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Book Review of The Snowball Effect

The Snowball Effect
skywriter319 avatar reviewed on + 784 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


THE SNOWBALL EFFECT is an endearing debut novel that explores the different types of enduring--and finite--relationships that are necessary in life. Its wonderful characters are hindered by a plot that seems to move around in circles with no satisfying closure, but on the whole it is an enjoyable read with a unique moral.

Lainey is a relatable, though not always likable, protagonist. Her no-nonsense narration flows smoothly and never feels forced in the shadow of all the tragedy and hardships that have befallen her. THE SNOWBALL EFFECT is a character-driven novel with a memorable cast of characters--even if not all of them have been thoroughly developed in the text. I also would have liked THE SNOWBALL EFFECT to have more of a distinguishable plot arc. Lainey works through her stages of grief in the changing ways she deals with her interpersonal relationships, but her life is mostly stagnant, and the "revelation" event near the end of the novel is never fully satisfying as a resolution-forming climax.

THE SNOWBALL EFFECT is refreshingly different from your typical "coming to terms with grief" YA novel. If you have a pragmatic outlook on life, like your contemporary YA readable, and don't mind dealing with a circling plot for those characteristics, then you'll really enjoy your book.