Review: Frost

Title: Frost
Author: Marianna Baer
Pages: 396
Format: Print/Hardcover
Published: September 13th 2011
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (Imprint of Harper Collins)


Where do I begin? First, I will say I dove head first into this novel. I was so excited to start reading it, expectations I usually have before starting a book completely disappeared. I read the first sentence wanting nothing more but for it to be a good, thrilling adventure of fun. I like fun.

Frost is about a girl named Leena who, after much convincing, moves into Frost house for her senior year at Barcroft, a boarding school she had been attending since first year (grade 9, I'm assuming). The house is everything she had hoped for, except for Celeste Lazar, a girl she wasn't so thrilled about sharing a room with. Despite Celeste, Leena is drawn to her brother. Leena is also drawn to her enemies closet where she spends much time thinking and feeling at 'home'. Weird things start to happen, though. Vases get broken, pictures are thrown across rooms, hell, poor Celeste wakes up with bruises covering her entire body, head- to- toe. Something weird is happening at Frost house, however poor Leena just doesn't want to believe any of it. Period.

This was a creepy, thrilling and one of the better ghost stories I've read in a while. Well, I haven't read any recent ghost stories. Ah, but this was a good one. We don't ever know for sure if a ghost is involved with all the strange happenings, however, this is what makes this book so mysterious and creepy. It's unbelievably spine chilling. I brought this book everywhere with me, in case I could sneak some reading time.

This book was told in the POV of Leena, the one who had been so drawn to Frost house. I find POV novels to be bothersome, especially when you dislike the main character- *cough* Zoey *cough*. Leena was the better of the POV varieties. I found her easy to relate to. She was like any other teenager. Trying to get through school, apply to colleges, worry about boys, and have family troubles. If you couldn't relate to her in one way you were certain to relate to her in another. She wasn't weak, but strong and independent, she wasn't irrational, but rational and thoughtful. She put a lot of thought into her actions, which was probably why I continued on. You can't enjoy a book without loving the character telling you the story, now can you?

The creativeness of this novel and originality was thrilling and adventurous. Drawing me in just like Leena had been drawn into the closet. Once I was in, there was know going back. I felt so a part of this book. It's words were hypnotizing. Truly, the writing was great. The plot was crafted in a way so that there were sharp turns of surprises that had me gasping and shivering.

One note on characters: They were all great. I already talked about Leena's character, so I will continue on to Celeste, the broken-leg in a cast, weird collecting- roach girl. She is, like I said, weird. But I liked her. She was different and had no care for what people thought of her. From time to time she would piss me off, but in a sisterly way. I'd quickly love her again. David, Celeste's brother, is the boy Leena, obviously, likes. He was great. Different, actually. I can't say I've read a book that featured a boy who was so protective of his sister. They were both weird, but lovable. Leena's friends, Abby and Viv, were just that, friends. They all get into a fight, don't speak to each other, one kind of forgives the other and life goes on. Girl drama, what do you expect?

This review does not do this book justice. I haven't been so drawn into a book for some time now. Is it me, or does whatever roam the halls and walls of Frost house roam the pages of that book? I wonder...

A deserving:
5 curly pig tails