Frozen by Erin Bowman

Series: Taken (bk. 2)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi

Subjects: post-apocalyptic, love, survival, adventure, resistance to government

Setting: What was once the USA, now called AmEast and AmWest

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Gray Weathersby

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 360 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “The Heists were only the beginning.

Gray Weathersby escaped from the primitive town of Claysoot expecting to find answers, but what he discovered shook him to the core: A ruthless dictator with absolute power. An army of young soldiers blinded by lies. And a growing rebellion determined to fight back.

Now Gray has joined a team of rebels on a harsh, icy journey in search of allies who can help them set things right. But in a world built on lies, Gray must constantly question whether any ally—or enemy—is truly what they seem…”

My Review:  Frozen is a pretty awesome sequel. It was full of so many crazy twists, so I guess and some I never could have. The book begins a few months after the events of Taken ended. It’s winter now, December and there’s snow on the ground. Hence the title, Frozen. Gray is with Bree, Emma, Clipper, Sammy, Bo, and his father Owen, and some other rebels. Blaine appears with a spy, and they both turn out to be forgeries. The group sets out to find Group A and must cross the new gulf. We also find out more about how Taem and AmEast and AmWest came to be. The plot was both complex and simple. It was easy to follow and never confusing but so with many things that tie into the story. It was a good follow-up to Taken.

There’s romance, but it not the heavy kind. Gray and Bree are at each other’s throats, but she’s just competitive and truly like Gray. Gray still feels something for Emma, but thinks she likes Sammy still. I’m team Bree now. Gray and Bree are perfect for each other, despite they’re fighting and what Gray believes. They’re both very complicated and stubborn. All the character were pretty good. I really like Clipper. He’s only twelve and very smart and good with technology. Jackson was also interesting. He was a forgery, but had a heart.

I really enjoyed the adventure. They traveled a much greater distance and even across a gulf. I’m not sure if the gulf is supposed to be the Mississippi valley. I’m sure it doesn’t reach across Illinois. It sounds like this book could be after the ice caps melted. They also mentioned earthquakes. Anyways, it was funny how Gray got seasick on the boat. That was pretty entertaining. Bree felt at home by the sea. She grew up on an island. There was also driving and Sammy got carsick because the person driving “steered worse than a toddler”. Little details like that make a story more funny and interesting.

I recommend this book to fans of: Divergent, Maze Runner (James Dashner), Gone (Michael Grant), Under the Never Sky (Veronica Rossi), Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi), Eve (Anna Carey), Varient/Feedback (Robison Wells), Partials (Dan Wells), Mila 2.0 (Debra Driza) and The Hunger Games. This is a great dystopian series. I’m surprised it’s not more popular. Can’t wait for the third book.

Cover Art Review: The cover is very sci-fi thriller. It screams dystopian. The girl and guy running and colors and title all fit with the previous book’s cover. I love the spine!