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The Boy Made of Snow
In 1944, in a sleepy English village, Daniel and his emotionally-distant mother, Annabel, remain at home while his father is off fighting a war that seems both omnipresent and very, very far away.
When mother and son befriend Hans, a German PoW working on a nearby farm, their lives are suddenly filled with excitement - though the prisoner comes to mean very different things to each of them. To Annabel, he is an awakening from the darkness that has engulfed her since Daniel's birth. To her son, a solitary boy caught up in the mythical world of fairy-tales, he is perhaps a prince in disguise or a magical woodchopper. But Daniel often struggles to tell the difference between fantasy and reality, and Hans has plans to spin a special sort of web to entrap mother and son for his own needs.
When mother and son befriend Hans, a German PoW working on a nearby farm, their lives are suddenly filled with excitement - though the prisoner comes to mean very different things to each of them. To Annabel, he is an awakening from the darkness that has engulfed her since Daniel's birth. To her son, a solitary boy caught up in the mythical world of fairy-tales, he is perhaps a prince in disguise or a magical woodchopper. But Daniel often struggles to tell the difference between fantasy and reality, and Hans has plans to spin a special sort of web to entrap mother and son for his own needs.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 9, 2017
29 people are currently reading
752 people want to read
About the author
Chloe Mayer
1 book41 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
April 15, 2019
"It must have been my mother who planted my seed in me. She was made of ice. And I was made of her. If she was the snow queen, then I was her boy made of snow."
Hm, this was certainly not what I was expecting when I went into this book. From the cover and the title, I was expecting a cute story, granted it is set during WW2 but they are in a small village, and I was imagining a story not unlike The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. Boy how wrong I was!
2 POV's - Daniel; a 9 year old boy whose father is fighting in the war, living with his mother, who has severe depression. The second POV is his mother's; Anabel.
I didn't like the portrayal of Anabel's depression - I thought in the beginning it was done well, but when she meets Hans - the main catalyst in this story her depression seems to just disappear which is just not right at all.
My main issue with this book is just how sad it was. Now, I'm not one who minds a bit of sadness in my books, better than sunshine and roses all the time but this book was just one bad thing after another. And some of the scenes could rival Game of Thrones for violence (again not something I mind when I am expecting it - but I wasn't expecting this at all)
So Hans is a PoW, who is working on one of the nearby farms in the village where Anabel and Daniel live. Anabel shortly begins an elicit love affair with Hans, unaware that her son Daniel has seen them together and knows.
A separate story line involves a homeless man - whom Daniel refers to as a troll (where his mind often confuses his fairy tale stories with reality).
There are 2 really ugly and awful deaths in such quick succession it actually made me feel a bit unwell, and certainly left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I couldn't warrant giving any more than 3 stars. And that's not even including the third death at the end! Just too much in such a short book.
"The real world had smashed up against the magic in my forest...and the magic had lost the battle. If it had ever been there before."
Hm, this was certainly not what I was expecting when I went into this book. From the cover and the title, I was expecting a cute story, granted it is set during WW2 but they are in a small village, and I was imagining a story not unlike The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. Boy how wrong I was!
2 POV's - Daniel; a 9 year old boy whose father is fighting in the war, living with his mother, who has severe depression. The second POV is his mother's; Anabel.
I didn't like the portrayal of Anabel's depression - I thought in the beginning it was done well, but when she meets Hans - the main catalyst in this story her depression seems to just disappear which is just not right at all.
My main issue with this book is just how sad it was. Now, I'm not one who minds a bit of sadness in my books, better than sunshine and roses all the time but this book was just one bad thing after another. And some of the scenes could rival Game of Thrones for violence (again not something I mind when I am expecting it - but I wasn't expecting this at all)
So Hans is a PoW, who is working on one of the nearby farms in the village where Anabel and Daniel live. Anabel shortly begins an elicit love affair with Hans, unaware that her son Daniel has seen them together and knows.
A separate story line involves a homeless man - whom Daniel refers to as a troll (where his mind often confuses his fairy tale stories with reality).
There are 2 really ugly and awful deaths in such quick succession it actually made me feel a bit unwell, and certainly left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I couldn't warrant giving any more than 3 stars. And that's not even including the third death at the end! Just too much in such a short book.
"The real world had smashed up against the magic in my forest...and the magic had lost the battle. If it had ever been there before."
Want to read
December 14, 2018Just got this.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 31, 2017
The Boy Made of Snow by Chloe Mayer is about a young boy and his lonely and depressed mother that befriend a German prisoner of war during the end of War World II, while the boy's father is away fighting the war.
The young boy and his mother live in a small English village where German POWs thought to be the least dangerous are brought in to conduct labor for the villagers.
The boy and his mother become friendly with a handsome and pleasant German soldier responsible for the clearing of trees from a grove for firewood.
One major plotline is expected and needs no further examination.
Because the boys' worldview has been influenced due to the mother's habit of reading fairy tales to the boy since his birth, the boy tries to protect his mother from fantasy enhanced beliefs, which includes a vagrant he perceives to be a dangerous troll hiding in a nearby train tunnel. The boy also has a deep internal need to keep his mother happy, which results in dire circumstances.
There are other nuances to the book that would require spoilers to reveal.
I did enjoy this book and do recommend it to readers, but to this reader, one aspect of the characters that did not resonate was how many of the main characters possessed unlikable traits.
Still, a touching novel that was believable and heartfelt.
The young boy and his mother live in a small English village where German POWs thought to be the least dangerous are brought in to conduct labor for the villagers.
The boy and his mother become friendly with a handsome and pleasant German soldier responsible for the clearing of trees from a grove for firewood.
One major plotline is expected and needs no further examination.
Because the boys' worldview has been influenced due to the mother's habit of reading fairy tales to the boy since his birth, the boy tries to protect his mother from fantasy enhanced beliefs, which includes a vagrant he perceives to be a dangerous troll hiding in a nearby train tunnel. The boy also has a deep internal need to keep his mother happy, which results in dire circumstances.
There are other nuances to the book that would require spoilers to reveal.
I did enjoy this book and do recommend it to readers, but to this reader, one aspect of the characters that did not resonate was how many of the main characters possessed unlikable traits.
Still, a touching novel that was believable and heartfelt.
July 24, 2017
"This is not a game, a fairy-tale romance, what we are doing; it's dangerous."
A dark story of what happens when real life gets mixed up with fairy-tales, this reminded me of various literary predecessors: The Go-Between, What Maisie Knew, even Just William (!) for the clash between a child's imagination and the adult world; also Emma Bovary for the woman trapped in a mundane existence who strives to escape.
Set in a small English village in 1944, the person who inhabits the stories of mother and son is a handsome German POW - but is there more to his own agenda than either of them realise...?
This is very promising in many ways but it feels as if too much is spelt out too specifically and that more emotional delicacy, more scope for the reader to have to intuit feelings would have made this a more sophisticated read. The voice of Daniel, especially, 9 when the main story takes place, 12 in the coda, felt unconvincing throughout: he's somehow made to be both imaginative and unfeelingly pragmatic at the same time, and it felt to me as if Mayer doesn't quite trust her readers to understand his feelings unless she articulates them in an unconvincingly straightforward and unambiguous way. The fact that he's a first-person narrator and therefore has to tell us himself what he feels in a blunt way, even when those emotions ought to be both complicated and anguished, jarred constantly.
An interesting story in lots of ways but a less bald, more sensitive approach to articulating complicated emotions, especially in relation to a child, would have raised my rating.
Review from an ARC via Amazon Vine
A dark story of what happens when real life gets mixed up with fairy-tales, this reminded me of various literary predecessors: The Go-Between, What Maisie Knew, even Just William (!) for the clash between a child's imagination and the adult world; also Emma Bovary for the woman trapped in a mundane existence who strives to escape.
Set in a small English village in 1944, the person who inhabits the stories of mother and son is a handsome German POW - but is there more to his own agenda than either of them realise...?
This is very promising in many ways but it feels as if too much is spelt out too specifically and that more emotional delicacy, more scope for the reader to have to intuit feelings would have made this a more sophisticated read. The voice of Daniel, especially, 9 when the main story takes place, 12 in the coda, felt unconvincing throughout: he's somehow made to be both imaginative and unfeelingly pragmatic at the same time, and it felt to me as if Mayer doesn't quite trust her readers to understand his feelings unless she articulates them in an unconvincingly straightforward and unambiguous way. The fact that he's a first-person narrator and therefore has to tell us himself what he feels in a blunt way, even when those emotions ought to be both complicated and anguished, jarred constantly.
An interesting story in lots of ways but a less bald, more sensitive approach to articulating complicated emotions, especially in relation to a child, would have raised my rating.
Review from an ARC via Amazon Vine
December 20, 2017
If you adore fairy tales then you need this book in your life! And just like fairy tales this is a book with a very dark side that only adds to the impact it has on you when you read it, and I loved every minute spent with these characters in the remote Kent setting.
Told from 2 points of view - a mother and her young son - it is the story of a family set in 1944 so the impact of the War is close by, with the father/husband away for most of the book, and is a fascinating study of how those left behind dealt with things, and how the son sees his life as a giant fairy tale as he has been brought up on them, and everyday he sees as a new chapter in his own fairytale. He wants to be the hero, to save his mother as he watches her struggle with life, and Daniel is such an innocent character in his outlook on life, but also quite old with his approach to life. He's adventurous, imaginative with a childlike innocence that draws you into his viewpoint and all that he witnesses and encounters.
His mother, Annabel, is another fascinating character as you can sense that she is not coping well with life and often turns to drink to get through the days. But she gets a glimpse of hope in the form of a german POW who is sent to work on a nearby farm, and they soon strike up a connection. He is her escape from the world - her own fairytale so to speak.
You also get to see the impact that war had on those fighting, when Reggie returns home for a short while but he is a broken man. Often heartbreaking to read of the suffering he has seen, and the guilt he feels that life is carrying on whilst he and others are fighting and losing their lives on a daily basis.
I loved the pace of this story - it starts quite slowly but things soon start to happen at a much faster speed and the connection with various other fairy tales were woven throughout so seamlessly that made for a heartbreaking, haunting captivating, emotional and endearing read from beginning to end
Told from 2 points of view - a mother and her young son - it is the story of a family set in 1944 so the impact of the War is close by, with the father/husband away for most of the book, and is a fascinating study of how those left behind dealt with things, and how the son sees his life as a giant fairy tale as he has been brought up on them, and everyday he sees as a new chapter in his own fairytale. He wants to be the hero, to save his mother as he watches her struggle with life, and Daniel is such an innocent character in his outlook on life, but also quite old with his approach to life. He's adventurous, imaginative with a childlike innocence that draws you into his viewpoint and all that he witnesses and encounters.
His mother, Annabel, is another fascinating character as you can sense that she is not coping well with life and often turns to drink to get through the days. But she gets a glimpse of hope in the form of a german POW who is sent to work on a nearby farm, and they soon strike up a connection. He is her escape from the world - her own fairytale so to speak.
You also get to see the impact that war had on those fighting, when Reggie returns home for a short while but he is a broken man. Often heartbreaking to read of the suffering he has seen, and the guilt he feels that life is carrying on whilst he and others are fighting and losing their lives on a daily basis.
I loved the pace of this story - it starts quite slowly but things soon start to happen at a much faster speed and the connection with various other fairy tales were woven throughout so seamlessly that made for a heartbreaking, haunting captivating, emotional and endearing read from beginning to end
November 12, 2017
2017 has been a spectacular year for debut novels, as I look back over the year, so many wonderful debuts stand out for me. Chloe Mayer is certainly one to add to that list. The Boy Made of Snow is exquisitely imagined, beautifully written and I was completely enthralled by it.
This author has taken themes from traditional fairy stories and woven them into a tale set during World War II. Her characters are beautifully created, with so much depth, and realism.
Annabel and her nine-year-old son Daniel are living in a small English village during wartime. Annabel's husband; Daniel's father is away fighting and life is more than a struggle for her. It becomes clear that she has struggled since the day that Daniel arrived, and she is unable to show any love or affection for him. She can't even bring herself to call him by his name, and apart from the bedtime stories that she reads to him every night, their relationship is cold and empty.
Daniel loves his mother. Unconditionally. He cares for her, but he doesn't understand her. His nine-year-old brain tells him that his mother is not quite like others that he knows, yet his heart tells him to love her and cherish her. Daniel's head is filled with the fairy tales that his mother has taught him and whilst this is often his saviour, it becomes his downfall.
Hans is a German prisoner of war. Working on a nearby farm, chopping wood. Both Daniel and Annabel are excited by the prospect of Hans being close. Daniel sees a woodcutter from his stories, whilst Annabel discovers someone who doesn't judge her, who doesn't know her background and who makes her feel safe.
The Boy Made of Snow is haunting. It is chilling and poignant and at times, utterly heartbreaking. Daniel is a carefully crafted masterpiece, and his innocence shines through, even when his actions bring about the most tragic and horrendous consequences.
The setting and era is excellently reproduced, with Annabel's obvious mental health issues being hidden away as a source of shame, with no help offered and no understanding shown from those who are supposed to love her. Daniel's father makes a brief visit home from the front, and this chapter and the heart wrenching scenes so brilliantly composed will break the heart of the reader, slowly and quietly, but oh so painfully.
The Boy Made of Snow is an ambitious debut novel from an author who is obviously so very talented. I have no more words; it's brilliant and I recommended it highly. It's a marvel.
https://randomthingsthroughmyletterbo...
This author has taken themes from traditional fairy stories and woven them into a tale set during World War II. Her characters are beautifully created, with so much depth, and realism.
Annabel and her nine-year-old son Daniel are living in a small English village during wartime. Annabel's husband; Daniel's father is away fighting and life is more than a struggle for her. It becomes clear that she has struggled since the day that Daniel arrived, and she is unable to show any love or affection for him. She can't even bring herself to call him by his name, and apart from the bedtime stories that she reads to him every night, their relationship is cold and empty.
Daniel loves his mother. Unconditionally. He cares for her, but he doesn't understand her. His nine-year-old brain tells him that his mother is not quite like others that he knows, yet his heart tells him to love her and cherish her. Daniel's head is filled with the fairy tales that his mother has taught him and whilst this is often his saviour, it becomes his downfall.
Hans is a German prisoner of war. Working on a nearby farm, chopping wood. Both Daniel and Annabel are excited by the prospect of Hans being close. Daniel sees a woodcutter from his stories, whilst Annabel discovers someone who doesn't judge her, who doesn't know her background and who makes her feel safe.
The Boy Made of Snow is haunting. It is chilling and poignant and at times, utterly heartbreaking. Daniel is a carefully crafted masterpiece, and his innocence shines through, even when his actions bring about the most tragic and horrendous consequences.
The setting and era is excellently reproduced, with Annabel's obvious mental health issues being hidden away as a source of shame, with no help offered and no understanding shown from those who are supposed to love her. Daniel's father makes a brief visit home from the front, and this chapter and the heart wrenching scenes so brilliantly composed will break the heart of the reader, slowly and quietly, but oh so painfully.
The Boy Made of Snow is an ambitious debut novel from an author who is obviously so very talented. I have no more words; it's brilliant and I recommended it highly. It's a marvel.
https://randomthingsthroughmyletterbo...
December 22, 2022
Setting: Kent, England; 1944-1947.
As World War Two progresses, Annabel lives with her nine-year-old son Daniel in a small Kent village, awaiting the return of her husband. Always a sufferer with her mental health, Annabel finds her secluded life looking after her largely-unwanted son is a great strain - until some German POWs arrive in the village to work on the local farms. Annabel strikes up something of a relationship with Hans, who is cutting down the dead apple trees on the neighbouring farm for villagers to use as firewood, owing to a coal shortage. Daniel lives in a world of the fairy tales that his mother reads to him every night - the woods have become his fairy tale kingdom, so meeting Hans instantly considers him to be the 'woodcutter' from many of his fairy tales. As both Daniel and Annabel strike up their own individual relationships with Hans, their two opposing worlds collide, with tragic consequences. Daniel, from his snooping around, is aware that his mother found difficulty bonding with her son as a baby and nearly walked out on the family at a later date. So he keeps a close eye on his mother, fearing that she will leave him again, which results in him discovering how close she has got to Hans. His actions from this point are aimed at ensuring that his mother stays with him as the war draws to a close. Annabel, on the other hand, is looking to escape. When the war ends, his father does not immediately return due to shell-shock and Daniel and his mother are forced to survive through the harshest winter on record as snow piles up around the house....
Told from the points of view of Annabel and Daniel, this is a story of polar opposites - Annabel wants to leave and start a new life and Daniel wants her to stay. As the actions of the two characters clash, the after-effects on both also cause repercussions for many others in the village. Great setting (place and time) and characters - I'm not usually keen on narration by child characters but this has been done well in this debut novel and is also tempered by the differing point of view of the mother. I was really gripped by the storyline, which was a little bit different and totally absorbing. I was a bit confused by the title but the justification for this was revealed near the end. There is a regular reference to fairy stories, in particular The Snow Queen, with extracts from the story featured at the beginning of each chapter - which has really made me want to read 'The Snow Queen'! Greatly enjoyable read and certainly the right time of year to read this one - 9.5/10.
As World War Two progresses, Annabel lives with her nine-year-old son Daniel in a small Kent village, awaiting the return of her husband. Always a sufferer with her mental health, Annabel finds her secluded life looking after her largely-unwanted son is a great strain - until some German POWs arrive in the village to work on the local farms. Annabel strikes up something of a relationship with Hans, who is cutting down the dead apple trees on the neighbouring farm for villagers to use as firewood, owing to a coal shortage. Daniel lives in a world of the fairy tales that his mother reads to him every night - the woods have become his fairy tale kingdom, so meeting Hans instantly considers him to be the 'woodcutter' from many of his fairy tales. As both Daniel and Annabel strike up their own individual relationships with Hans, their two opposing worlds collide, with tragic consequences. Daniel, from his snooping around, is aware that his mother found difficulty bonding with her son as a baby and nearly walked out on the family at a later date. So he keeps a close eye on his mother, fearing that she will leave him again, which results in him discovering how close she has got to Hans. His actions from this point are aimed at ensuring that his mother stays with him as the war draws to a close. Annabel, on the other hand, is looking to escape. When the war ends, his father does not immediately return due to shell-shock and Daniel and his mother are forced to survive through the harshest winter on record as snow piles up around the house....
Told from the points of view of Annabel and Daniel, this is a story of polar opposites - Annabel wants to leave and start a new life and Daniel wants her to stay. As the actions of the two characters clash, the after-effects on both also cause repercussions for many others in the village. Great setting (place and time) and characters - I'm not usually keen on narration by child characters but this has been done well in this debut novel and is also tempered by the differing point of view of the mother. I was really gripped by the storyline, which was a little bit different and totally absorbing. I was a bit confused by the title but the justification for this was revealed near the end. There is a regular reference to fairy stories, in particular The Snow Queen, with extracts from the story featured at the beginning of each chapter - which has really made me want to read 'The Snow Queen'! Greatly enjoyable read and certainly the right time of year to read this one - 9.5/10.
January 26, 2018
http://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/2018/0...
Even though Annabel is keeping up outer appearances, inside (both inside the home and her mental health) is a different matter entirely. 9 year old Daniel fends for himself, trying to make the best of the rations with no set mealtimes as well as keeping himself occupied. Having been brought up on fairy tales by Annabel, everything he experiences in life is through that lens. With his dad Reggie absent, fighting the war, whenever he is need of advice or to understand something he relies on fairy tale themes (which have dire consequences for more than one character in the story). He’s not learned about reality and the world around him from role models but from heroes who slay monsters and sacrifice to show their love. His one motivation is to rescue Annabel so that she will love him.
When Hans comes into their lives, he is a secret for both of them. Annabel doesn’t know Daniel befriends him, in fact, she doesn’t know anything about Daniel’s life at all. She is so caught up in her pit of despair and loneliness. Being a mother is nothing like she thought it would be (although I would argue she had mental health issues and found the world difficult to cope with before becoming a mother). Hans brings something more than an awakening when he steps into their lives …
I knew something wasn’t quite right but didn’t guess a key fact. Did it change how I felt? Yes. It gave the whole experience a different layer. Not so much as shining a light but giving us more differing shades of grey.
This is a dark read. It felt heavy and saturnine and a couple of scenes are not for the faint-hearted. My heart ached for Daniel. Not accepted at school by his peers, invisible at home. When Reggie gets 24 hours leave it must have been very scary for a child of 9 to experience that. Yet he is resourceful and determined. Which are strengths he needs later on in the story.
The Boy Made of Snow is a stunning debut from Chloe Mayer. Family and isolation, despair and hope, fear and love. The story will stay with me for a long time.
If you enjoy the original (darker) fairy tales you will love this too.
Even though Annabel is keeping up outer appearances, inside (both inside the home and her mental health) is a different matter entirely. 9 year old Daniel fends for himself, trying to make the best of the rations with no set mealtimes as well as keeping himself occupied. Having been brought up on fairy tales by Annabel, everything he experiences in life is through that lens. With his dad Reggie absent, fighting the war, whenever he is need of advice or to understand something he relies on fairy tale themes (which have dire consequences for more than one character in the story). He’s not learned about reality and the world around him from role models but from heroes who slay monsters and sacrifice to show their love. His one motivation is to rescue Annabel so that she will love him.
When Hans comes into their lives, he is a secret for both of them. Annabel doesn’t know Daniel befriends him, in fact, she doesn’t know anything about Daniel’s life at all. She is so caught up in her pit of despair and loneliness. Being a mother is nothing like she thought it would be (although I would argue she had mental health issues and found the world difficult to cope with before becoming a mother). Hans brings something more than an awakening when he steps into their lives …
I knew something wasn’t quite right but didn’t guess a key fact. Did it change how I felt? Yes. It gave the whole experience a different layer. Not so much as shining a light but giving us more differing shades of grey.
This is a dark read. It felt heavy and saturnine and a couple of scenes are not for the faint-hearted. My heart ached for Daniel. Not accepted at school by his peers, invisible at home. When Reggie gets 24 hours leave it must have been very scary for a child of 9 to experience that. Yet he is resourceful and determined. Which are strengths he needs later on in the story.
The Boy Made of Snow is a stunning debut from Chloe Mayer. Family and isolation, despair and hope, fear and love. The story will stay with me for a long time.
If you enjoy the original (darker) fairy tales you will love this too.
December 19, 2017
THE BOY MADE OF SNOW by Chloë Mayer is a breathtaking, haunting, and heartbreaking story that will stay in your mind long after you turn the last page.
Set in wartime England we meet a young lad, Daniel, and his mother Annabel who are surviving together while Daniel's father is fighting in the war. Annabel has struggled with being a mother from the beginning and cannot show love or affection to Daniel who desperately craves it from her. Their only solid connection is the fairy tales that Annabel reads to him every night. But when a German Prisoner of War, Hans, arrives, fairytale and real life will become irreversibly intertwined with devastating consequences.
The characters in this story are very well-developed and the emotional elements of the plot are perfectly portrayed throughout. My heart broke for Annabel and Daniel as they were both suffering alone with no support. There were times while reading this story that I had a huge lump in my throat and I just had to stop reading for a few moments - this story is that powerful.
THE BOY MADE OF SNOW by Chloë Mayer is a stunning debut from this author and I wait with bated breath for what will come next from her. If you buy one book this Christmas, make it this one.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
Set in wartime England we meet a young lad, Daniel, and his mother Annabel who are surviving together while Daniel's father is fighting in the war. Annabel has struggled with being a mother from the beginning and cannot show love or affection to Daniel who desperately craves it from her. Their only solid connection is the fairy tales that Annabel reads to him every night. But when a German Prisoner of War, Hans, arrives, fairytale and real life will become irreversibly intertwined with devastating consequences.
The characters in this story are very well-developed and the emotional elements of the plot are perfectly portrayed throughout. My heart broke for Annabel and Daniel as they were both suffering alone with no support. There were times while reading this story that I had a huge lump in my throat and I just had to stop reading for a few moments - this story is that powerful.
THE BOY MADE OF SNOW by Chloë Mayer is a stunning debut from this author and I wait with bated breath for what will come next from her. If you buy one book this Christmas, make it this one.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
May 6, 2019
I would just like to say that the synopsis for this book is incredibly misleading. However, it definitely was a crazy story and I didn’t see any of what happened coming. It was quite boring at times, but I got through it since it was a pretty short book.
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January 11, 2022Porzucam ją na stronie 210.
Nie sięgajcie po to, chyba, że chcecie umrzeć z nudów i stracić swój czas.
Autorka chyba chciała napisać dobrze, a pogubiła się w tym wszystkim.
Stworzyła tak bardzo irytująca dziecięca postać, że bije jej brawo.
Nie sięgajcie po to, chyba, że chcecie umrzeć z nudów i stracić swój czas.
Autorka chyba chciała napisać dobrze, a pogubiła się w tym wszystkim.
Stworzyła tak bardzo irytująca dziecięca postać, że bije jej brawo.
April 15, 2018
It's 1944 and Daniel's father is away from home, fighting against the Germans. Nine-year-old Daniel and his fragile mother Annabel are trying to manage on their own. However, Annabel is suffering too much to be a motherly person. She doesn't keep the house tidy, Daniel often needs to take care of his own meals and Annabel hardly ever checks where he is. The one thing they share though is their love for fairytales. Annabel reads them aloud to Daniel every day. For Daniel it isn't exactly clear where magic ends and real life begins and he tries to protect his mother as well as he can from approaching dangers.
There's a troll living in the area. The troll is looking for food in bins, he doesn't have a place to live and he sleeps in a tunnel. Daniel keeps an eye on his biggest enemy, so the troll can't harm his mother. The troll isn't the only distraction though. There's a PoW camp close to their home. One of the prisoners chops wood at a nearby farm and by buying the logs for their fire Annabel and Daniel get to know him. For Daniel Hans is a foreign prince, far away from home. For Annabel Hans is a distraction. She finally feels alive after many years of being numb inside. Hans has plans that involve both of them and can put them all in danger. What will happen when he executes them?
The Boy Made of Snow is a beautiful heartbreaking story. Annabel just pretends to be capable of taking care of Daniel, but isn't managing all that well by herself. She has no support system, her family is living far away, her husband is fighting for his country and she doesn't have any friends. Daniel grows up without a clear idea of what is real and what isn't. He strongly believes in the fairytales his mother reads to him and thinks trolls and lost princes actually exist. This leads to a dangerously twisted idea of reality. I clearly felt the inevitability of trouble and because of this I was kept on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.
Chloe Mayer has a great way of writing about black, white and all the grey in between. I loved how she plays with what is real and what isn't. She knows how to work with suspense. I liked that she's chosen to use alternating points of view and writes from both Daniel and Annabel's perspective, that makes the story come to life in an incredible way. They are both broken and they find themselves in a downwards spiral they can't get out of. This makes compelling reading. The gorgeous haunting descriptions of their world sometimes put tears in my eyes. Chloe Mayer managed to shock and surprises me many times. The Boy Made of Snow is a fantastic original story that I highly recommend.
There's a troll living in the area. The troll is looking for food in bins, he doesn't have a place to live and he sleeps in a tunnel. Daniel keeps an eye on his biggest enemy, so the troll can't harm his mother. The troll isn't the only distraction though. There's a PoW camp close to their home. One of the prisoners chops wood at a nearby farm and by buying the logs for their fire Annabel and Daniel get to know him. For Daniel Hans is a foreign prince, far away from home. For Annabel Hans is a distraction. She finally feels alive after many years of being numb inside. Hans has plans that involve both of them and can put them all in danger. What will happen when he executes them?
The Boy Made of Snow is a beautiful heartbreaking story. Annabel just pretends to be capable of taking care of Daniel, but isn't managing all that well by herself. She has no support system, her family is living far away, her husband is fighting for his country and she doesn't have any friends. Daniel grows up without a clear idea of what is real and what isn't. He strongly believes in the fairytales his mother reads to him and thinks trolls and lost princes actually exist. This leads to a dangerously twisted idea of reality. I clearly felt the inevitability of trouble and because of this I was kept on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.
Chloe Mayer has a great way of writing about black, white and all the grey in between. I loved how she plays with what is real and what isn't. She knows how to work with suspense. I liked that she's chosen to use alternating points of view and writes from both Daniel and Annabel's perspective, that makes the story come to life in an incredible way. They are both broken and they find themselves in a downwards spiral they can't get out of. This makes compelling reading. The gorgeous haunting descriptions of their world sometimes put tears in my eyes. Chloe Mayer managed to shock and surprises me many times. The Boy Made of Snow is a fantastic original story that I highly recommend.
March 5, 2018
The Boy Made of Snow is a brilliantly written novel by Chloe Mayer.
I picked it up off the shelves from my local bookstore for a friend of mine for Christmas.
It was just staring at me, saying 'Buy Me'.
The snowy cover entranced me...and then it was the actual story of 'The Boy Made of Snow'.
I've had to wait until now to borrow it from my friend who's just finished reading it for Christmas.
When I opened it in the bookstore I found beautiful excerpts from fairytales such as The Snow Queen, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and more and thought, I just have to have this for my friend (and, maybe, I'll read it for myself later).
In this book Fairytales have a way of becoming a reality that will capture your imagination and search for the hidden meaning in much loved fairytales.
Congratulations, Chloe Mayer on a successful, brilliant and haunting, beautiful new novel which holds elements of a thriller which could easily be made into a film.
We absolutely loved your book, The Boy Made of Snow and highly recommend for people who like a novel with a difference, filled with imagination and a good plot with many twists and turns.
I look forward to your next novel,
If you go down to the woods today...
You'll be sure of a big surprise.
Read it and see what happens to The Boy Made of Snow.
I picked it up off the shelves from my local bookstore for a friend of mine for Christmas.
It was just staring at me, saying 'Buy Me'.
The snowy cover entranced me...and then it was the actual story of 'The Boy Made of Snow'.
I've had to wait until now to borrow it from my friend who's just finished reading it for Christmas.
When I opened it in the bookstore I found beautiful excerpts from fairytales such as The Snow Queen, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and more and thought, I just have to have this for my friend (and, maybe, I'll read it for myself later).
In this book Fairytales have a way of becoming a reality that will capture your imagination and search for the hidden meaning in much loved fairytales.
Congratulations, Chloe Mayer on a successful, brilliant and haunting, beautiful new novel which holds elements of a thriller which could easily be made into a film.
We absolutely loved your book, The Boy Made of Snow and highly recommend for people who like a novel with a difference, filled with imagination and a good plot with many twists and turns.
I look forward to your next novel,
If you go down to the woods today...
You'll be sure of a big surprise.
Read it and see what happens to The Boy Made of Snow.
November 2, 2017
1944 and war is raging across Europe.In the sleepy Kent village of Bambury, nine year old Daniel lives with his mother, Annabelle, his father Reggie away fighting the war. Theirs is a quiet existence,Annabelle living in her own world, increasingly isolated, never having recovered from the birth of Daniel. Daniel is a reflective child, lost in a world of fairy tales, the one thing that brings him close to his mother. Then life changes when the first batch of German POW’s arrive in the village.
When they meet Hans, the woodcutter, he becomes the love Annabelle has been looking for and for Daniel he is the real life fairytale wood cutter. Hans has other ideas, ideas that will have devastating consequences for all.
I always love to discover new authors and in particular debut authors, so was especially pleased to receive a copy from Jennifer Kerslake to read and review. The title is certainly intriguing and the cover quite beautiful, but the real star is the novel that Chloe Mayer has written.
Chapters features one or two quotes from a fairytale each pertinent to the direction of the story. I particularly loved the links between The Snow Queen and the novel as Gerda seeks to free Kai and unfreeze his heart much as Daniel tries to reach out to his distant mother. It was certainly a clever device that worked wonderfully.
The characters are beautifully drawn, their emotion and feelings leaping from the page. Annabelle, obviously suffered postnatal depression after the birth of Daniel, a condition not recognised at the time. Fearful of being sent to an asylum, she pretends to be okay, going through the motions of what she believes is being a good mother. yet, she cannot show Daniel any emotion or love. The fairytale stories they share every night are the only link that brings them together. It would be so easy to dislike Annabelle, to want to shake her with frustration, tell her to hug and love this little boy, but you don’t. I felt huge empathy and sorrow, for this young woman so obviously struggling with depression.
Daniel, is a loner, often bullied at school, losing himself in fairytales, yet finds it difficult to distinguish between his imagination and reality. He is a boy who only wants the love and attention of his mother and my heart silently broke as he tried and failed to rid the village, and to save his mother from the dangers of the local tramp,or in his imagination the Troll. It is his relationship with the POW Hans that is the most dangerous and the most interesting, both using the other for their own needs. Neither can forsee the consequences of their actions and for Daniel it will be something he will have to live with for the rest of his life. His resilience and strength shone through but deep down all you wanted to do was grab hold of this little boy, hug him and shower him with all the love he so desperately wants and needs.
On the periphery is Reggie, husband to Annabelle and father to Daniel. When he returns home from leave he is obviously suffering from PTSD, again not recognised at this time. It was so poignant to read the descriptions of his shaking hands, the ringing in his ears and the embarrassment of his father as he broke down and cried in a restaurant. The ignorance of those left at home, the need for the stiff upper British lip , so sad to read.
I loved Mayer’s imagery. I imagined myself running through the woods with Daniel, feeling his fear as he entered the dark railway tunnel, hunting down the troll. The snowstorm, was for me, brilliant and I will leave it at that for fear of spoiling the story.
Most prominent and indeed the most accomplished aspect of Mayer’s novel is her ability to portray the emotions of the characters. The desperation of Annabelle, her inability to drag herself from the depth of depression and the need for Daniel to please her, to make her notice him and love him. It is something that will linger with the reader long after that last page has been turned and the book closed.
The only very minor criticism I have is that the latter part of the novel was little too drawn out.
It is so hard to believe that this is a debut novel, so confident and assured is Mayer’s writing. I cannot wait for her next novel and I would recommend you borrow from your local library now!
Thank you to Jennifer Kerslake and Orion Books for a copy to read and review.
When they meet Hans, the woodcutter, he becomes the love Annabelle has been looking for and for Daniel he is the real life fairytale wood cutter. Hans has other ideas, ideas that will have devastating consequences for all.
I always love to discover new authors and in particular debut authors, so was especially pleased to receive a copy from Jennifer Kerslake to read and review. The title is certainly intriguing and the cover quite beautiful, but the real star is the novel that Chloe Mayer has written.
Chapters features one or two quotes from a fairytale each pertinent to the direction of the story. I particularly loved the links between The Snow Queen and the novel as Gerda seeks to free Kai and unfreeze his heart much as Daniel tries to reach out to his distant mother. It was certainly a clever device that worked wonderfully.
The characters are beautifully drawn, their emotion and feelings leaping from the page. Annabelle, obviously suffered postnatal depression after the birth of Daniel, a condition not recognised at the time. Fearful of being sent to an asylum, she pretends to be okay, going through the motions of what she believes is being a good mother. yet, she cannot show Daniel any emotion or love. The fairytale stories they share every night are the only link that brings them together. It would be so easy to dislike Annabelle, to want to shake her with frustration, tell her to hug and love this little boy, but you don’t. I felt huge empathy and sorrow, for this young woman so obviously struggling with depression.
Daniel, is a loner, often bullied at school, losing himself in fairytales, yet finds it difficult to distinguish between his imagination and reality. He is a boy who only wants the love and attention of his mother and my heart silently broke as he tried and failed to rid the village, and to save his mother from the dangers of the local tramp,or in his imagination the Troll. It is his relationship with the POW Hans that is the most dangerous and the most interesting, both using the other for their own needs. Neither can forsee the consequences of their actions and for Daniel it will be something he will have to live with for the rest of his life. His resilience and strength shone through but deep down all you wanted to do was grab hold of this little boy, hug him and shower him with all the love he so desperately wants and needs.
On the periphery is Reggie, husband to Annabelle and father to Daniel. When he returns home from leave he is obviously suffering from PTSD, again not recognised at this time. It was so poignant to read the descriptions of his shaking hands, the ringing in his ears and the embarrassment of his father as he broke down and cried in a restaurant. The ignorance of those left at home, the need for the stiff upper British lip , so sad to read.
I loved Mayer’s imagery. I imagined myself running through the woods with Daniel, feeling his fear as he entered the dark railway tunnel, hunting down the troll. The snowstorm, was for me, brilliant and I will leave it at that for fear of spoiling the story.
Most prominent and indeed the most accomplished aspect of Mayer’s novel is her ability to portray the emotions of the characters. The desperation of Annabelle, her inability to drag herself from the depth of depression and the need for Daniel to please her, to make her notice him and love him. It is something that will linger with the reader long after that last page has been turned and the book closed.
The only very minor criticism I have is that the latter part of the novel was little too drawn out.
It is so hard to believe that this is a debut novel, so confident and assured is Mayer’s writing. I cannot wait for her next novel and I would recommend you borrow from your local library now!
Thank you to Jennifer Kerslake and Orion Books for a copy to read and review.
December 4, 2022
5 ⭐️
Wow my heart is broken.
It was written SO well from start to finish. An absolutely heart wrenching book, that will stay memorable to me for a very long time 🥺
I feel so sad now :(
I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys romance, friendship, heart break and possibly historical fiction (but it’s not necessary to enjoy the story).
It initially took me by surprise because I wasn’t used to the writing style. It wasn’t long until I got very into it though, it only gets better and better.
This might be one of my favourite books I’ve ever read.
Wow my heart is broken.
It was written SO well from start to finish. An absolutely heart wrenching book, that will stay memorable to me for a very long time 🥺
I feel so sad now :(
I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys romance, friendship, heart break and possibly historical fiction (but it’s not necessary to enjoy the story).
It initially took me by surprise because I wasn’t used to the writing style. It wasn’t long until I got very into it though, it only gets better and better.
This might be one of my favourite books I’ve ever read.
October 28, 2021
Magical darkness
This was an unusual and fascinating read that took us into the dysfunctional life of a mother and son living in a rural village during WW11. I thought her characters were really well crafted, her links to fairy tales clever, the portrayal of life at that period accurately portrayed and the twists and turns kept me enthralled.
Although this is a dark story with many unlikable people and incidents, I can highly recommend it.
This was an unusual and fascinating read that took us into the dysfunctional life of a mother and son living in a rural village during WW11. I thought her characters were really well crafted, her links to fairy tales clever, the portrayal of life at that period accurately portrayed and the twists and turns kept me enthralled.
Although this is a dark story with many unlikable people and incidents, I can highly recommend it.
March 27, 2025
Im not sure how to describe this book, exactly what genre I would categorize it in. It was twisted, sad, and a bit horrifying? But I actually really liked it. Not bad for a totally random pick off the library shelf!
February 26, 2020
An enchanting and devastating book that will make your throat seize up with dread. There’s a German POW working in the woods in rural Kent during World War Two - cutting down trees for fuel for the villagers. Friendly and with something of the forbidden about him, he’s an intriguing addition to the village where nine-year-old Daniel and his repressed mother Annabel don’t quite fit in. But just what does Hans want from the unsuspecting pair? The story doesn’t pick up pace until about 80 pages in, but it is well worth the wait because what unfolds next is so compelling, mind-blowing even, that you won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough. Tension builds as it becomes increasingly likely that Annabel and Daniel’s fragile lives are about to shatter into pieces, but not in any of the ways that you might expect. Twisty and beautifully written, with intelligent observations - take note of the Home Guard with their jobsworthy puffed-up pride for instance - The Boy Made of Snow is a remarkable read. And since this is Mayer's debut, it is just the beginning.
November 20, 2017
A really atmospheric quite gripping tale
The story is based around a neglected boy during ww2.
I loved the characters even though I didn’t care for the mother. I realise she probably had some mental illness and she couldn’t help her behaviour.
It also throws into light the stiff upper lip attitude towards life during that time, I would hate to return to that way of thinking.
The part of the book when the father visits home for a short time had me choked up.
I thought it was a bit slow at first but literally struggled to put it down after the 30% mark
The story is based around a neglected boy during ww2.
I loved the characters even though I didn’t care for the mother. I realise she probably had some mental illness and she couldn’t help her behaviour.
It also throws into light the stiff upper lip attitude towards life during that time, I would hate to return to that way of thinking.
The part of the book when the father visits home for a short time had me choked up.
I thought it was a bit slow at first but literally struggled to put it down after the 30% mark
July 3, 2019
A mother with depression in the 1940's has to hide her condition for fear she'll be locked away in an asylum. She pretends to be normal and she pretends to be a mother to a son she feels no affection for. The boy is becoming warped living in this house with only his mother while his father is away at war.
When they meet a German POW they both project their needs on him.
I don't recommend it. The characters were frustrating. It's depressing and dark. There were some very clever parts though and I liked some history that was merged into it.
When they meet a German POW they both project their needs on him.
I don't recommend it. The characters were frustrating. It's depressing and dark. There were some very clever parts though and I liked some history that was merged into it.
December 24, 2017
I very different kind of book which I enjoyed tremendously,dark at times and very sad. Well recommended and no hesitation in giving 4 stars
September 8, 2017
It’s set in a rural village in England during the time of the Second World War. The book is quintessentially ‘English’ in its charm with its talk of ‘nice’ cups of tea (wonder what a ‘horrid’ cup of tea would taste like?) and use of such words as ‘jolly.’
I like books with only a skeleton crew of characters. This book is one of them. The story focuses on a mother and son who live at the edge of a forest. The village they live in receive some German PoWs, much to the chagrin of a number of villagers. Annabel and her son, Daniel, befriend one of these Prisoners of War who is recruited by a local farmer and charged with clearing his dying orchard.
We learn early on (and by the addition of some Fairy Tale quotes at the start of each chapter) that Daniel is obsessed with these classic stories and has a biased view of life as the line between fact and fiction, the real world and that of this precious books, becomes very blurred.
The book’s sense of time and setting are very evocative. Stories of how a mother and daughter combine their rations to bake a birthday cake. Stories of the shopkeeper who usually manage to find some much-needed gin on the ‘black market’, couple and families torn apart by the War…
There was that couple who kissed right on the lips, remember, in front of everybody! You looked so shocked. I don't think either of us quite knew how to say goodbye.
Amidst this real sense of time and place, the author cleverly intertwines glimpses of Daniel’s imagined visions of where he lives -
"This was a magical place. There was a village nestled in the valley. Little two-room cottages, with smoke cheerfully puffing from the chimneys. Horse-dawn carts would be rattling down cobblestone streets and children and barking dogs would scurry out of the way of the hooves. Merchants would be selling their wares, cobblers would be making their shoes, and womenfolk would be setting pies on the windowsills to cool."
Life in Daniel’s head seems so perfect but as the story unfolds, we learn that he is a very dangerous character and others suffer at his hands through no fault or awareness of their own (or by him as he doesn’t intentionally set out to wreak devastation and despair.)
I could write so much more (I haven't even mentioned the mother yet and all her flaws) but I have to leave something for other readers to discover for themselves.
"And time passed and passed and went on and went on. And still, Mother and I didn’t speak of it – that terrible day."
I like books with only a skeleton crew of characters. This book is one of them. The story focuses on a mother and son who live at the edge of a forest. The village they live in receive some German PoWs, much to the chagrin of a number of villagers. Annabel and her son, Daniel, befriend one of these Prisoners of War who is recruited by a local farmer and charged with clearing his dying orchard.
We learn early on (and by the addition of some Fairy Tale quotes at the start of each chapter) that Daniel is obsessed with these classic stories and has a biased view of life as the line between fact and fiction, the real world and that of this precious books, becomes very blurred.
The book’s sense of time and setting are very evocative. Stories of how a mother and daughter combine their rations to bake a birthday cake. Stories of the shopkeeper who usually manage to find some much-needed gin on the ‘black market’, couple and families torn apart by the War…
There was that couple who kissed right on the lips, remember, in front of everybody! You looked so shocked. I don't think either of us quite knew how to say goodbye.
Amidst this real sense of time and place, the author cleverly intertwines glimpses of Daniel’s imagined visions of where he lives -
"This was a magical place. There was a village nestled in the valley. Little two-room cottages, with smoke cheerfully puffing from the chimneys. Horse-dawn carts would be rattling down cobblestone streets and children and barking dogs would scurry out of the way of the hooves. Merchants would be selling their wares, cobblers would be making their shoes, and womenfolk would be setting pies on the windowsills to cool."
Life in Daniel’s head seems so perfect but as the story unfolds, we learn that he is a very dangerous character and others suffer at his hands through no fault or awareness of their own (or by him as he doesn’t intentionally set out to wreak devastation and despair.)
I could write so much more (I haven't even mentioned the mother yet and all her flaws) but I have to leave something for other readers to discover for themselves.
"And time passed and passed and went on and went on. And still, Mother and I didn’t speak of it – that terrible day."
January 3, 2018
Not a book I can recommend. I was attracted to the fairy tale theme supposedly running throughout, especially the Snow Queen, but feels this was almost tacked on as an afterthought. The writing is poor in places and the underdeveloped characters never more than irritating, and some of the content is decidedly grisly.
December 30, 2017
Not sure what to make of this one: it's very readable but I got increasingly irritated by it as it went on. It's one of those books that peaks at the end of Act 2 and then the final Act is just mopping up the pieces, explaining plotpoints and telling you how they lived after that.
Set in 1944, it's about nine year old Daniel and his mother Annabel who live in a quiet English village. His father has been away fighting in the War for over three years. Annabel is very detached from her son; it appears she is still suffering from post natal depression. The one significant interaction in their day is when she reads him fairy stories at night and so he views the world through a fairy tale lens. When German POWs are consigned to their village, both mother and son will become friends with one of them, Hans. To Annabel, Hans represents her first opportunity for happiness in a long, long time. But she doesn't understand how Daniel sees the world and what he will think the right thing to do is.
The first half of the book in particularly has a creeping menace to it. We feel Annabel's depression and we see Daniel's erroneous interpretation of events and there is a sense that things will turn pear-shaped. However the eventual outcome and the protracted third Act fail to live up to the promise of the first half.
Set in 1944, it's about nine year old Daniel and his mother Annabel who live in a quiet English village. His father has been away fighting in the War for over three years. Annabel is very detached from her son; it appears she is still suffering from post natal depression. The one significant interaction in their day is when she reads him fairy stories at night and so he views the world through a fairy tale lens. When German POWs are consigned to their village, both mother and son will become friends with one of them, Hans. To Annabel, Hans represents her first opportunity for happiness in a long, long time. But she doesn't understand how Daniel sees the world and what he will think the right thing to do is.
The first half of the book in particularly has a creeping menace to it. We feel Annabel's depression and we see Daniel's erroneous interpretation of events and there is a sense that things will turn pear-shaped. However the eventual outcome and the protracted third Act fail to live up to the promise of the first half.
November 29, 2017
Written well this could have been a fantastic read - however I don't think I could give this book more than three stars.
The Boy Made of Snow makes use of dual narration, one chapter will be written in third person following the mother, and the other will be written in first person from the perspective of the son. This method was executed poorly by Mayer and often felt repetitive as events were retold presumably to gain a naive perspective from Daniel (the son). The narration by Daniel was particularly clumsy, I did not find it believable and was an apparent attempt to force a naive voice, it reminded at times me of an unsure author bolstering a simple narrative with a thesaurus.
The story begins slow but about three quarters of the way through it escalates into something dark and confronting. Had the beginning of the book had the same level of excitement as the end I may have enjoyed it more.
Overall, it was a relatively fascinating read. The characters were a little unlikable and the narration a little distracting but if you are able to get past that it was a decent enough story.
The Boy Made of Snow makes use of dual narration, one chapter will be written in third person following the mother, and the other will be written in first person from the perspective of the son. This method was executed poorly by Mayer and often felt repetitive as events were retold presumably to gain a naive perspective from Daniel (the son). The narration by Daniel was particularly clumsy, I did not find it believable and was an apparent attempt to force a naive voice, it reminded at times me of an unsure author bolstering a simple narrative with a thesaurus.
The story begins slow but about three quarters of the way through it escalates into something dark and confronting. Had the beginning of the book had the same level of excitement as the end I may have enjoyed it more.
Overall, it was a relatively fascinating read. The characters were a little unlikable and the narration a little distracting but if you are able to get past that it was a decent enough story.
December 15, 2017
Whilst The Boy Made of Snow was compelling, I did not enjoy it as much as I had anticipated. I found that there was something a little distancing about it, and some of the prose was also too simplistic for my personal tastes. I loved Mayer's blend of fairytale and the historical setting of the Second World War in a small Kentish village, but found that the extracts she had used at the outset of each chapter did not always match the action. Whilst I found some of the chapters which were told from the third person perspective a little dull, young Daniel's voice felt largely authentic, and offered a nice contrast.
My interest here was piqued at times due to the plot hooks, and I felt as though everything was well pulled together in the final few chapters. As far as historical novels go, there was perhaps not quite enough detail here for me aside from the more obvious elements; perhaps I just read it with the too-critical eye of a history graduate.
My interest here was piqued at times due to the plot hooks, and I felt as though everything was well pulled together in the final few chapters. As far as historical novels go, there was perhaps not quite enough detail here for me aside from the more obvious elements; perhaps I just read it with the too-critical eye of a history graduate.
January 23, 2020
What was the point of this book? I keep waiting for it to make sense and it never did. The story just kept rambling on and on and there was never a point to it at all. I love historical fiction, especially related to WWII. I thought this would fit that bill. NOT at all.
The main characters (mother and son) were pathetic and self-centered jerks. The other characters (father, grandparents, and townsfolk) were equally bad.
I started thinking the book was maybe 3 or 4 stars and the further along I got, the lower my rating. How did the fairy tales relate to the main story? What is the point of the troll? So many other questions, not worth mentioning.
One redeeming thing for the audio version - the narrator was very good. The different voices for different characters was impressive and made the audio book tolerable to a point.
Still cannot recommend at all. Bleh.
The main characters (mother and son) were pathetic and self-centered jerks. The other characters (father, grandparents, and townsfolk) were equally bad.
I started thinking the book was maybe 3 or 4 stars and the further along I got, the lower my rating. How did the fairy tales relate to the main story? What is the point of the troll? So many other questions, not worth mentioning.
One redeeming thing for the audio version - the narrator was very good. The different voices for different characters was impressive and made the audio book tolerable to a point.
Still cannot recommend at all. Bleh.
February 26, 2018
A depressing, emotionless and almost psychopathic story with unlovable and unrelatable characters to suit. Written simplistically, as if for children, but with themes children shouldn’t be reading.
November 8, 2017
*Thank you to Hachette Australia and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Anabel and her son Daniel have been co-existing in the quiet English town of Bambury quite uneventfully since the war began and their husband and father Reggie went away to fight in World War II. A nearby farm is taken over for use as a PoW camp and both Anabel and Daniel befriend Hans, a prisoner who spends his days cutting wood in an old orchard for the owner of the farm. Both Anabel and Daniel find different needs fulfilled by their friendship with Hans, however it appears that they are not the only ones seeking something elusive. The consequences of Daniel’s indifferent parenting have a tragic outcome as his reality and imagination are inextricably intertwined.
It would be impossible for me to write a purely objective review on this book, because it was intensely personal for me. The story resonated with me and broke my heart in it's accurate portrayal of post natal depression.
Anabel’s reference to Daniel as ‘the boy’ through the book showed her disconnection from him that has been haunting her since his birth.
The ugly reality and nuances of mental illness are laid bare in this book. Anabel’s resolve to keep up appearances and Reggie’s parent’s reaction to an incident that occurs when he is shipped home for a one-day visit, illustrate the stigmas of mental illness, particularly in the 1940’s when the book was set.
Daniel’s reality is grounded in the fairy tales that his mother reads to him, the only time she gives to him. With little else to guide him, he relates all his life experiences back to the fairy tales. When his inner most desire becomes clear, Daniel’s search for this elusive state has tragic consequences for two people and deepens the divide between him and his mother.
This is a book that changed my impression as I was reading it. At first, I felt the pace at the beginning of the book was quite slow, however once I was about halfway through and immersed in the little world of Bambury, I changed my opinion and felt that the pacing had been just right in order to facilitate the last third of the book.
Part of me was screaming at Anabel to give her child to his grandparents so that he could have a normal upbringing but that would have been the wrong path for the book to take. This book shone a bright spotlight on the reality of surviving day to day with a mental illness. The lack of feeling that made Anabel seem so cold and self-absorbed is characteristic of depression. Her inability to find joy in anything until her affair with Hans made sense because so much of her identity had been lost to the depression. Her time with Hans resonated in parts of her that had grown dead and dark as she kept up the stringent 1940’s requirement of appearing to be a perfectly coping wife and mother.
Daniel has a maturity to him that is a stark contrast to the fairy tales that guide his reality. Although we find out that Daniel read in a letter that Anabel felt nothing for him I inferred that he also knew subconsciously, although I’m possibly projecting my own experiences into the story. When my post-natal depression was at its worst I looked into my baby son’s eyes and felt like he knew I wasn’t right inside.
Reggie’s own battle with mental trauma from the war added another facet of fallibility to Daniel’s parents. The change in him and the damage to his mind from the war was heartbreaking because I’d held out hope that he would come home earlier, and Daniel would be rescued from his confusing and loveless world. However, the story the way it happened felt like this was something that could have happened to any family in that time period, and probably did.
I feel that this book starts a little slow however everything is simply being placed in perfect arrangement for the rest of the book. The impact of mental illness and war on families during World War II is beautifully told and Daniel’s innocence in the absence of guidance is heartbreaking when it becomes clear that he yearns for the simplest of things. The prose is deft with neatly worded descriptions. The themes addressed are complex and well written into a neatly paced narrative that exceeded my expectations.
Anabel and her son Daniel have been co-existing in the quiet English town of Bambury quite uneventfully since the war began and their husband and father Reggie went away to fight in World War II. A nearby farm is taken over for use as a PoW camp and both Anabel and Daniel befriend Hans, a prisoner who spends his days cutting wood in an old orchard for the owner of the farm. Both Anabel and Daniel find different needs fulfilled by their friendship with Hans, however it appears that they are not the only ones seeking something elusive. The consequences of Daniel’s indifferent parenting have a tragic outcome as his reality and imagination are inextricably intertwined.
It would be impossible for me to write a purely objective review on this book, because it was intensely personal for me. The story resonated with me and broke my heart in it's accurate portrayal of post natal depression.
Anabel’s reference to Daniel as ‘the boy’ through the book showed her disconnection from him that has been haunting her since his birth.
The ugly reality and nuances of mental illness are laid bare in this book. Anabel’s resolve to keep up appearances and Reggie’s parent’s reaction to an incident that occurs when he is shipped home for a one-day visit, illustrate the stigmas of mental illness, particularly in the 1940’s when the book was set.
Daniel’s reality is grounded in the fairy tales that his mother reads to him, the only time she gives to him. With little else to guide him, he relates all his life experiences back to the fairy tales. When his inner most desire becomes clear, Daniel’s search for this elusive state has tragic consequences for two people and deepens the divide between him and his mother.
This is a book that changed my impression as I was reading it. At first, I felt the pace at the beginning of the book was quite slow, however once I was about halfway through and immersed in the little world of Bambury, I changed my opinion and felt that the pacing had been just right in order to facilitate the last third of the book.
Part of me was screaming at Anabel to give her child to his grandparents so that he could have a normal upbringing but that would have been the wrong path for the book to take. This book shone a bright spotlight on the reality of surviving day to day with a mental illness. The lack of feeling that made Anabel seem so cold and self-absorbed is characteristic of depression. Her inability to find joy in anything until her affair with Hans made sense because so much of her identity had been lost to the depression. Her time with Hans resonated in parts of her that had grown dead and dark as she kept up the stringent 1940’s requirement of appearing to be a perfectly coping wife and mother.
Daniel has a maturity to him that is a stark contrast to the fairy tales that guide his reality. Although we find out that Daniel read in a letter that Anabel felt nothing for him I inferred that he also knew subconsciously, although I’m possibly projecting my own experiences into the story. When my post-natal depression was at its worst I looked into my baby son’s eyes and felt like he knew I wasn’t right inside.
Reggie’s own battle with mental trauma from the war added another facet of fallibility to Daniel’s parents. The change in him and the damage to his mind from the war was heartbreaking because I’d held out hope that he would come home earlier, and Daniel would be rescued from his confusing and loveless world. However, the story the way it happened felt like this was something that could have happened to any family in that time period, and probably did.
I feel that this book starts a little slow however everything is simply being placed in perfect arrangement for the rest of the book. The impact of mental illness and war on families during World War II is beautifully told and Daniel’s innocence in the absence of guidance is heartbreaking when it becomes clear that he yearns for the simplest of things. The prose is deft with neatly worded descriptions. The themes addressed are complex and well written into a neatly paced narrative that exceeded my expectations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2017
The Boy Made of Snow is Chloe Mayer's debut novel, and a very accomplished one. Inspired by the fairy tale The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson, with quotes from the book as chapter headings, this book has the essence and feel of a fairytale itself. It is beautifully written, ambitious novel with a haunting plot line that will draw you in.
The book is narrated by Annabel and her nine year old son, Daniel, in alternating chapters. This is clever literary device as it gives the reader the two different perspectives of events, and helps the reader ascertain what is really going on as neither are reliable narrators. Annabel has clearly suffered from post natal depression, an illness not recognised in the 1940's. Her parents and husband did consider sending her to asylum, which frightened her so now she is able to put on a front and play at being a mother. She feels no connections with her son and has isolate herself frothier family and others the village. Daniel, knows there is something wrong and just wants to please his mother and be loved. He lives in his fairy tale world, where vagrants are trolls, the woods are enchanted and that a woodcutter could be a Prince. Somewhere in the middle of these narratives lies the truth of what is going on.
There is a varied cast of characters, not all nice. Annabel and Daniel are joined by that feeling of wanting to be loved and Hans offers this too them in different ways; as a lover and a friend. The Home Guard men, those unable to fight, bring a sense of menace in their dogged persecution of those not obeying the rules and in their treatment towards the PoW's ; this was most certainly a response to their not being able to fight in the War. Both sets of grandparents have Annabel and Daniel's best interest at heart but can be caustic in their treatment of Annabel, and her role as a mother.
The setting of the village and nearby woods is certainly very magical; for both Annabel and Daniel the woods represents a different world with a different set of rules, a place to escape daily life. As well as the magic, like all fairy tales, there has to be some badness there and this is in the guise of the Home Guard, with their violence and threatening behaviour. The historical setting is perfect for this story, it opens up many dilemmas faced at the time, problems not understood and prejudices of the era.
The Boy made of Snow is a novel of motherhood, childhood, relationships, war and consequences but most of all imagination. This is a very accomplished first novel, both in its writing and narrative; a haunting tale with a chill at its heart, perfect for this time of year.
The book is narrated by Annabel and her nine year old son, Daniel, in alternating chapters. This is clever literary device as it gives the reader the two different perspectives of events, and helps the reader ascertain what is really going on as neither are reliable narrators. Annabel has clearly suffered from post natal depression, an illness not recognised in the 1940's. Her parents and husband did consider sending her to asylum, which frightened her so now she is able to put on a front and play at being a mother. She feels no connections with her son and has isolate herself frothier family and others the village. Daniel, knows there is something wrong and just wants to please his mother and be loved. He lives in his fairy tale world, where vagrants are trolls, the woods are enchanted and that a woodcutter could be a Prince. Somewhere in the middle of these narratives lies the truth of what is going on.
There is a varied cast of characters, not all nice. Annabel and Daniel are joined by that feeling of wanting to be loved and Hans offers this too them in different ways; as a lover and a friend. The Home Guard men, those unable to fight, bring a sense of menace in their dogged persecution of those not obeying the rules and in their treatment towards the PoW's ; this was most certainly a response to their not being able to fight in the War. Both sets of grandparents have Annabel and Daniel's best interest at heart but can be caustic in their treatment of Annabel, and her role as a mother.
The setting of the village and nearby woods is certainly very magical; for both Annabel and Daniel the woods represents a different world with a different set of rules, a place to escape daily life. As well as the magic, like all fairy tales, there has to be some badness there and this is in the guise of the Home Guard, with their violence and threatening behaviour. The historical setting is perfect for this story, it opens up many dilemmas faced at the time, problems not understood and prejudices of the era.
The Boy made of Snow is a novel of motherhood, childhood, relationships, war and consequences but most of all imagination. This is a very accomplished first novel, both in its writing and narrative; a haunting tale with a chill at its heart, perfect for this time of year.
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