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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
laura,thespecialone

Heart of Dread: Frozen by Melissa De Le Cruz & Michael Johnston- review

Melissa de la Cruz  Michael Johnston, Heart of Dread: Frozen

Frozen by Melissa De Le Cruz and Michael Johnston is about a girl called Nat. She lives in New Vegas, which is now covered in ice, much like the rest of the world. Frostbite is a constant threat and for a lot of people real food is impossible to get (as they all have no money) so they have to eat prophetic food, which is given out for free. Nat has to be constantly on the look out as the military are looking for the marked, but with a pair of colored contact lenses she can fit in quite easily, working as a croupier. However when the voice inside her head tells her to leave, after securing a necklace from her boss, she has to find a runner to take her to the mythical land of the Blue.

She soon finds Wes who is the runner least likely to sell her to the border guards, on her way to the Blue, a highly illegal and dangerous task. The book then follows their journey and their hardships on the way to the land where the sun still shines, the water is clear, and Nat will be free of the risk of getting captured because she is marked.

I really enjoyed this book, as it is well written and easy to understand. The plot keeps on turning (though you always know something is going to go wrong to keep it interesting) and it all makes sense. It was really interesting to see this view of "the future", with the world basically shutting down and freezing over. The relationship between Nat and Wes is interesting as it is narrated through both of their views, so it is funny seeing their different motives and how they clash, but also how they are very similar at the same time.

I would give this book 4 out of 5 as it was well written and interesting but it's not gripping enough to get any higher. I would recommend it to anyone 12+ as it has a lot of death and shooting in it.

• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.

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