Dayna Kukafka’s Girl In Snow is exactly the read you need to kick off the start of fall! Even though we’re sad that summer’s over, we’re excited to curl up by the fire and read all of the exciting books that will be released! From it’s startling open line right through it’s chilling conclusion, Girl In Snow is the perfectly plotted thriller. Girl In Snow explores the death of a beloved high schooler. Everyone around her was affected by her death in different ways, including the boy who likes her, the girl who was jealous of her perfect life, and the officer assigned to investigate her murder. These three characters suddenly have something in common, they are all connected to the murder of Lucinda Hayes. As they try to fit the pieces to the puzzle together to figure out what happened, the three must confront their darkest secrets to find solace in the wake of tragedy. Danya’s poetic writing creates memorable visuals that will stay with you long after you close the book.
Danya opened up about her end goal for Girl In Snow, explaining that she always knew she wanted to write a murder mystery, but wanted to investigate the inner lives of the characters on the outskirts of Lucinda’s world, rather than her death itself. The novel really displays how a tragedy can truly shock a small town and how they have to work together to pick up the pieces. Danya also shares what the most difficult part of writing Girl In Snow was, which was figuring out the actual plot because she originally wrote the novel without solving the mystery of who committed the murder!
Danya's favorite character to write was Jade, the angsty teenage girl who wanted Lucinda's perfect life as her own. Danya explained that the process of writing Jade was so enjoyable because, "I got to take a lot of teenage liberties with her, which was really fun. From the music she listens to, to the clothes she wears, and how she's so explosive in her own bed. It was really fun to go back into that teenage mindset, of 'no one will ever understand how I feel'. She was definitely the most fun."
Girl In Snow is an exciting new debut from such a talented author who has extreme potential. The novel explores the duplicity of characters; who we are when we know we are being watched, or who are when when we aren't being watched? "Everyone has internal lives that even the people closest to them don't know about," Danya explains. "That's what I was really going for in the novel."
Have no fear fans of Girl In Snow, Danya is working on her second novel! She can't tell us too much, but she hopes for the book to take place in Upstate New York with a pretty dark theme. Girl In Snow, is a haunting novel about love, loss, and terror and reading it will make you feel as though you have transported into a different world.
Girl In Snow, is available now, so, make sure you check this one out. You won't want to miss this intriguing, unforgettable story.