Snowflakes (Hush collection)

by Ruth Ware

[Quirky Cat]

Snowflakes is the first in a series of six short stories, known as the Hush Collection. Written by Ruth Ware, I just knew that I had to give this novella a try.

Father has always spoken of the war – the one that was heading their way. So when he ripped up their lives and took them to an isolated island, Leah never questioned it. Never questioned him. Now, she's seeing her father's sanity crumble, and her family with it.

“Wood's not strong enough for what's coming.”

This short story, despite the description, was nothing like what I expected it to be. Snowflakes was deeply emotional, concerning, and at its core had a deep sense of foreboding to it.

Snowflakes is unlike anything else that Ruth Ware has written, and for a variety of reasons. First, there's the length itself. This is the shortest thing I've read by Ware, and while she did a good job, that obviously altered the way she unveiled what occurred.

Then there's the subject matter itself. It did read like a thriller, mostly thanks to the way Ruth Ware writes. It was also deeply depressing in more than one spot, and with good reason. This is a quick read, but it is not a light read. Not by any means.

If I had to label it, I'd say it was a bit of a psychological thriller, though even that doesn't feel like the perfect fit. It felt almost too human for that if that makes any sense. Still, it was a worthwhile read, even if it did give me the chills.

I'll be honest here: I'm not entirely certain I'm going to read the rest of this collection. It's not that I'm uninterested, more like I read the one that really drew me in. I might take some time to read the other five stories in Hush, but only after I've gotten some other reading done (my TBR pile is massive at the moment).

Snowflakes is the first in a series of six short stories, known as the Hush Collection. Written by Ruth Ware, I just knew that I had to give this novella a try.

Father has always spoken of the war – the one that was heading their way. So when he ripped up their lives and took them to an isolated island, Leah never questioned it. Never questioned him. Now, she's seeing her father's sanity crumble, and her family with it.

“Wood's not strong enough for what's coming.”

This short story, despite the description, was nothing like what I expected it to be. Snowflakes was deeply emotional, concerning, and at its core had a deep sense of foreboding to it.

Snowflakes is unlike anything else that Ruth Ware has written, and for a variety of reasons. First, there's the length itself. This is the shortest thing I've read by Ware, and while she did a good job, that obviously altered the way she unveiled what occurred.

Then there's the subject matter itself. It did read like a thriller, mostly thanks to the way Ruth Ware writes. It was also deeply depressing in more than one spot, and with good reason. This is a quick read, but it is not a light read. Not by any means.

If I had to label it, I'd say it was a bit of a psychological thriller, though even that doesn't feel like the perfect fit. It felt almost too human for that if that makes any sense. Still, it was a worthwhile read, even if it did give me the chills.

I'll be honest here: I'm not entirely certain I'm going to read the rest of this collection. It's not that I'm uninterested, more like I read the one that really drew me in. I might take some time to read the other five stories in Hush, but only after I've gotten some other reading done (my TBR pile is massive at the moment).

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks