Frozen: Heart of Dread, Book 1
By Kate Pavao,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Dark series start an unusal mix of dystopian and fantasy.
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What's the Story?
Nat and Wes are teens struggling to survive in a frozen world filled with poisoned oceans, a mostly illiterate population, and widespread cancer deaths. Working as a blackjack dealer in New Vegas, Nat must hide the fact that she is \"marked\" -- her bright green eyes and birthmark make her part of a new and feared species of people who can do amazing things like move objects with their minds or weave illusions. (At the start of the book, \"Nat had no idea how to use her power or how to control it\"). She gets to know Wes, a former soldier now working as a mercenary, when she contracts him to take her out of the city; she has a map to a mythical paradise known as the Blue. But to get there, Nat and Wes must draw upon all their strengths -- both human and otherworldly -- and depend on each other to cross the dark water, face slave traders, and keep their controlling government from destroying the Blue.
Is It Any Good?
FROZEN kicks off a series, and the husband-and-wife co-authors lay on the details pretty thick in describing the inner workings of the chilling future world they've imagined. The book's unusual mix of dystopian and fantasy elements may be the right match for some, but others may find that details about marked people, dragons, and a zombie-like species feel out of sync with the other dark but more realistic details described along the way. (For example, trashbergs fill the ocean, people often speak in text language, and drinking water is a precious -- and expensive -- beverage.)
Even so, Nat and Wes are sympathetic, strong, and heroic characters, and readers are sure to stay engaged as these likable -- if familiar -- protagonists face constant peril to get to the Blue. And the authors certainly leave plenty unresolved to encourage readers to return for the next installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about dystopian novels. What ideas in Frozen seem like actual possibilities for our future, and which seem too far-fetched?
Do you think reading dystopian books like Frozen can help teens figure out the best way to protect the Earth and people?
What do you think writers have to gain from working on a series? What about publishers? Do you plan to read other books in the Heart of Dread series?
Book Details
- Authors: Melissa de la Cruz, Michael Johnston
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Publication date: September 17, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 336
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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Where to Read
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