Honestly, this is not my usual kind of read, but sometimes I find it refreshing to read a book outside my comfort zone. I would categorize this book as a thriller but it's also a YA contemporary because of all the boy drama. Right after finishing the book, I have this weird love/hate feeling about BLACK ICE. I really did enjoy it because it was captivating and had me hooked until the very end. On the other hand, I didn't really connect with the main character because of so many bad decisions she made.
It all starts off as Britt and her best friend Korbie make their way to Korbie's family cabin in the mountains but never reach it because of very bad winter weather. Snow prevents them from continuing on in the Jeep so they decide to hike a little and find warm shelter. I think this is their first big mistake because they could have easily taken the new hiking gear they had just purchased and make camp to wait out the storm. Unfortunately the first thing they can think of is running off into the woods with no idea where they are in order to find help. And help they did not find. Instead they get kidnapped by two guys who want to use Britt to get off the mountain because of her apparent knowledge of the area. And I say apparent because throughout the whole novel, it felt like she had no clue where she was going.
The romantic tension that develops between Britt and one of her captors, Mason, is very annoying. She just came out of a relationship with a jerk called Calvin and it's almost as if she's trying to replace one bad boy for another. If there were one good example of Stockholm Syndrome, this would be it. I wanted to roll my eyes every time Mason said something remotely nice. The guy just kidnapped her, prevented her from getting help and just because he says something about getting her to safety she immediately believes him. Britt supposedly trained many month for this hiking trip of hers but it seems like she knows nothing about surviving in the woods. Well, she knows a few basics but relies a lot on Mason to do the work. She thinks she's a strong and independent person but she relies so much on Mason that it's impossible believe.
I think most of what I don't like about the book springs from my inability to connect with Britt. She thinks she knows a lot about hiking and survival but when it comes to applying her knowledge, everything seems to go wrong. So many bad decisions were made from her part and instead of proving herself to everyone (especially her ex, Calvin) she would have been better off going to Hawaii like some of her other friends. Not only do I not agree with the decisions she makes during this ordeal, I also think she made bad decisions in staying in a relationship with Calvin for as long as she did. Also, Korbie sounds like a girl that could have been cast in the movie Mean Girls because there's nothing remotely nice about this girl expect for giving Britt so many things, and then rubbing it in her face later on.
It might sound as if I didn't like BLACK ICE but while my main issue is with the characters, many other things about this book were done right. The pacing was perfect since things were revealed little by little, keeping the tension to the maximum throughout the whole story. The author also kept me guessing throughout the majority of the book, even though I guessed who the real "bad guy" was some time before things were revealed. I wonder if this book would have been better as a non YA book. Instead of writing about unrealistic teens, maybe the author might be better off writing about adults. I don't think I would recommend this book to anyone, but I honestly don't regret having read it. The suspense was good even if I was a little disappointed with the ending.
I have been hearing a lot of mixed things about this book
ReplyDeleteI am still not sure about it
GREAT review though
Your reader,
Soma R.
I've been hearing about this book for awhile. It seems to be a common criticism is that the main character is not terribly likable and certainly not very bright. Yet the plot sounds interesting. I found your review helpful as it gave a balanced picture of the book, both good and bad. While the book sounds intriguing in a flawed kind of way, I think I''ll pass on this one as there are so many uniformly praised books out there that I think I'd like to read first.
ReplyDeleteHaving read it, I'm still not sure about it either. But I did love the ending.
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely other books I would recommend before trying this one. I've been seeing a lot of criticism around too.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I was not expecting such a lukewarm reception for this book. I will read it, but in light of the comments posted here, I'm glad I got the ARC at BEA and didn't buy it. As always, I will reserve judgement until I actually read the book.
ReplyDelete