As Simple as Snow, by Gregory Galloway, follows the story narrated by an unnamed boring teenage boy who is looking for something to live for, and finds that something in Anastasia, (or Anna, to the narrator), a punk girl new to town. Although this storyline has been overused across the genre of young-adult realistic fiction, Galloway takes the idea to a whole new level, by adding a factor of mystery to the romance.
The main conflict of the novel occurs when Anna disappears, without warning or explanation. The narrator’s life is shattered, yet the book does not disintegrate into depressing soliloquies. On the contrary, once Anna disappears, the book explodes with information- everything the characters ever did or said is a clue, every puzzle Anna ever presented is a hint to her current whereabouts. Galloway successfully weaves the story with enough information to imply an answer, but not enough to easily define it. One is left to discover if Anna is alive or dead, if she has run away or been kidnapped. Amazingly, the book is so elaborate and convincing that the reader will find themselves lost in the narrator, equally attached to Anna, and just as determined to uncover the answers and solve the mystery.
Accompanying this mind-boggling story is an equally cryptic, semi-helpful website, assimpleassnow.com. Here one can find links that elaborate on many of the references made in the novel, such as more information on Houdini. Also, one can sign up to get emails providing extra clues to help solve the mystery of what really happened to Anna.
As Simple as Snow offers a fresh, exciting enigma, and the search for the answers is addicting.
By Gwen Kestler, entertainment editor
