Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Release Date: October 7th 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: ARC for Review
Rating: 4/5
Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late.
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?
Review:
I can't say that I have ever read a book that falls into the thriller, murder mystery genre before reading Black Ice. I think I have now found a new genre, or sub-genre, that I love!I knew that I was going to read Black Ice simply for the fact that it was written by Becca Fitzpatrick, the author of one of my all time favourite series, Hush, hush. Knowing that Black Ice was in a completely different genre than Hush, hush I didn't know what to expect. While I don't consider Black Ice to be Becca's best work to date, it was still an amazing book nonetheless.
The premise of Black Ice is what immediately drew me in, a snow storm that leads two friends seeking refuge with two strangers who then take them hostage where an unexpected romance with the enemy possibly takes place, what doesn't sound amazing about that? Everything was flawless about Black Ice, the plot was very well though out and executed, the setting was both intriguing and refreshing, and the writing was outstanding. I loved the side characters, which I won't get into anymore detail about as it could possible spoil the book.
While I did thoroughly enjoy the plot, I did find it a bit predictable, I don't know if it's just me but I totally knew what was going to happen. To Becca Fitzpatrick's credit the twist was a bit outside the box and may surprise most, I did pick up on the subtle clues early on. My only other complaint would be that Britt was a very annoying character, she was very whinny and is too dependent on the men inner life, which she admits to many times throughout the book. The redeeming factors surrounding this is that we, as readers, get to see the complete 180 Britt goes through as the traumatic experiences that she is living through forces her to grow to become a less annoying, self relying, independent human being.
Black Ice is a fantastic murder mystery- thriller that will take readers on twists and turns as Britt tries to survive the deadly storm and her brutality of her captors while also falling for the inconveniently falling for the enemy. Definitely pick up Black Ice if you are interested in reading a book that is different than the majority of YA fiction that is popular at the moment, you won't regret it, I promise.
