Snowglobe

**Review: *Snowglobe* by Soyoung Park (translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort)**

In the icy dystopian world of *Snowglobe*, the first book in Soyoung Park’s *Snowglobe Duology*, readers are transported to a place where constant winter reigns and the only warmth lies within the dome of Snowglobe city. Inside this climate-controlled paradise, life appears to be perfect—but as with most utopias, perfection is often a well-polished facade hiding dark secrets.

The story follows Chobahm, an outside resident who lives for the 24-hour television broadcasts streamed from Snowglobe. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she is chosen to replace Goh Haeri, Snowglobe’s biggest star—who, in a plot twist fit for reality TV, is very much dead. But as Chobahm steps into the limelight, she quickly discovers that life inside the dome is far from the dream it appears to be on screen.

Now, let me be clear—I was hooked. The concept of a city encased in a dome, shielding its residents from the brutal winter outside, while outsiders watch in envy, is brilliantly dystopian. However, lurking beneath the surface of this dystopia is the unspoken root cause of it all: global warming. While the book never directly addresses this, it’s clear that the frozen wasteland outside Snowglobe is a chilling consequence of environmental catastrophe. This theme, though central to the world’s creation, felt underutilized—a missed opportunity to deepen the narrative’s impact.

But the most disturbing aspect, and the one that really stuck with me, is the society’s twisted mantra: *live to be entertained and entertain to live*. The residents of Snowglobe enjoy a life of fame, fortune, and warmth, all while the unfortunate souls outside slave away in shifts to power the very community that entertains them. These workers return to their dismal homes, where food is scarce, and the cold is a constant threat to their survival. It’s a grim reflection of our current world, where instant gratification is demanded at every turn, often at the expense of others. In today’s age of streaming everything and AI assistance, the idea of a society that exists solely to entertain and be entertained is both haunting and disturbingly relevant.

Now, here’s where things took a turn. As much as I enjoyed the story, the ending left me scratching my head. It felt like Park decided to turn the last few chapters into a memo for herself for book two. The narrative seemed to unravel, paragraph by paragraph, into a series of notes rather than a proper conclusion. It wasn’t quite a cliffhanger, nor was it a satisfying wrap-up. It was more like a “To be continued…” with an ellipsis that kept going.

But could this be intentional? Is the abrupt, fragmented ending a tie-in to the premise of a society obsessed with entertainment, leaving us with no closure, just as the characters are left with no real purpose beyond their roles as performers? I’m not sure, but I do know I was left feeling disappointed.

Soyoung Park is undoubtedly a talented writer, and I’m hoping that the second book ties up these loose ends in a way that redeems the final chapters of *Snowglobe*. As for the dystopian genre, it’s one that’s meant to leave us with questions and unease, but I’m not sure we were meant to be left with a checklist of plot points for book two. Let’s hope the sequel delivers on the promises left dangling in the icy winds of Snowglobe.

Final verdict? If you’re a fan of dystopian tales with a unique twist and are prepared for a bit of a bumpy landing, *Snowglobe* is worth the read. Just keep in mind that the real storm may be waiting in book two.