My Five Word TL:DR Review: Not Sure About This One

Having just read and thoroughly enjoyed Bless Your Heart by this author I couldn’t resist requesting a copy of Cold Snap.  Before I start on my thoughts this is a novella and I hadn’t realised that at the time, they rarely work for me as I prefer something I can really sink into.  That being said I don’t think this particular story would necessarily benefit by being longer.  It’s overwhelming bleak and there’s no let up from the despair so I think the shorter length and ability to complete in one sitting works in it’s favour.

The story starts with an introduction to Christine and her son Billy.  Two weeks ago Christine’s husband Derek fell from a ladder, whilst stringing Christmas lights, dying instantly.  As you may imagine the mood is terribly depressing and the holidays are fast approaching.  Before he died, Derek booked a holiday cabin for the vacation and his wife has decided to still go on this winter break in keeping with her husband’s original intent.

Immediately the atmosphere is very moody.  Billy barely speaks, Christine is riddled with guilt and constantly replays her husband’s fall in her head and the whole adventure seems ill set.  Things steadily go from bad to worse.  The cabin is freezing cold and a bit shabby.  The two have no appetite to make things any better and Christine, as well as suffering from some sort of blackouts starts to see a huge beast at the edge of the woods.

Okay, to be honest, my headspace is definitely not right for this book.  Having suffered loss myself last year I hadn’t realised just how dark and depressing this was going to be and it simply wasn’t for me.  I’m more about upbeat, cosy and light at the moment.   That being said, I still love a bit of horror and mystery but this one felt to raw.  So bear that in mind.

This is well written without doubt and having read the author previously I think I was prepared for her particular blend of bloodiness.  The atmosphere is tense.  The two main characters are constantly on edge and the whole affair feels desperately cold.  Ryan can certainly set a scene and create palpable tension.

The characters.  Well, it’s difficult to like them but that’s understandable.  They’re going through perhaps the most awful trauma they’ve ever experienced and instead of bringing them together it’s actually forcing them apart.  Christine is suffering guilt, she thinks her son blames her and would prefer that it had been her who fell and witnessing her husband’s fall from a position of seeing everything and yet being unable to help has affected her mentally.  She’s not coping well to be honest.  Neither is Billy although, and in spite of his almost non verbal communication, he’s probably coping better than his mom.

So, I think the writing is great, the atmosphere and tension you could cut with a knife and the dynamic between the two is taught enough to snap at any moment.  Then things go crazy.

My issues with this.  As I mentioned above, I’m not in the right reading mood for such sadness.  I want something that’s going to lift me and this isn’t that thing – I can see this might work for others – just not for me at this particular point.  I didn’t feel the sort of love or affection from Christine towards Billy that I would expect – but – and this is a big BUT – I’ve never experienced what she has and clearly it’s affecting her in so many ways.  She’s driven all the way up to a cabin in the woods without bringing any real supplies.  She doesn’t stop on the way even to let her son eat, she hasn’t considered the fact that stores will close early or there’s a storm as well as a holiday approaching.  But, yes, I get that she’s not functioning at the moment – but it just added another layer of sadness for me.

What is also missing from this for me is, apart from the sadness, there are no other emotions really evident. Christine actually witnesses something that, to me, should have hit her like a ton of bricks, but it didn’t.

Also, I’m just going to warn you that there is a pet involved in this story – and it doesn’t end well at all.  I mean in fairness, there’s another death which is also a bit nasty.

Finally, I simply didn’t understand the ending.  There I said it.  I feel like a raging dunce but I hold my hands up – what was going on??  This is probably just me.  Be warned.

I don’t really want to be overly negative and I certainly wouldn’t discourage others from picking up.  It just didn’t work for me.  I will certainly have no hesitation picking up anything by this author.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 2.5 of 5 stars rounded to 3