After The Snow by S.D. Crockett

Polar conditions have engulfed the earth. Many have died, but there are those that have learned to survive. Willo's family lives off of the grid in a cabin up in the mountains. There, they hunt and survive on the most basic of levels. Willo is a master trapper but has an odd quirk. He has a dog's skull woven into his hat. He believes the spirit of the dog fills him and speaks to him.

When Willo comes home one day after a day of trapping, he is shocked to see his family gone. The hearth is cold and he isn't sure where they would have gone. He heard yelling earlier while out, but he didn't think anything of it. Determined to find them, he stocks his sled with the minimum he will need to survive and sets out on a journey to his sister's place. Maybe her husband will know where his family has gone.

On his journey though, a winter storm sets in. Willo sees a ramshackle building nearby and heads to it, hoping for shelter. But who answers are a young girl and her brother. They beg Willo for food and help, but he is determined to find his family and leaves them. Later, when Willo has created a shelter for himself in the carcass of an airplane, he has second thoughts. He travels back to help them, but will they inhibit his goal to find his family?

After The Snow is a page-turning chilling adventure! S.D. Crockett has built a barren and cold world with an engaging and distinct voice. Willo is such a diverse character; I never could guess what he was going to do next. From one adventure to the next, I was rooting for him and his family. From new friendships to inconsolable loss, After the Snow is a must-read for any dystopian lover!