Sometimes The Snow Comes Down In June (Book Review: The Snow Ball Effect, Holly Nicole Hoxter)

After reading the first chapter of Holly Nicole Hoxter's "The Snow Ball Effect," I told myself, this is going to be a depressing read. The narrator, Lainey Pike, loses her stepfather in a freak accident, and then her mother commits suicide all in one chapter. But as I read more, I find out this is a more uplifting read. It deals with how she copes with the tragedy, and her reunion with her elder sister, Vallery (i can't stand the cutesie spellings of their names, by the by) as they raise their adopted brother, Collin. Even though Lainey has an almost-perfect boyfriend, Riley, another guy catches her eye, and she has to deal with that as well. It was interesting how she deals with relationships as a result of what happened in her childhood, and recent tragic experience. The middle part sort of slouches, but the last third of the book is satisfying. This is a worthwhile read, the narrator's voice is concise and interesting, and the arc was fully realized.

BC-34.