salome's life represent something to her. One, is her long-time crush, the second is a mysterious boy that seems to be a part of the woods themselves and who holds a key to her past and her future, and the third, is a boy who brings feelings of safety, honesty and friendship to Salome.
This romance is going to worked for some readers who enjoy following their heroine as she grows in character and discovers which boy truly cares for her only, and whose heart is worthy to be her hero. I had no problem with the boys, in fact I enjoyed uncovering their secrets one by one, and discovering the real romance. And, when all was said in done, there was no question who it should be. I thought it was sweet, swoon-worthy, and with a unique twist to it. So, the story is romance and character centered and driven, withing a highly, atmospheric and nicely suspenseful story. Being a fan of romance, I enjoyed it completely.
The plot and mystery unfolded slowly, but kept hooked until the very end trying trying to discover the meaning behind the fantasy/paranormal aspects to the story. I loved the actual idea behind the curse, and how it involved Salome, her family and the Winter People, BUT, I was disappointed in the fact that the mystery kept taking a back seat to the romance when it could have run parallel to it. The actual curse and dark secrets would have had a much bigger impact, in my opinion, if they were better interwoven into the storyline.
Almost too many damsel-in-distress episodes caused some frustration when it came to Salome, yet her determined spirit, loyalty and sweetness worn me over. Once again, I enjoyed the heroine, but she could have been so much more if she would have over-come some of her fears sooner. I love it when a heroine, despite fears, flaws or whatever tries to overcome them in her own way. Salome almost played the damsel-in-distress card one-too-many times.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars. I liked it.
The dark and mercurial creatures, wintery setting, fairy tale like romance and capricious characters all kept me intrigued throughout The Winter People. The book was a complete read in itself and gave me the action packed ending, solved riddles that I needed while avoiding the dreaded cliffhanger.
PLEASE NOTE: A courtesy review copy of this book was provided by Entangled Teen in exchange for my fair and honest review. Thank you Entangled Teen for the review opportunity!
July 24, 2014
A hauntingly lovely YA read, The Winter People was just wonderful. It started off slow, but got better and better as the book went on. By the end, I really liked it. From the magic, to the truly sweet romance, this book was fantastic.
I really only had one issue with the book, so I'll get that out of the way. It just took a long time for things to really start up. Up until about halfway through, I was only kind of interested. I had no idea what was going on, which was off-putting, because Salome never really looked for answers. She would ask questions, but wouldn't actively look for answers, even after she was specifically given a book that had an explanation. The reflected badly on her and made it so that I didn't know what going on for a long time. And, because the paranormal element was put on the backburner until some answers finally came about, the first half of the book revolved around shallow relationship drama with Salome and three guys who all kept their secrets close. So, this book just didn't start off strong. However, I kept going and I'm glad I did, because, a little over halfway through, things started to pick up and just got better and better.
My favorite part of the book was undoubtedly the atmosphere. It was haunting lovely, yet chilling and kept me drawn in to the story. I thought it was really well done.
Salome, for the most part, was a good character. Though I was annoyed the she wasn't more active, I liked her fine. She stood up for herself and did her best to face her fear of winter. So, overall, she was a likable character.
There were 3 potential love interests at first: Nevin, Colton, and Gareth. It didn't take long for one to be ruled out and it went down to 2. But, as the book went on, it became clear who was meant to be with Salome. I won't say who it was, but this guy was so sweet. He was utterly devoted to Salome and determined to ensure her safety above all else. He never pushed, knowing that she needed a friend to simply be there for her. He was wonderful and I just adored him.
The romance, despite the 3 guys, was on the lighter side. It wasn't annoying drama where the girl found herself miraculously in love with different guys who were strung along, yet determined to lay their hearts at her feet. It was more that Salome met the guys and learned, fairly quickly, which one truly had her best interest at heart, while the other two were more interested in what she could do for them. And, as I mentioned, the one who truly loved her knew that she needed a friend and was determined to be just that for her. I actually found that it made the relationship all the sweeter. I felt like they got to truly know each other and their feelings were based on that admiration, rather than just attraction. I really believed in their relationship and I thought the romance between them was very sweet and absolutely lovely.
The plot, as I said, started off slow. But, once it picked up, it just kept going and I found myself totally hooked. There were plenty of secrets and a constant chilling sense of danger as Salome found herself as a target in a long-standing war. Though I didn't think that I would in the beginning, I ended up really enjoying the story and I thought the ending was perfect.
The Winter People was an absolutely lovely YA read. Despite it's inauspicious start, it turned out to be a fantastic read that I really enjoyed. YA lovers, this is a book you'll definitely want to check out.
* I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
I really only had one issue with the book, so I'll get that out of the way. It just took a long time for things to really start up. Up until about halfway through, I was only kind of interested. I had no idea what was going on, which was off-putting, because Salome never really looked for answers. She would ask questions, but wouldn't actively look for answers, even after she was specifically given a book that had an explanation. The reflected badly on her and made it so that I didn't know what going on for a long time. And, because the paranormal element was put on the backburner until some answers finally came about, the first half of the book revolved around shallow relationship drama with Salome and three guys who all kept their secrets close. So, this book just didn't start off strong. However, I kept going and I'm glad I did, because, a little over halfway through, things started to pick up and just got better and better.
My favorite part of the book was undoubtedly the atmosphere. It was haunting lovely, yet chilling and kept me drawn in to the story. I thought it was really well done.
Salome, for the most part, was a good character. Though I was annoyed the she wasn't more active, I liked her fine. She stood up for herself and did her best to face her fear of winter. So, overall, she was a likable character.
There were 3 potential love interests at first: Nevin, Colton, and Gareth. It didn't take long for one to be ruled out and it went down to 2. But, as the book went on, it became clear who was meant to be with Salome. I won't say who it was, but this guy was so sweet. He was utterly devoted to Salome and determined to ensure her safety above all else. He never pushed, knowing that she needed a friend to simply be there for her. He was wonderful and I just adored him.
The romance, despite the 3 guys, was on the lighter side. It wasn't annoying drama where the girl found herself miraculously in love with different guys who were strung along, yet determined to lay their hearts at her feet. It was more that Salome met the guys and learned, fairly quickly, which one truly had her best interest at heart, while the other two were more interested in what she could do for them. And, as I mentioned, the one who truly loved her knew that she needed a friend and was determined to be just that for her. I actually found that it made the relationship all the sweeter. I felt like they got to truly know each other and their feelings were based on that admiration, rather than just attraction. I really believed in their relationship and I thought the romance between them was very sweet and absolutely lovely.
The plot, as I said, started off slow. But, once it picked up, it just kept going and I found myself totally hooked. There were plenty of secrets and a constant chilling sense of danger as Salome found herself as a target in a long-standing war. Though I didn't think that I would in the beginning, I ended up really enjoying the story and I thought the ending was perfect.
The Winter People was an absolutely lovely YA read. Despite it's inauspicious start, it turned out to be a fantastic read that I really enjoyed. YA lovers, this is a book you'll definitely want to check out.
* I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
August 18, 2014
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Through the first few chapters of The Winter People, I kept thinking “Oh no, there’s going to be a love triangle just like every other YA book out there.” Still, the premise of this book was interesting enough that even a love triangle couldn’t dissuade me. I was resolved to give it a fair try and I’m so glad I did.
Yes, The Winter People seems like it has your absolutely typical love triangle in the beginning. But I promise you that doesn’t last as Salome realizes not everything is as it seems and not everyone is deserving of her affection. She really matures as a character and desperately tries to get over her justified fear of winter from a previously traumatic incident only to realize that she should still be afraid of it. Very, very afraid.
The thing that really sets The Winter People apart from most YA books I’ve read lately is the quality of writing. Rebekah Purdy really does have a beautiful, descriptive writing style that sucks you into the story. She doesn’t describe things in mind-numbing detail but the way she describes them really does make you feel like you’re in all of these scenes, both magical and ordinary. It takes a talented writer to do that and I really believe that if nothing else, the writing alone would be enough reason to read this book.
However, the main character is pretty awesome as well. Salome is terrified of winter because she fell through the ice in her family pond at a very young age. She was rescued by our mysterious Nevin at the time but she still retained a somewhat justifiable fear of all things wintery. Now in high school she’s having to cope with taking care of her grandparents’ house when they go south for the winter because her dad is usually gone (as a trucker) and her mother has a broken leg. Seeing how she deals with that really gives me a lot of respect for her because despite her fear, she���s determined to help out her grandparents.
In the beginning Salome is a bit naive but never falls into the ‘too stupid to live’ category. She really grows and matures not only as she falls in love (then realizes what love really is thanks to a little help from a special someone) but as she fights for her life. There’s a mysterious curse hanging over her head and no one will tell her anything about it so she’s absolutely determined to find out on her own in order to save herself and her family. You really can’t help but love Salome as a character.
The plot isn’t insanely fast-paced because this is a character-driven novel but it is pretty exciting. Just when you think you know how things are going to end, Rebekah Purdy throws a twist in and you’re left scrambling. There were one or two twists I predicted but in general I was pleasantly surprised by most of the turns the story took. They stayed true to the essence of the story while still throwing the reader for a loop and that takes talent on the part of the author.
Even if you’re not big into fairies, I can’t recommend The Winter People enough. These fairies really aren’t all that they seem and they’re more like the fairies of old, not the sweet, innocent and ridiculously hot fairies of most books these days. They’re more capricious and dangerous than your average YA fairy and it certainly makes the story more interesting in that things aren’t only in shades of black and white. After reading this book, I honestly can’t wait to read more of Rebekah Purdy’s work.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Through the first few chapters of The Winter People, I kept thinking “Oh no, there’s going to be a love triangle just like every other YA book out there.” Still, the premise of this book was interesting enough that even a love triangle couldn’t dissuade me. I was resolved to give it a fair try and I’m so glad I did.
Yes, The Winter People seems like it has your absolutely typical love triangle in the beginning. But I promise you that doesn’t last as Salome realizes not everything is as it seems and not everyone is deserving of her affection. She really matures as a character and desperately tries to get over her justified fear of winter from a previously traumatic incident only to realize that she should still be afraid of it. Very, very afraid.
The thing that really sets The Winter People apart from most YA books I’ve read lately is the quality of writing. Rebekah Purdy really does have a beautiful, descriptive writing style that sucks you into the story. She doesn’t describe things in mind-numbing detail but the way she describes them really does make you feel like you’re in all of these scenes, both magical and ordinary. It takes a talented writer to do that and I really believe that if nothing else, the writing alone would be enough reason to read this book.
However, the main character is pretty awesome as well. Salome is terrified of winter because she fell through the ice in her family pond at a very young age. She was rescued by our mysterious Nevin at the time but she still retained a somewhat justifiable fear of all things wintery. Now in high school she’s having to cope with taking care of her grandparents’ house when they go south for the winter because her dad is usually gone (as a trucker) and her mother has a broken leg. Seeing how she deals with that really gives me a lot of respect for her because despite her fear, she���s determined to help out her grandparents.
In the beginning Salome is a bit naive but never falls into the ‘too stupid to live’ category. She really grows and matures not only as she falls in love (then realizes what love really is thanks to a little help from a special someone) but as she fights for her life. There’s a mysterious curse hanging over her head and no one will tell her anything about it so she’s absolutely determined to find out on her own in order to save herself and her family. You really can’t help but love Salome as a character.
The plot isn’t insanely fast-paced because this is a character-driven novel but it is pretty exciting. Just when you think you know how things are going to end, Rebekah Purdy throws a twist in and you’re left scrambling. There were one or two twists I predicted but in general I was pleasantly surprised by most of the turns the story took. They stayed true to the essence of the story while still throwing the reader for a loop and that takes talent on the part of the author.
Even if you’re not big into fairies, I can’t recommend The Winter People enough. These fairies really aren’t all that they seem and they’re more like the fairies of old, not the sweet, innocent and ridiculously hot fairies of most books these days. They’re more capricious and dangerous than your average YA fairy and it certainly makes the story more interesting in that things aren’t only in shades of black and white. After reading this book, I honestly can’t wait to read more of Rebekah Purdy’s work.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
August 18, 2014
The Winter People was such an absorbing read! There was no end to the magic and the mystery, all wrapped in a little bit of romance and teenage angst and family drama!
There was so much misdirection in the story. One moment, I was sure I knew who filled what role... the bad guy, the good guy. And then a little bit more of the secrets would be revealed and I wasn't sure that I was right. Salome was at the center of it all, a teenage girl who suffered a traumatic near drowning as a little girl, leaving her terrified of winter and snow.
I loved Salome, our main character. She was surrounded by people that knew more about what was happening to her than they were telling her and it was frustrating for her. So much was riding on her and her ability to break a curse, with little to no information as to how to do that. As if that weren't enough, there were suddenly three new guys in her life, all of them with secrets of their own. There was Colton, the boy she had crushed on forever. And Nevin, the otherworldly attractive guy she met in the woods and then there was Gareth, another ridiculously gorgeous guy who becomes her knight and shining armor. But there are so many secrets with all of them, making her wonder who she can really trust.
My Recommendation: The plot is riddled with secrets and misdirection and it built the anticipation beautifully. I couldn't put this book down and I loved every minute of it!
There was so much misdirection in the story. One moment, I was sure I knew who filled what role... the bad guy, the good guy. And then a little bit more of the secrets would be revealed and I wasn't sure that I was right. Salome was at the center of it all, a teenage girl who suffered a traumatic near drowning as a little girl, leaving her terrified of winter and snow.
I loved Salome, our main character. She was surrounded by people that knew more about what was happening to her than they were telling her and it was frustrating for her. So much was riding on her and her ability to break a curse, with little to no information as to how to do that. As if that weren't enough, there were suddenly three new guys in her life, all of them with secrets of their own. There was Colton, the boy she had crushed on forever. And Nevin, the otherworldly attractive guy she met in the woods and then there was Gareth, another ridiculously gorgeous guy who becomes her knight and shining armor. But there are so many secrets with all of them, making her wonder who she can really trust.
My Recommendation: The plot is riddled with secrets and misdirection and it built the anticipation beautifully. I couldn't put this book down and I loved every minute of it!
August 10, 2014
This is a YA Fantasy and Romance book. Unfortunately, in this instance, the mix of these two genres just doesn't work. The Fantasy story of battling fairies and a family bloodline tied to the feud is what kept me turning pages. Right from the start, the description of events that weld our modern day character to the centuries old struggle pulls the reader in. I'm not sure why the author felt the need to wander off the path by adding in romance elements, but it just disrupts the flow of the story. It's not the romance per se that derails the story but the sophomoric way it is presented. It reads as if two stories by two different authors with differing levels of writing expertise were pushed together by a third party.
Where this story could have benefited greatly from more in depth plot construction and background details, instead it stutters and starts and never quite gets the wheels spinning.
I'm torn on this review because I truly liked the story, I just didn't like the telling.
Where this story could have benefited greatly from more in depth plot construction and background details, instead it stutters and starts and never quite gets the wheels spinning.
I'm torn on this review because I truly liked the story, I just didn't like the telling.
September 6, 2015
I really loved this book. Unique and super cool (that pun though ;) ) The story line always kept me wanting to read more, even if my mind was also on QoS. Don't get me wrong, Qos is AMAZING. But there's so many deadlines I need to do for book reviews and I just don't have time between school and review deadlines. Anyway, the only bad critique I'd give is how oblivious Salome was of everything. I know as readers and us not being in her situation, we see what's there more. But seriously?! Could she not be more oblivious to everything? Lol. Other than that, complete enjoyed!
September 25, 2013
This book is amazeballs!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 14, 2021
Rating: 3 Stars
Rebekah L. Purdy's The Winter People has a very unique fairytale-esque/fantasy/paranormal theme, which I definitely enjoyed. So many elements reminded me of some of my most beloved TV shows and books. The winter people themselves reminded me of Game of Thrones in a way with their white walkers, the whole fairytale aspect reminded me of Once Upon a Time and the 'bonding' took me back to my Vampire Academy spirit bound days - this book was quite a journey :) It follows Salome Montgomery, a 17 year old girl who lives with her loving mother alone most of the time because her dad is constantly travelling for his job. She always finds herself spending time with her grandparents, who live just down the street. When they ask her to take care of their house for the winter months while they go on vacation, Salome is scared because of a traumatic experience she had as a child which has left her with a horrible fear of snow and really, winter in general. In The Winter People, readers go on Salome's personal journey of fear, discovery, loss, love and bravery.
What I Liked: **careful! spoilers**
As a 17 year old as well, I related to Salome in some ways which was great - it's always a better reading experience when you can sympathize for the character and really immerse yourself into their lives. Kadie, Salome's best friend, reminded me a lot of my best friend as she's also the outgoing and confident one whereas, I'm a little more shy, like Salome, so I could definitely relate to that friendship. Although, when they would get all dressed up and head over to the local clubs, I could not put myself in their shoes, merely because I've never experienced a situation like that. (maybe I just grew up in a really strict house hold haha ;))
Their friendship was one of my favourite aspects of the book because it was so true. They depend on each other for different things: Salome needs Kadie for comfort and a distraction from the real world whereas Kadie needs Salome for support and a 'fake sleepover call to her mom' when she stayed out all night! I wish I could have seen more of that. Kadie was also a great character.
At the beginning, Salome is still batting internal demons so you see her weaker side although, as the book progresses, we get to see her grow into a strong and brave young woman which was great! She really sought out answers (or at least tried for the most part) for her problems - she was persistent for sure, I'll give her that! I think in the end (speaking of which, I liked :D), she realized what the ultimate solution for her problem was and made a sacrifice not many people would be able to make - I admired her for that for sure.
I loved where this book was set, especially since there was a pretty big fantasy aspect to it. Fantasy being my favourite and ultimately most-read genre, I'm used to reading about fairies, vampires, werewolves, demons (good and bad), creepy winter people, you name it, i've read it - including the super hunky supernatural teenage boys saving the damsel in distress (which I am, by all means, 100% okay with) It didn't overpower the main themes of the novel which I thought were personal growth/discovery as Salome came to peace with her own issues, learned from these experiences and became a better person because she learned from her past. The romance on the other hand, was kind of a background element which was refreshing with all these YA fantasies that turn out not to be fantasies at all but just romances in disguise..
Remember when I said romance wasn't huge in this book? (it isn't too much, trust me) Well.....There was not one, not two, but THREE love interests in this book which I've got to give props to Rebekah L. Purdy for because that is one big undertaking. Colton, Nevin and Gareth were all very different and still remained a huge presence in the book - it was nice not having too many similarities between these guys so that you didn't feel like you were reading about the same character, just with a different name. They were all pretty unique and had their own flaws (some more than others) which I appreciated as a reader :) That said however, I had absolutely no problem with picking my own favourite. (#TEAMGARETH)
I loved the dates and outings Salome went on - they made me so jealous haha! They were like the cute dates you read about in fairytales (though i suppose, in a weird way she was kind of living a fairytale) I WANTED MORE!
Why This Wasn't 5 Stars:
I went into this book hoping I would absolutely love it and don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but it fell short on some of my expectations. I found myself confused at times because some of the most important elements were not discussed to teh depth that I would have hoped for. The curse, for example, which is what Salome works toward ending/fixing through the entirety of the novel, I felt was not explained well.
Every time Salome would go and try to find more information about her family's past, I would finish the chapter with more questions instead of finding answers. Like, what happened with Griselle? What about the idea about her dad being 'possessed'? What happened with Kadie after she went to school? Did Salome ever tell her about what happened with the curse? I just wanted more of these questions answered and maybe a little less of her being followed by the winter people...
Also, winter in this book seemed to cover about 75% of the length whereas the other 3 seasons together were the 25%. I wanted to see more of her at school, what she did at home, her hanging out with her friends, going places meeting new people etc. Every time I thought that was going to finally happen, the winter people came ans messed it up. Obviously this is important in order to show how much it's affecting her life but it happened every single time.
All in all, this was a good read and I'd recommend it to those who want a quick, cute fantasy read :)
**Thank you to Entangled Teen for sending this to me through Netgalley for review! This in no way affected my review or rating.
Rebekah L. Purdy's The Winter People has a very unique fairytale-esque/fantasy/paranormal theme, which I definitely enjoyed. So many elements reminded me of some of my most beloved TV shows and books. The winter people themselves reminded me of Game of Thrones in a way with their white walkers, the whole fairytale aspect reminded me of Once Upon a Time and the 'bonding' took me back to my Vampire Academy spirit bound days - this book was quite a journey :) It follows Salome Montgomery, a 17 year old girl who lives with her loving mother alone most of the time because her dad is constantly travelling for his job. She always finds herself spending time with her grandparents, who live just down the street. When they ask her to take care of their house for the winter months while they go on vacation, Salome is scared because of a traumatic experience she had as a child which has left her with a horrible fear of snow and really, winter in general. In The Winter People, readers go on Salome's personal journey of fear, discovery, loss, love and bravery.
What I Liked: **careful! spoilers**
As a 17 year old as well, I related to Salome in some ways which was great - it's always a better reading experience when you can sympathize for the character and really immerse yourself into their lives. Kadie, Salome's best friend, reminded me a lot of my best friend as she's also the outgoing and confident one whereas, I'm a little more shy, like Salome, so I could definitely relate to that friendship. Although, when they would get all dressed up and head over to the local clubs, I could not put myself in their shoes, merely because I've never experienced a situation like that. (maybe I just grew up in a really strict house hold haha ;))
Their friendship was one of my favourite aspects of the book because it was so true. They depend on each other for different things: Salome needs Kadie for comfort and a distraction from the real world whereas Kadie needs Salome for support and a 'fake sleepover call to her mom' when she stayed out all night! I wish I could have seen more of that. Kadie was also a great character.
At the beginning, Salome is still batting internal demons so you see her weaker side although, as the book progresses, we get to see her grow into a strong and brave young woman which was great! She really sought out answers (or at least tried for the most part) for her problems - she was persistent for sure, I'll give her that! I think in the end (speaking of which, I liked :D), she realized what the ultimate solution for her problem was and made a sacrifice not many people would be able to make - I admired her for that for sure.
I loved where this book was set, especially since there was a pretty big fantasy aspect to it. Fantasy being my favourite and ultimately most-read genre, I'm used to reading about fairies, vampires, werewolves, demons (good and bad), creepy winter people, you name it, i've read it - including the super hunky supernatural teenage boys saving the damsel in distress (which I am, by all means, 100% okay with) It didn't overpower the main themes of the novel which I thought were personal growth/discovery as Salome came to peace with her own issues, learned from these experiences and became a better person because she learned from her past. The romance on the other hand, was kind of a background element which was refreshing with all these YA fantasies that turn out not to be fantasies at all but just romances in disguise..
Remember when I said romance wasn't huge in this book? (it isn't too much, trust me) Well.....There was not one, not two, but THREE love interests in this book which I've got to give props to Rebekah L. Purdy for because that is one big undertaking. Colton, Nevin and Gareth were all very different and still remained a huge presence in the book - it was nice not having too many similarities between these guys so that you didn't feel like you were reading about the same character, just with a different name. They were all pretty unique and had their own flaws (some more than others) which I appreciated as a reader :) That said however, I had absolutely no problem with picking my own favourite. (#TEAMGARETH)
I loved the dates and outings Salome went on - they made me so jealous haha! They were like the cute dates you read about in fairytales (though i suppose, in a weird way she was kind of living a fairytale) I WANTED MORE!
Why This Wasn't 5 Stars:
I went into this book hoping I would absolutely love it and don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but it fell short on some of my expectations. I found myself confused at times because some of the most important elements were not discussed to teh depth that I would have hoped for. The curse, for example, which is what Salome works toward ending/fixing through the entirety of the novel, I felt was not explained well.
Every time Salome would go and try to find more information about her family's past, I would finish the chapter with more questions instead of finding answers. Like, what happened with Griselle? What about the idea about her dad being 'possessed'? What happened with Kadie after she went to school? Did Salome ever tell her about what happened with the curse? I just wanted more of these questions answered and maybe a little less of her being followed by the winter people...
Also, winter in this book seemed to cover about 75% of the length whereas the other 3 seasons together were the 25%. I wanted to see more of her at school, what she did at home, her hanging out with her friends, going places meeting new people etc. Every time I thought that was going to finally happen, the winter people came ans messed it up. Obviously this is important in order to show how much it's affecting her life but it happened every single time.
All in all, this was a good read and I'd recommend it to those who want a quick, cute fantasy read :)
**Thank you to Entangled Teen for sending this to me through Netgalley for review! This in no way affected my review or rating.
November 14, 2014
Check out this review and more at my blog:
I really wasn’t sure what to expect going into The Winter People, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. To be honest, I was resistant because I have not had much luck with the fantasy genre lately. I am so happy that this finally broke my Fantasy slump!
The Winter People is about a young girl named Salome who has a terrible fear of Winter after falling into a frozen pond at the age of nine. Her fear is more of a phobia in that she does not like to even be outside when it snows. When she is left to take care of her Grandparents property and perform their odd rituals while they are gone everything in her life changes.
I really liked this book, the mystery surrounding winter, the curiosity over what was going on in the woods and changes these characters went through during this book kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages.
“Now, for a word of advice. Make sure you know who or what you’re choosing before you choose.”
Salome grew on me, at first I did not like her. She was timid, weak and totally dependent on everyone around her. Her transformation during this book was jaw dropping and I loved it. She grew, she tried to overcome her fears and she began to fight for herself. The transformation of these characters was one of my favorite parts of Rebekah Purdy’s writing. I have not read a book where the Author can make you feel one way about a character and then show you that first impressions are not everything. It totally made me empathize with Salome and her feelings throughout the book.
“Piece of advice, never trust a guy who says he wants to protect you-because sooner or later it comes back to bite you in the ass.”
One thing that caught me off guard about this book was that instead of a love triangle it was actually a four way love… square? LOL!I actually liked it and although I had my favorite picked out pretty early on, I loved watching this unfold and trying to make up my mind about each of these guys. Colton, the high school crush. Nevin, the mysterious and arrogant one and Gareth the sexy protector… can you guess which was my favorite?
My head rested against his shoulder. This was how things should be. No worries. No frightening things happening.
I struggled with the rating on this one, I liked it so very much. Ultimately I chose to rate it a four because there were a few things that bugged me. First, I hated that no one gave Salome any answers about what was going on and the fact that she didn’t fight for those answers equally bothered me! Second, this book really redeemed itself in the second half. Although I enjoyed the entire thing, I can understand how some struggled with this book in the first half. A weak heroin, relationships bordering on insta-love and dudes with massive protector complexes. Please trust me when I tell you that it is all part of the plot and makes sense later in the book. I actually loved that about this book. The unpredictability, the growth of some characters and transformation of others just made this book so good for me. So Although I had a couple of small complaints they did not matter at all in the end.
“We want to gift you. But, remember to choose wisely for you only get one.” I know what I want; it’s what I’ve wanted forever. My heart’s desire, the only thing that mattered in life. Love. It made me whole, it made me happy and my love had a name…
If you are a fan of the YA fantasy genre then I highly suggest this one!
I really wasn’t sure what to expect going into The Winter People, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. To be honest, I was resistant because I have not had much luck with the fantasy genre lately. I am so happy that this finally broke my Fantasy slump!
The Winter People is about a young girl named Salome who has a terrible fear of Winter after falling into a frozen pond at the age of nine. Her fear is more of a phobia in that she does not like to even be outside when it snows. When she is left to take care of her Grandparents property and perform their odd rituals while they are gone everything in her life changes.
I really liked this book, the mystery surrounding winter, the curiosity over what was going on in the woods and changes these characters went through during this book kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages.
“Now, for a word of advice. Make sure you know who or what you’re choosing before you choose.”
Salome grew on me, at first I did not like her. She was timid, weak and totally dependent on everyone around her. Her transformation during this book was jaw dropping and I loved it. She grew, she tried to overcome her fears and she began to fight for herself. The transformation of these characters was one of my favorite parts of Rebekah Purdy’s writing. I have not read a book where the Author can make you feel one way about a character and then show you that first impressions are not everything. It totally made me empathize with Salome and her feelings throughout the book.
“Piece of advice, never trust a guy who says he wants to protect you-because sooner or later it comes back to bite you in the ass.”
One thing that caught me off guard about this book was that instead of a love triangle it was actually a four way love… square? LOL!I actually liked it and although I had my favorite picked out pretty early on, I loved watching this unfold and trying to make up my mind about each of these guys. Colton, the high school crush. Nevin, the mysterious and arrogant one and Gareth the sexy protector… can you guess which was my favorite?
My head rested against his shoulder. This was how things should be. No worries. No frightening things happening.
I struggled with the rating on this one, I liked it so very much. Ultimately I chose to rate it a four because there were a few things that bugged me. First, I hated that no one gave Salome any answers about what was going on and the fact that she didn’t fight for those answers equally bothered me! Second, this book really redeemed itself in the second half. Although I enjoyed the entire thing, I can understand how some struggled with this book in the first half. A weak heroin, relationships bordering on insta-love and dudes with massive protector complexes. Please trust me when I tell you that it is all part of the plot and makes sense later in the book. I actually loved that about this book. The unpredictability, the growth of some characters and transformation of others just made this book so good for me. So Although I had a couple of small complaints they did not matter at all in the end.
“We want to gift you. But, remember to choose wisely for you only get one.” I know what I want; it’s what I’ve wanted forever. My heart’s desire, the only thing that mattered in life. Love. It made me whole, it made me happy and my love had a name…
If you are a fan of the YA fantasy genre then I highly suggest this one!
August 9, 2014
* I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review *
The Winter People by Rebekah L. Purdy is riveting! I finished this novel last night very late and had to take some time to digest everything that happened. I was truly astonished.
First, the cover is absolutely breathtaking. When first seeing it, I was in awe. It begged to be read. And so I did, and so it led me on quite a journey.
The preface of the novel introduces the reader to a traumatic event. We meet a very young Salome Montgomery being rescued from an icy death. This sets the stage for who recued her? How does he tie into her future? What nearly killed her? Oh I could go on and on regarding the questions originating from this single incident.
The novel fast-forwards to 17-year-old Salome. The author did a wonderful job of detailing out each key character giving the reader an opportunity to feel for them.
I have to admit, I don't think I've ever read a novel where the main character has so many love interests going on at the same time. With that said, it didn't derail me from liking Salome. The author had an interesting way of making me cheer for a relationship with each. As strange as that sounds, you'd have to read The Winter People to truly understand how that concept makes any sense.
We're introduced to the love interests: Nevin, Colton, and Gareth. You find out that each are connected to each other and Salome is the key to unlocking the mystery that surrounds each individual male character.
Nevin: Cold, arrogant, stoic and yet sensitive. There was such an allure to him. Why can't he come into Salome's house? What is his history, this air of sadness that seems to follow him, making the reader beg the author to fix whatever tragic past events haunt him. Sigh....I loved Nevin.
Colton: High school love interest that finally acknowledges a mutual interest in Salome. Plus he's all basketball-jock-hottie. Why is he interested in Salome? You have to read to find out....
Gareth: So close, yet so far away. Gareth is all warmness and chivalrous. How is it he always comes to Salome's rescue when she needs it most? What interest does he have in her?
The author does a superb job in weaving a magical tale that casts a spell on the reader, making this reader quickly turning the pages in the hopes I'd finally find out.
Now I need to speak to the witch, Kassandra. I will not spoil how she is related to Salome, Nevin, Colton and Gareth, but let me tell you this: I was TERRIFIED of her! There were two distinct places in this novel that I found myself petrified that she was actually in the same room with me. That would be the incident on the bus and the incident at the resort. It's been a long time since I read a novel that was written in such a way I had chills going up and down my spine. To be scared of a book, or in my case, a Kindle? Yes, yes indeed. I was scared of this witch. Creepy....Trust me. You've been warned!
The ending: I was genuinely shocked. Not disappointed at all, simply didn't see the ending turning out that way. In the spirit of trying to keep this review spoiler free, I will only add that I hope the one leading character has a story in the works. This can certainly be considered a stand alone novel, but the characters and the world building is one I'd love to return to in the Summer Kingdom (hint, hint, Ms. Purdy. There is still one that needs a story. You know who he is:).
Overall, The Winter People was easily one of the most enjoyable YA reads I've read. It sucks you in instantly not letting you go until the final page. This novel was full of mystery, love, suspense, magic....An amazing read!
The Winter People by Rebekah L. Purdy is riveting! I finished this novel last night very late and had to take some time to digest everything that happened. I was truly astonished.
First, the cover is absolutely breathtaking. When first seeing it, I was in awe. It begged to be read. And so I did, and so it led me on quite a journey.
The preface of the novel introduces the reader to a traumatic event. We meet a very young Salome Montgomery being rescued from an icy death. This sets the stage for who recued her? How does he tie into her future? What nearly killed her? Oh I could go on and on regarding the questions originating from this single incident.
The novel fast-forwards to 17-year-old Salome. The author did a wonderful job of detailing out each key character giving the reader an opportunity to feel for them.
I have to admit, I don't think I've ever read a novel where the main character has so many love interests going on at the same time. With that said, it didn't derail me from liking Salome. The author had an interesting way of making me cheer for a relationship with each. As strange as that sounds, you'd have to read The Winter People to truly understand how that concept makes any sense.
We're introduced to the love interests: Nevin, Colton, and Gareth. You find out that each are connected to each other and Salome is the key to unlocking the mystery that surrounds each individual male character.
Nevin: Cold, arrogant, stoic and yet sensitive. There was such an allure to him. Why can't he come into Salome's house? What is his history, this air of sadness that seems to follow him, making the reader beg the author to fix whatever tragic past events haunt him. Sigh....I loved Nevin.
Colton: High school love interest that finally acknowledges a mutual interest in Salome. Plus he's all basketball-jock-hottie. Why is he interested in Salome? You have to read to find out....
Gareth: So close, yet so far away. Gareth is all warmness and chivalrous. How is it he always comes to Salome's rescue when she needs it most? What interest does he have in her?
The author does a superb job in weaving a magical tale that casts a spell on the reader, making this reader quickly turning the pages in the hopes I'd finally find out.
Now I need to speak to the witch, Kassandra. I will not spoil how she is related to Salome, Nevin, Colton and Gareth, but let me tell you this: I was TERRIFIED of her! There were two distinct places in this novel that I found myself petrified that she was actually in the same room with me. That would be the incident on the bus and the incident at the resort. It's been a long time since I read a novel that was written in such a way I had chills going up and down my spine. To be scared of a book, or in my case, a Kindle? Yes, yes indeed. I was scared of this witch. Creepy....Trust me. You've been warned!
The ending: I was genuinely shocked. Not disappointed at all, simply didn't see the ending turning out that way. In the spirit of trying to keep this review spoiler free, I will only add that I hope the one leading character has a story in the works. This can certainly be considered a stand alone novel, but the characters and the world building is one I'd love to return to in the Summer Kingdom (hint, hint, Ms. Purdy. There is still one that needs a story. You know who he is:).
Overall, The Winter People was easily one of the most enjoyable YA reads I've read. It sucks you in instantly not letting you go until the final page. This novel was full of mystery, love, suspense, magic....An amazing read!
August 26, 2014
First off I want to say I am glad I wasn't reading this while on my vacation :). I was surrounded by the woods and probably would have "heard" things while reading this book :).
Salome has been traumatized by a childhood accident that almost took her life. She fell into a frozen pond and was on the verge of dying when a mysterious being saved her. From that point on Salome has been terrified of winter. It causes her hallucinations that make her parents think she might be going crazy. She hears voices that no one else can hear, and begins to think that maybe she IS going crazy.
Salome's best friend Kadie keeps her grounded, most of the time. She is always there for Salome and helps her when she is struggling with her fear of winter.
When Salome's grandparents leave for Arizona and she is in charge of their home. Salome's Grandmother shows her how to do the chores while they are gone, and one seems a little odd to Salome. She must put something "nice", i.e. a watch, a necklaces and other trinkets into a tree once a day.
While performing her chores at her grandparents house she meets Nevin. Purdy makes some pretty sweet swoon worthy men in this novel and Nevin is one of them. He is mysterious, kind, and seems to be interested in Salome. Nevin meets Salome every day when she comes to do her chores, and they develop a relationship. Salome feells all tingly when he is around, and cannot seem to stay away from him. She thinks it's love, but who knows.
Colton is Salome's life long crush and finally one day he asks her out. Colton, is another swoon worthy man. Until you get to know him. He may be handsome and drool worthy but there is more to him than meets the eye. He begins treating Salome differently and he becomes one of my least favorite characters after that.
Gareth, oh Gareth. What can I say about Gareth? I loved him the moment he came into play in a little cafe on a whim with her friend Kadie. Then all of the sudden Gareth is everywhere. Saving her life, going to her school, spending time with her, and being Salome's friend.
This story was so fantastic. I really enjoyed it. Magic, curses, fairies, mystical creatures, and romance to boot. Yes, please. Salome was such a great character. She was damaged, scared, yet had a calling she needed to fulfill. Yet, she couldn't figure out how to do so. Gareth, Nevin, and Colton all seem to be part of the same curse she is suppose to break.
Purdy did a great job of putting me right in the book. Sometimes I think it's funny that I can "feel" a book, but when I am engrossed I really can. It's so wonderful. When Purdy describes the fear Salome is feeling, my heart beat would race. When Purdy described the emotions Salome was going through I could "feel" them myself. When Purdy put the romance on, all I could do was "ahhhhh". Seems silly right? Not to me. To me it just means the author is doing their job at bringing the book to life for me.
There is just enough description and world building to put you "in" the book, but not too much that it gets boring. Salome's life is a fascinating life to follow.
If you like fantasy, romance, magic, deceit, loyalty, friendship, and basically every other emotion when reading a book this book has it all :).
Source: I was given this ARC ebook by the publisher in return for an honest review, which did not influence my review in any way. I was not compensated in anyway for this review. These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.
Content: There is language and use of the "f" word through out the book. There are a few innuendos of sex during conversation, but nothing graphic.
Salome has been traumatized by a childhood accident that almost took her life. She fell into a frozen pond and was on the verge of dying when a mysterious being saved her. From that point on Salome has been terrified of winter. It causes her hallucinations that make her parents think she might be going crazy. She hears voices that no one else can hear, and begins to think that maybe she IS going crazy.
Salome's best friend Kadie keeps her grounded, most of the time. She is always there for Salome and helps her when she is struggling with her fear of winter.
When Salome's grandparents leave for Arizona and she is in charge of their home. Salome's Grandmother shows her how to do the chores while they are gone, and one seems a little odd to Salome. She must put something "nice", i.e. a watch, a necklaces and other trinkets into a tree once a day.
While performing her chores at her grandparents house she meets Nevin. Purdy makes some pretty sweet swoon worthy men in this novel and Nevin is one of them. He is mysterious, kind, and seems to be interested in Salome. Nevin meets Salome every day when she comes to do her chores, and they develop a relationship. Salome feells all tingly when he is around, and cannot seem to stay away from him. She thinks it's love, but who knows.
Colton is Salome's life long crush and finally one day he asks her out. Colton, is another swoon worthy man. Until you get to know him. He may be handsome and drool worthy but there is more to him than meets the eye. He begins treating Salome differently and he becomes one of my least favorite characters after that.
Gareth, oh Gareth. What can I say about Gareth? I loved him the moment he came into play in a little cafe on a whim with her friend Kadie. Then all of the sudden Gareth is everywhere. Saving her life, going to her school, spending time with her, and being Salome's friend.
This story was so fantastic. I really enjoyed it. Magic, curses, fairies, mystical creatures, and romance to boot. Yes, please. Salome was such a great character. She was damaged, scared, yet had a calling she needed to fulfill. Yet, she couldn't figure out how to do so. Gareth, Nevin, and Colton all seem to be part of the same curse she is suppose to break.
Purdy did a great job of putting me right in the book. Sometimes I think it's funny that I can "feel" a book, but when I am engrossed I really can. It's so wonderful. When Purdy describes the fear Salome is feeling, my heart beat would race. When Purdy described the emotions Salome was going through I could "feel" them myself. When Purdy put the romance on, all I could do was "ahhhhh". Seems silly right? Not to me. To me it just means the author is doing their job at bringing the book to life for me.
There is just enough description and world building to put you "in" the book, but not too much that it gets boring. Salome's life is a fascinating life to follow.
If you like fantasy, romance, magic, deceit, loyalty, friendship, and basically every other emotion when reading a book this book has it all :).
Source: I was given this ARC ebook by the publisher in return for an honest review, which did not influence my review in any way. I was not compensated in anyway for this review. These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.
Content: There is language and use of the "f" word through out the book. There are a few innuendos of sex during conversation, but nothing graphic.
September 2, 2014
4*s
Review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
I thought The Winter People was a really good read filled with mystery & intrigue.
Salome is left to see to the woods surrounding her grandmother’s house whilst she’s away for the winter – filling animal feeders, leaving trinkets in tress and the likes. This is a massive deal for Salome because she fears everything about winter; the snow; the cold; the ice and most importantly, the pond in which she nearly drowned in as a child that caused her phobia of winter. She never forgot being saved, hearing voices and she never forgot the image of a monster than warned her never to come back, never to venture into the woods again. So, for eleven years she stayed away….. until now.
As Salome allows winter back into her life, 3 boys come along with it; Nevin, who always seems to be around her Grandmothers property but gently coaxes her into being comfortable there; Colton, the boy from school that she has a major crush on and again someone who would help her with her fear, never judging; then there’s Gareth who always seems to be there when she needs someone to protect her – but why does she need protecting? Everyone seems to be keeping secrets from her but then again….it’s not every day you find your family is cursed and that most of the women die in their eighteenth year, which for Salome…is vast approaching.
So, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters a lot and connected with them well. I could really connect with Salome because I have experience with phobia and anxiety and I liked how she handled herself, it is very easy to be crippled by fear the way she was and it was portrayed well, even when she is trying to coax herself to do the things she feared, it all resonated with me. There was no shortage of love interests here and they each had something good to offer her although she looked on them more as friends for the most part, the relationships weren’t rushed as most often are and that’s a good thing in YA for me.
Most of the storyline is devoted to Salome, her relationships and also overcoming her fear…. But the rest was the reason that makes this book different. She is stalked by voices, by ominous messages and visions of things that can’t possibly be there and with her phobia, it makes her think she’s going crazy but one of the boys will let her know she’s not. That’s not all though because as I mentioned, there is a curse and that is very mysterious because no one is allowed to talk about it but it has caused many of the women in Salome’s lineage to die on the same day at 18 yrs old and that is the threat that follows her throughout the book. She must unravel the curse and work out whom she needs to unravel it for and why forcing a life or death conclusion that could mean the downfall of all she has come to care about. There is a lot more to the story than this, of course there is a supernatural element as well but I don’t want to spoil that for you so I will just leave you by saying – give this a go, it’s an incredibly sweet read of a girl who after leading a sheltered life due to a crippling phobia is just starting to experience life again and the taste of first love is making it that much sweeter, who is then thrust into an unknown situation where her life is at stake and there are more people on her side than she realises so maybe, just maybe, she can beat this thing.
Review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
I thought The Winter People was a really good read filled with mystery & intrigue.
Salome is left to see to the woods surrounding her grandmother’s house whilst she’s away for the winter – filling animal feeders, leaving trinkets in tress and the likes. This is a massive deal for Salome because she fears everything about winter; the snow; the cold; the ice and most importantly, the pond in which she nearly drowned in as a child that caused her phobia of winter. She never forgot being saved, hearing voices and she never forgot the image of a monster than warned her never to come back, never to venture into the woods again. So, for eleven years she stayed away….. until now.
As Salome allows winter back into her life, 3 boys come along with it; Nevin, who always seems to be around her Grandmothers property but gently coaxes her into being comfortable there; Colton, the boy from school that she has a major crush on and again someone who would help her with her fear, never judging; then there’s Gareth who always seems to be there when she needs someone to protect her – but why does she need protecting? Everyone seems to be keeping secrets from her but then again….it’s not every day you find your family is cursed and that most of the women die in their eighteenth year, which for Salome…is vast approaching.
So, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters a lot and connected with them well. I could really connect with Salome because I have experience with phobia and anxiety and I liked how she handled herself, it is very easy to be crippled by fear the way she was and it was portrayed well, even when she is trying to coax herself to do the things she feared, it all resonated with me. There was no shortage of love interests here and they each had something good to offer her although she looked on them more as friends for the most part, the relationships weren’t rushed as most often are and that’s a good thing in YA for me.
Most of the storyline is devoted to Salome, her relationships and also overcoming her fear…. But the rest was the reason that makes this book different. She is stalked by voices, by ominous messages and visions of things that can’t possibly be there and with her phobia, it makes her think she’s going crazy but one of the boys will let her know she’s not. That’s not all though because as I mentioned, there is a curse and that is very mysterious because no one is allowed to talk about it but it has caused many of the women in Salome’s lineage to die on the same day at 18 yrs old and that is the threat that follows her throughout the book. She must unravel the curse and work out whom she needs to unravel it for and why forcing a life or death conclusion that could mean the downfall of all she has come to care about. There is a lot more to the story than this, of course there is a supernatural element as well but I don’t want to spoil that for you so I will just leave you by saying – give this a go, it’s an incredibly sweet read of a girl who after leading a sheltered life due to a crippling phobia is just starting to experience life again and the taste of first love is making it that much sweeter, who is then thrust into an unknown situation where her life is at stake and there are more people on her side than she realises so maybe, just maybe, she can beat this thing.
August 6, 2014
Review
At age six, Salome Montgomery fell into the ice-covered pond at her grandmother’s estate and almost drowned. Since then, Salome dreads winter and also starts having strange hallucinations.
The YA story begins when Salome’s grandmother (Doris) and grandfather need to leave the estate during winter and ask Salome, now 17, to return there to perform daily tasks.
On the first day at the estate, Salome meets Nevin, a beautiful pale boy, who tells her he has a key to the gated property. Nevin’s strange allure attracts Salome and she hopes to meet him everyday at the estate. Meanwhile, Colton, a boy Salome has crushed on since kindergarten has started dating her. Later, she meets handsome Gareth, who works at a coffee house.
Salome learns that Nevin needs her to break an old curse. As Salome becomes more involved with all three boys, she starts to wonder which boy really has her best interest at heart.
Pros
The Winter People has all the makings of a great fairy tale. Beautiful heroine, handsome hero, evil witch, and a curse to break. And, the storyline is interesting. Who can resist a young girl who needs to break a curse to save herself and others?
Salome is an anxious feisty heroine with trust issues. Salome’s trust issues are caused by people not believing her and this in turn makes her needy and an easy target to be manipulated. However, she is a likeable strong character, who will not give up on breaking the curse.
The storyline keeps your interest with touches of romance, mystery, and betrayal. However, this story is marred at times by flat characters and lack of logic.
Cons
I felt Colton, Nevin, and Gareth were not fully developed characters and so did not engage me.
Colton
I didn’t understand Colton’s behavior or thinking until near the end of the book. Also, I would have liked to know more about Colton and why he made certain decisions.
Nevin
Nevin was the most developed character of the three boys. At least, with Nevin, you get a little history that tells you more about his personality and his reasoning.
Gareth
Gareth was difficult for me to connect with at all, since I knew nothing about him. What was his connection to Nevin? Why did he and Colton not get along? Having these three boys all interested in Salome made the story more complicated and confusing for me.
Here are a few more sticking points for me: Doris making Salome come to her estate and perform the chores. Why would she do this if she was trying to protect Salome? Also, the strange behavior of Salome’s father. Why did he suddenly change and become abusive? This was never explained in detail.
Conclusion
This book is for YA readers who like magical romantic stories with an over abundance of hot boys.
At age six, Salome Montgomery fell into the ice-covered pond at her grandmother’s estate and almost drowned. Since then, Salome dreads winter and also starts having strange hallucinations.
The YA story begins when Salome’s grandmother (Doris) and grandfather need to leave the estate during winter and ask Salome, now 17, to return there to perform daily tasks.
On the first day at the estate, Salome meets Nevin, a beautiful pale boy, who tells her he has a key to the gated property. Nevin’s strange allure attracts Salome and she hopes to meet him everyday at the estate. Meanwhile, Colton, a boy Salome has crushed on since kindergarten has started dating her. Later, she meets handsome Gareth, who works at a coffee house.
Salome learns that Nevin needs her to break an old curse. As Salome becomes more involved with all three boys, she starts to wonder which boy really has her best interest at heart.
Pros
The Winter People has all the makings of a great fairy tale. Beautiful heroine, handsome hero, evil witch, and a curse to break. And, the storyline is interesting. Who can resist a young girl who needs to break a curse to save herself and others?
Salome is an anxious feisty heroine with trust issues. Salome’s trust issues are caused by people not believing her and this in turn makes her needy and an easy target to be manipulated. However, she is a likeable strong character, who will not give up on breaking the curse.
The storyline keeps your interest with touches of romance, mystery, and betrayal. However, this story is marred at times by flat characters and lack of logic.
Cons
I felt Colton, Nevin, and Gareth were not fully developed characters and so did not engage me.
Colton
I didn’t understand Colton’s behavior or thinking until near the end of the book. Also, I would have liked to know more about Colton and why he made certain decisions.
Nevin
Nevin was the most developed character of the three boys. At least, with Nevin, you get a little history that tells you more about his personality and his reasoning.
Gareth
Gareth was difficult for me to connect with at all, since I knew nothing about him. What was his connection to Nevin? Why did he and Colton not get along? Having these three boys all interested in Salome made the story more complicated and confusing for me.
Here are a few more sticking points for me: Doris making Salome come to her estate and perform the chores. Why would she do this if she was trying to protect Salome? Also, the strange behavior of Salome’s father. Why did he suddenly change and become abusive? This was never explained in detail.
Conclusion
This book is for YA readers who like magical romantic stories with an over abundance of hot boys.
August 1, 2014
Hmmmm where can I start?
This book took me into a roller coaster of emotions. I was rooting for both Nevin and Gareth, so I was really happy in the end. I can honestly say when it comes to stand alones this is in my top charts. You see the main character, Salome Montgomery, in the prologue is traumatized by a near death experience she had at the age of six. In which a voice in the woods tricked her into. Eleven years later she still fears winter, still hears the voices of the winter, and fears being near the pond in winter. Seventeen year old Salome is in charge of taking care of her grandparents estate while they're away during winter, in which It took a lot of courage to even step outside in the snow. Kadie, her best, and only, friend, is the only one who in which she can confide in. That year is the year Colton, a boy she had a crush on for a long time, finally asked her out. After that she meets Gareth, the hot new barista in the coffee shop. A few days later while taking care of the estate, she meets Nevin, a mysteriously handsome guy who showed up out of thin air. As the new boys appear so do new dangers. An old vengeful witch wants Salome's death, she being the same voice many years ago at the pond. Through out the book the three guys show her that it is possible to enjoy the beauty of winter. Throughout the book Salome learns that her bloodline, Colton, Nevin, and other fae are cursed by the witch and she is the key to breaking it. Gareth is the only one not cursed so he is the only one who can help Salome understand it better although he doesn't know much about it. Salome goes through the most intense winter yet when instead of one attempt on her life there are three. Three of which Gareth saves her life. Winter comes and goes Colton and Nevin are gone and Gareth is barely seen. Her eighteenth winter rolls around and it's time to break the curse once and for all. One thing I did not like, however, was that it took her so long to figure out how to break the curse and yet it was so simplistic. What I did like is that this book kept you guessing you could never have guessed what was going to happen. Even the ending you think you know what she did but not until she tells you her plan. Overall I enjoyed this book whenever I read it I just couldn't put it down. I think I had two sleepless nights because I stayed up reading it. This is a must buy. As soon as it comes out in paperback, I definitely am. I need this book in my shelves. Hope my reviewed helped.
This book took me into a roller coaster of emotions. I was rooting for both Nevin and Gareth, so I was really happy in the end. I can honestly say when it comes to stand alones this is in my top charts. You see the main character, Salome Montgomery, in the prologue is traumatized by a near death experience she had at the age of six. In which a voice in the woods tricked her into. Eleven years later she still fears winter, still hears the voices of the winter, and fears being near the pond in winter. Seventeen year old Salome is in charge of taking care of her grandparents estate while they're away during winter, in which It took a lot of courage to even step outside in the snow. Kadie, her best, and only, friend, is the only one who in which she can confide in. That year is the year Colton, a boy she had a crush on for a long time, finally asked her out. After that she meets Gareth, the hot new barista in the coffee shop. A few days later while taking care of the estate, she meets Nevin, a mysteriously handsome guy who showed up out of thin air. As the new boys appear so do new dangers. An old vengeful witch wants Salome's death, she being the same voice many years ago at the pond. Through out the book the three guys show her that it is possible to enjoy the beauty of winter. Throughout the book Salome learns that her bloodline, Colton, Nevin, and other fae are cursed by the witch and she is the key to breaking it. Gareth is the only one not cursed so he is the only one who can help Salome understand it better although he doesn't know much about it. Salome goes through the most intense winter yet when instead of one attempt on her life there are three. Three of which Gareth saves her life. Winter comes and goes Colton and Nevin are gone and Gareth is barely seen. Her eighteenth winter rolls around and it's time to break the curse once and for all. One thing I did not like, however, was that it took her so long to figure out how to break the curse and yet it was so simplistic. What I did like is that this book kept you guessing you could never have guessed what was going to happen. Even the ending you think you know what she did but not until she tells you her plan. Overall I enjoyed this book whenever I read it I just couldn't put it down. I think I had two sleepless nights because I stayed up reading it. This is a must buy. As soon as it comes out in paperback, I definitely am. I need this book in my shelves. Hope my reviewed helped.
September 11, 2014
This winter wonderland is far from wonderful; "The Winter People" is a cold, dangerous world filled with romance, fear, deception and magic. Things are never as they seem especially when there are three impossibly good-looking guys, Colton, Nevin, and Gareth, who show up one after the other into Salome Montgomery's life, each with connections to her, each with connections to one another.
After almost drowning in the icy pond at her grandparents' house when she was six years old, Salome dreaded the idea of all things winter: the snow, ice, freezing weather. But when Salome has to watch her grandparents' home for one winter eleven years later, a wicked evil that had almost succeeded in killing her as a child waits for her once again, haunting her during the days and nights.
I couldn't put this book down (except for three hours of sleep) due to the fact that I was completely drawn into this world filled with complex relationships and secrets that needed to be revealed. The characters are well written, each with their own unique story and background that helped build to the climax of the novel. Since I have family that live in Michigan that I visit during the winter and summer seasons, I was easily able to picture the bitter weather where all you want to have is a nice steaming cup of hot chocolate and a warm blanket to wrap around yourself.
And when you think that the ending is all wrapped up with a pretty ribbon, you then remember that there are unanswered questions, things that will leave you with a chilling sensation that this happy ending won't last for long.
Overall, I highly recommend this read, especially with winter approaching and who doesn't like a touch of magic and boy drama during the holiday season? :)
After almost drowning in the icy pond at her grandparents' house when she was six years old, Salome dreaded the idea of all things winter: the snow, ice, freezing weather. But when Salome has to watch her grandparents' home for one winter eleven years later, a wicked evil that had almost succeeded in killing her as a child waits for her once again, haunting her during the days and nights.
I couldn't put this book down (except for three hours of sleep) due to the fact that I was completely drawn into this world filled with complex relationships and secrets that needed to be revealed. The characters are well written, each with their own unique story and background that helped build to the climax of the novel. Since I have family that live in Michigan that I visit during the winter and summer seasons, I was easily able to picture the bitter weather where all you want to have is a nice steaming cup of hot chocolate and a warm blanket to wrap around yourself.
And when you think that the ending is all wrapped up with a pretty ribbon, you then remember that there are unanswered questions, things that will leave you with a chilling sensation that this happy ending won't last for long.
Overall, I highly recommend this read, especially with winter approaching and who doesn't like a touch of magic and boy drama during the holiday season? :)
December 1, 2014
I loved the premise of The Winter People! I never read a book before with a similar plot and I was really drawn into the atmospheric tale featuring the creepy wintry creatures that live in the woods behind the house of Salome’s grandparents. I definitely enjoyed the suspense so much more than Salome’s romantic complications.
Salome wasn’t a bad lead for the book and I liked her character development. At the beginning of the novel, she seemed to need saving way too much for my liking. However, she toughened up by the end and I could root for her.
The plot was suspenseful and the opening really drew me into the story. I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on being her grandparents’ house and who the creatures calling out to her were. The descriptive writing was very well done and I loved the wintry backdrop for the majority of the novel.
I don’t mind love triangles all the time, but with three romantic interests for Salome, the romance aspect of The Winter People became annoying. Especially since Salome seemed so wishy washy about the guys in her life. Plus, with three guys, it was almost impossible to have them fully developed as characters.
Overall, I liked The Winter People, but I would’ve preferred a stronger female lead with a simpler love life.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!
Salome wasn’t a bad lead for the book and I liked her character development. At the beginning of the novel, she seemed to need saving way too much for my liking. However, she toughened up by the end and I could root for her.
The plot was suspenseful and the opening really drew me into the story. I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on being her grandparents’ house and who the creatures calling out to her were. The descriptive writing was very well done and I loved the wintry backdrop for the majority of the novel.
I don’t mind love triangles all the time, but with three romantic interests for Salome, the romance aspect of The Winter People became annoying. Especially since Salome seemed so wishy washy about the guys in her life. Plus, with three guys, it was almost impossible to have them fully developed as characters.
Overall, I liked The Winter People, but I would’ve preferred a stronger female lead with a simpler love life.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!
June 29, 2015
Full Review @http://www.abookishescape.com/2015/06...
The End, through great sacrifice Salome saves the day and all is well for now. Her heart and soul sing to the one she belongs with. The Winter People felt a lot like a fairy tale but it ended a bit differently than most…if you’ve read it you know what I’m talking about ahem (castle, crown) if you haven’t read it then once you do you’ll know. Thank goodness there wasn’t a cliffhanger I would’ve died seriously died if there were. No this wrapped up pretty well…there are a few open story lines that I hope we delve into later but as I said all is well for now. I recommend this for those into fairy tales and sweet innocent love.
My Rating
4.0 Pond, Woods, Winter, Snow, Basketball, Date, Sword, Threats, Friend, Ruins, Bus, Pool, Guard, Library, Bond, Kiss, Kassandra, Gold, Cane, Castle, Motorcycle True Love Filled Stars!
The End, through great sacrifice Salome saves the day and all is well for now. Her heart and soul sing to the one she belongs with. The Winter People felt a lot like a fairy tale but it ended a bit differently than most…if you’ve read it you know what I’m talking about ahem (castle, crown) if you haven’t read it then once you do you’ll know. Thank goodness there wasn’t a cliffhanger I would’ve died seriously died if there were. No this wrapped up pretty well…there are a few open story lines that I hope we delve into later but as I said all is well for now. I recommend this for those into fairy tales and sweet innocent love.
My Rating
4.0 Pond, Woods, Winter, Snow, Basketball, Date, Sword, Threats, Friend, Ruins, Bus, Pool, Guard, Library, Bond, Kiss, Kassandra, Gold, Cane, Castle, Motorcycle True Love Filled Stars!
September 13, 2015
*review coming*
December 24, 2025
This is so of its era (IYKYK). I think I’d had it on my shelf for well over ten years unread. Forced myself to pick it up as part of my December challenge to read or unhaul a bunch of books and it is definitely being unhauled. This was… not good.
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