Review: The Cold Is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale

The Cold Is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

Milla has always wanted love and compassion from her parents her whole life. The only person who ever gave her a smidgen of that was her brother Niklas and he now leaves every day to work with their father. Milla has to follow a strict rules to keep the demons out of her house and away from her family but it seems that no matter how well Milla does everything right her mother never really approves.

So when Milla finds out another girl her age is moving to their Farm Milla is very excited to have a companion and a friend to call her own. And Iris is such a wonderful person that Milla cannot complain about anything now.

But when things start to change as Iris and Milla notice abnormal events happening, Milla finds out many dark and deep hidden secrets that her family has been hiding from her. Milla is about to find out exactly what she is capable of and how far her love will go to save the ones she cares about.

I have to admit the cover is what got my attention at first. It's very unique and beautiful and after I read the synopsis I knew I wanted to read this book. I didn't realize it was a retelling of Medusa, but that would not have stopped me from requesting the advanced reader copy. This is set in a little village that seems to be in the past with strict rules and hard-earned living where the men farm and the woman stay at home to make meals and clean house.

Milla is a great character. She's very confused and very unloved and just wants comfort and joy in her life. She's also kept in the dark a lot and life would have been easier for her if everybody could have been upfront and honest with her. I felt sorry for her when she didn't get the love and attention she wanted from her mother, and I don't blame her for attaching to Iris the way she did. She is also a very strong character and very independent of her ways once she it makes her decision about saving the people she loves the most in her life. She's also very brave and doesn't let fear control her actions in the end.

Millas mother Gitta did not impress me at all. She was very fearful very strict very stern and a very cold character. The reader finds out why later but it still doesn't change how she was toward Milla which was heartbreaking.

This is a very powerful book that shows how one action can change the lives of so many people. It also shows you that everyone wants to be loved - a simple act of kindness goes a long way in someone's life.

I'm really glad I got a chance to read this book and will be looking for more novels by this author!

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