"After the Snow" by S.D. Crockett

From Goodreads: "Polar conditions engulfed the earth...

... before Willo was born, so the world of ice and snow is the only one he's ever known. At first, he excels at surviving, with his family living on their own in the wilderness without the government's approval. Then one day, he returns home from trapping to find his family gone.

Wary of scavengers, he sets off to find refuge on top of a mountain. There, he will build a shelter and devise a plan to get his family back. But on the way, he discovers a young girl and her brother abandoned and starving. Will he jepardize his chances of survival- and alter the course of his destiny- to save the,? 

Set in the haunting and barren landscape of a new Ice Age, S.D. Crockett's debut novel is a powerful journey of survival, adventure. friendship, and self-discovery."

When I read the synopsis of this book I was intrigued- I thought that this book would be "Article 5" meets "The Day After Tomorrow", a heart-pounding and heartwarming tale (not to mention a tale which kept you on the edge of your seat the entire time while reading it) of a character battling the elements and a corrupt government in the hopes of being reunited with their family. But, alas, this book was anything but.

Within the first couple of sentences I knew that this was a book I was going to struggle to finish- not only was the book written in dialect (which if you have read my review of "Blood Red Road", I do not like. I personally don't feel that dialect *does* anything for a story- it doesn't make it more interesting, it doesn't add depth, and it doesn't make the book more likeable, it's just *there*- unlike for instance, the crossed out lines in Tahereh Mafi's "Shatter Me" which adds layers and layers of depth and emotion to the storyline), but I was also entirely confused (and quite put off) by the main character, Willo, due to the fact that he wears a dog skull on his head and talks to said dog as if it were a person (like the book being written in dialogue I felt that this brought little to the story).

That being said, when the dog aspect of the story played less of a role (after about the first third of the book) I found it to be A LOT more enjoyable. I thought that Jacob, his wife, and Dorothy were all fairly interesting characters and I enjoyed reading of Willo's exploits with them. Additionally, I also thought that the world and the setting that Crockett had created was well crafted and that the ending fit well with the overall feel of the book.

However, despite the few things I did enjoy about this book I can't help but wonder what the point of it was. I think that this book had the potential to be great, but that it did not live up to said potential. That being said, the most pressing complaints I did have about the book (ie. it being told in dialect) are personal preferences, therefore if you do enjoy a book being written in this style and you do like eerie apocalyptic plots then book might be right up your alley!

Rating: 1/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.