Black Ice

by Becca Fitzpatrick

Britt Pfeiffer has never been that adventurous, but that's about to change. Wanting to impress her ex-boyfriend, Britt convinces best friend, Korbie, to take a trekking trip with her. But when a freak storm leaves the girls stranded they seek shelter in a cabin, where they find two knights in shining armour. Or so they think.
Britt quickly realises that the girls need to get off the mountain, fast. In exchange for her life, she is forced to guide the boys down, and as they set out on a harrowing journey through the cold and snow, Britt realises the only way to escape with her life is to pretend she is on their side. But is gorgeous, sexy Mason an enemy or an ally? Tension mounts, and it's only a matter of time before things turn deadly . . .
Dark and adrenaline-filled, Black Ice will have you on the edge of your seat right until the final twist.

• ISBN10: 1442474270
• ISBN13: 9781442474277
• Publish Date: 10 November 2015 (first published 7 October 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Edition: Reprint ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[cornerfolds]

I will readily admit that I'm not a regular reader of contemporary fiction - it just isn't my genre. That being said, I completely adore survival stories, regardless of the setting. Black Ice promised to be a riveting survival story set in the mountains during a snowstorm with some romance thrown in for good measure (okay, it promises a lot of romance). I had high hopes for this one. I've rarely met a survival story I haven't loved!

Britt and Korbie are best friends (apparently) and Britt has recently had her heart broken by Calvin, Korbie's brother. Normal enough so far, right? Well, that's where the normalcy kind of ends. Calvin dumped Britt via text EIGHT months ago, but she isn't over him even a little bit. While all of their friends are going off to Hawaii for Spring Break, Britt decides to drag her BFF on a 40 mile hiking trip in the off chance they'll run into her ex. Because that's a normal thing that people do.

As you can see from the blurb, she never quite makes it, instead finding herself stranded. That's where the REALLY stupid part begins. These girls are utterly clueless about life in general. Britt goes on and on and on throughout the book about how she has depended on the men around her to save her for her entire life, and I didn't doubt her for a second. When they're snowed into their car, they decide to leave it. They leave the car. The car with a heater and blankets and supplies and food. They.Leave.The.Car. And it gets better! They stomp around in a blizzard until they find a couple strange men and just hop on into their cabin. Because that's a normal thing people do.

Totally surprisingly, they're taken hostage. Korbie runs her mouth a lot and almost gets herself killed because she's a genius and thinks the entire world revolves around her. Thankfully, Korbie isn't a huge part of the story and instead we get to focus on the romance. Oh, joy. I'm going to be honest, the romance made me a little uncomfortable. It's total Stockholm Syndrome (but maybe not because he was nice that one time). Britt does her darndest to convince herself that it isn't, but it is. And it's annoying to watch her bounce back and forth between Calvin and Mason through the entire book.

The story itself is... interesting. There were some really good thrilling moments where I truly had to hold my breath. The setting is pretty great. I actually felt cold at times and had to bring myself back to the present! There was even a pretty good twist near the end that I kind of but not really saw coming. But ultimately the big reveal and all the convenient explanations fell flat for me. I didn't sympathize with Britt at all. She was helpless and stupid and constantly made excuses for everyone. I didn't think Mason was all that intelligent, despite being hit over the head with what a genius he was on every other page.

Black Ice was just not what I'd hoped for at all. I've read some really amazing YA and NA survival stories that included romance and this one just didn't work. Sometimes Stockholm Syndrome works (hey, I love Beauty and the Beast!) but in this case it was just uncomfortable. I hated almost every single character, with the exception of Mason, who I only mildly disliked. Still, it did have a few good moments and some pretty amazing world building to have been set in the middle of the woods. All in all I don't think I could recommend it unless you love totally unrealistic and cheesy Stockholm Syndrome romance novels.

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

[Chelsea]

Initial Thoughts

I’ve seen a lot of bad reviews about this book. I was excited to read it until I read those. I don’t usually read reviews before reading a book because I like to make my own opinion. I’m glad I was still able to be fairly unjudgmental while reading this book.

My New BFF

I’m not really sure who I’d pick as my best friend in this one. Britt just wasn’t my favourite character but I was happy to see her develop as time went by. She started off really annoying because she couldn’t do anything herself but then you saw how much she actually picked up from other people once she clued in that she was on her own. So she did get better. Eventually. I wished there was more I liked about her but she was kind of a boring character. I would have liked to see more of her new friends at the end of the book because they seemed really cool. Her best friend during the book was annoying and a huge baby. I was glad to see that she wasn’t a big part of the book. She was a horrible friend.

My Crush

I know I wasn’t supposed to like Mason but I really did. Even though he’s a wanted criminal. I could just tell that he wasn’t planning on being in his situation and that his whole plan went wrong. I kind of liked how his story turned out too. It was a little predictable for me but I’m glad he got his happy ending. I found he had a good personality in the book and that’s why I kept reading. He was probably the only character I really enjoyed.

Writing Style

The witting wasn’t perfect and I wasn’t expecting it to be. I had some issues with the authors Hush Hush series so my expectations weren’t high with this one. I thought that most of the characters could be a lot better though. Some of them had no personality or were just annoying and predictable. I feel like the author might be improving though because it was almost like she caught on a little bit at the end. Hopefully in a new book we will see some changes.

Closing Thoughts

I thought this book was a lot better than what people have it credit for. It wasn’t an absolute favourite but I enjoyed reading it. I’m glad I picked it up and decided to give it a try. I was also really happy that there was an epilogue. I think it really pulled everything together and made the ending seem final. We need more solo books that arent contemporary!

[liz089]

Want to read more of my reviews ? Visit my blog Freyja Eats Books !!

Black Ice

Title: Black Ice
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books
Release date: October 2014
Pages: 400
How I got the book: E-reader

Summary
Danger is hard to resist in this sexy thriller from Becca Fitzpatrick, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga.

Brit Pheiffer 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.

Britt is forced to guide the men off the mountain, and 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, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

Black Ice is New York Times bestselling author Becca Fitzpatrick's riveting romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming. Falling in love should never be this dangerous.

Stand alone or series: Stand alone

Why did I read this book: Because I liked the writer. Becca Fitzpatrick is the writer of the Hush Hush series, which is one of my favourites. So when she came with a new book I had to read it.

Cover impression: Cool. Dark and mysterious. I like it. Let it snow, let it snow..

Review
Soo.. I did not know what to expect when I started reading this book. It has been a couple of years since I read Hush Hush and from what I made out of the summary this wasn’t a paranormal book. Which is fine, I like mixing it up. Reading too much about the same topics after another is something that I like to prevent.

At a certain point they all start to look alike, maybe because I have read a lot, or after so many is already been done by other authors it gets harder to be original.. I don’t know.. But it sucks haha.


But back to business.. Black Ice. I am going to be completely honest.. during the first part of the book I had a couple of moments were I wanted to put the book down and start something else. The main character, Britt, was VERY annoying. The whole point when reading a book is getting along with your main character. Of course you do not have to agree with every decision they make, but at a certain level you have to like them and relate to them. Britt I did not like at the beginning. She was self-absorbed and let other people take care of her. Some decisions she made where based on childish egoism and her choice in friends was absolutely ridiculous.. I mean, why was she friends with Korbie??? She was a complete tampered bitch who made everything a competition.. I strongly dislike those kind of people !! Blegh.


And then Calvin.. I really did not see the appeal.. she keeps talking about him as if they had this amazing relationship and were perfect. But the more she shares about their relationship, the more I got to doubt how much it meant.. I mean, he didn't even want other people to know they were together ! He was kind of controlling her and mean.. Putting her down like she was just some kind of a weak person. Like in that store ! And she just kept thinking about him and how awesome he was... How he was going to save her blabla.. That did not do it for me, no points for Britt in her taste in men..

But during the story our main character got more character (Ha) and started to think beyond her own little petty world. She acted smart and started depending more on her own skills. Skills that saved her own life and that of the others. Go Britt ! And well, because of that I decided to finish this book.. and because it was getting more mysterious and I wanted to know what happened !

I loooooved Mason/Jude from the beginning. How awesome that he came to the rescue when he did not even know her ! It made me instantly like the guy. Every woman wants her knight in shining armor haha. When they met later on, you knew from the start something was up. I mean, he gave up pretty obvious hints that they should leave.. maybe he should just have explained some things that were happening and this whole situation could have been prevented ! Boring book it would have been that way haha. But still, you noticed he was the good guy and that they would end up liking each other.


*Sigh* Is it just me or is it almost impossible to be surprised who will end up with each other? It is sooooooo obvious every single time ! The guy is introduced and it is instantly yep.. that’s him.. they are going to end up with each other..

Even though it was to be expected, I liked how their relationship developed. It was not an instantly love, they took their time and got to know each other better under some of the worse conditions. But well, you really see how someone is during those kind of times right. Their real personality comes up.


I did not like Shaun at all.. It was obvious from the beginning that he was up to no good. And not in a sexy, bad boy way, but more in a psycho, keep away way.. His character was kind of shallow and did not have much development.. Kind of shocked that he got killed so suddenly! Even though it was to be expected in some way, I DID NOT expect he got shot so suddenly in cold blood.. See ! Some plot twists I did not see happening !


I did miss some things though.. like what happened to Bear?? He came after them later.. but then what ? Plot hooooole.. And I kind of missed what happened with Korbie and family afterwards.. I mean their father was a mayor child abuser, he kind of made Calvin into a serial killer.. and nothing on how that ended.. Or how Korbie took everything.. Of course she was stupid child.. but well.. I like to wallow in their self-pity.. makes me feel better haha.


And well.. I dislike that Calvin got away with murder in some way.. because he tried to off himself he damaged his brain and probably lost most of his mind.. So he will not really be punished for what he did, because he’s not conscious. But well… It is sad in some way of course, if he had a normal childhood he would probably never done these things.. See ! That’s why it suckes that you do not know how the Versteeg family ends up!

I did love the ending between Jude and Britt. It was smart and wise to take some time apart after everything that happened, to get some time of their own. And you see for yourself, when two people really belong with each other they will end up together anyway.. How beautiful that he kept waiting for her at that beach.. so romantic !!

Rating

So all in all it was a good book, I was entertained. The main characters made some developments and you could see them change and get stronger during the story. I liked that. You kept guessing what was going on and who murdered those girls. And why they were murdered.. I liked that for a change it was not a paranormal read, she mixed it up. I liked that as well, some authors stay with what they have written and do not explore in other directions.. I liked that she took that step and went for something different. So I think that I give this book 3.5/4 Freyja’s.. Do not know for sure if it is good enough for 4 Freyja’s.. I do think I would recommend this book though.. mixing it up ! Haha. And I am a sucker for happy endings..

[A Darker Shade of Rosie]

✨ A Darker Shade of Rosie + Twitter ✨

→ LIKED: A girl and her best friend get stranded in their Jeep by a major snowstorm on their way to their folks' summer cabin. They decide to hoof it to get help, and wind up at another person's cabin. Unfortunately, the occupants are mucho loco and take them hostage. They force the main character, Britt, to lead them off the mountain, leaving her friend behind. • Britt has a lot of character growth, which is great. It's not fun reading about a character who stays exactly the same from beginning to end. • Some valuable life lessons were taught: Learn to be your own hero. Don't rely on anyone but yourself. Don't go backpacking in the mountains in the middle of a blizzard.

→ DISLIKED: I don't like when there is too much "telling" in the dialogue. It doesn't feel realistic to me when another person is explaining everything in explicit detail - and this book had a lot of it. • There's some "Stockholm Syndrome" woven in - Britt starts to fall for one of her captors. At the same time, she attempts to convince herself the connection they have is born out of necessity and survival. (I guess I can't judge too harshly, as Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite Disney movies.)

[whisperingchapters]

Black Ice tells the story from Britt's point of view, a girl that wants to spend spring break hiking mountains with her best friend Korbie in order to impress her ex boyfriend Colin. While these two girls are on their way to the mountain, their car breaks down and the girls decide to look for shelter until they come across Shaun and Mason. Mason is against the girls setting foot in their cabin but Shaun is more than happy to welcome them in. Little do Britt and Korbie know, Shaun is dangerous and takes them as hostages.

Black Ice came with unexpected twists. While it does have moments that are expected and the reader can tell what's going to happen, it still manages to surprise the reader and leave them hanging. Unfortunately, I got spoiled so I knew who the bad guy was in this story but I still wanted to read it because I knew there were still surprises and twists. I'm so glad I finished the book because I enjoyed it a lot.

The first part of the book is very slow and dragging, which led me to stop reading for a while but once I got spoiled, I started to read Black Ice again and the pace picks up but it slows down then goes back up again, which is why I give this story 3.5 stars.

The character I loved the most was Mason/Jude. I believe he should have approached the situation in a better way since the beginning but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm not saying that staying by Shaun's side was the right decision but he wanted justice and justice he got!

I recommend this story to any YA fan that loves suspense, mystery and romance involved. Let's face it. Romance in a mystery novel highs up the ranks!

[Kelly]

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/10/black-ice-by-becca-fitzpatrick.html
Apart from a weak beginning and questionable actions from the female protagonist, I really, really enjoyed it. The last quarter was fantastic. Considering I loathed Hush Hush, you can colour me surprised.

Black Ice was a unique and enthralling read that surprised me. Told from the perspective of Britt, a girl who still pines for her former boyfriend and has always relied on the men in her life to keep her safe, she now finds herself in a dangerous situation with nothing to rely upon but her own cunning. As the story begins, Britt seems to be little more than a materialistic simpleton. But it isn't long before her sheds her superficial facade in order to survive. She isn't the helpless girl she portrays herself to be. Korbie on the other hand is the generic wealthy princess who is waiting for death, or boyfriend Bear to rescue her from their captors. The term boyfriend is used loosely, as she makes her intentions towards claiming Shaun clear, and her jealously leads to her usual obnoxious and caustic comments as a coping mechanism. Although best friends, Korbie switches between fun loving girl to poisonous when she feels that she isn't the center of attention. Her character was cruel and incredibly irritating.

Mason and Shaun are seemingly friends, but it isn't long before cracks start appearing and Britt soon releases that their connection is little more than a strained association that she can use to her advantage. But Mason isn't the heartless villain that he first appears to be, his kindness and attempts to protect Britt are baffling, until she learns more about why he's trying to evade the authorities. Britt finds herself partially attracted to Mason, but also acknowledges the possibility of suffering from Stockholm Syndrome in a hostage situation. It soon becomes more a battle against the elements to survive, than escape.

I found myself championing for Britt's escape and survival, and unlike her debut novel Hush Hush, Black Ice is a more mature, meticulous and engaging read that will appeal to fans of young adult mysteries and thrillers. Highly entertaining and will surprise readers who weren't particularly fond of her previous releases. I simply couldn't put it down.

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

I am beyond thrilled that Becca Fitzpatrick was able to pull off writing such a thrilling, mysterious, dark novel like Black Ice. She's gotten a pretty bad rep for her Hush, Hush series that I'm beyond ecstatic that she's written such an amazingly intense and phenomenal book. I really love a good romantic thriller, when it's done right and this book didn't leave me disappointed in the least little bit. The first line of the synopsis for Black Ice, sets the tone for the story it's going to tell. "Sometimes danger is hard to see...until it’s too late."

Black Ice is wonderfully dark, deliciously spine tingling, intriguing, and full of mystique. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. Full of action, intense emotion, and suspense, it will spark your adrenaline and anticipating the next twist and turn it has to offer. The characters are written in such a way that they are relatable and easy to connect with. The atmosphere that Becca Fitzpatrick creates through her brilliantly written and imaginative imagery is enough to chill you to your bones. There is absolutely nothing at all predictable about this book.

The set-up of the story and the plot are definitely well executed. If you are looking for an addictive story filled with terrifying twists and turns, lots of heart pounding action, and some unexpected romantic chances then Black Ice is the novel for you. You won't be disappointed in the least. The idea of fighting to stay alive, trying to show that you can live your life without someone you once thought you couldn't, and never knowing what's going to happen next was definitely enough of a pull for me to fall in love with this thrill ride of awesome. I urge you to look past your past issues with her previous series and give this book a chance, I think you might actually find that you like it.