Frozen was an extremely promising book with all the right elements, but it failed to use them in the right way.
I hate giving negative reviews but I kept hoping that the story would pick up, that something would happen to tie everything together and give the book that adrenaline burst it desperately needed, but nothing happened.
Natasha Kestal lives in a brutal world. The earth as we know it doesn't exist - the only thing that exists is the cold. Cold, garbage and no fresh water is what humans have reduced Mother Earth to. And from the ice came a new species, one with extraordinary abilities and a legend; a legend of a place called The Blue - where the sun still shines and the waters flow.
She is one of these Marked, as they call them, and her only safe haven the mythical land no one has ever found.
'"He liked her, he wanted her to like him, but only so he could use it against her later. Definitely messed up. But what choice did he have?
And here began my problems.
For cutthroat mercenaries, the group of boys escorting Nat to the Blue certainly didn't seem like them, but more like love sick boys that can't make decisions and don't have any semblance of loyalty. At sixteen, they're 'educated', have served time in the army and are scarred, with blood on their hands but that maturity that they should have had wasn't there.
The Blue and the creatures that came form it gave rise to more and more questions that there weren't any answers to, especially about Natasha, who she is and what she can do. Everything felt vague and even though there are two more books, even a few answers would have helped.
Moreover the bond of brotherhood that was supposed to be there wasn't and the romance aspect was more like a dragged out version of insta-love because for the life of me, I couldn't see the appeal, the desire they had for one another or the why.
All I can say is that I was disappointed and Frozen is something I simply can't recommend.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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