I have read one other book by the author and liked the style of writing and the kind of protagonist the story revolves around. This was also similar in that sense.

Tasha is a lonely girl, scarred by previous events (mentally). She is finding it hard to trust and befriend people again. She has moved into a remote farm so that her parents can help her grandfather weather the winter. Tasha ends up wishing her snowgirl to life and this further leads her into the world around her. During the day, it is to the village and tentative social activities. At night, it is the magical side, meeting animals and seeing sights she had only imagined before.

The magical aspect clashes with reality, and Tasha has to choose. It is not a large volume, and I would have rated it even higher if there had been one less trip out with the snowgirl before things took a serious turn. I ended up giving a gap before coming back and finishing it. This might not be the case for the younger audience this book is aimed at.

It is a good story with helpful plotlines. Lonely girls who find their way and make good choices is a nice theme, one I would not hesitate to recommend to my nieces.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I loved this book, the story was so sweet with themes of friendship and the winter setting I really enjoyed it. This has been my favourite Sophie Anderson book to date and will continue to read her middle grade books they are the best! 5 Stars!

Tasha has been bewitched by the lure of a unique friendship in this charming, magical yarn. Some aspects of the story are predictable, but the time spent with Tasha on her journey to understand how to find her true self is enjoyable. The Snow Girl would make a lovely gift, the tale is presented in a beautiful way.

This is a beautiful book. The gorgeous illustrations help to capture the feel of the folklore and mountains. I am so glad I bought this as hardback, its a keeper. The tale tells us about a young girl desperate for friendship after an unpleasant experience left her unable to trust. After a move to her Grandfather's farm she experiences the real snow of winter and meets the Snow Girl who shows her how amazing winter can be and exactly what friendship means. But how can she stay or how can Tasha live without her friendship when spring comes.

Sophie Anderson's books always transport you to magical places and The Snow Girl is no different.

Tasha lives with her parents and grandfather at his farm and, following an incident. is wary of making friends and getting to know other people. After her grandfather tells her an old folk story of a snow girl, they build one together and Tasha makes a wish that the snow girl would be real. Later that night, Alyana the snow girl comes to life and Tasha spends her evenings exploring with Alyana and learning about friendship. But will she be able to say goodbye to Alyana when the time comes?

This was an enchanting story of friendship, learning to trust others and trusting in yourself. A great read for upper key stage 2.

Sophie Anderson, to me, is the modern-day Queen of Fairy Tales, and that still applies when the story is this one. The Snow Girl is a retelling of the Russian fairytale, The Snow Maiden, and it's a story that holds the readers' attention.

Anderson has an incredible ability to make every tale she writes possess a special form of magic that keeps the reader entranced. The Snow Girl is definitely a story filled with its own unique magic and with some exquisite artwork by Melissa Castrillion that really brings the story of Tasha and Alyana to life.

The Snow Girl isn't just a story of the possibility of making a wish come true. What is wonderful about it is how harder subjects are woven so cleverly in this fairytale with Tasha experiencing anxiety which had led to the deep loneliness that causes the wish for the Snow Girl to be real and her companion. There is also grief, confronting and overcoming your fears and second guesses, as well as struggling to turn strangers into friends when you're an introvert as well as others. It's not too intense, however, and is what to me makes the story of The Snow Girl one that will continue to last so long just as The Snow Maiden has.

I think this is a book to be found under a Christmas tree and read to a child who will look to the skies and hope for a flurry of snow and what maybe if it does. It's indeed a classic in this new telling and will undoubtedly be loved by future generations because everyone needs the wonder of magic and to not feel alone.

Thank you Netgalley for this review copy.
This book was a lovely children's foray into a world of magic in wintertime. The characters were well formed and there was enough mystery and action to keep reading. Nice little Christmas read.

A quick and enjoyable read, but one so obvious to all-comers it loses a lot. You can see the purpose of the characters, the plot and everything here from the get-go, and the repetitive way the narrative only reinforces that is a pity. Tasha, despite leaving a seaside village called Saltberry after a potential calamity at Claw's Edge, is in a very Russian/Polish-seeming world now, where isolated farmsteads pepper a mountain valley. It is the first time she has stayed with her grandfather in winter, and she and her parents are looking after the ailing chap and the farm on his behalf. When the snow – the first she's experienced – comes down in droves, she and the old man create a wonderful snow girl figure, and Tasha silently wishes for it to come to life. It would, after all, be the only friend she has allowed herself for a year, and the only person to manage to persuade her to leave the safety of the farm. And lo and behold, the wish comes true.

And the book then continues drumming into us that Claw's Edge was the scene of something bad, that Tasha needs to be bolder in life, leaving the farm, talking to people her age again, trusting, not hiding from friendship and blaming that situation for having no guarantees of not ending. Subtle it's not. And if you know it, this is still pretty close to the story of the Snow Child as told by many other people – the frozen figurine brought to life, bringing happiness to the lonely heart that summonsed it. This does do one thing nicely to that story's core, which is to highlight how selfish the 'keeper' of the child is – I think I've seen such a sentiment in tellings of this and Thumbelina before, but not with such extent as here.

And it is certainly worth persisting with, to the end – the last hour has some dramatic action and some heartfelt emotion that does make this a positive response. I have to say I doubted that, from the lack of nuance (and the way Tasha becomes a master at skiing and ice-skating with not a single lesson in turning, slowing down or stopping). The book certainly looks a marvel with the visual side of things to brighten the pages – the artwork pins this down further as a classic text. And in a way it is a classic text, with some ageless qualities if you look carefully enough. They remain hard to see at times from all the hammer imprints, though, with everything been banged home so very much. Three and a half stars.

This was a beautiful story of folklore, magic and wishes, but with a charming undercurrent of the importance of friends and family, and rebuilding confidence after trauma.

The imagery of the farm the valley and the surroundings were very well done, and the relationship between Tasha and her grandfather in particular was sweet and touching.

My daughter and I really enjoyed reading it together and will certainly seek out Sophie Anderson's previous books.

This was so beautiful and magical! This novel is definitely a book that you should read this winter if you need something to feel cosy and heartwarming.

Sophie Anderson has got to be one of my favourite authors. Her writing style is so pleasant to read, she creates characters who are all truly loveable, stories that are touching, and the atmosphere is so perfectly rendered…! Every time I read one of her books, I can so easily picture and imagine what is happening—and 'Snow Girl' is no exception.

-

'Snow Girl' touches a lot of topics, from grief (somehow), to trauma, but also making new friends, confronting your fears, and so on.

-

The main character, Tasha, is a young girl who is afraid to adventure, go out, talk to people she doesn't know, because of something that happened to her a while back. She wasn't like that before—she used to be adventurous and brave.

But when she meets Alyana, the Snow Girl, who came to life because of a wish Tasha made, she learns to trust again, to discover again the joys of exploring and finding new things, and, most of all, to be herself again.

Tasha and Alyana spend all their winter nights together, while during daytime, Tasha also helps and parents and grandfather manage the farm they're living in—somehow making it a good excuse for Tasha not to meet Klara and Mika, two kids her age living in the mountains nearby. It's not that she doesn't to meet them, but she's actually too scared.

However, the more Tasha spends time with Alyana, the more confident she becomes… until she goes skiing with both Klara and Mika, discovering that they are friendly and kind, too. Could she finally manage to trus other people?

But Tasha also knows that when winter ends, Alyana will have to leave. And she doesn't want that. She wants to find a way to keep Alyana, so she can show her all the beautiful things in spring. Winter lasts, and it's so long that Tasha's grandpa's cough worsen over the days, people and animals start to lack food, crops cannot be planted and grow… Could that be linked to Alyana's staying there?

-

I just loved everything about this book, and it probably would be a little too long for me to go over everything. But one thing I really wanted to highlight because it felt so, so good was how healthy Tasha's relationship with Klara and Mika was! They wanted to meet her, propose her to come skiing with them and so on, but they never forced her to do so. And once they finally meet, they keep it that way, accepting that Tasha needs some time to join them. They never ask her why she doesn't want to do something and just accept it—and, more importantly, respect it. And whenever Tasha needs their help, they don't argue, they just trust her.

I feel like this kind of friendships need to be depicted so much more often, as this just felt so refreshing.

-

Anyway, this review is going quite messy, so I'm gonna stop there.

I loved this book, and cannot recommend it enough, just like any other novels by Sophie Anderson!

I got the same sense of wonder reading this book as I did when Lucy entered Narnia's snow in The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe.
Tasha and her parents have gone to a village to support Tasha's grandad who is ill. Tasha is battling with her own fears after a scary event back in her hometown. This fear makes it difficult for her to go out and make new friends, she is happy to feed the goats and help with other chores.

However things start to change with the appearance of a mysterious Snow Girl, with whom she shares night time trips . Will this enable her to make other friends and face her fears? Who is the Snow Girl and is she a friend or enemy?
The family relationships are strong and loving, as as the relationships between the villagers who have to rely on each other for support in hard times.
This sense of warmth contrasts with the real sense of cold you feel. Now I'm not a fan of cold weather and snow, but I got an incredible sense of wonder as the snowy scenes are described.
The author can deal with more difficult life feelings/events in a sensitive way. I also liked her originality in retelling a traditional folktale with her trademark originality

This should become a winter classic, ideal for cosying up together .

A sweet story of friendship and family.

The relationships between the characters were beautiful to read and it really got me in the mood for winter.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Lovely book. I loved the main character Tasha, and her grandpa. I liked that you weren't told from the outset what had happened to Tasha to make her so worried and anxious. The night time trips on the sleigh with the 'snow girl' always sounded thrilling and the link with nature demonstrating its healing properties for those suffering from anxiety was well done. I wasn't sure if I would be happy with the ending as I was unsure if it would be happy but I felt it was as good an ending as could be hoped for. Would recommend to children 8 plus.

Such a wonderful story, I found myself totally immersed in Tasha’s world. The snowy landscapes were beautifully described and I felt the cold as Tasha spent night after night with her snow girl friend. The characters in this book are so well drawn, I loved Tasha’s grandfather, her parents and the neighbours who all pulled together to help each other.
This is a story about doubts and fears but it is also a story about hope and friendship. I thoroughly recommend this book to 9 to 12 year olds but adults can also take a lot from this story.

“I wish the snow girl would come to life. Then I would have a friend, a real friend I could trust, and I wouldn’t feel so alone.”

My thanks to Usborne Publishing for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Snow Girl’ by Sophie Anderson. It is illustrated by Melissa Castrillón. On publication I bought my own copy.

This tale was inspired by the traditional Russian fairy tale, ‘The Snow Maiden’. While written for readers aged 9-12, it is the kind of book that will certainly appeal to older readers who enjoy folk and fairy tales.

Young Tashenka (Tasha) has come with her parents to live on her grandpa’s farm. Following a traumatic incident some months before, Tasha has become quite withdrawn and is very lonely. She longs for a friend and when she builds a snow girl with her grandpa, she wishes for her to be real. If only wishes on snow could come true...

Then Tasha meets Alyana, a friend made of wishes, starlight, snowfall and magic. But when your best friend is made of winter, what do you do when spring arrives?

Previous to this I had read Sophie Anderson’s ‘The Girl who Speaks Bear’ and ‘The House with Chicken Legs’ and found them both charming stories. Again, these were based on traditional Slavic tales told to Sophie by her Prussian grandmother.

The story of Tasha and the magical snow girl carried an important message at its heart, which links to Tasha coming to terms with her past and finding the courage to move forward. It is also a moving story of family, friendship, and community. I adored the interactions that Tasha and Alyana had with various animal’s throughout the winter. The descriptions of ice and snow among the woods and mountains were evocative.

The text is accompanied by a number of exquisite illustrations by Melissa Castrillón, who also created the cover art.

Overall, ‘The Snow Girl’ was a beautiful book that I enjoyed very much. I am certain that it would make a wonderful Christmas gift for young and old alike. Highly recommended.

Once again Sophie Anderson spins magic in her rural fairy tale. Once again I was entranced. The study of friendship and trust needing to be relearnt after trauma is deftly handled and rings true through the fantastical backdrop of this tale. Every book of Anderson’s I read introduces me to new aspects of the cultural tales of this part of the world. This is a very engaging read full of beautiful description with echoes of the cultural references of Anderson’s previous books (especially ‘The House with the Chicken Legs’). It is a winter tale that will resonate whenever in the year it is encountered by the reader.

4.75 🌟
Having read other books by Sophie Anderson, I was really looking forward to this one coming out and it did not disappoint.

The book takes you on a beautiful wintery journey, transporting you through the scenes with lovely adjectives and descriptions that help you to really envisage the setting and characters precisely. It helps to make it so easy to visualise, and adds something special to the writing.

I thoroughly resonated with the main character, thinking about life events setting you back and making you feel anxious and worried, and finding your own way to come out of that again and rise even stronger.

A beautifully written, provoking, adventurous, descriptive book that takes you along for the ride and makes you feel like you're stuck in all the snow as well!

I will be thoroughly recommending this within my school setting.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the review, in return for an honest review!

The Snow Girl is the latest evocative and immersive story from Sophie Anderson. With her usual fairy tale style, Anderson transports us to a snowy wonderland and interweaves magical elements with such sophistication that they feel entirely real. This is a wonderful story of finding one’s inner strength. It’s perfect for pupils in Year 5 and 6.

Another fabulously magical story from the pen of Sophie Anderson.

Sophie has the ability to perfectly paint landscapes and personalities through her words, into the imagination. And, just as I have been many times before, I was once again transported into another countries winter by reading the deeply descriptive text.

Tasha's story kept me guessing until the end as to what would happen with Alyana.

And, as always, I was so pleased to find reference to a certain house on legs :D.

I have really enjoyed Sophie Anderson’s previous books. I wasn’t so keen on The Castle of Tangled Magic, which lacked the more traditional fairy tale aspects of her earlier books. This book gets back to that feel with a wonderful wintery tale.

From the start we know that something traumatic has previously happened to Tasha, causing her to shut herself off from anyone but her immediate family. When a snow girl comes to life Tasha finds the friendship that was missing from her life but knows it can’t last forever. There is a lot of magic and wonder in this story but at its heart it is about the bonds of family and friends. Tasha has to make some difficult decisions and the reader is there with her, agonising over those choices. A fabulous read.