ARC Book Review: Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz & Michael Johnston

Frozen

Melissa de la Cruz & Michael Johnston

ARC Disclaimer: I was not paid in any way by the publishers to review this book favourably. The review is my own honest opinion (Whether or not it is agreed with).

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Pages: 336

Genre:  Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

Frozen has this distinct adventure feel to it. A Treasure Island kind of feeling. We are shoved into this post-apocalyptic version of America that is freezing cold, cancer is the norm, life expectancy is considerably lower than it is now and beings of fantasy have come out of the ice. That last bits important to know before going in, there is a lot of fantasy beings/themes in this book.

We follow Nat who has escape from some kind of facility and is hiding out in New Vegas as a card dealer and Ryan, an ex-soldier turned runner who does the dirty work other’s don’t want to do. Nat has found a way to get to the “Blue” a paradise that is said to be only a rumor and she ends up hiring Ryan and his crew to get her there.

I’d be lying if I said that this book was brilliantly written. Sometimes the main relationship is a little awkward, but other than the ending which felt all over the place and rushed, the writing didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of it.

There was a spark to Frozen that kept my attention. As soon as they were out on the waters, I felt myself wondering what kind of thing they would encounter.

I think if we had focused more on the environment and less on the people encountered it would have been more enjoyable.

The fantasy aspects of this book are so cool in theory, but end up giving the story an over-burdened feeling in practice. I think it would have done just as well without the different species and had instead just kept to the special powers.

I also wish we had seen more of the “wailer” before the ending, but I really liked the whole scare and wonder of what it is during the book and then the bird as well.

I kind of like that the Nat and Ryan choose not to stay with each other and instead go with their duty. I’m sure in a later book they will be reunited, but romance in YA and NA has made me want more couples not to end perfectly.

Ratings for this book are all over the place if you look it up. I think, however, though it’s not without it’s issues, the idea and plot are interesting and the adventure part is really enjoyable.

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