Louise Nealon

A startling, honest, laugh and cry novel about growing up and leaving home, only to find that you've taken it with you, Snowflake is a novel for a generation, and for everyone who's taken those first, terrifying steps towards adulthood.

Snowflake

An exquisitely talented young Irish writer makes her literary debut with this powerful and haunting novel--a tale of love and family, depression and joy, and coming of age in the twenty-first century that is a blend of Sally Rooney and Colm Tóibín. Eighteen-year-old Debbie was raised on her family's rural dairy farm, forty minutes and a world away from Dublin. She lives with her mother, Maeve, a skittish woman who takes to her bed for days on end, claims not to know who Debbie's father is, and believes her dreams are prophecies. Rounding out their small family is Maeve's brother Billy, who lives in a caravan behind their house, drinks too much, and likes to impersonate famous dead writers online. Though they may have their quirks, the Whites' fierce love for one another is never in doubt. But Debbie's life is changing. Earning a place at Trinity College Dublin, she commutes to her classes a few days a week. Outside the sheltered bubble of her childhood for the first time, Debbie finds herself both overwhelmed and disappointed by her fellow students and the pace and anonymity of city life. While the familiarity of the farm offers comfort, Debbie still finds herself pulling away from it. Yet just as she begins to ponder the possibilities the future holds, a resurgence of strange dreams raises her fears that she may share Maeve's fate. Then a tragic accident upends the family's equilibrium, and Debbie discovers her next steps may no longer be hers to choose. Gorgeous and beautifully wrought, Snowflake is an affecting coming-of-age story about a young woman learning to navigate a world that constantly challenges her sense of self.

Keely Calagos

This book will not be for everyone, but it was for me. An absolute masterpiece and a new all-time favorite. Lyrical and melancholy prose is my absolute cuppa tea, so I knew right away I would love this book.

Snowflake is a coming-of-age story following Debbie, an eighteen-year-old college student from a small village outside of Dublin. Debbie lives on a dairy farm with her mother Maeve and uncle Billy and at the beginning of the story, she begins her first year at Trinity College. Debbies experience coming from a small town to a "big city" were so relatable (as someone who experienced the same culture shock) and her inner dialogue during this major life transition was beautifully done. 

The writing is superb and I listened to a bit of the audio version while I read along, the narrator has an Irish accent which was lovely. Nealon descriptions of mundane details of daily life were so relatable and raw, I felt so connected to Debbie. This book is both magical and depressing. Character heavy with the overall plot taking a backseat, this is quintessential literary fiction. 

There are Irish idioms galore so I Googled phrases quite a bit while reading, but that almost made me like it more.

PS: I don't think Louis Nealon should be compared to Sally Rooney, except for the fact they are both Irish authors and write literary fiction. However, I expect that Sally Rooney fans will also love this book.

Content warnings: depression, mental health struggles, bipolar disorder, descriptions of suicide, heavy alcohol use, death, descriptions of animal abuse, and conversations around consent.

'Wonderful' Roddy Doyle 'Sparks with tender charm and humour . . . Fresh, bleakly funny' Sunday Times 'Sharp, clever and affecting' - The Independent 'GAS and beautiful and truthful and touching' Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups 'A novel for anyone who's ever felt lost in the world' John Boyne, author of The Heart's Invisible Furies 'Astonishing' Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars Eighteen-year-old Debbie White lives on a dairy farm with her mother, Maeve, and her uncle, Billy. Billy sleeps out in a caravan in the garden with a bottle of whiskey and the stars overhead for company. Maeve spends her days recording her dreams, which she believes to be prophecies. This world is Debbie's normal, but she is about to step into life as a student at Trinity College in Dublin. As she navigates between sophisticated new friends and the family bubble, things begin to unravel. Maeve's eccentricity tilts into something darker, while Billy's drinking gets worse. Debbie struggles to cope with the weirdest, most difficult parts of herself, her family and her small life. But the fierce love of the White family is never in doubt, and Debbie discovers that even the oddest of families are places of safety. A startling, honest, laugh and cry novel about growing up and leaving home, only to find that you've taken it with you, Snowflake is a novel for a generation, and for everyone who's taken those first, terrifying steps towards adulthood.

A BBC Radio 4 Book At Bedtime Pick

Joana da Silva

This book came into my life as a "Sally Rooney type beat" kind of book. If you know me, you know I would read everything and anything that is even remotely linked to Sally Rooney. I had a hard time relating to these characters, but once I did, this was a beautiful journey. Louise Nealon's writing is so unique, each word is exactly where it should be and means so much more than it's visible at first sight. The beauty of this story can be found in the little anecdotes and throwbacks woven across the main storyline. Billy has my heart in a chokehold, what a great character.

Ananya

Danai koftori

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book.

3.5 stars 

This book is completely different to anything I've read. I don't even know how put it in words. It is captivating and weird and beautiful at the same time. It explores many issues: mental health, family, relationships, growing up and leaving home. I particularly enjoyed how the author approached the issue of mental health - showing that it is a very different and personal experience. While the book was heavy to read at points, the writing is funny and gentle. 

I was a bit unsiatisfied with how the story resolved in the end. I think the author spent a lot of time building the problems and really diving into each character's background and then in the end it all tidies up too quickly and neatly in my opinion. 

Overall, I think it is definately a book worth reading, it focuses on mental health and disacovering yourself. It also explores in detail how life on an Irish dairy farm is, which was definately a plus for me!

Snowflake

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