Snap

by Susin Nielsen

A laugh-out-loud novel about the consequences of being pushed to the edge—and plummeting right over it

Frances Partridge, fifty-five, is a beloved children’s author. Geraint Blevins, forty-one, is an auto mechanic and devoted family man. Parker Poplawski, twenty-three, is just starting her career as a wardrobe assistant on a hit TV show. What do these people have in common?

Nothing, that’s what. Until each of them reaches a breaking point and snaps in spectacular fashion. They meet in a court-mandated anger management three very different people, forced to spend a lot of time together, who slowly end up bonding and helping one another in unexpected ways, whether it’s to move on or to exact revenge.

Lighthearted, timely, and funny, Snap is Nielsen at the top of her storytelling game, delivering flawed but relatable characters whose heartaches, foibles, and choices will make you cringe as you laugh out loud.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Book Club, Audiobook, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Humor

336 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2025

About the author

Susin got her start feeding cast and crew on the popular television series, Degrassi Junior High. They hated her food, but they saw a spark in her writing. Nielsen went on to pen sixteen episodes of the hit TV show. Since then, Nielsen has written for over 20 Canadian TV series. Her first young adult novel, Word Nerd, was published in 2008 to critical acclaim. It won multiple Young Readers’ Choice Awards, as did her second novel, Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom. Her third novel, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen, was published in August 2012. It went on to win the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award, the Canadian Library Association’s Children’s Book of the Year Award, and a number of Young Readers’ Choice Awards. Author Wally Lamb named it his top YA pick for 2012 in his “First Annual Wally Awards,” and recently Rolling Stone magazine put it at #27 in their list of “Top 40 Best YA Novels.”
Her books have been translated into multiple languages. Susin’s new novel, We Are All Made of Molecules, will be published in Canada, the US and the UK in Spring of 2015. She lives in Vancouver with her family and two naughty cats. She is delighted to have finally figure out how to "claim" her author profile on Goodreads!

Reviews

[Danielle Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book checked all the boxes for me - flawed but likeable characters, an engaging setting (Vancouver!) and an engrossing and witty plot. I was sad to finish it; would love to see these characters again!

[Pam Varga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book ❤️ and it’s Canadian.
What a fun read.

[Aly E Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything!

[Leah Rehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I was friends with all the characters in this book, I liked it so much.

[Mona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable book, I liked the author’s style.
I loved how it referenced Vancouver, great summer read.

[Zie Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book recommended to me on Spotify; I was intrigued by the eye-catching cover and the promising description of "laugh-out-loud funny," so I opened it, and was not disappointed! I quickly fell in love with the characters and the scenarios they were in. Susin Nielsen manages to find a sweet spot between silly and serious, meaning you find yourself truly caring about and relating to the characters, but can still laugh along knowing it's fiction. I think everyone can find something they relate to in this book, and it's a nice, easy read.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great novel with memorable characters, funny scenarios, and a satisfying resolution to three different, interrelated stories.

[Geonn Cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little tip for audiobook narrators. If you're reading a little kid's dialogue, you don't have to put on the squeakiest shrillest voice imaginable. This narrator read every bit of this kid's dialogue like a Muppet having a crisis. Horrific. The book itself was okay, but I really didn't warm to any of the characters. Yes, we can all hit our breaking points, and sometimes in very unfortunate places/times, but there were moments when I wondered if these people were just maniacs. At one point, a grown woman jumps on a man's back (to be fair, he WAS a huge asshole) and twisted his hand until he dropped his cell phone, which she then ran over multiple times with her car. These people resorted to violence, destruction of property, violence again... I'm just saying, they got off easy with anger management classes. There's no shame in hospitalization for some of these issues, people.

[Janna Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what I needed. Endearing and redeemable characters, so funny and heart warming, and loved all the Vancouver references. I could picture it all in my mind!

[Chloé · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!! AND this is a Canadian book. AND it’s set in Vancouver!!! I was thrilled to read the characters going to one of my favourite Kitsilano restaurant. It’s funny, light but also explore more serious theme. I’m so glad I found this book!

[Allyson Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute read! Loved how each characters storyline intertwined.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

This was a funny adult debut by Canadian children’s author Susin Neilsen that follows three BC people sent to attend forced anger management classes after blowing up as a result of huge life incidences. I enjoyed the intergenerational friendships, the starting over in midlife and the female rage against mistreatment and abuse by men. This had a ton of Canadian references, was good on audio and gave me great First Wives’ club vibes. Definitely worth the read!

[Ashley K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book SO MUCH! I couldn’t put it down, but also I wanted to put it down so I didn’t rush through it because it was so fun! I have never laughed out loud, slapping my knees so many times in a book! I loved the characters, the storyline, the relationships, the banter, the Canadiana! It was brilliant! I highly recommend this book to everyone!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Snap! I laughed out loud and cried more than once, which doesn’t happen often for me with a book. The story balances humor and heartbreak so naturally, never feeling forced or overdone.

What I loved most were the characters. They felt real, flawed, and deeply human, and watching them grow over the course of the novel was incredibly satisfying. Their relationships (especially the way they support one another through tough moments) were written with so much warmth and honesty.

Nielsen handles serious topics with care while still leaving room for joy and hope. Snap is funny, emotional, and unforgettable. I finished it feeling full-hearted in the best way. This is definitely book I’ll be recommending for a long time!

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved that this book was located in Vancouver and I knew most of the places. I loved the unlikely friendships that blossomed and the friendships that were already in place. I loved the honesty and I loved the growth of each character. I need to read more books by this author!

[Macauley Deck · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first third of this book is underwhelming and had me swearing off Lia’s recommendations forever. The last two thirds are charming and redeemed the book entirely. The Vancouver references are a cherry on top.

[Trennon Wint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a lot of fun reading this book. Between the pacing, structure, storytelling, and a number of enjoyable characters, Nielsen’s “Snap” was a joy to read, and I found myself eagerly waiting for my next opportunity to sit down and read.

It’s clear from the beginning that Nielsen has infused this book with so many personal elements and I think that’s really what made it work. She provided a lot of great insights into the dynamic elements of friendship, family, and emotion, without needing to hit the nail on the head too often.

Some of my main critiques:

- The dialogue needs some work. For a story that is otherwise fairly realistic, the way characters speak (especially Geraint and Daisy) pulled me out of things quickly.

- A tad predictable, and heavy on more than a few cliches. However, to Nielsen’s credit, she managed to still keep things enjoyable.

All-in-all, a solid 4/5 book and definitely something I would recommend, particularly to anyone in a reading slump. Not an overly challenging book, but certainly a worthwhile read.

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

A salve for the soul

[Karrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun look at found family. The characters are relatable and well drawn, though their “snaps” are not as angry as I pictured. I particularly liked the Can con - where else would you find cheezies and Atwood.

Why not five? It was predictable and I kept waiting for the cover to make sense to me.

[Mike Smythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book to wrap up the summer reading blitz. A feel good, heartwarming story and the fact that it takes place in Vancouver was a bonus. 👍

[Nauti · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - i loved the audiobook for this one. the humor was just funny and subtle sometimes that’d you start to laugh and end up missing a bit.

[Holly D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grabbed this book at the airport and was fun book I really enjoyed.

[Makayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute contemporary Canadian novel set in one of my favourite cities: Vancouver.

It was fun to read a book that referenced Locarno Beach, Kitsilano and timbits. Bonus points for the Calgary shoutout at the end.

One of my qualms was that one of the characters went for coffee at Blenz over Breka when Breka is the most superior café in Canada.

[Lenore · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the new Candian books that I was introduced to at our recent GritLit reader's advisory session with the Dewey Divas. This story involves some of the richest characters ever developed. Lots of humour and lots of real life.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Fast , fun, feel good, found family story. Love the premise of the ‘snap’. We have all had one real or imagined !!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nielsen is one of my absolute favourite YA authors so I was very excited to learn she had written a novel for adults. It was good. Not as wonderful as her previous books but solid. It has a very similar energy to the Thursday Murder Club series; it’s not a mystery but it focuses on several adults who wouldn’t normally have been friends going through some things and supporting each other, with lots of humour and high degree of quirkiness. In both cases, if you can suspend a little disbelief, it’s an enjoyable ride.

I think my less than fully enthusiastic experience has to do with some of the ways in which the characters thought and acted - there were many instances when I was frustrated with them for being immature and/or unreasonable. I think I could have more readily accepted these moments in Nielsen’s usual teen characters, but it was annoying to me in adults - I was mentally sighing “grow up!” a lot.

[Angel Becc · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ This was such a fun, easy read! A little far-fetched and over the top but it’s clear that was its intended purpose. I really enjoyed it! The characters were flawed but so human all at once. I loved the relationships and felt like the characters were really well developed. l found myself interested in them all, even the side characters. I loved the Canadian references.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast read and a sweet story, which I was really looking forward to because this author’s YA novel No Fixed Address is amazing. I enjoyed the premise, the read, and all of the Canadiana along the way. But I found the characters too “good” and the story tied up with too neat a bow. All of the main characters “snapped” on a really bad day, but then the author went to great lengths to show us how everything was actually situational. They were all actually so nice! As was everyone in their immediate orbit. All of the vilains get taken down in the end. Everything works out for all
of the main characters. And honestly I never really felt like it wasn’t going to. This was a fun read but not a booked that gripped me or had a lot of depth.

[Katie Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!!!! I loved everyone so much despite their flaws, and also really loved the creativity of the premise (3 unlikely friends meeting in a court mandated anger management course). A very enjoyable read.

[aqeela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.85 stars, rounded up

highly enjoyed but couldn’t help but feel as though it was missing something