The Aussie Zombie

Frozen is a mix of historical fiction, coming-of-age and mystery, set in 1920s Minnesota. The setting, the characters and the story make for a haunting, lyrical story as Sadie Rose's past is gradually revealed through the return of her memories from childhood.

Dotted throughout the book there are also references to the early wilderness preservation movement, prohibition and the suffragette movement, all of which Sadie finds herself part of. Although the pacing of Frozen is quite slow, it is steady and allows the characters and their relationships to intimately develop.

I liked Sadie as a character - she was tenacious without being overbearing, curious and clever, and I really wanted her to find what she was looking for. The secondary characters, Hans and Aasta, Owen, Trinity play an important part in Sadie's story and give her the strength and courage to move forward in her life.

I did enjoy reading Frozen, and the gradual revealing of Sadie's story, her interactions with the variety of characters that came into her life, but I did find the ending a little fast, in comparison with the rest of the book.

Frozen fed my historical fiction craving, and I learnt a little bit along the way too.