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Snowball Earth
Up-and-coming rock star, Joan Devintia, has come to realize that some shadows aren’t benign, some stares aren’t innocent, and she is no longer safe. Tired of fearing her stalker, she goes to her manager for a solution. He hires Carmen Savedra – celebrity bodyguard and inactive duty Marine – to protect the singer from harm.
In the midst of recording her pioneer album, Joan finds temptation in the form of illicit drugs and danger taking the shape of a man in a red tie. Safety comes with the sound of jingling dog tags that Carmen never takes off. Carmen’s shadow is bigger and more imposing than Joan’s stalker. Her stare is more meaningful. Unless Joan can face her fears off the stage - her career, her growing relationship with Carmen – her very life could end….
In the midst of recording her pioneer album, Joan finds temptation in the form of illicit drugs and danger taking the shape of a man in a red tie. Safety comes with the sound of jingling dog tags that Carmen never takes off. Carmen’s shadow is bigger and more imposing than Joan’s stalker. Her stare is more meaningful. Unless Joan can face her fears off the stage - her career, her growing relationship with Carmen – her very life could end….
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 24, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 22, 2017
This book was the December's Sapphic Book Club read hosted by sapphicliterature.
Snowball Earth was all in all a nice and enjoyable read.
I like the celeb/bodyguard trope and I liked the two main characters.
But sadly, the plot and style of the story didn't impress me as much as I hoped they would.
The plot stays petty basic, without any real surprises. And even if there will be a second part, the ending seemed a bit lazy to me:
And then there's my main critique, the inconsistent perspective.
While I don't mind having multiple perspectives to show the sides of different main characters, it needs to be done right: They need to make sense, they need to be seperated clearly and they need to be limited.
In this book it bothered my reading flow a lot that the perspectives changed randomly between the characters from one sentence to another and very often again after a few sentences. Then there was suddenly the perspective of the police friend in two places when it wasn't necessary. And of course the perspective of the stalker, which I didn't care for at all, since it also didn't offer anything we couldn't imagine when thinking about a random stalker.
Nonetheless, I liked the main characters and their back stories enough to be reading the second part when it comes out.
Snowball Earth was all in all a nice and enjoyable read.
I like the celeb/bodyguard trope and I liked the two main characters.
But sadly, the plot and style of the story didn't impress me as much as I hoped they would.
The plot stays petty basic, without any real surprises. And even if there will be a second part, the ending seemed a bit lazy to me:
And then there's my main critique, the inconsistent perspective.
While I don't mind having multiple perspectives to show the sides of different main characters, it needs to be done right: They need to make sense, they need to be seperated clearly and they need to be limited.
In this book it bothered my reading flow a lot that the perspectives changed randomly between the characters from one sentence to another and very often again after a few sentences. Then there was suddenly the perspective of the police friend in two places when it wasn't necessary. And of course the perspective of the stalker, which I didn't care for at all, since it also didn't offer anything we couldn't imagine when thinking about a random stalker.
Nonetheless, I liked the main characters and their back stories enough to be reading the second part when it comes out.
August 13, 2016
So happy I stumbled upon this book! Last night I saw it on the cover artist's page and the synopsis looked interesting. It was! Couldn't put it down this morning... And reading that there might be a sequel made me really excited. Can't wait for more!
Anyway, two great characters and a good story! What else could you want? Girls who love girls, you say? You got it too! :3
Anyway, two great characters and a good story! What else could you want? Girls who love girls, you say? You got it too! :3
September 7, 2016
Three and a Half Stars
Snowball Earth is a novel that tries to be many things at once, but ultimately falls short in a few of those attempts. It is one part romance, one part suspense thriller, one part investigative novel and one part inside look at the music industry and the secret life of celebrities, dabbling neatly in each while struggling to strike a balance. Individually these parts hold up to scrutiny, but together they blur into something that is fun to read but sometimes leaves the reader scratching their head. There are some elements of the characterization that feel contrived and others that just flow naturally, seamlessly drawing the reader into the story of Joan, the rocker and Carmen, her bodyguard.
Genre fiction about queer women is hard to come by, and Snowball Earth read like it was trying very hard to be genre fiction while still wanting there to be a romance plot. Joan, the damsel in distress, is a central character, rather than the peripheral dame the genre calls for. The subversion of this trope is a double-edged sword: Joan’s character is central to the story and drives the plot forward, but her presence also throws the character of Carmen, whose story grabbed me from the start, into a secondary role. Perspective shifts within the text were often abrupt and without segue, which made some transitions between Joan and Carmen’s characters rocky and hard to follow.
I commend Andrea Lisowski and Max Fink for the suspense they created. Joan’s stalker is legitimately terrifying – and Valentine M. Smith’s illustration of him in on the cover captures the horror of him well. It’s been a long time since I was disturbed by a book character as I am him. Fink and Lisowski do an excellent job with the thriller aspects of Snowball Earth, working the stalking storyline effortlessly into Joan and Carmen’s lives.
Joan’s coping mechanism for her stalker – cliché though it is – is portrayed well, but does not quite escape the hum-drum nature of a well-worn trope. Neither does Carmen’s tough talking Latina persona that only seems to emerge once in a while. The military backstory and portrayal of Carmen’s PTSD drew me into Carmen’s story effortlessly, both are fantastically researched and executed with great effect.
Snowball Earth is a novel that struggled at times to find an identity while trying to do too many things at once. It was a fun read, and promising start for first time self-published authors. I look forward to seeing more from them.
Snowball Earth is a novel that tries to be many things at once, but ultimately falls short in a few of those attempts. It is one part romance, one part suspense thriller, one part investigative novel and one part inside look at the music industry and the secret life of celebrities, dabbling neatly in each while struggling to strike a balance. Individually these parts hold up to scrutiny, but together they blur into something that is fun to read but sometimes leaves the reader scratching their head. There are some elements of the characterization that feel contrived and others that just flow naturally, seamlessly drawing the reader into the story of Joan, the rocker and Carmen, her bodyguard.
Genre fiction about queer women is hard to come by, and Snowball Earth read like it was trying very hard to be genre fiction while still wanting there to be a romance plot. Joan, the damsel in distress, is a central character, rather than the peripheral dame the genre calls for. The subversion of this trope is a double-edged sword: Joan’s character is central to the story and drives the plot forward, but her presence also throws the character of Carmen, whose story grabbed me from the start, into a secondary role. Perspective shifts within the text were often abrupt and without segue, which made some transitions between Joan and Carmen’s characters rocky and hard to follow.
I commend Andrea Lisowski and Max Fink for the suspense they created. Joan’s stalker is legitimately terrifying – and Valentine M. Smith’s illustration of him in on the cover captures the horror of him well. It’s been a long time since I was disturbed by a book character as I am him. Fink and Lisowski do an excellent job with the thriller aspects of Snowball Earth, working the stalking storyline effortlessly into Joan and Carmen’s lives.
Joan’s coping mechanism for her stalker – cliché though it is – is portrayed well, but does not quite escape the hum-drum nature of a well-worn trope. Neither does Carmen’s tough talking Latina persona that only seems to emerge once in a while. The military backstory and portrayal of Carmen’s PTSD drew me into Carmen’s story effortlessly, both are fantastically researched and executed with great effect.
Snowball Earth is a novel that struggled at times to find an identity while trying to do too many things at once. It was a fun read, and promising start for first time self-published authors. I look forward to seeing more from them.
January 4, 2018
*3.5/5
Snowball Earth is a novel about an upcoming rockstar (Joan) who gets a bodyguard (Carmen) to deal with a stalker. Overall, I’d say this was a pretty satisfying read. The characters seem like they could be actual people (barring Mr. Stalker Man) and there weren’t any unnecessary plot lines.
However, the pace at which POV is changed can be jarring at times and I am very much not a fan of how the mental state of the stalker is handled. He is described as “Bipolar at best, and schizophrenic at worst.” I don’t see why we had to bring two of the most stigmatized disorders into this. Other than that he seems like a very generic stalker. Nothing really remarkable about him.
My rating would probably be higher if they had handled his mentality better.
Content warnings for drug abuse (not quite addiction) and mentions of past abuse.
Snowball Earth is a novel about an upcoming rockstar (Joan) who gets a bodyguard (Carmen) to deal with a stalker. Overall, I’d say this was a pretty satisfying read. The characters seem like they could be actual people (barring Mr. Stalker Man) and there weren’t any unnecessary plot lines.
However, the pace at which POV is changed can be jarring at times and I am very much not a fan of how the mental state of the stalker is handled. He is described as “Bipolar at best, and schizophrenic at worst.” I don’t see why we had to bring two of the most stigmatized disorders into this. Other than that he seems like a very generic stalker. Nothing really remarkable about him.
My rating would probably be higher if they had handled his mentality better.
Content warnings for drug abuse (not quite addiction) and mentions of past abuse.
September 12, 2016
Snowball Earth coincidentally fell into my lap right after Adieu Warm Sunshine. They are similarly about women in the entertainment industry, women in protective services/law enforcement, and a mysterious and deadly peril facing one or both of them. If you like the premise but weren't caught by Adieu's execution or leads, you might prefer Snowball Earth. If you like the premise, period, definitely pick up Snowball Earth.
Going into this book, it helps to know that it's merely the first installment of Joan and Carmen's story. If you've come for the queer romance, it's a slow burn; Carmen doesn't even like Joan (or Joan's choices) half the time. Carmen's convictions on that point are reasonable.
Despite the driving force behind the action being the malicious threat of a crazed fan turned stalker, Snowball doesn't feel like a dark and gritty underbelly crime novel. There are enough other threads woven in to strike some balance - Joan with her music career and cushy penthouse, Carmen with her military history and personal investment in her charge - giving the book an air of crime procedural but with enough character depth to dispel the ghosts of too-familiar theme songs.
As a first-time publication (and self-publication at that) Snowball stands out among its peers. Beautiful cover art and production makes this a satisfying addition to the physical book collection. The writing quality is above average and makes for easy reading. The narrative is third person omniscient, which might take some getting used to, but the pacing gives you time to keep up. Andrea Lisowski and Max Fink are off to a good start with Snowball Earth, and it will be worth keeping an eye out for their books as they continue to grow.
Going into this book, it helps to know that it's merely the first installment of Joan and Carmen's story. If you've come for the queer romance, it's a slow burn; Carmen doesn't even like Joan (or Joan's choices) half the time. Carmen's convictions on that point are reasonable.
Despite the driving force behind the action being the malicious threat of a crazed fan turned stalker, Snowball doesn't feel like a dark and gritty underbelly crime novel. There are enough other threads woven in to strike some balance - Joan with her music career and cushy penthouse, Carmen with her military history and personal investment in her charge - giving the book an air of crime procedural but with enough character depth to dispel the ghosts of too-familiar theme songs.
As a first-time publication (and self-publication at that) Snowball stands out among its peers. Beautiful cover art and production makes this a satisfying addition to the physical book collection. The writing quality is above average and makes for easy reading. The narrative is third person omniscient, which might take some getting used to, but the pacing gives you time to keep up. Andrea Lisowski and Max Fink are off to a good start with Snowball Earth, and it will be worth keeping an eye out for their books as they continue to grow.
August 8, 2016
Snowball Earth is a real treat. From the very beginning, I was captivated by the story and drawn into the world that Andrea and Max created. The characters are very well developed and not only are they very likable, they're also very easy to relate to. I found myself pulled into this story and not only cheering for Joan's successes, but also feeling the fear of what she was going through and dealing with.
I also loved how we learned some of Joan and Carmen's backstories. The lives they had before they met and in a sense, some of the things they went through that has made them the people they are now.
The slow build was perfect and I hung on to every moment between Joan and Carmen, drawn in to the moments they shared, both good and bad. I had been rooting for them from the moment they met, but the way Andrea and Max executed things, the way they allowed for the slow burn, was absolutely perfect and very believable.
I devoured this book and was very sad to see it end. I can't wait to see what's next in the adventures of Joan and Carmen! Andrea and Max have created an amazing little world here and I'm very excited to see where things go! If you enjoy a great book with amazing, well written and developed characters that you can relate to, then this book is for you! Give it a read, I promise you won't be disappointed!
I also loved how we learned some of Joan and Carmen's backstories. The lives they had before they met and in a sense, some of the things they went through that has made them the people they are now.
The slow build was perfect and I hung on to every moment between Joan and Carmen, drawn in to the moments they shared, both good and bad. I had been rooting for them from the moment they met, but the way Andrea and Max executed things, the way they allowed for the slow burn, was absolutely perfect and very believable.
I devoured this book and was very sad to see it end. I can't wait to see what's next in the adventures of Joan and Carmen! Andrea and Max have created an amazing little world here and I'm very excited to see where things go! If you enjoy a great book with amazing, well written and developed characters that you can relate to, then this book is for you! Give it a read, I promise you won't be disappointed!
October 9, 2016
Very good story.
This was a good drama and thriller. The characters, Carmen & Joan were believable and interesting. Their story, the tenseness and heightened action of the stalker were great at keeping the story moving and gripping. Looking forward to seeing more from these two.
This was a good drama and thriller. The characters, Carmen & Joan were believable and interesting. Their story, the tenseness and heightened action of the stalker were great at keeping the story moving and gripping. Looking forward to seeing more from these two.
May 20, 2018
Me at the end of the first chapter: This feels like a fanfic.
The writers note at the end of the novel: We started off in fanfic.
That's not to say this novel is bad, it's a perfectly enjoyable read. But if I had to sum up my biggest issue with this novel, I would simply say that this feels like a first draft. Several times per page I would consciously think to myself "That should have been changed in the first editing pass". Lines often read as clunky, or the writers use 50 words to explain something that could be just as well explained with 5. "She raised her hand, pulled the door open and walked into the room." Now I'm paraphrasing there, and it's hardly the worst crime in the world -I've certainly read worse - but that's the kind of thing I mean. It works fine for a first draft, just to get your thoughts onto the page, but when you start editing your novel this is the kind of thing that can and should be changed. Lines like this exist on every page of this novel (and that line is by far one of the least egregious examples of it).
All that being said, I liked the novel. I got exactly what I asked for, after all. (Even if I did know exactly how the story would go down by the end of chapter three). The leading ladies are perfectly serviceable, they play off of each other well, and their relationship develops realistically (if a little too quickly for my liking, it can feel a little too easy at times). There are no side characters to speak of, none that have any meaningful presence or development, anyway. The main plot is also a little thin, with no real "B-plot" to speak of throughout the entire novel. It's entirely one note, but then that's what's advertised, so it's forgivable. The ending is exactly what I expected too. No new ground is broken here.
This isn't a bad novel by any means, it's perfectly worth the price of admission. But don't expect to be too emotionally or intellectually stimulated.
The writers note at the end of the novel: We started off in fanfic.
That's not to say this novel is bad, it's a perfectly enjoyable read. But if I had to sum up my biggest issue with this novel, I would simply say that this feels like a first draft. Several times per page I would consciously think to myself "That should have been changed in the first editing pass". Lines often read as clunky, or the writers use 50 words to explain something that could be just as well explained with 5. "She raised her hand, pulled the door open and walked into the room." Now I'm paraphrasing there, and it's hardly the worst crime in the world -I've certainly read worse - but that's the kind of thing I mean. It works fine for a first draft, just to get your thoughts onto the page, but when you start editing your novel this is the kind of thing that can and should be changed. Lines like this exist on every page of this novel (and that line is by far one of the least egregious examples of it).
All that being said, I liked the novel. I got exactly what I asked for, after all. (Even if I did know exactly how the story would go down by the end of chapter three). The leading ladies are perfectly serviceable, they play off of each other well, and their relationship develops realistically (if a little too quickly for my liking, it can feel a little too easy at times). There are no side characters to speak of, none that have any meaningful presence or development, anyway. The main plot is also a little thin, with no real "B-plot" to speak of throughout the entire novel. It's entirely one note, but then that's what's advertised, so it's forgivable. The ending is exactly what I expected too. No new ground is broken here.
This isn't a bad novel by any means, it's perfectly worth the price of admission. But don't expect to be too emotionally or intellectually stimulated.
December 19, 2017
Gave two stars for the gay, but the writing was really amateurish and the plot kinda thin.
June 25, 2017
Great read, well written with believable characters
For a debut book, this is a fantastic start. Clear care was taken into writing this novel, and I speed read it in two sittings. Joan and Carmen are great characters to see grow and interact. I personally would have liked a bit more of the narrative to be about Stan (as he's known), but I still had a really great time reading this. I'd definitely recommend, especially is you enjoy wlw stories!
For a debut book, this is a fantastic start. Clear care was taken into writing this novel, and I speed read it in two sittings. Joan and Carmen are great characters to see grow and interact. I personally would have liked a bit more of the narrative to be about Stan (as he's known), but I still had a really great time reading this. I'd definitely recommend, especially is you enjoy wlw stories!
October 17, 2016
Good story
I liked these characters and that they both had their own issues that they worked on together. Definitely worth reading!
I liked these characters and that they both had their own issues that they worked on together. Definitely worth reading!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews