Snow Paperback – January 13, 2010

I came across this book by accident, and I thought that maybe some day, I'd pick it up. The price felt a little steep to me, so I was hesitant. But finally, I decided "oh, why not?" and bought it. And, actually, it was well worth it.I was hooked into "Snow" surprisingly fast, and in the few days it took me to finish it, I couldn't put it down and was trying to sneak in a couple paragraphs every chance I could."Snow" is the story of Maaya, a teenage boy in Japan who realizes that he thinks he's gay. The entire book is his story, going from the moment of meeting his best friend, to coming out, to his first love, his first heartbreak, bouncing back from it, and everything else in between.I found myself quickly (and easily) becoming very attached to the characters. It's really the characters that make this book so good. They're all so different, and they have such strong personalities that really shine through in the writing. The story itself is good too, don't get me wrong, but the characters really make it what it is. If you have good characters, you're almost guaranteed to have a good story, anyways.The writing itself is pretty good, especially for a writer whose original language isn't English. Now, if you're a grammar freak, it might bug you in some aspects, but overall, it's quite impressive given the circumstances. If you're like me, the characters and story will suck you in so fast that you won't care about anything else.If you're debating on whether or not to pick it up, just do. It's such a good story and I really can't stress enough how great and lovable the characters are. It's so easy to get wrapped up in their story and their lives that the pages will seem to turn themselves and you'll be depressed to the see the end of it (and for more than one reason, actually).And if you enjoy this one and want more, a sequel is apparently in the works!

Its a really touching story and you just have to love the main characters!! :3Its a really really good book and everyone should read it in my opinion!It's one of my favorite books !! :D <3

This book was amazing! I absolutely loved it and it arrived in fantastic condition. I can't wait to see if there's a sequel!

The first chapter was heart-breaking. You knew from the very beginning how the story was going to end, but that didn't stop you from continuing. And then as you keep going, you forget how it started. The first half of the story was a little dry, but necessary. It needed to get to the second half, but it was all still well written. It was when it got to half number 2 that it really started sucking you in. The two protagonists were absolutely adorable together and you fell in love with them instantly. Main protagonist Maaya is a beautiful character who is everything that everyone and anyone should aspire to be. He is involved in community programs, is loving, helpful, outspoken against bullying. This is the kind of book I want my child to read and grow from. You fall just as in love with Akito, the slightly 'damaged' secondary protagonist who impresses you with his utterly adorable ways (no details without spoilers). And then the ending, even though you knew it was coming, took you completely by surprise. I cried. I don't cry easy. But it happened. If you're looking for a realistic and adorable story about BoyLove, hate, triumph, tragedy, and personal growth, look no further than what could be considered a 'coming-of-age story' in SNOW.

First of all, I'm very glad I never bought this book but instead rented it at the local library!The book is incredibly long, boring and dry. The main character is a Gary Sue, who seems to have 48 hours a day. He's nice to everyone, he's pretty, he does his homework, he helps at an animal shelter, he goes to art class, and he hangs out with his friends, phu, how does he even manage to sleep?The book spoils the ending at the very beginning, and it's a very cliché ending, actually, the whole book is a cliché. If you've read some yaoi-manga you can recognize the conversations and some of the happenings in the book. I didn't like any of the characters, and I didn't feel moved by the book at all.I don't know if the author has been to Japan, but it doesn't seem like itIt also had some spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, I think I got a hold of one of the first editions because it was bad, hopefully it's better in some of the later versions.To say something positive, it's a beautiful cover illustration!