Blizzard's Wake Book Review

Much like the title suggests, Blizzard’s Wake is a whirlwind of emotion. Naylor draws the reader in with heart-wrenching scenes and memorable characters people don’t want to relate to but just do. Among these are Kate, tragic and angry because she cares too much, and Zeke, haunted by the single event that surmounted all other decisions in his life. The clever craft with which Naylor weaves them together incites strong emotion and suspense. This suspense builds up the sturdy plot: heart-pounding, ingeniously thoughtful, and a vessel for thematic virtues. These would include forgiveness, circumstance, and how things--and people--aren’t what they seem; good can be masked in evil, bad veiled in good. The setting fuels the entire story, pulling everything together and adding another level of depth to it. Overall, the pieces is remarkably clever and well thought out.

“...she [Kate] gave five or six drops at a time, then watched, terrified, for fear it might stop his breathing. She should not be doing this! Dad shouldn’t have asked her.”

Recommended for anyone who has met the darkest side of themselves and didn’t like what they saw.

-Grace Nask