“I’m dying,” said the voice.
What a way to start a book. Hooked right from the beginning, I was.
About 20 minutes before midnight, Dusty’s phone rings. And it’s an unknown boy on the other line, about her age, who is trying to kill himself. All he wants is a friendly voice to listen to while he dies. At first, Dusty is a little frightened, but becomes so much more-so when he says the exact same words that were the last words her brother ever spoke to her. After the boy hangs up the phone on Dusty, she races out determined to find him, following his footprints in the snow through the nearby park, only to find the footprints and the boy have completely disappeared.
So starts Dusty’s journey to discover who exactly this boy is, why people are hunting him down (and her due to her association with him), and what exactly happened to her brother when he disappeared a few years ago.
Wow, I don’t do it justice at all.
This is a perfect “curling up in bed with a cup of tea on a January or February night with a book” kind of book. It has to be one of those months in order to get the feeling of the book right – the snow is such a big part of the book that it needs to be reflected in the outside world in order to appreciate it and get into it fully.
There are so many things that I want to say about this book. It started off being deliciously creepy, and ended off being beautifully heartbreaking. It was intense (oh so intense!) and yet didn’t leave me with a book hangover like I would have expected. It left unanswered questions, so I know I’m going to keep thinking about (and possibly coming back to) the book as I wonder what happens after it has ended – what happens to the boy? What happens to Dusty? What was going on with the light, and what about the heat radiating from the paper? So many unanswered questions, and yet the book didn’t feel unfinished. There was a sense of closure, even if there was so much more that I wanted to know.
I can’t help but wonder – are all of Bowler’s books like this? If so, I definitely want to read more of them! But I want to hear from other people about that first. I liked Frozen Fire so much that I’m afraid I might not like any others quite as much as I liked it.
Kailana January 9th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
That’s a great way to start a book! I am going to add it to my wish list right now. :)
Nymeth January 9th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Me too! This really sounds fantastic.
Court January 11th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Kaliana & Nymeth – I hope you both enjoy ti as much as I did!
Lisa January 14th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
This sounds really good! Adding to wishlist. Court, I swear half my wishlist consists of books you or Rachel talk about. ;)
Court January 14th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Lisa – Haha! Half of my wishlist comes from Rachel too. But! At least this one isn’t a Canadian one that you can’t find! :)
courtney March 16th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
i am not much of a reader but frozen fire is the best book ever.for sure! in skool i would be sittin there all day not payin attention at all all i wanted to do was wait till i had the chance to read the book id be reading it walkin down the halls in skool. i had such a hard time settin it down. i work out in the woods with my dad when ever he wasnt around id grabbed my book and start reading. this book is amazing… u want to know what happens so bad 1 thing hapens then your like omg whats next. i think any kind of person would like this book serionsly!!!!!
Jack February 21st, 2010 at 6:05 pm
“Frozen Fire” is without a doubt the most thrilling story I’ve ever read. Throughout the book there is a tense feeling of mystery and the unknown. Tim Bowler’s descriptions and dialog are impressively solid, and the brief sentences that he uses have an alluring and rhythmic effect that adds to the story’s psychological suspense. As events come to a head, the amazing climax of the story left me literally in awe. I have read thousands of books, and I must say that “Frozen Fire” is among the very best. This is one book that you must read!!