Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick {REVIEW}

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?

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…

Book Title: Black Ice
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Publication Date: October 7th 2014
   by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
[REVIEW COPY]

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

My Review:

At the very beginning, I need to say that I haven't read any of Becca Fitzpatrick's books before, not even the very popular Hush, Hush Saga. I've heard a lot of things, both bad and good, about that one but I never felt the pull to try that series. However, when I saw this book, I just wanted to read it, specially after seeing it is by the same author.

What first attracted me is the cover. it has a somewhat intriguing and sinister feel to it. And maybe it's all in my imagination, but I strongly feel the title goes perfectly with the cover. The title itself has such a nerve hitting feeling (again, it's possible that it's all in my head! :p)

The Beginning.

The beginning of Black Ice is pretty interesting. For a moment there I thought the actual story starts from that very point. However the beginning is more like a foreshadowing of what's going to come. I don't like to compare between authors, but I couldn't help getting a Dan Brown-ish feeling from the prologue and I really liked it :D                                                                    

Britt Pfeiffer.

While I don't find Britt's character mesmerizing, her gradual transformation is really interesting. At the start, she appears to be a little spoiled, living-in-the-moment kind of girl. Her whole life she's lived in a kind of bubble where she thought of herself as the damsel-in-distress who needs constant saving by her dad, her brother or her crush-cum-boyfriend-cum-ex Calvin. When she plans to go on a backpacking trip to Teton Range in order to show Cal that she can do better than throw fits over a breakup like a heartbroken belle, it changes her life, BIG time. It is in these dire situations that she finally realizes her capabilities and her dependencies.

"I watched how you and Korbie interacted, and it made me wonder if, back home, in front of your friends and family, you offer a slightly different version of the real Britt. A less capable version. You're not the girl here in the mountains. I like that you face your fears. And while it's not normally something people consider as a virtue, you're a very gifted liar."

While I like how she handled herself and the crisis, it often seemed a little impossible to see Britt think and do things as if she has always been an expert.

The Mysterious Guy :p

I love Jude (I prefer the name Jude more than the other one ;) ) His character has many layers (Why do I get reminded of onions every time I say 'layers'? Damn you Shrek!) He can be the hot and drool-worthy hunk, the carefree easy going guy you meet at a coffee shop and then again, he can be the brooding, intriguing, mysteriously creepy guy you wanna run miles away from. He is like a puzzle, and a pretty complex one at that, and that is what makes him to me all the more attractive :-D

Others.

Among other characters, I don't actually love anyone that much. Britt's Dad and brother Ian appear for a short time, and they seem pretty cool people. Oh but there is Caz, she appears for a very short time too and honestly, I think I love her more than I loved Britt..she is really that awesome :-D :-D And about Korbie, I didn't like her... not in the beginning, not in the middle, not EVER. I've seen some readers commenting that Britt and Korbie's friendship is a hypocritical one. But at least for Britt, I don't feel that's right. Yes, she often agrees to people when they are bad-mouthing Korbie or wonders in her mind how Korbie could be/do this or that, but I don't feel that makes her a bad friend. Many of us have at least one friend like Korbie who wouldn't possibly mind stabbing you to death if need be, but you can't give up the friendship because of years of togetherness. No matter how sappy it sounds, it feels terrible to let go of anything, specially a friendship, that has come into being after years of being together. So I even though I still feel like throwing Korbie from one of the highest hills in Tetons I cannot blame Britt for not doing the same.

The Plot.

The best part about the plot is its unpredictability. You almost never know what to expect and what will happen next. The bad thing is some things appear a little to convenient for my liking. The good thing, however, is that I feel author Becca Fitzpatrick is quite successful in pulling it all together nonetheless. I haven't read Hush, Hush Saga or any of her other books, but this book has definitely made me want to read her other books too. 

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