The Cold is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 288

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK 

Released: 7th of March 2019 

Milla knows two things to be true: Demons are real, and fear will keep her safe.

Milla’s whole world is her family’s farm. She is never allowed to travel to the village and her only friend is her beloved older brother, Niklas. When a bright-eyed girl named Iris comes to stay, Milla hopes her loneliness might finally be coming to an end. But Iris has a secret she’s forbidden to share: The village is cursed by a demon who possesses girls at random, and the townspeople live in terror of who it will come for next.

Now, it seems, the demon has come for Iris. When Iris is captured and imprisoned with other possessed girls, Milla leaves home to rescue her and break the curse forever. Her only company on the journey is a terrible new secret of her own: Milla is changing, too, and may soon be a demon herself. 

What I Have to Say 

This book entranced me. It was a fantastic re-imagining of the Medusa myth, showing prejudice and fear and what people will do when faced with something different. Hulda's story at the start was so heart-wrenching. It was really easy to see how that suffering would change to rage and vengeance. 

I loved Milla a lot. I loved the way that she had to live with her imperfections and how hard she tried to please her mother, a woman who never ever would have accepted her. I loved her snakes and how they were part of her, but also characters in their own right, comforting her and protecting her when she needed it. 

I adored the messages of compassion and empathy. How Milla looked at the people around her and saw their suffering rather than their anger or the demons possessing them. She was so desperate to rescue Iris, even after she faced the demon side of her, she could still see her friend who was in pain and fighting the demon, the way that none of the other people in the village did. 

This is such a great book, a good read for anyone who loves fairy tales. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with this free copy for review.