Is The Snow Girl on Netflix a true story? Who is in the cast - differences from Javier Castillo book explained

The Spanish thriller is based on the bestselling book of the same name that was released in 2020

Foreign language thrillers have slowly been growing in popularity on Netflix thanks to the likes of Squid Game, Alice in Borderland and Money Heist. The latest thriller from abroad captivating audiences is The Snow Girl, from Spain.

This is everything you need to know.

What is The Snow Girl - is it a true story?

The Snow Girl is a Spanish mystery thriller that was released by Netflix on 27 January, and is based on the book by Javier Castillo.

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It tells the story of trainee journalist Miren, who is set on figuring out what happened to Amaya Martin, a five year old girl who mysteriously disappeared during the 2010 Cavalcade of Magi, also known as the Three Wise Men parade, in Malaga.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads: “Malaga, 2010, Three Wise Men parade. The most magical moment of the year turns into a nightmare for the Martín family when their daughter Amaya disappears in the crowd.

The Snow Girl is the latest thriller taking over Netflix (Photo: Netflix)The Snow Girl is the latest thriller taking over Netflix (Photo: Netflix)
The Snow Girl is the latest thriller taking over Netflix (Photo: Netflix)

“Miren, a trainee journalist, begins an investigation parallel to that of Inspector Millán that will awaken aspects of her past that she would have liked to forget. With the help of her journalist colleague Eduardo, Miren won’t stop until she finds the girl.

“Where is Amaya Martín?””

The cast is made up of Milena Smit as Miren, Jose Coronado as Eduardo, Axia Villagran as Belen, Tristan Ulloa as David Luque and Loreto Mauleon as Ana. Also in the cast is Julian Villagran, Raul Prieto and Cecilia Freire.

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While stories of missing children are very real, this particular story isn’t based on any specific crime or disappearance.

What is the book?

The Snow Girl (La Chica De Nieve) book, written by Javier Castillo, was published back in 2020.

The blurb for the book reads: “New York, 1998, Thanksgiving Day Parade. Kiera Templeton, only three years old, disappears into the crowd. After a frantic search throughout the city, someone finds a few strands of hair along with the clothes the little one was wearing that day.

Milena Smit stars as Miren, the trainee journalist determined to figure out the truth (Photo: Netflix)Milena Smit stars as Miren, the trainee journalist determined to figure out the truth (Photo: Netflix)
Milena Smit stars as Miren, the trainee journalist determined to figure out the truth (Photo: Netflix)

“In 2003, the day that would have been Kiera’s eighth birthday, her parents, Aaron and Grace Templeton, receive a strange package with something unexpected: a VHS videotape with a one-minute recording of Kiera, playing in a room. Miren Triggs, a journalism student at Columbia University, is attracted to the case and begins a parallel investigation.”

How does the series differ from the book?

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As is to be expected with book to TV adaptations, there are changes that have been made to the story.

Beware: spoilers ahead.

One of the most obvious differences between the book and the TV series is that of the location - the book is set in New York in 1998, during the annual Thanksgiving Parade, whereas the Netflix series takes place in the Spanish city of Malaga, during the 2010 Cavalcade of Magi, also known as the Three Wise Men Parade.

The little girl, whose disappearance is at the heart of both the book and the Netflix adaptation, is changed as well - for one, her name is changed from Amaya to Kiera, and she is aged up from three to five years old.

The series was created by Jesús Mesas Silva and Javier Andrés Roig (Photo: Netflix)The series was created by Jesús Mesas Silva and Javier Andrés Roig (Photo: Netflix)
The series was created by Jesús Mesas Silva and Javier Andrés Roig (Photo: Netflix)

In the book, Amaya’s kidnappers have no relationship with her parents, whereas in the series, the kidnapper was a patient of Amaya/Kiera’s mother, who works at an infertility clinic.

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Fans of the book will also notice the addition of something called the ‘Slide’ forum, which is a site which hosts videos of child pornography, which at first appears to be connected to the disappearance of the little girl. This storyline is not present in the book.

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