As the author went through depression herself, we could feel Debbie's struggles bleeding through the book. The story balances the dark themes and humour well. The discussion of mental health isn't too bleak, yet holding its weight. Do take note there are a few detailed scenes on animal cruelty. Besides being a coming-out-age story filled with complications and quirky moments, the story is also about self-acceptance and familial relationship. As Debbie steps out of her comfort zone, she has to navigate between new peers and the family bubble. Things eventually fall apart and the dark issues surrounding the family history and mental health are uncovered.

This is really very mean. We are not given any context for her being so rude, especially when she states that she was the go-to person for ‘the shift’ all through school. She employed no entry requirements before, so this random dude who knows her by reputation can’t really be blamed for asking. Also ONE PARAGRAPH LATER: This is a description of the local therapist in Debbie’s home town. There are so many problems in these two sentences alone. The ONE thing everyone loves? Everyone? And is that really Audrey’s problem? Or is it the problem of the people around her? In addition, this is presented as received wisdom from Debbie’s neighbours. Debbie does not question this in any way. Yet she’s apparently very smart? I guess in the ‘I am very intelligent’ meme sense only. What I loved: This book is full of great things- beyond the lessons and educational elements, there are lovely illustrations with animals, diverse children, and plenty of the little snowflake. The text is also rhyming, making it fun to read aloud and listen to. There is also a nice addition of the full cycle at the end of the book that lays out all the text in even simpler terms. While toddlers may not fully understand the process, this makes it easier to grasp and is a great introduction!The rest of the book is just a series of events in the lives of Debbie’s bipolar mother and depressed uncle. Debbie herself may or may not have mental health issues, but the topic is treated with such disdain and scorn that it’s hard to say where either Nealon comes down on it. It's disturbingly possible that she's on the side of the people who coined the snowflake [derogatory] version of the title.

LITTLE SNOWFLAKE is a delightful story that explains the water cycle through the eyes of a small snowflake. Tiny drops of water freeze and turn into a snowflake, who travels down to the earth with the wind. It lands on a tree before heading to the ground, where children make it part of a snowball and then a snowman. When the sun comes out, they melt and become vapor that travels up to the sky, where they can again be made into snow.

Little Critter: Just a Big Storm

But really, [Alice] shouldn’t belong to anyone, least of all Lewis Carroll. She exists independently of him.’ I am a culchie. I grew up on a farm in County Galway, though I live in Dublin city these days. My country roots are something I might have run from in my youth, but lately I have grown to appreciate them. I have often felt that our tribe is underrepresented in modern Irish literature but finally, here it is. Snowflake is the Great Culchie Novel. When I saw references in the story to Wavin pipes, standing in gaps to move cattle and traditions like Cemetery Sunday, I knew I was in the hands of a true bogger. Debbie is raised on her family's rural dairy farm. She lives with her mother, Maeve, a skittish woman who keeps her past and spends most of her days alone writing and dreaming. Maeve believes her dreams are prophecies. Rounding out their small house is Maeve's brother Billy, who lives in a caravan behind her house and fiercely love and protect Debbie. This story can be enjoyed as a fun story about the little snowflake, as an explanation for where snow comes from, and/or as a larger education about the water cycle. I think this is the best book I have seen to teach the water cycle to young children so far! The happy little snowflake and friends bring these lessons in a very approachable way with so much fun.

I can’t imagine someone going through life without grasping the concept of the iconic six-armed snow crystal,’ I say. 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. If Audrey had kept quiet and continued to drink at home, people would still have sent their kids to piano lessons. Audrey’s problem was admitting that she had a problem, and the problem was with alcohol, the one thing everyone loved.” SO GROSS. There’s also two – TWO! – scenes describing Debbie raw-shaving her pubes. Why did I need to read this once, let alone twice?! She has the internet, she has a MACBOOK (despite her supposed poverty). GOOGLE. IT.Snowflake hat mich in vielerlei Hinsicht positiv überrascht. Am Anfang dachte ich, es wäre die typische Geschichte einer jungen Frau vom Lande, die völlig naiv an die Uni kommt, sich dort zurechtfinden muss und dabei kaum Unterstützung von zu Hause erhält. Das ist es zum Teil auch. Allerdings ist dies nur der äußere Rahmen, denn die Geschichte geht viel tiefer. Stars | SNOWFLAKE BY LOUISE NEALON is the coming-of-age story you (probably) didn’t know you needed (or maybe you already knew). If you’ve been following my stories, you’d know how much i’d been taken by it - and it’s all for good reasons! 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.

this is another contemporary, coming of age tale which follows debbie, an 18 year old who lives on a dairy farm as she navigates her 1st year at university, while also trying to handle her eccentric and troubled mother and uncle. if you know me you know i love a coming of age story, so this premise was right up my street. the writing was beautiful and lyrical but also raw, perfectly capturing the mindset of what it’s like to be a young woman figuring out life and trying to survive university (perfect for fans of sally rooney and naosie dolan in that regard). it also had a small magical realism element related to dreams which i definitely think added something unique to the story, even though i do wish it was developed a bit more. i also really enjoyed the irish slang in the dialogue and the exploration of some of the folklore, i found it all so interesting to read about! nealon also touches on several themes in this book too, like mental illness, family dynamics, friendship, identity, alcoholism, the pressure of university, and more.Louise Harland narrated the book and there could not have been a better person. She epitomises Debbie and really brings her character and little quirks to life. When 18-year-old Debbie makes the transition from secondary school student to college student, she's overwhelmed by the adulting decisions she now faces in school, the pressure to socialise with other students and she lives a life treading between two worlds - that of a more metropolitan Dublin, and her home on the family dairy farm caring for her unstable mother, and talking Greek mythology with her beloved uncle Billy. Snowflake is a note to self to cherish your family and friends - and the moments spend alone with ourselves. Lousie Nealon is an Irish author that you shouldn't miss out on. Debbie isn’t the only funny one. She comes home drunk, and her Uncle Billy gives her one glance and tells her he needs to teach her how to drink. Billy takes her to the local pub, and the lessons are hilarious. This is a quirky story laced with serious themes.