5 YA Novels With Snowy Settings

YA novels with snowy settings are perfect for the holiday season. Though it’s a balmy 70 degrees here in North Carolina, I can still dream of a white Christmas through books. Here are some of my favorite snowy books for reading by the fire to get myself in the winter spirit, from a range of genres:

Trapped by Michael Northup 

In this survival tale, high school students are trapped inside the school when a sudden, intense blizzard hits. It snows for a week, with no sign of rescue. At first the kids have fun, not knowing how long the weather will last. They have their teenage drama, and the seven students resemble the cast of The Breakfast Club. However, the snow begins to fall harder, food and warmth become paramount, and tensions run high as the need for survival is realized. This snowy survival tale makes me very happy to be sitting in my warm house.

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Let It Snow pulls together three stories all set in the same town on the same night. In “Jubilee Express,” a train is forced to stop on the tracks outside a small North Carolina town. Jubilee ventures away from the train to the local waffle house. The waffle house is the destination of the second story, “A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle,” where a group of friends venture through the snow to bring a game of Twister to some cheerleaders who are waiting out the night off the train. And finally, in “The Patron Saint of Pigs,” Addie works at the local Starbucks, and she’s sad. Sad because she made a mistake and lost Jeb, the love of her life. She’s a little bit self-centered and miserable, but she starts to make right some of the selfish things she’s done.

Each of the stories is connected, and each is a romance. It’s like Love Actually in a YA novel, and a great light read for the holidays.

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan

Every year, the seniors at the Irving School must complete a senior paper on literary tragedy, dubbed “The Tragedy Paper.” When Duncan arrives in his new room for his senior year, he finds a stack of CDs left behind by the previous occupant, Tim. Tim tells the story of his own personal tragedy the year before, one that still haunts Duncan and his classmates a year after the fact. Duncan remembers the snow – so much snow – and the blood. So much blood. But what really happened that fateful night and, more importantly, why did it happen?

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohen and David Levithan 

Dash and Lily have never met in person, only a red notebook full of dares. Lily left the notebook on a bookstore shelf, hoping the right guy would come along and accept the challenges she put forth. Dash has found that notebook, and is up for the challenge – he thinks. Dash and Lily pass the notebook all over New York during the snowy holiday season in this fast-paced holiday romance.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis

I always love a dash of childhood nostalgia with my holiday season, and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe fits the bill. Edmund, Lucy, Peter, and Susan discover the snowy land on the other side of the wardrobe in the magical land of Narnia. They learn that the land has been enchanted by the White Witch to be in perpetual winter, and she is basically making everyone in Narnia miserable with her evil rules. The mental images of the snowy lamppost and children discovering a new land in big, bulky coats from the wardrobe capture the childhood joy of seeing the world covered in snow perfectly.

Whatever you are planning to read, I hope all you Bookkaholics are warm and toasty this winter with books you love. In fact, we’d love to hear what you’re reading by the fire or under your favorite fuzzy blanket! Have a favorite holiday read to share? A great snowy winter book that’s perfect for a cold night? Share your favorites in the comments!