If you have ever wished winter felt a little more magical and a little less like an excuse for your toes to turn into ice pops, then Snow by Meera Trehan might just be your next cozy read. This delightful winter fantasy mixes courage and friendship with enough icy enchantment to make even Elsa raise an approving eyebrow.

At the heart of this tale is a lonesome princess who resides in a land of snow. Not the cute, postcard-worthy type of snow but the endless, digging for survival kind. Why? Because she made a wish. A really bad one. The kind of wish you instantly regret, like wishing for unlimited cake and then actually becoming responsible for 72 metric tons of pastry.

Now, day in and day out, this princess digs through the snow, trying to undo the wish that left her kingdom eerily empty. Think of it as royal snow-shoveling duty, but with higher emotional stakes.

Enter Ela, the girl from the modern world, who literally stumbles through the kingdom’s magical mist barrier. Most kids fall into puddles or an awkward school assembly; Ela falls into another dimension. Respect.

But what really makes this entrance funny is that Ela recognizes the princess immediately from the cover of a book her mom won’t let her read. But let’s take a moment to appreciate the achievement here: Ela has just walked into a book she wasn’t even allowed to crack open. That’s some next-level rebellion. Teenage angst, but make it fantasy.

Meanwhile, the princess is beyond thrilled finally, a living, breathing human! Not only does Ela prove that her disastrous wish might be reversible, she also gives the princess a golden opportunity: drag sorry, escort her directly to the king as evidence.

Now, these two girls from two wildly different worlds have to figure out how to fix the chaos caused by one wish gone wrong. Will they pull it off? Will they get frostbite? Will they become besties? I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say this is the kind of partnership that makes you root for them while simultaneously wanting to hand them a scarf, a blanket, and maybe a heated water bottle.

The author weaves a snowy world that is at once whimsical yet thoughtfully layered. World-building brings to the mind the wintry charm of Frozen, the mythical elegance of The Snow Queen, and the classic adventure vibes of The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe. But it adds its own flavor, like hot chocolate with a pinch of cinnamon.

The pacing of the story is gentle yet captivating, moving readers across the chapters with ease, like seasoned skaters. But not to worry no actual skating skills are required to understand the book.

The princess is a beautifully complex character, all at once vulnerable, determined, regretful, and hopeful, lonely but courageous. She is one of those princesses that could absolutely survive a snowpocalypse.

Meanwhile, Ela brings modern-day attitude, curiosity, and a healthy dose of “Wait, WHAT is happening?” energy. She grounds the fantasy with humor and relatability. Together, they form a duo that bounces between heartfelt and hilarious.

Sure, this book is perfect to curl up with on a frosty night, wrapped in a blanket and clutching something warm in your hands. But truthfully? It is also perfect to read right in the middle of a heatwave when all you want to do is mentally escape to cooler climates and not pay for air-conditioning.

Snow isn’t just some kind of fantasy adventure; it’s a story of belonging, choices, friendship, and that one little stubborn spark inside every one of us that believes things can get better. If you are looking for a book that feels like a warm hug in a cold world mixed with magical mayhem and two strong heroines determined to set things right, this is your pick.