4.75 stars 
 Wow. This book was simply wonderful. 
 Everything about The Snow Child was brilliant: the well-rounded characters, the brutal Alaskan winter setting, the harsh, gritty reality of the depression era, the breathtaking descriptions, the combination of magical realism and an old Russian fairy tale. 
 I think the strongest aspect of this book was the writing. Hands down, Eowyn Ivey is one of the best writers I've come across in modern literature. She was able to maintain this beautiful, wondrous, and magical, but also melancholy feel throughout her story, which deeply enhanced the messages and themes of the novel. I can't adequately express how much respect I have for her talent. 
 The only complaint I had was that the plot moved quite slowly at times, and it took me a while to get into the story at the very beginning. It's definitely a slower-paced novel, which isn't necessarily bad, but at times, certain scenes dragged on longer than they needed to. It's the only reason why I bumped a 1/4th of a star off from an otherwise perfect novel. 
 I know this book won't be for everyone, but it's definitely one of those rare stories that will stick with me for a long time.