Book One, Frozen: Heart of Dread

I received an ebook from NetGalley of Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz. Frozen is an enjoyable fantasy dystopia that starts out intriguingly. The Ice Age world concept is very interesting and I became very curious about "The Blue" and what it would be like when the characters finally arrived there. Nat's past remains a mystery until close to the very end of the book. This mystery also kept the relationship between Wes and Nat unclear. Good book and fun reading!

The Good: The writing itself is good and the characters have some sass to them, making them a little more likeable, so the book isn't a total loss.

The Bad: If you've ever read any of my reviews, you know how much I dislike "on the run" novels. Usually these are middle of a trilogy books. Frozen, the first in a new series, is a journey book almost entirely (except for the first 15% of the book or so, in which the characters are introduced pre-travels). You may also know how much I really dislike the mixing of sciencey-dystopia with paranormal elements. It takes some really unique world building to pull something like that off and Frozen just doesn't have it at all. It's about the world frozen over. How does that lead to magically inclined people? If this were sent in a frozen over fantasy world (as opposed to a post-apocalyptic United States), then sure it could work, but I also would have known up front that this was not a book I would have ever even considered reading.

The beginning of this story was familiar to me and I was afraid that I was going to be disappointed, but before the end of the first chapter I was Captain Wes hooked. Nat is in a prison but doesn't know who or what she is, just that she has a power she can't control, a voice whispering to her, and is used by nefarious people. Wes is the teen who took charge of a motley crew and is older than his years just trying to keep everyone warm and fed. Nat escapes the prison and the non-stop action kept me reading with surprises around every icy corner. This story is unpredictable. It is a mix of paranormal, dystopia, pirates, magic, and romance. Did I miss anything? I recommend this book, one of my favorite for this year.
I was so happy to get my hands on this book from firsttoread by Penguin books but now sadly have to wait for the sequel.

In this post-apocalyptic YA tale the Earth is covered with ice, the RSA (Remaining States of America) military rule with an iron hand terrorizing citizens and hunting the "marked"-- citizens with strange and magical powers. The marked are sent to a military treatment center whose official front is to help these afflicted citizens, but when in fact, the military uses them for nefarious purposes. Nat Kestal is one of few who has ever escaped the treatment center. She makes her way to New Vegas where she hires an ex-mercenary Ryan Wesson to take her across the ocean to the mystical land of the Blue. Ryan has heard the rumors about the land of Blue where the land is lush and green, but he doubts its existence. Nat has money to pay for the expedition and Ryan whose crew is slowly starving reluctantly takes the job. What happens next will keep you on your toes.

The authors do a fantastic job of pulling the reader in with the opening pages of the voice inside Nat's mind. Their world building skills paint a vivid picture of a dying ice-covered Earth filled with polluted oceans that have swallowed continents whole and boast piles of trash as big as icebergs. Dangerous slavers and pirates roam the seas preying on pilgrims trying to reach the Blue. Everything has a price and the authors throw one riveting heart-pounding scene after another in this fast-paced adventure. The connection between Wes and Nat adds a touch of romance to the story, but doesn't overshadow the action. The major story arc is resolved, but there is much more story to tell. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When I hear about husband and wife writing duos I automatically expect an authentic, emotional romance. In FROZEN, the first book in the new Heart of Dread paranormal/post-apocalyptic YA series from Melissa de la Cruz and husband Michael Johnston, the romance is just one of the many things that failed to live up to my expectations.

What's a really bad way to start a book? How about five chapters of nearly solid info dumps. The unfortunate part is that all these concepts including Marked children with special abilities, the harsh world that has been created by the frosty future, and the mythological Blue that offers the only warm escape are really fun ideas. In a better book, they could have been fantastic.

Then there's Nat and Wes. Think about your favorite YA book couple; maybe it was the romantic or exciting way they met, the thrilling awareness and interest that grew, the tension leading up to that toe curling first kiss. You won't find any of that in FROZEN. Everything about them was dull and underwhelming, the angsty Nat more so than adventure seeking Wes. It didn't help that the dialog was wooden and generic throughout.

Having not read de la Cruz's Blue Blood series, I can't say whether or not the shortcomings in FROZEN are atypical of her writing or not. I will say that the potential of this magical, post apocalyptic adventure fell apart pretty quickly and never fully recovered.

I enjoyed this book a lot. However, there were times where some of it felt too simplistic or brushed over. I really liked the story line and the majority of the characters too. It will be pretty interesting to see where the story goes next.

This book had a very interesting plot. It fell short in connecting the reader emotionally to the main characters. I wanted to care more about Nat, the heroine, but her personality just wasn't solid enough. Wes, the love interest, had a somewhat more obvious personality. You knew they would like each other, but there was no feel of romance. I literally felt like I was told, "They went through so much together so now they are in love". I think that is the major downfall of this book, the reader is guided in an almost technical way. I felt no drama, no heartache, no emotional pull. Maybe the second book will build the characters and relationships better. If so, this could be great.

As with every every book, everything can't be perfect. I enjoyed the story and the characters. This is the first in a series so of course everything can't be revealed. The story is going somewhere. It was a good book.

Worst. Book. Ever. This writer has absolutely no skill. Characters, plots, and places frequently introduced with no backstory or information. Stilted writing style, poor sentence structure, and bad grammar. The writers, editor, and publisher should all be fired. I want my money back.

I really can't understand the positive reviews for this... work. I was on a beach vacation for a week, with little else to read, and every time I picked this up, I couldn't help but put it down and DESPERATELY look for something else to read.

Why so bad? The completely implausible technical side of things, the plot doesn't make sense , the flirting between the two central characters, etc....

Consider... Wes, at the age of 16, is so poor he has little to eat.

Yet he's got an armoured HUMMER, equipped with guns, rpg's, etc.

How'd he manage that?

His crew is so skilled they can 'shoot a rifle out of a sentry's hands'. Wow. They could teach America's Special Forces some tricks, then.

Yet his crew will happily squander RPG rounds (which AREN'T fired from a rifle, but a type of launcher, despite what the author says) knocking down buildings... when they aren't looting them of useless junk.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

And Nat? Somehow she manages to steal a fortune, without casino security noticing.

She obtains a valuable map... the previous owner's picked up by goons who are intent on obtaining it...by brutal means... yet they don't beat this information out of the previous owner and come after her... right....

And the would be flirting that goes on between Wes and Nat... please! I vaguely remember being 16, and this was even lamer (if that's a word) than I could possibly conceive of.

I really LIKE post apocalyptic fiction, but it's finally happened. A book I couldn't finish.

And while I hate to have NOT finished it and written a review, want to warn others not to waste their time.

this book was a little slow in the beginning, but once the plot picked up i couldn't put it down! the series of events was full of twists and turns, and the way the author kept leading onto the character's back story kept me wanting more. such a good book, mainly because i almost never cry whie reading, but for this one i did!

I was really excited about this book, but was severely disappointed in the writing of it. It reminded me of a portly written fanfiction, skipping too quickly over important parts and not having enough detail. It was more like simple telling what happened, I didn't end up feeling invested in the characters. But it is a great concept, I just wish it was written better