I enjoyed this YA book, though the ending makes me wonder how a trilogy will come out of it. ( )

Winterkill is quite a slow burner but with enough hints dropped to just about keep me interested. I did guess a lot of the plot points though before they happened.

I've come out of reading this thinking eh it was just okay really. ( )

I want to love this book so badly, but I can only get as far as liking it and having a great love for the author's writing style.

Do you remember M Night Shyamalan's movie The Village? This book is similar and I think that a lot of people are under the impression that it's just a redo of the movie: there's a village/fortress/compound, scary things outside of the village, creepy or fanatical people in charge of the village, and a damaged girl breaking all the rules. But, it has it's own unique touches (including some influences Canadians will appreciate, like the inclusion of French and Native culture). And, besides, there are a tonne of stories/movies that follow this same template.

I always want to love the damaged girl and her need to satisfy her curiosity and question the way things are while still being pulled by honest fear, but I did get a little tired of Emmeline's overly dramatic obsession with being "stained" (subject to prejudice because of bad things her grandmother did). I also have a strong dislike for romance novel style love triangles. I had to remind myself, often, that she's just 16. In the eyes of a 16 year old love is intense, life is unfair, and parents are as much the enemy as anyone.

All that said, I did still enjoy the novel. The story and the village's lore where interesting, but more importantly, the writing was very evocative. The author drew me in and kept me intrigued enough to overlook Emmeline's drama. I could feel Emmeline's fear, I could hear the forest noises, and I could see her dreams. Boorman also peppers the dialogue with French and Native (not sure which tribe), where appropriate, instead of forcing all the characters to only speak English, which I find very refreshing. And, she trusts the reader to be smart enough to understand without constantly translating every word (she translates enough to get the point across).

While I didn't love Emmeline, I did have a hard time putting the book down. The story was thrilling and full of the ebb and flow of trust and fear that Emmeline was experiencing. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series and have high hopes for the author. ( )

If you've read any other reviews of Winterkill, you probably already know what movie this book is being compared to. I'll admit, I had the same thought originally. A hidden settlement in the middle of the forest. An unknown terror that lurks right on the fringes, terrifying the inhabitants into submission. The group of people who rise up to make sure that their submission is total. Are you with still with me? Now, as much as I agree that this has a lot of similarities, it doesn't negate the fact that this actually an interesting story. Winterkill does have quite a bit to offer. Don't count it out just yet.

I adored Emmeline, our main character. As one of the Stained, she has a much different view of her town than most of the other people who populate it. She's on the outside, looking in. This creates a great way to see into the corruption that simmers beneath the surface. It makes it easy to understand that nothing is what it seems. It also creates this beautiful and mysterious atmosphere, that only increases as Emmeline slowly uncovers the truth. I couldn't pull myself away. I had to see what she found next. Her innocence clashed perfectly with what was going on around her, and I loved it.

Major points also go to Boorman for creating such a believable society in the first place. Although it is hinted at, it's never quite fully explained where Emmeline's community came from. We simply know that each Winter (La Prise) they struggle to survive, and welcome the next Spring. I was easily able to make myself a part of their struggle. Everything from chores, to customs, to classes was laid out for me. I was just another cog in the machine. I feel like that was an important part of why I read this so ravenously. I felt involved.

So why the three star rating, you ask? Simply, I felt like the first half of Winterkill was spectacular, and then things went downhill. By the time I neared the ending, I knew that there wouldn't be enough time to answer all my questions. There simply weren't enough pages left to tie everything up. I watched as Emmeline finally discovered the truth, and found myself sitting there confused. It wasn't what I was expecting, at all. It didn't feel like an ending worthy of all the lovely, atmospheric writing leading up to it. Overall though? I enjoyed my time in Emmeline's world. With its mysteries and romance, I couldn't fault it for not delivering the ending that I personally wanted. Three stars it is. ( )

I received this as a review copy. When I first started this book, I wasn't sure I would finish it. As I got into the story it became better and seemed to flow. The village is an isolated village with no neighbors. It is cut off from everything and everyone. The village itself is divided into sections and the sections tend to stick together. Along comes Emmeline, a rebel or just a girl with an inquiring mind who doesn't like to follow the rules. Follow her adventures outside the walls of the village. It is an interesting story with a mix of French and English that adds to the mysticism of the time and village. ( )