Snowed by Maria Alexander

He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been good or bad, so be good for goodness sake.

Teen life can be a struggle, but Charity Jones has a harder time of it than most. Adjusting to her new school isn’t easy, bullying is extreme, and her delinquent younger brother is causing stress in her family.

When mysterious, polite Aidan is fostered into her family, Charity wonders if things could get any worse. Little does she know how much he’s going to change her life as the most wonderful, and most terrifying, time of the year approaches.

I’ve been a fan of Alexander’s writing since her short story, Revivified, freaked me out. I didn’t know what to expect when I started Snowed, but I ended up squealing with delight as the deliciously dark story unfolded.

Charity is a character I’ve longed to read about. She is intelligent, loves studying and learning about things. She gets bullied for being different, has a difficult home life despite parents who love her, and isn’t obsessed with romance. I could really identify with her, which is a rare thing for me in books, especially the young adult genre.

There is the mandatory romance, but I didn’t hate it. I know, it’s a shock. I’m not a fan of romance, but I loved Aidan. His old fashioned manners, his kindness and politeness, and his unusual powers won me over.

When it comes to the story, I loved how layered it was. There was Charity’s personal struggle in school, her relationship with Aidan, the very dark story of her dysfunctional brother, a gruesome murder mystery and a wonderful, magical fantasy element concerning Aidan’s past.

I look forward to continuing Charity and Aidan’s story in the sequel.

I award Snowed…