The Way Past Winter

by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Mila and her sisters live with their brother Oskar in a small forest cabin in the snow. One night, a fur-clad stranger arrives seeking shelter for himself and his men. But by the next morning, they've gone - taking Oskar with them. Fearful for his safety, Mila and her sisters set out to bring Oskar back - even it means going north, crossing frozen wild-lands to find a way past an eternal winter.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Adventure, Magic, Young Adult

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2018

About the author

Kiran Millwood Hargrave is an award-winning writer whose work has been translated into over 30 languages and optioned for stage and screen. Almost Life, her third novel for adults, will be published by Picador (UK) and Summit (US) in March 2026.

Her debut adult novel The Mercies debuted at number one of the The Times bestseller list, was a top-ten Sunday Times bestseller, and was selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club and the Richard and Judy Summer Reads. It was a finalist for the prestigious Prix Femina in France, won a Betty Trask Award, and was called 'unquestionably the book of the 2018 London Book Fair' by The Bookseller. The Dance Tree was shortlisted for the HWA Gold Crown Award and picked for the BBC Two Between Two Covers Book Club, as well as Florence + the Machine's Between Two Books Book Club.

Between them, her children's books have won numerous awards including the Wainwright Prize, Children's Book of the Year at the British Book Awards, the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Historical Association Young Quills Award, and the Blackwell's Children's Book of the Year. They have been shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize, the Barnes and Noble Award, Jhalak Prize, the Little Rebels Prize, the Branford Boase Award, the Blue Peter Best Story Award, Costa Children's Book Prize, Foyles' Children's Book of the Year, and thrice-longlisted for the Carnegie Award.

Kiran lives in Oxford with her husband, the artist Tom de Freston, their daughter, cats, and usually a litter of foster kittens.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable and atmospheric read aloud. An ideal story to read by an open fire, essential to read in winter and preferable to read just at the end of winter when the hope of spring is in sight.

As the book description says, three sisters live with their brother until a stranger turns up. Following the events that happen that night, a journey is undertaken to save a sibling.

At first we thought this would be too much like Gerda's journey to rescue Kay from the snow Queen, but this storyline had so much going for it. We really enjoyed the fairy tales of the heart tree and how this tree was sacred and their well being depended upon it. We thought this book was going to be a story with an environmental message, it was disappointing that these events happened, the bear was the guardian of the forest, but because too much had been taken from the forest by man and endless winter had been given to the people, the culmination was that rather than promise the bear they would help the environment, the bear was killed. Obviously the bear in this story had become very nasty themselves, but I hoped this would have a more positive message about the bear who was after all the embodiment of the wild, the forest and the environment.

We really enjoyed the characters, the storyline and the descriptions. There were some lovely dog characters in this one and some very inventive elements such as the journey to Thule and the breathe-skeins that helped them cross through an underwater current.

There were some parts that those reading aloud to young children might want to be aware of the boys who are captured are turned into a sort of living zombie, most of them feed the heart tree, but one is frozen in the ice so that the rescue sleigh cannot pass, the description of this boy being killed is quite graphic and though fine for a read aloud to a 16 year old I would have felt uncomfortable reading this to smaller children. The description of the boys being sacrificed for the tree is also quite horrific and might provide vivid nightmares to a younger child. Also when the reason for all this trouble is revealed we were left wondering why this person would cause all this trouble when they were someone who warned about such actions.

We both agreed this would make an amazing film, the scenes described are a great opportunity for stunning visuals.

Quibbles aside, this was a very enjoyable story of adventure and danger with some wonderful forest descriptions and sibling characters.

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook for this novel via Audible!

This Middle-Grade novel was just a delight, I really enjoyed the adventures of Mila and her siblings and the closeness of sibling friendship. Inspired by Slavic folklore, the world is basically trapped in winter and has been for many years. Mila's Papa walked out of the family home a few years back but never returned, leaving Mila's older brother Oskar in charge of affairs. Everything changes when a strange man arrives at their front door asking for shelter. He stays the night but by morning, he has kidnapped Oskar. Mila decides that she has to rescue him but not everyone is convinced. Most notably, one of her own sisters Sanna. Soon, the decision is made and they venture out on a quest to find their missing brother. I liked most of the characters including Mila and the youngest child Pipa. However, there were a few that I didn't like, mainly Sanna because of her attitude at first to going out on the adventure. It was a fast-paced listen, with a great narrator. The ending did feel a little rushed to me but for someone who loves folklore inspired stories, it was enjoyable!

[Magrat Ajostiernos · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5
Una de esas lecturas para hacer bajo las mantas, escuchando el viento y la lluvia pegar contra los cristales.
Nos cuenta la historia de Mila y sus tres hermanos, que viven en una cabaña en medio del bosque durante un invierno que se prolonga penosamente a lo largo de los años. La llegada de unos intrusos hace que Mila se vea envuelta en una aventura para salvar a quien más quiere...
Una historia muy bonita (perfecta para niños entre 8 y 12 años) sobre la familia y la importancia de cuidar del medio ambiente.
Me encantó la atmósfera tan descriptiva y los detalles de folklore y ambientación nórdica y eslava. Lo peor el desenlace apresurado y muy obvio, además de la moraleja demasiado marcada.
Aún así, una lectura cortita y acogedora, perfecta para leer de dos sentadas como yo hice.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perpetual winter has haunted Mila's forest for years, leaving her siblings to fight for food and survival. So when a mysterious band of men turn up at their door, talking of treasure, Mila is suspicious. With the disappearance of her brother the next morning, Mila is convinced he has been taken. But can the help of Rune, the Mage outcast be enough to find him?

This middle grade exudes the very essence of winter. From snowy landscapes, to ice covered forests and dog pulled sleighs, the descriptions are wonderful. You can almost feel the cold, and wrapping up warm in furs along with Mila and her sisters. This relationship is also quite heartwarming in itself. All the siblings, although not perfect, share a special bond. It's well written, as I would expect from Millwood-Hargrave, who seems to have this ability to create intricate and carefully balanced relationships that are complicated yet deeply moving and more importantly, believable.

However, I just feel that the world building and plot isn't really explored to its full extent here. Folktales and culture are talked about briefly, more as a plot device than anything else, but never really examined or discussed in depth. I wanted to more about the Bear, how he came to be and what his true intentions might have once been before he steps down this dark path of revenge and rage.

Good, but not one of Kiran Millwood-Hargrave's best.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is absolutely enchanting. This book is a beautiful work of art.

Mila and her siblings go on a journey of a lifetime to save their brother Oskar from the clutches of The Bear.
Filled with adventure, courage, magic, and hope, Mila and her siblings prove that with each other, anything is possible.

Thanks to NetGalley, Chicken House Ltd, and Kiran Millwood Hargrave for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[madame Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai beaucoup beaucoup aimé ma lecture! Au départ, les différents prénoms des personnages m’ont mêlée un peu, mais je les ai rapidement distingués et l’histoire m’a tenu en haleine du début à la fin! C’est une histoire d’aventures et j’ai aimé que le tout tienne en un seul roman: c’est suffisant comme cela tellement c’est bien écrit et bien décrit et bien raconté! De plus, le tout se déroule l’hiver, alors c’est une chouette lecture à lire en plein automne ou bien emmitouflé un après-midi d’hiver. Je recommande sans hésitation!

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep in the frozen North, Mila lives with her two sisters, Sanna and Pipa and elder brother, Oskar. Being the middle child is a challenge in itself but more so when you lose your mother at childbirth and your father disappears without a word. With the endless snow and little to live off, Mila's life takes a turn for the worst when a bear of man appears at their door one night with his legs tangled in odd golden cords and stepping on the snow lighter than a hare. His presence and story will challenge and change Mila's life forever.

When she awakes the next morning, Mila finds that her brother has vanished and so begins her journey to find out why and where he has gone and for what dark purposes his future is set upon. On her travels she encounters a young mage, Rune, who tells her the true story behind her family's disappearances. Mila finds that she must travel to a realm beyond her imaginings in order to save her family and unlock the nefarious secrets that has shrouded her homeland in an endless winter.

Everything Kiran writes is woven in the richest language and each sentence is a delight. But you also sense that with each book she puts a great piece of herself into the story too. This time I felt it in spades. Emotion resonates and pulses here whether it is from the threat of the stranger or the anger that the sisters feel as to what has happened to them. The plot and pace is pitch perfect too with just the right mix of reality and magic.

A fascinating journey far from the shores of The Girl of Ink and Stars and The Island at the End of Everything, yet still filled with young women who struggle and fight against oppression and control. Make no mistake, Kiran is one of this generation's finest writers.

[Emmkay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cold hovered like a carrion bird. The higher they went, the thinner the air, and it seemed to Mila the cold took on the shadowy presence of a crow, circling over her, finding her exposed wrists, the soft parts beneath her ears and at the base of her neck. It perched on her shoulders, making them heavy and stiff, dug needles of pain into her joints, buried its beak at her pulse points, cawed ice through her veins.

Doesn't that passage capture painful winter cold beautifully? I really enjoyed this well-written middle-grade novel set in a made-up northern land (sort of Scandi-Eastern Europe-ish), which has been stuck in winter for the past five years. The protagonist, Mila, is the middle of three sisters. Their mother has died and their father disappeared. Now, their brother disappears too, seemingly having left with a mysterious stranger who had arrived with a large silent group of young men the night before. Mila is sure her brother would never have left willingly, and embarks on a journey to find him and save him, with the help of a young mage. In doing so, Mila will have to find 'the way past winter.'

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been winter for five years, and Sanna, Mila and Pípa are left alone in their little house in the forest – with nothing but cabbages to eat – when their brother Oskar is lured away by the same evil force that took their father years ago and has been keeping spring from coming. Mila, the brave middle daughter, sets out on a quest to rescue Oskar and the village’s other lost boys and to find the way past winter. Clearly inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia and especially Katherine Arden’s Winternight trilogy, this middle grade novel is set in an evocative, if slightly vague, Russo-Finnish past and has more than a touch of the fairy tale about it. I enjoyed it well enough, but wouldn’t seek out anything else by the author.

The first paragraph sets the scene nicely: “It was a winter they would tell tales about. A winter that arrived so sudden and sharp it stuck birds to branches, and caught the rivers in such a frost their spray froze and scattered down like clouded crystals on the stilled water. A winter that came, and never left.”

[Robin Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lyrical fairy tale that brings the winter cold to life even on the warmest day. Kiran's best yet, and that's saying something! (10+)

*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*

[Kathryn Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

As every book featuring snowfall must be by law, this book has been compared to Nothern Lights by Philip Pullman but in truth it doesn't aim to be that kind of book - rather than the modern fantasy genre of Northern Lights, it aims for a more folkloric story; a grand, perhaps allergorical, grown-up fairy-tale.

But the plot, characters and places are too vaguely sketched for that to come off. Millwood Hargrave's styling of those is more suitable for a mainstream fantasy adventure, and might have served a different story well. But the simple folkloric tale she has given them is a bad fit. The fairy-tale logic and world-building sit uncomfortably with the modern-fiction-shaped characters and relationships.

Nothing is vivid or richly imagined past a very well-drawn opening. The characters, settings, atmospheres and events are vague, leaving no real satisfaction to be found either as a bold folk tale or a nuanced fantasy novel.

The book's best realised section is its first, which features a well-imagined world and atmosphere I didn't feel I had seen before. The marriage of cold and claustrophobia is particulary effective. The sense of oppressive cold and increasing desperation and despair are painted sharply. I could vividly imagine the dead smell of damp, and the frustration of close-quaters living where one cannot even storm away from from a family squabble without pausing to layer on outdoor clothes.

Sadly this atmosphere is not sustained throughout the novel, nor evolved into any other particular feeling. The main character's emotional life, so carefully observed in the at-home section disappears amid the broad strokes of a simplistic plot as soon as the action gets moving.

Perhaps the book would be satisfying for younger children (in the 7-9 range) for whom simple fantasy plotting is more apt, but then the characters are too old and jaded, the opening too sophisticatedly drawn, and the occurence of death and violence too adult, for me to imagine anyone under the age of about twelve would be up for this.

For the twelves and up it's a quick read with some nicely painted images to recommend it, even if on the whole it feels like folklore or fantasy attempted by a still-emerging writerly voice who is also not very well read in either of her chosen genres.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐ (book 34/25 - 2025)

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite! Just tremendously good; I devoured this in less than 24hrs. This book has just the right amount: not too much of anything, and it's not lacking anything. It does everything right, and it has been a sweet joy to gobble up this marvellously touching fairytale. Wholly original and utterly gripping.

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sehr schöne märchenhafte Geschichte, über drei Schwestern die sich aufmachen, um ihren Bruder zu retten.
Die ganze Handlung hat mich stark an Die Schneekönigin erinnert, hatte aber auch genug eigene Aspekte um sich abzuheben. Die Charaktere waren sympathisch, die Handlung spannend und der Schreibstil wunderschön - ebenso wie dieses grandiose Cover 😍
Ein sehr schönes Buch für die Winterzeit!

[Everlinet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful tale of winter, love, family and determination. Magical, absolutely beautiful writing style. So much love for family.
Loved it so much, needed something so beautiful right now. Made me think and wonder about the meaning of life.

[Julie J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich habe „Winter des Bären“ auf einen Sitz gelesen.
Es gab eine Sache, die mich gestört hat. Der Klappentext sagt aus, dass die Hauptfigur Mila mit ihren beiden Schwestern unterwegs ist, was aber nur insoweit stimmt, als dass sie zu Beginn (eigentlich noch vor der eigentlichen Reise) zusammen unterwegs sind und dann auf der letzten Etappe nochmals. Dazwischen werden Mila und ihre kleine Schwester von einem (männlichen) jungen Zauberer begleitet. Das ist vollkommen in Ordnung, auch mochte ich den Zauberer und seine (Kräuterhexen-ähnliche) Fähigkeiten sehr, dennoch war es ein wenig enttäuschend, da es eben so klingt, als ob hier drei Mädchen bzw. zwei Mädchen und eine junge Frau unterwegs wären, die ohne männliche Hilfe auskommen. Vielleicht dient es auch einfach nur dazu, dass das Buch dadurch eher von männlichen Lesern angenommen wird.
Das Buch ist eine wunderschöne märchenhafte Erzählung. Es spielt in einem Land, Eldbjørn, in welchem seit ein paar Jahren Winter herrscht, der Frühling ist nicht zurückgekommen. In diesem Land leben und überleben wenige Menschen. Beim Lesen spürt man den Winter und seine Kälte regelrecht. In einer kleinen Hütte mitten im Wald leben auch die vier Geschwister: Oskar, Sanna, Mila und Pípa. Eines Abends taucht eine Gruppe junger Männer unter der Führung eines riesen Hünen, der den Geschwistern nicht geheuer ist, auf und verlangen Unterschlupf und Nahrung. Als die Gruppe am nächsten Morgen zum Glück wieder verschwunden ist, ist auch Oskar verschwunden. Während Sanna überzeugt ist, er hat sich der Gruppe angeschlossen, um endlich ein abenteuerhaftes Leben zu führen und sich nach dem Tod der Mutter und dem Verschwinden des Vaters nicht mehr um seine drei Schwestern kümmern zu müssen, ist Mila überzeugt, dass er entführt wurde. Denn der Anführer der Truppe schwebte leicht über dem Schnee und immer, wenn er Milas Namen aussprach, durchzuckte ein Schmerz ihren Kopf. Mila beschließt ihren Bruder zu retten und zu befreien. Dafür muss sie nach Norden und in das Reich des Bärengeist Bjørn.

Die Geschichte ist eingebettet in eine sibirische Landschaft, Folklore und wunderbare sprachliche Bilder. Es war ein Lesevergnügen.

[Paloma de tinta · Rating 3 out of 5]

No entiendo porqué se me atragantó tantísimo las navidades pasadas y ahora me he leído lo que me quedaba de una sentada. Lo que más me ha gustado es la ambientación invernal y las referencias a la mitología nórdica y eslava, de las que nunca me canso.

[Britsbookworld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das war wirklich eine richtig schöne Geschichte

[BooksForTopics · Rating 5 out of 5]

This eagerly-awaited story by award-winning author Kiran Millwood Hargrave is the perfect winter adventure story, telling of an extraordinary adventure through the frozen north in a quest to reunite families and to break a cycle of endless winter

Mila lives with her siblings in their small cabin deep in the wintry forest. One night, mysterious strangers arrive near their village looking for shelter. The next morning, the men have gone but they have taken Mila's brother Oskar with them.

Mila sets out on a perilous quest to rescue Oskar, leading her through frozen landscapes. Mila will have to find a way past the eternal winter to reclaim spring again and reunite her family.

Kiran Millwood Hargrave is a masterful storyteller and this spectacular new tale about siblings, bravery and not losing hope is likely to capture imaginations and whisk readers on a mesmerising pursuit through magical realms. A captivating read to warm hearts on cold, winter days.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy. This book has been chosen for the BooksForTopics 'Ones to Watch' preview for Autumn 2018.

[Miss Bookiverse · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet solid middle grade adventure that focuses largely on the solidarity between sisters/siblings and the relationship between humans and nature. The writing is beautifully lyrical but could've done with more detailed descriptions concerning the sledge and other devices. The plot isn't bad; however, a bit too simple for my taste. Most problems are solved through handy magic tricks and don't stop the protagonists for long. Also, I wish the confrontation with the villain had been more in-depths because I really thought he had good reasons for what he was doing. This is mentioned but never fully explored. Instead, we get a much too happy ending at least the father could've remained dead/really committed suicide.

[Christine Spoors · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this adventure, following sisters as they leave their woods on a quest to find their stolen brother in the frozen north. This was such a great story, perfect for a cold day when you can snuggle up and devour the whole story. I love when stories have a strong family aspect, and so this was perfect. I also loved the setting, especially their frozen woods. Unsure if it’s inspired more by Slavic or Scandinavian folklore, I’ve seen mixed answers in reviews. Just somewhere Northern European!

[stefiereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad that I picked this book! The Way Past Winter is a wonderful book! I highly recommended to all of you who craves for a vivid, atmospheric story full of adventure & magic, accompanied by a beautiful family relationship and friendship ! Love this story a lot!!! ♥️

[AlenGarou · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Regalo di un Natale passato, questo piccolo libricino si è rivelato il compagno giusto per passare un freddo pomeriggio d’inverno. Essendo pensato per un target giovane, il testo è molto facile da comprendere per pace del mio cervello fuori allenamento, motivo per cui ve lo consiglio anche se non siete molto esperti in inglese.
La storia si rivela un’avventura colma di magia attraverso lande ghiacciate. La protagonista, Mila, vive con i suoi fratelli (Sanna, Oskar e Pippa) in un regno dove l’inverno imperversa senza sosta da 5 anni. Quando una sgradita visita porterà scompiglio nelle loro già desolate vite con la sparizione di Oskar come ciliegina sul cavolo bollito, la piccola deciderà di accettare l’aiuto del mago Rune e mettersi in viaggio alla ricerca di Thule per salvare il fratello. Tra tematiche come la famiglia, la perdita, il rispetto per la natura e il coraggio, ammetto che le premesse erano molto buone anche se la fine mi ha fatto storcere il naso.
In primo luogo per Rune.
Che… tipo… wtf?
E in secondo luogo perché The Bear aveva tutte le ragioni di essere incazzato e di aver portato l’inverno perenne, mentre il padre dei ragazzi è stato un idiota.
Quando i cattivi non sono davvero cattivi…
Non posso certo dare un giudizio sulla narrazione data la mia ignoranza linguistica, ma nel complesso lo stile dell’autrice mi è parso fluido e intrigante.
In fine, avrei preferito un altro tipo di sviluppo, ma nel complesso è un romanzo per ragazzi godibile e adatto a questo periodo.

[Bookwormandtheatremouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful read - this is a great tale of adventure with fantastic female lead characters. This is a perfect read for this time of year with a perfect fantasy feel. I adored this novel!

[Kary · Rating 4 out of 5]

2022 Children's Sequoyah Master list

[Daphne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute middle grade fantasy. It had a big fairy tale feel, which was lovely to read. It was a short, easy read. I don't know if it's anything groundbreaking, but its a really fun book for what it is. I really enjoyed the ending.

[Lau · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not 100% sure how to review this book....I mean, at least it looks beautiful?

I went into it expecting a beautifully, atmospheric, wintry tale of 3 sisters trying to figure out what happened to their brother. From the back of the book I was promised enchanting, sisterhood and adventure. I got a very poor adventure, it wasn’t enchanting and there was hardly any sisterhood.

I’m not sure if it was the writing, or the actual story being told that didn’t mesh with me but I just didn’t connect to this book at all.

From the first page we are thrown into the lives of Mila, Pípa, Senna and Oskar. Four siblings who’s mother died and their father abandoned them 5 years ago. The first chapter is literally them arguing about how else they can eat cabbages because that’s all they have to eat from the forest. The siblings have 2 dogs who start barking outside, Mila goes to check on them and then these strange men show up. Everything is going okay, until that night, Mila wakes up to find her brother, Oskar, talking to a weirdly distorted face in the window and then they wake up in the morning and Oskar is gone. Senna believes Oskar left as their father did, but Mila doesn’t believe he would and so begins our ‘adventure of enchantment and sisterhood’....apparently.

I have to say, the characters all felt a little flat for me. I felt no connection whatsoever to them, I honestly didn’t even care about the ending and I just wasn’t even bothered. The only thing I’d hoped for was that the dogs survived the perilous, dangerous journey. Or rather, what we are lead to believe is a dangerous journey....spoiler alert - it isn’t.

The writing, again, I just didn’t connect with it. There wasn’t much detail about anything, everything happened so fast that there wasn’t really anytime to connect to any of the characters, there was no atmosphere and the whole read was just a huge disappointment to me. There were things mentioned early on in the book that just were never mentioned again and there wasn’t really any logic to any of the plot at all.

I don’t know what I can even say that’s positive about this, apart from the cover is beautiful, I read it in less than 3 hours and I’m honestly glad it’s over...

[Δημήτριος Καραγιάννης · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a book that contains a malevolent woodland spirit of the North, a couple of brave huskies and several likeable characters, "The Way Past Winter" disappoints and fails to deliver on the promise of its initial chapters. What begins as a dark, haunting story of a snow-plagued land besieged by evil that does not look like evil, ends up as a very basic moral tale of a wrathful, vengeful nature that attacks humanity for all its transgressions and sins. Even more ironically, it is the humans which emerge victorious in the end, hence practically nullifying the solid argumentation of the story's antagonist who argues for the sanctity of forests and the perversion that humans bring upon the land. Furthermore, the narrative is highly repetitive and mundane, with characters exchanging the same boring dialogue lines and encountering extremely predictable foes along their path. It is an okay book but I would not read it again.

[Libros Prohibidos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Más allá del invierno no es solo un cuento o una historia sobre la familia, sino que también es una llamada a cuidar del planeta. Kiran Millwood Hargrave tiene una forma de escribir preciosa que nos llena de imágenes que nos transportan a otro mundo. Ha sido un auténtico placer leer su historia y disfrutar de sus metáforas, descripciones y de la historia que ha creado con unos personajes muy bien definidos, además de una ambientación maravillosa.
Reseña completa: https://libros-prohibidos.com/kiran-m...

[María Alcaide · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - 3,5*s. It was very nice, the idea, the ambiance... but I thought it was going to "catch" me a bit more