The Snow Song by Sally Gardner

Synopsis: 'Women imprisoned by superstition, chained by guilt. Perched on a mountain in a land of ancient forests is a village, rife with secrets. Cut off from the outside world it is run by the elders, men to whom tradition is all. Edith lives alone with her alcoholic father who is forcing her to marry the village butcher. But she is in love with a shepherd who promised to return to her. As the village becomes isolated in a sea of snow, Edith loses her power of speech. And it is this enchantment that will have far-reaching consequences, not only for Edith but for the whole village.'

REVIEW

It has been quite a long time since I have read anything by Sally Gardner, around six years if I am trying to keep some sort of record. However, nothing was going to be able to prepare me for what was in store for me when reading 'The Snow Song'.

The Snow Song is one of those books which you can clearly see the message behind it and for this occasion it is crystal clear. To the point that it screams in your ear, pointing out what is clearly wrong in this society. It is heart wrenching and powerful and it is amazing to see how women are able to come together when they know something is wrong.

This is not in any shape of form for anyone younger than eighteen years-old as it deals with mature themes which can be quite hard for anyone. However, it is clear that sometimes in order to spread the message, there must be first some home truths about what society is to us and how it can be toxic.

The protagonist, Edith, is one character you can see develop from a naïve woman to a indestructible feminist who stands up for all of the women in her society. Her story is interesting and somehow you can't seem to look away from the horrors that she has to overcome and conquer. Truly she is an amazing character and Gardner does incredible work to make sure she gets the best character arc that she truly deserves.

Because of the nature of this book, the Butcher, the main antagonist throughout the story is one who Gardner paints to be terrifying not only for the characters in the book, but also the reader, where unfortunately, the Butcher's moral code can still be seen in the world today. Never have I read a book quite like this, almost singing like a tale of what used to be, what could happen and what shouldn't happen. This is a book that makes you want to read all through the night, where it tears at your soul and rebuilds it back together all in the same night.

So if I was to give any advice about this book and whether you decide to take the plunge to read it in the future all I can say is this: be prepared, you'll never be the same again.

RATING: **** (4 STARS)

WHERE TO BUY

Amazon: The Snow Song: The spellbinding fable and magical love story, perfect for Christmas 2020!: Amazon.co.uk: Gardner, Sally: 9780008217402: Books

Waterstones: The Snow Song by Sally Gardner | Waterstones

Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/3917/9780008217402

Disclosure: If you buy books linked to this site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

Comments

Angels and Demons

As i am an A-level Religious Studies student, i feel like it would be wrong not to read this book. Not because it is mandatory or even relevant. I also understand that most of the information presented within this book was false and harshly critised. But no matter what, it is all a bit of fiction; a bit of entertainment. So this is the first book in the Robert Langdon series, which i must admit the character himself is very dear. I don't know why but after completing the whole of the book, i couldn't stop thinking about the plot. It may have been because how some of the twists in the book are pretty much outrageous. Or that most of the information about the Vatican i have never heard about before. The plot itself is about Robert Langdon has been called up in the middle of the night because of a significant murder. Branded by the Illuminati. Vittoria Vetra and himself discover that the antimatter once created by the victim of the murder is now missing. The only clue to k...

Baby Koala Rescue by Tilda Kelly

'A tragic bush fire sparks a beautiful friendship between a young girl and a baby koala. Ruby is dreading changing schools as her autism makes it hard to befriend other kids. But when her dog finds a baby koala and her family agrees to foster it, Ruby quickly becomes the koala's best friend. Ruby loves quiet and routine, which makes her a perfect koala carer! A talented artist, she names the koala Pablo - after her favourite artist. Through looking after Pablo, Ruby befriends a neighbouring girl who loves painting as much as she does. Soon Pablo is well enough to move to a koala kindergarten. But is Ruby ready to move to her own new school?' If you want to give your child a heart-warming little story about how a girl on the autism spectrum looks after a koala joey; makes a new friend; comes to terms with important life-changing events in her family life and factual information about the ongoing, upsetting tragedy of Australia's bushfires then this book is a must in an...

The Fabulous Kiera Cass's Books!

Hey! I'm Kiki and my main objective for this blog is to go through with you, the reader, the books I am reading- as well as giving those tough old criticisms. Of course, if you have already scrutinised this blog quite a lot already, you would already know that this is true. So far I have read 20 books during this year. Yeah, I know not as much as the book tubers which on average they read 100 each year. But I'm not perfect- I'm only human! So who will be my first victim I see? I'm only joking! The first author who will be under my scrutiny will be the delightful and funny Kiera Cass with her entries including The Selection, The Elite and The One. Here we go... Genre : Dystopian Romance The Selection!- 3 stars The Criticisms! Throughout the whole of this book there was little going on. Probably because of the fact that there is two more books afterwards, and Kiera is trying to prolong the time when the action actually does happen, which is probably so then...

My Favourite Books... So Far

I have only really been reading seriously since I was thirteen years old, but I sure have found some books which I believe have really entertained and changed my perspective of life. Here are a few that I have rounded up that might be of interest to you. 1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Yes, this is pretty much a staple in any young reader's bookshelf, but not for me it wasn't. I didn't get to read this treasure until I was nineteen and I was so annoyed that I left it so long. Seriously, who doesn't love the idea of winning a golden ticket to a chocolate factory? It's the perfect little read for any age. Don't get me started on the writing! Oh, I could talk all day about it. It's simply perfection. 2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell I know I'm basic. This is already such a popular book already, but I just couldn't resist. This book personally came at the right time for me. I read it just as I was going round and researching universities t...

Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

It genuinely feels as though I have not been able to talk to you all in a millennia. The amount of space needed during these last three months have been exhausting to say the least. However, it is always refreshing and a lovely feeling being able to write again, on what I thought as my one way to escape during a certain period of my life. Things have been different in terms of how I've had to shape my life now. But hopefully this all good for the end result. So, to start off the new year with a bang, why not review a book that I finished on the last day of 2016? 'Holding up the Universe' is about two specific people during high school, where they have to encounter problems concerning the way that they both are, as well as how they are able to overcome it, it terms of acceptance as well as getting help from the people that they love. It tells of the story between the two characters Libby and Jack, who, not only have the problems of acceptance as high school st...