Black Ice

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books

Year: 2014

Ranking: 3,5/ 5

  

Synopsis

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this; she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

The Author

Becca Fitzpatrick grew up reading Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden with a flashlight under the covers. She graduated college with a degree in health, which she promptly abandoned for storytelling. When not writing, she's most likely prowling sale racks for reject shoes, running, or watching crime dramas on TV. She is the author of the bestselling HUSH, HUSH Saga. Her new book BLACK ICE arrives in bookstores everywhere October 7, 2014.

Personal Experience with This Book

I heard many divided opinions of this book and decided to read it to see what I thought about it. When I read the synopsis the book got my attention because it is something I usually do not read, mystery. 

When you start the first chapter you stay super trapped in the story because at the end of only the first chapter the questions start to appear in your head. However, as the story progress that first impression of the book and the story fades a bit. I mean, what happens is that these two girls, Britt and Korbie begin their journey and everything seems chopped but they do nothing for things to improve. First they are in the middle of a blizzard. They go to seek refuge and find a small house with two complete strangers and even though one of them did not really like the idea that they are there, they get inside and start flirting with these two guys they know nothing about. Where was the part of security first? Their parents did not teach these two girls that you must not trust in strangers?

I was like "Is it even possible these girls are that stupid?” I mean you can see the environment is quite weird when they open the door. Even if you run out of gasoline, the logical thing in a case like this it is to stay on the road because someone can come and help you. Why going inside the forest? And if there was no possibility to stay on the road, did they have to go inside a house with two strangers?. Ok, Say you pass this thing because otherwise there would be no story. But , FLIRT WITH THEM? REALLY?

When I finished the first 80 pages of the book I had told myself that I would not like it. That's why I usually do not read this kind of books; the characters always do the opposite of what everyone knows is the right thing to do in these situations. It bothers me that logic so much. However, I continued with the book because I wanted to give it a try. I liked Britt as a character and, I wanted to learn more about her and why Mason seemed so affected by seeing them there. So, I continued reading and I'M GLAD I DID IT.

After the girls are taken hostage the story has a giant twist. Britt takes a more serious attitude and makes every effort to prevent something happen to Korbie. We also have to Mason who makes every effort to protect them both and, Shaun who is very scary. The more you progress through the story, more questions appear and, although I had solved the mystery when I was about 200 and something pages in, I liked discovering how things happened.

Britt is a character who grows a lot in this book and that is saying a lot because the book has a little over 300 pages. When we meet her at the beginning we know it's a girl, let’s not say superficial but, somewhat immature. What she wants is to prove to Calvin, her father and her bother that she can do well without being protected. When you finish the book Britt looks like a completely different person. As she says, that experience changed her completely.

Mason was an enigmatic character. I like getting to know his past through his interactions with Britt and although, he was always very careful with what he said I couldn’t not to trust him. It is perhaps for this reason that I did not feel bother with the insta-love between the protagonists. But I will not say more about it because I feel that you should discover things when reading the book.

I do not think this book is for everyone. Actually I was about to leave it. And although I really enjoyed reading it and, I was happy to finish with the end and all, I feel there was something missing. Something that would make me say this is a wonderful book, which III did not find in it at all. It is not a masterpiece. It is not a "wow" book which will stay with me all my life, but a good and full of intrigue story that keeps you glued to it after page 100 ... so I think if you get to pass that part maybe you'll find the rest of the story very good.

About the author’s writing I do not have much to say. Many people say that she improved greatly since “Hush Hush” but, the truth is that I have not read it and neither will read it because I just don’t find it interesting. So, about her evolution as a writer I cannot comment. What I can say is that this book can be read very quickly. And that's something I must emphasize because the book has many descriptive scenes, which normally for me makes me take longer when reading.

If you really like the mystery genre and if you've read many books of this type I think you will not like this particular one. Because even though I do not read this kind of books that often, I knew what would be the end before she even gave the clues to solve it. If instead you do not read a lot of these books, like me, I think this one is good to start. Besides the romance is all nice although the setting of the story and the entire plot are darker.