Recent Reads - Frost

Frost, by Marianna Baer

 4 of 5 Stars

Buy It:  Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Genre:   Young Adult, Paranormal Suspense

Pages:   320

Expected Publication:   9/13/2011, Balzer + Bray

Why I Chose It:   I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis (from Good Reads):   Leena Thomas’s senior year at boarding school starts with a cruel shock: Frost House, the cozy Victorian dorm where she and her best friends live, has been assigned an unexpected roommate—eccentric Celeste Lazar.

As classes get under way, strange happenings begin to bedevil Frost House: frames falling off walls, doors locking themselves, furniture toppling over. Celeste blames the housemates, convinced they want to scare her into leaving. And although Leena strives to be the peacekeeper, soon the eerie happenings in the dorm, an intense romance between Leena and Celeste’s brother, David, and the reawakening of childhood fears all push Leena to take increasingly desperate measures to feel safe. But does the threat lie with her new roommate, within Leena’s own mind…or in Frost House itself?

From debut author Marianna Baer, Frost is a stunning and surprising tale of suspense that will have readers on the edge of their seats.

My Review:  First, I'd like to point out the incredible cover. Wow. Just Wow. It practically screams, "read me on a dark and stormy night". Which I did. I read it during the approach of Hurricane Irene, praying that the lights didn't go out. Of course now that I think about it, reading by candlelight might have added to the atmosphere.

Okay, moving on. So, how did I feel about this one? I liked it. I really liked it. It's incredibly well written, with moments that will make your skin crawl or have you eyeing your closet with suspicion. Will I read it again? Probably not. Why not? Well, for one it was long. Really long. With not enough chills to get me from one point to another without noticing how many pages were in between.

That's not to say that it's not an excellent book. Because it is. It's a dark, creepy ghost story, more psychological than horrifying or paranormal. In fact, I spent a good portion of the book wondering if the haunting was all in their heads.

The characters were interesting. I liked Leena, Celeste, and especially David. He's a little overbearing, but definitely adorable. And super protective of both his sister and Leena. Leena and Celeste get creepier as the story progresses, each affected by the house in a different way. I did have an issue with her two roommates, Abby & Viv, about halfway through the book. I just didn't like their reaction to a particular situation, but given that they are teenagers, I suppose it would have seemed like a huge deal to them.

The end was a wee bit iffy for me. I liked it, but I'd spent so much time while reading the book imagining what could have been going on that by the time the truth was revealed it was a little bit of a letdown.

Overall I would definitely recommend giving it a read. Especially if you're in to ghost stories.

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