Ready to return to the world of Snowglobe? Or perhaps you are looking for a nice little duology to read this summer? If you live in the Midwest, now is the perfect time to read something that takes you to a colder world for a bit to escape from the heat wave this week!

Sometimes the world moves so fast that it’s difficult to notice the changes happening around us. That certainly seems to be true for the people of Snowglobe, who live in a world that is obsessed with powering forward to supply what those higher up in government and class think they require to live. Just as it is in any society, these people have concern only for themselves and those they acquaint themselves with. They want to be able to lead comfortable lives while those they see as less than live their lives just trying to scrape by. 

For our protagonist, Chobahm, life has been really rough lately. And now, offered a part of playing the lead character in a show while she attempts to find the real missing actress…well, her life just got even more complicated. If you’ve read the first Snowglobe book then you know how corrupt deeds and nefarious plans are being played out right under the noses of citizens. This continues in the sequel, and we learn even more about how the government in Snowglobe is run and what their priorities are. 

Being calm and compliant can get you far in a world of forced labor and dictatorship, but as Chobahm and her friends are learning, when morals don’t align with actions, something needs to change. Obviously, things are made more difficult if you’re facing something like this alone, but as time goes on, the group of people who are ready for a radical change begins to grow and Chobahm finds herself in the midst of a fight for her life and those she cares about the most.

This is a very fast-paced addition to a duology that was really fun to read and explore. I wouldn’t be surprised if the author decides to write a companion series to give their readers another taste of the chilly world of Snowglobe and if that’s the case, I’m here for it!

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy from Random House Children’s Books

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 9 religious exclamations; 9 mild obscenities; 3 religious profanities; 2 derogatory names; 14 scatological words; 1 anatomical term; 2 F-word derivatives.

Violence/Gore: A woman is mentioned to have killed herself; children are mentioned to disappear or be taken away; a brief scene occurs with mention of some destruction to property and graffiti; a woman is reported to be found lying in bed with blood pooling and a knife lodged in her chest, with some blood also mentioned to be dripping onto the floor; a young woman is accused of murder; people are reported to be working as slaves to help make energy available to their communities; verbal threats are exchanged between two characters in a brief scene; a truck runs into a building causing damage and some serious injuries to people inside which is mentioned in a brief scene; a young woman imagines how her family would react to finding out she died in a certain way and who would be held responsible; a young woman in a brief scene sees a crumbling human skeleton; a brief scene occurs where a gun is used to shoot someone and some blood is mentioned.

Sex/Nudity: A woman is shamed for not knowing who the father of her children is.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death, corruption, suicide (mention of), murder, economic disparity, children out of wedlock (mention).

Alcohol/Drug Use:

None