{Review} Frost by Kate Avery Ellison

Frost
by Kate Avery Ellison
Publisher: Kate Avery Ellison
Series:  The Frost Chronicles (#1)
Pages:  194
Source:  PDF ARC courtesy of Kate Avery Ellsion in exchange for a fair and honest review
Available as of April 3, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Smashwords | Paperback

>In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person might end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After monsters kill her parents, she must keep the family farm running despite the freezing weather and threat of monster attacks, or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and treachery just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest, a young man from beyond the Frost named Gabe, Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.

She saves his life.

Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in serious trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as ruthless and cruel, and her village has nothing to do with them. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.

But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle her farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but each move she makes puts her in greater danger. Is compassion—and love—worth the risk?

Rating:

My Review:

Wow!  Just wow.  When I received a request from Kate Avery Ellison to review her book I immediately jumped on it because of the summary.  I didn't know what to expect except for a love story mixed in with a dystopian society. Frost was well-crafted and kept me guessing even when the story was coming to a close.

Lia Weaver has to become the head of her family when her parents are killed by monsters in the woods.  Now she must care for her siblings and make sure they reach their weekly quota.  Upon returning home from town to trade their goods for food, she notices her sister is missing and goes out looking for her.  It is getting dark when Ivy finally pops out of the woods to tell Lia about the wounded boy. Ivy runs back towards the boy leaving Lia no choice but to follow.  When Lia sees the boy she stops dead in her tracks and introduces Ivy to a Farther, but this doesn't phase her; he is wounded and will die if Lia doesn't save him.

I really liked the major characters in this book.  Lia had to become the smart and responsible person we see her as when her parents died a year earlier.  She gave up a lot just so she could care for her siblings.  John, Lia's twin brother, is physically disabled and no longer a major contributor to the household.  He suffered a leg injury when he was younger which prevents him from moving around easily.  Ivy is carefree and the main reason Lia lies to the people of the Frost about their well-being.  Gabe, the Farther, doesn't fit the stereotype that the people of the Frost have been taught since they were children.  He is weary of Lia and her intentions until he comes to see she wouldn't hurt a fly.

Frost was a great read because I never had the right conclusion in my mind as to how the story would end.  It wasn't obvious and I wasn't expecting to be so caught off guard and unaware; it was refreshing.  I was continuously guessing what would happen, but none of what I assumed would happen took place.  

It took some time to get into, but I'm glad I stuck with it.  None of the major action happens until the last quarter of the book, but by then I was so engrossed in and intrigued by the story line that I refused to put it down.  Sadly, I had five minutes before my next class started so I had to finish the last chapter an hour later.  

This book is dystopian, however, it isn't dystopian in the sense that there is a controlling government like we see in The Hunger Games.  It is dystopian in the sense that the Farthers live in a controlling and dominating society and the people of the Frost live without technology and advanced research and health care.  They don't want to be controlled like Farthers.  The Frost works on a system of quotas where all people in the community must do their part or they won't get their share of food.

Overall, Frost was a great dystopian read that kept me guessing.  It was slow at times, but once the action picked up it didn't stop. 

FTC Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.