Title: Frozen Charlotte
Author: Alex Bell
www.alex-bell.co.uk
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Publication Date: 5th January 2015
Pages: 343
“Dunvegan School for Girls has been closed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and students are long gone. But they left something behind…
Sophie arrives at the old schoolhouse to spend the summer with her cousins. Brooding Cameron with his scarred hand, strange Lillias with a fear of bones and Piper, who seems just a bit too good to be true. And then there’s her other cousin.
The girl with a room full of antique dolls. The girl that shouldn’t be there.
The girl that died.”
The book in 3 words:
Thrilling. Unpredictable. Fast-paced.
Ayesha’s Thoughts:
I was lucky enough (and very grateful!!) to be sent this book for review by www.lovereading.co.uk (all opinions are completely my own! :D). I was highly anticipating this novel because I haven’t had a chance to read many other horror books. However, I thought this book had all the ingredients for the perfect horror story; a vulnerable protagonist, a mysterious boy, creepy dolls and a haunted house! It was a very fast read and I felt myself wanting to get to the end of every chapter.
The storyline was meticulously thought out, Alex Bell intricately weaved her storyline incorporating many twist and turns I didn’t see coming. The characters were also carefully crafted to bring the storyline together. I loved the creepy cover, and I thought it reflected the feel of the book perfectly. I also loved that there were little poems at the start of every chapter, which told a little story of their own. I think this story was an amazing twist on a classic haunted-house-type horror novel. The motif of the dolls could have been typical in a horror novel, but Alex Bell put her own spin on the idea, making it original.
However all things said there were some things I didn’t love so much. Firstly, I thought the language used was very basic, for this reason I would recommend “Frozen Charlotte” to younger readers. While I was reading it, I was waiting for Alex Bell to “wow” me with her choice of language which didn’t happen. Secondly, there were times where I didn’t connect with the main character, Sophie. In some scenes she made stupid decisions that were obviously going to go wrong. I know this is a common theme in horror books and films, but it didn’t make it any less annoying!
Overall, I really did enjoy this novel, and after reading “Frozen Charlotte” I would definitely pick up another book from the “Red Eye” series!
Rating: 3.5/5
Thank you for reading.
Stay beautiful,
Ayesha xx
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