First of all I want to say I enjoyed this book. I found the writing style flowed well and it didn't take me long to read it as I quite liked the characters. The idea of Jack Frost being in your class and what do you do when you become his friend and you find out about the other worlds was interesting, especially with the absolute fails when he tries to pretend he's a normal mortal.

I wanted to rate this higher but for me it just didn't quite hit where I wanted it to. There was talk of Linda's grief after the loss of her best friend which did get some resolution but there was the grief of Lavender which was more thrown in there and I would have liked to see that bond the characters together more. The inclusion of the teacher and his sister was an interesting choice, for some bits it made sense but for others I wasn't so sure.

My main thing though was that the story of Jack Frost being in your class and trying to balance that with his immortal duties would have been such a fun story on its own. The part where he has to hunt down a lost book that could potentially end the world felt like a very different story and almost like it got lost. It would also have been nice for Jack and Linda to just be friends and just leave it as that because they worked really well in that dynamic.

These are all my personal opinions and I did very much enjoy the read. If you're after something with fun characters and some great world building (the Immortal realm and beings are fantastic) then I definitely recommend giving it a try.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a unique mix of folklore, mystery, and emotion, with a heartfelt look at grief and what it means to be different. Linda was a great main character....her journey felt real, and I loved seeing her connect with Jack and Lavender (though I wish we got more of Lavender!). If you’re into stories that are a bit different, with a touch of magic and strong queer representation, I’d definitely recommend this one.

This novel does everything you can want for and more with a fantasy novel. R.E. Kurt knocked it out of the park with the world building and depth of characters. This is my first book I have read by them but I am hooked for life. I love that the world building is so seamless and beautiful. The characters are relatable while still fantastical. I cant wait to see what they come up with next.

The concept had potential with the inclusion of Jack Frost. I'm always attracted to that sort of mythology. I really enjoyed the fun chapter titles. And the amount of representation in this was nice! Unfortunately, it didn't feel as fleshed out as I would've wanted it to be. I didn't feel connected to the characters at all as I was reading it. The conflict was there, but the stakes weren't heightened so I wasn't concerned at all, a little lackluster. I also thought the dialogue was weak. Points for some jokes that did make me chuckle every once in a while. The mutiple POV shifts and time jumps were jarring. That realization does coincide with my lack of connection with the characters. I disoriented at several moments when I suddenly started following another character or when we were going from one point to the next. Points for the setting being in Maine and me having started reading the book in Maine as well as some Canada mentions while I was actively traveling to Canada.

This was a great YA book. One I think my 12 year old would probably be comfortable reading. It does explore death and loss and helps you come to terms with it alongside the characters, all in a magical setting. This was a reimagining of the story of Jack Frost, 🥶 with Father Time And Mother Earth and Elves.
It was like watching the old Tim Allan Santa Clause movies, with that level of nostalgia that makes you want to read more. Not my usual type of book, but one I really liked all the same.

Thanks to the Author, Soncata Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review

✨Arc Review✨

Thank you to the author R.E Kurz for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a fantasy that’s more introspective than action-packed—more about connection than combat—The Fall of Linda Waters is a deeply touching read. Jack Frost, as reimagined here, is a standout: gentle, damaged, and quietly powerful. He’ll stay with you, long after the snow has melted.

The Fall of Linda Waters is a story about grief, healing, and the way magic sometimes appears in the moments we least expect it. Set in a small, snow-covered town still echoing with loss, R.E. Kurz offers a quiet, emotional fantasy that grounds folklore in very human pain—and very human hope.

At the heart of this story is Linda—a teen still reeling from the death of her best friend, moving through her life on autopilot. But everything shifts when her new science partner walks into the room. He calls himself John at first, but soon, his real name surfaces: Jack Frost.

And he’s nothing like the mischievous winter sprite you might expect.

This version of Jack Frost is layered, sensitive, and quietly aching in his own way. There’s a beautiful stillness to him—like snowfall just before dawn. He’s not just there to bring magic into Linda’s life; he’s there to learn, to care, to feel alongside her. Their bond is slow, a friendship that feels earned, and there's a tenderness to it that lingers long after the last page.

The story weaves in a mythic mystery—Father Time, timelines on the verge of collapse, and a sacred relic that could unravel everything. These elements raise the stakes, but it’s the emotional core—the bond between two broken people—that keeps the story grounded.

The supporting cast—especially Lavender and Mr. London—brings thoughtful LGBTQ+ representation and more emotional complexity. There’s a quiet strength in how this book explores identity, secrets, and the deep ache of wanting to be understood.

I didn't expect to love this book so much! Soncata press reached out to see if I'd like to review this book since I love romantasy and fall vibes, and this was everything! Navigating the world of grief in such a heartfelt way I think is much needed in the book community

I really wanted to like this book, but something about it just didn't work for me. The story felt a little too scattered, like it jumped around a lot between time and characters in a way that made it really hard to follow. I also thought there was too much of the book focused on the mean kids at school, which didn't really serve much purpose, other than really highlighting the whole 'not like other girls; vibe of the main character, which is a trope I'm rather sick of. I thought the way the book handled grief was well done, and some elements of the magical world were interesting, though I wish we saw more of that. While I liked most of the characters in the book, it also felt like most of them were underdeveloped enough that I was rather ambivalent about them all as a whole, unfortunately. Overall, while this story had a lot of potential, it just didn't quite work for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC.

This was a cute read! I've definitely never read a book where Jack Frost is going to high school. I loved the relationship between Jack and Linda!

This was a wonderful little retelling of the Jack Frost myth and I had a great time reading it. It was a short read but an enjoyable one as we follow Linda on her discovery of the unknown whilst learning how to process her own grief. I loved the inclusion of different LGBTQ+ and POC characters and the little romance storyline was very cute. The only criticism I really have is that the start of the book sort of just threw you in and it took me a bit to actually grasp the threads and understand what the story was doing.

Overall a lovely read.

The Fall of Linda Waters was very emotional for me, but also very good. The plot is interesting, the characters have great development, the magic side of this universe is really fascinating and I want more. Mr. London has to be my favorite character, but I relate to Lavender's experiences in school the most. Overall, I think its a great book.


Linda lost her best friend a year ago and is still dealing with her grief. When she's partnered with John in science, a unexpected friendship blossoms and John eventually confides in her his name isn't really John, it's Jack Frost. With strange happenings, a disappearance and one of Father Time's books missing leaving the potential for the world to be destroyed, they end up working together to support each other and figure out where to find the book.

(I received this as a arc)

Pros: This book was really good. Watching John and Linda relationship form as he reveals himself as Jack Frost was amazing to watch. Reading how Linda was grieving with death and struggling with the formation of friendships with people like John and Lavender because they remind her of her best friend, was an amazing character growth by the author. I loved how the author helped navigate Lavendar with coming out being gay by allowing her to seek mentorship with Mr. London who is a bisexual teacher.

Cons: The one thing that I will say that I wouldve loved to see more of is the thriller storyline development. I believe that certain aspects of the story such as what the teens were doing in school could have been cut out to focus more on the the Clari's and how Jane's mystery was more tied into Kelsie's murder. I also think that the fantasy element could have been dived into more, like how the book brought back Lavendar's brother. Like it mentioned it but I do wish that it was a little bit longer. I would have love more about Jack-Frost as well.


This is overall a good book for a cozy fantasy reader and also someone who is just getting into fantasy.


Spoiler Free Feedback for Followers.

This book gets a solid 4 stars from me. The story is such a fun and readable storyline to tell. Linda Waters never truly expected to make friends this year after the death of her best friend, Kelsie but when she makes friends with the new student, John a new world opened up that she did not think was possible. Now she's thrust into a helping John navigate life in their small town while trying to cope with grieving her best friend.

Lavendar has had enough of whispers and taunts, and she’ll do anything to keep her darkest secrets buried. Then John and Linda cross her path, and the fragile control she’s built begins to shatter.

John, the new kid with a magnetic smile, bonds instantly with lab partner Linda, but there’s something unsettling about him. Beneath his easy charm lurks a secret powerful enough to upend all their lives.

Jasmine reigns at school, gorgeous, confident, untouchable, until she falls headfirst into a relationship that threatens to drown her in complications she never saw coming.

And watching them all is Mr. London, haunted by the death of one student and the disappearance of another. His fierce devotion to protecting his pupils pushes him toward obsession, and he may soon discover that the line between guardian and threat is thinner than he ever imagined.

This Jack Frost retelling is unique as a group of teens and one teacher comes together to help Jack Frost find a mysterious item while also trying to solve the mystery of a missing student Jane Clari.

3.75 🌟

This book follows Linda Waters, a high school student who recently lost her best friend. As she navigates this grief, she meets a new student at her school who turns out to be Jack Frost. Together, they are looking for a book that has the potential to end everything about existence, and we follow along as the mysteries unravel.

I enjoyed this book! It was very unique and unlike anything I have read before, which is always something that I appreciate and that intrigues me. You could see that this story was crafted with care, in particular the description of grief, loss, and being different from the ‘norm’ was written about incredibly.

I loved our main character, Linda, and enjoyed seeing her growth; her grief felt very real, and was present throughout the entire book, but seeing her try to open up to Jack and Lavender was great! Lavender’s story was one I enjoyed too, but I wish we got to see a bit more of her!

If you enjoy a book that weaves together folklore, mystery, and emotions beautifully, with a unique writing style and nice queer representation; I recommend this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Soncata Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

3.75⭐️ This was a quick read that I ended up doing as an immersion read. I received the audiobook and after listening for a bit I looked it up on NetGalley and it was a “read now” so I took advantage.

Usually I try to ascertain which format worked better for the book but this one is a toss up with positive and challenges for each.

The narrator Devon Sorvari did a decent job overall however it required me to speed up the playback rate as she spoke very slow making it hard to focus on the book. But she did various different voices which were fairly consistent. One issue I had is randomly different characters would morph into a hard NY accent for certain words. It was jarring especially when the book takes place in Maine. So I would rate her performance at a 3⭐️ for its inconsistencies as it takes you out of the world the author created.

The book is a “retelling” or “reimagining” of Jack Frost. I honestly don’t feel it was either but if I had to choose I guess reimagining would be the closest. It’s more like the author took the character and some very basic characteristics of the connection to the cold, plus his name, and that’s it. I personally didn’t find any connection to the lore of Jack Frost beyond that. But it was still a fun story using magical realism to explore different themes that can plague a teenager.

This is a YA book with the FMC which is a teen going through high school while trying to help Jack save the world from the apocalypse. A challenge is the chapters seem very disjointed at times. They don’t flow and connect with each other. I’ll mention that it is written in 3rd person which is fine with me but I do know that for some strange reason some readers won’t read material in that POV 🙄. That’s being said, I do think the book as a whole should go through another edit for the print version as there are sentence construction issues as well as other grammatical issues.


I did like the exploration of the Queer characters and what they may go through in certain areas of the US (since that’s where the book takes place). Overall this was a different and ultimately enjoyable read that is due to come out on September 1, 2025.

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC and eARC from High Gravity Productions and Soncata Press through High Gravities influencer program and NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My general rating system is below. Since I primarily read ARC books I rate according to how I think like minded readers will receive the book. I will round up or down depending on many factors and try not to let my personal wants affect a books ratings.

⭐️ Hated It but pushed through as so don’t DNF ARCs I have received.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, content issues, poorly edited.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but it had something that stopped me from rounding up. Usually the book may have much more potential than what was given. I recommend it but with reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Really enjoyed it or think others will. These are solid reads that I definitely would recommend for a variety of reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! These are books that remain rent free in my head for well after unfinished the book. It can be for a variety of reasons from being very well written or just the vibes that captured my mind. These books are also ones I would probably read again.

My thanks to Netgalley, Soncata Press and R.E. Kurz for the eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I've never read a story about Jack Frost before. I know the general idea but I can honestly say that I do not seek out any book, show or movie that has had Jack Frost as a character. I don't know why, you'd think it'd be right up there with things that interest me and yet no, I've never sought out Jack Frost. So this book caught my attention because it sounded intriguing enough that I thought, first time for everything, why not?

This book follows the Linda Waters from the title, a high school student in Maine who is mourning the loss of her best friend. She meets a new student at school who turns out to be Jack Frost. Frost is in this particular small town and attending high school because he's trying to find a book that could be used to destroy everything about existence. Linda and Jack have to work together to find the book and the one who wants to use it for revenge.

First off, I liked this book. I didn't love it BUT I certainly liked it. I'll admit, I almost decided not to finish this story but I liked Linda so I stuck it out. Also, I learned things I've never heard of before, in the sense that I didn't know the correct names to things, like how the pigments in leaves are anthocyanin and carotenoid, or the term "blue field entoptic phenomenon" (look it up; I had to, and now I've learned something new). Little things like this made Kurz intriguing to me as a writer. I didn't think a high school student would necessarily know these things though, and I wished it was weaved into the story more about how Linda knew these things so easily. It would have rounded the character out more.

As is, I liked Linda because she tried. Every day was a day where she had to try. She had to try to get through school with horrible classmates, she had to try to help teachers she liked, she had to try to get through the days while grieving her best friend who died in a horrible accident. It was that attitude of getting through the worst that made me want to stick with Linda. Jack Frost was interesting in the sense that he was able to be the friend Linda needed when she needed something to help her. He was a stable presence and a constant for her to depend on while also becoming a bit of a defender for other students in need. I liked Lavender and Mr. London but I feel like the book didn't spend as much time with them as it could have to make their struggles feel more important to the reader.

I hated how Lavender was treated but at the same time, because Lavender wasn't necessarily the main character, her struggles felt like they were just there. The book doesn't have enough resolution to her issues at school so I feel like I don't get to see her end up in a good place. Same thing with Mr. London, there were things set in place to suggest happier times to come but again, the book moves on so readers are left wondering about their outcomes. I wanted more for them and I didn't get to see it.

The book is written as 3rd person omniscient, so readers see things from several character viewpoints as the story needs it to go. However, my main issue was with the PACING. Every chapter seems to stand as its own little story, almost as if they don't tie together as a whole. Things would happen in a chapter and then just continue on to something else in the next, without flowing together. As a result, the plot didn't feel like it was important enough as a driving point for the book. It felt like every chapter was Jack and Linda at school, dealing with obnoxious classmates and homework, helping Jack understand the nuances to human existence and whatnot, and it took a while for the search for the missing book to even become relevant. I wasn't sure how much time was passing and because of that, it felt like the characters relationships weren't developing as they should. When Lavender was added to the story, it felt a little jarring to see her demand answers from Jack and Linda when she felt excluded because she wasn't on the page enough with them. The same thing happened with Mr. London, where it felt like for the relationship to be what it seemed on the page, we needed to see more of it. Almost as if passages had been left out that needed to be seen to help the flow of the story stay on track and to show how the characters all interact with each other.

Also, it just ENDS. That's it, there's nothing else. I kept flipping pages thinking where's the rest of the book? It finished up in a few pages and for the length it took to get there, it felt like not enough of an ending. I always say that I wanted more at the end of the books I read but in this case, it NEEDED more. I still have questions about plot points that were never answered. I don't know if the plan is to write more in this world but for me, a lot is left unresolved so I'm left sitting here a little bereft, if I'm being honest. Not the best way to leave a book, when all is said and done.

Rating on my scale: 6 Stars. I wanted more. The book kind of feels unfinished in a way. It'll probably sit in the back of my mind where in the future I might wonder what happened to Linda and her best friend, Jack Frost. I hope they get their happy ending, eventually. That's the feeling I have about the everything of this book.

Unfortunately at DNF’d this book at about 30%. The pacing was just too slow for my personal taste and wasn’t able to capture my attention. From the part that I read I think this book would be good for younger/mid teens who are really into descriptive whimsical books and high school drama.
Thankyou for the chance to read it.