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.

'An edge of your seat style thriller packed with action and bad boys' Sugarscape
'A heart- wrenching, climatic book with huge plot twists and lots of drama with a hint of sweet romance. An excellent book by the extremely gifted author' Kynthia Ravikumar, age 14, for lovereading4kids.co.uk

Praise for Hush, Hush:
‘A rollercoaster of twists and turns... a great, new and different novel’ Sunday Express

Praise for Crescendo:
‘dark, sexy and compelling’ The Bookseller
‘great sexual tension… hot, tense and moreish’ The Bookbag

Praise for Silence:
‘The perfect escape into fantasy and a love that can break all boundaries.’ Sugarscape

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Oct 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781471118173

Becca Fitzpatrick

Becca Fitzpatrick is the author of Black Ice, Dangerous Lies, and the Hush, Hush saga, including Hush, Hush; Crescendo; Silence; and Finale—all four of which debuted as New York Times bestsellers. She graduated college with a degree in health, which she promptly abandoned for storytelling. When not writing, she’s most likely running, prowling sales racks for shoes, or watching crime dramas on TV. She lives in Colorado with her family. Find out more at BeccaFitzpatrick.com.

Reviews for Black Ice

[lindarl-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome! I loved this story.

[cathishaw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! The synopsis is a bit misleading - the book was much more a thriller than a romance. The tension and danger level kept me turning the pages. I'm not a big murder mystery fan but there was enough intrigue in this story that I was fully engaged trying to unravel the mystery and worrying about Britt's safety. The girl power thread of the story, wherein we see Britt transform from a near helpless spoiled girl to a young woman capable of fending for herself, was an added bonus.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"Black Ice" turned out to be quite a fast-paced thriller. Although there were some flaws, and the plot was unbelievable at times, I still enjoyed the read. Britt was a bit obnoxious at the start, but she did grow on me as she changed from spoilt brat to resourceful young woman. I also liked Mason/Jude although the romance between he and Britt was a bit creepy considering he did kidnap her. However, the dangers, twists and suspense kept me reading and overall it was an entertaining read.

[brandileigh2003 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, at first, I wasn't planning to read Black Ice, but when I got a copy from Simon Teen and read the back cover, which is different from the inside flap which is GR synopsis above, I decided to give it a try. I am glad that I did, because I immediately liked Britt. She after a rough breakup and trying to convince herself she is over him, but he is all of the sudden coming on spring break hiking trip with her and her best friend and she isn't so sure how she feels anymore. But then her and Korbie, above mentioned best friend, get caught in a freak storm and end up at the cabin of Mason and Shaun, and right away Korbie's alarm goes off. She's seen Mason once before (it's in excerpts and happens in the first chapter, so I don't consider it a spoiler) and he covered for her when she was trying to make ex-boyfriend Calvin jealous, and he was friendly and charming. But when she lands on his doorstep, he is rude and seemingly trying to push her out. But with the blizzard and their car being stuck, they have no other choice. Black Ice was a very readable and addicting story, I started it and only put it down when I couldn't keep my eyes open any more from my meds. Although the friendship with Korbie and Britt is non-traditional, it was still well written. They have known each other for so many years, and while Britt feels at times that it is just a big competition... and there was the big secret... It still added to the mystery and the fact that everyone is not quite what they may seem at first. Britt gets to know Mason, and he is a walking contradiction to her at times. She can't figure out why he is in the company of Shaun who seems to be opposites. Shaun is hot headed, impulsive and cruel where Mason is calm, and thinks ahead, and tries to protect Britt. We get to know Calvin, Britt's ex as she relives their relationship to keep herself from losing hope. He is afraid of his father, and can never seem to please him or do enough. That has shaped a lot of how he lives his life, and effects his relationship with Britt as well as interpersonal with his sister and the rest of the world. The mystery is well done and I was guessing a lot. I started to figure it out, even a little before the reveal but it didn't take away any of my enjoyment and it was good to see everything come together even if it wasn't exactly how I thought it would. It wrapped up well and I liked the way that she wove everything together to bring a good beginning. Bottom Line: Good thriller with slow burn romance.

[sheila1957 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Britt and best friend Korbie are supposed to hike in the Tetons during their spring break. A storm comes up as they are driving to Korbie's parents' mountain lodge. They are stranded on the road and must find shelter. The hunting cabin they find is also occupied by two men who take them hostage in exchange for them getting the men off the mountain. When Britt realizes these are wanted men, what are the girls' lives worth?I loved this book! The suspense builds as the story goes along. I thought I knew who was guilty but the twists and turns kept me guessing. Not only is Britt battling the men but she must also battle the weather and the mountain. I was on edge as I read wanting to know who was guilty, would Britt make it. I loved Britt and eventually came to love Mason (I was predisposed to it from the beginning.) I could not stand Korbie or her brother Carl (spoiled brats who were given everything but love.) They were exactly the same and I could not see what Britt saw in them. Britt was strong physically and emotionally. She did not see herself as Mason did or as I did. She was awesome and she had a reason for everything she did. She is a good role model for young women.I enjoyed BLACK ICE and plan on reading more Becca Fitzpatrick. She writes a good tight story that leaves you wanting more.

[jeracafite · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this free eARC from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review. Yes, this has been out for months - sorry! But I've finally read it and I actually enjoyed this novel. I figured out who the killer was before the big reveal, but I was actually bouncing around with a couple ideas for most of the novel, so Fitzpatrick did a decent job keeping the reader in suspense. She also did a fantastic job making the reader feel what Britt was feeling - especially the bitter cold. Because there were times I felt like my hands or feet were cold, when in reality it's May and not cold at all. Britt grew on me after awhile. When we first met her, I hated her. I especially hated Korbie, and definitely didn't like Calvin. That whole family is messed up. But the more Britt had to depend on herself and wasn't with Korbie or Calvin, she started to be the better person that she could be when not around those lunatics. Mason's character was interesting. I wasn't sure how to feel about him throughout the novel, especially when we first met him. And I just grew more confused about him as the novel went on. But he grew on me after awhile, I think. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Not as good as "Hush, Hush" but it was still a great thriller mystery that I'm sure I won't forget any time soon!

[laphenix · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thrilling from the start! The characters were amazing, and though many of the plot point felt pushed, they were never annoyingly so. A shorter epilogue would have made to book even more powerful.

[kelsey.hintzman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

No words can describe how much I loved this book. I started this book in the hopes of getting out of the book rut I felt myself falling into, and boy did it work. It took a few chapters to really get into, but once I did, the chapters flew by.

First off, the characters: I liked the characters. The main character, Britt, annoyed me at times and some of her decisions irked me, but overall she had a good growth throughout the book. She starts out at the beginning relying on the men in her life (even she admits it) to take care of her. As the story goes on and things go from from bad to progressively worse, she has to start relying on herself, and I thought that was a great part of her character development. Yes, she makes the stupid decision to still go into the mountains even though a radio report says there will be rain and snow, but really if she didn't there wouldn't be a story.

I was irked throughout most of the story with her continued reliance and longing on her ex-boyfriend, Calvin. He is an interesting character. After the way he treated her-wanting to keep there relationship secret for a good portion of the time they are together, kissing another girl while they were together, the insensitive dumping on the day of her prom- she still wants him back, and all I could think of was why? There is a whole back story that sort of makes their relationship make more sense, but still.

The story was sort of predictable. About half way through, I had a sneaking suspicion about who the killer was, and I was proven right in the end (*fist pump*). All in all though, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. It gave me chills, which has not happened for a while. Definitely a good book for October. Would I recommend to everyone? Probably to those who love a good thriller/mystery.

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is my first time actually reading anything by this author. I was on the fence about reading this book but a fellow reader friend of mine read the book and raved about it. So I decided to check it out. The book was better than I was expecting. Although there were still some flaws I had with the book. For example I did not feel the chemistry between Britt and Mason. It just felt too predictable. So could have done without it. The intensity was lacking some as well. Don't know if this is because the book was written more for the young adult target audience. Stupid line that I read as motive for killing "Girls are somehow inferior". Really!Overall, I thought the story could have been shortened about 100 pages, did away with the romance, made the characters strong, amped up the intensity, and did not say stupid lines.

[titania86_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Britt and her best friend Korbie are spending their vacation hiking in the Tetons and staying in Korbie's parents' cabin. They could be lounging on a beach somewhere, but Britt can't afford it and Korbie wants to be supportive after Britt's breakup. On the way to the cabin, a sudden storm hits and they lose their way. They abandon their car and wander in the deep snow until they happen upon a cabin. Inside are two attractive men who seem nice at first, but it becomes clear they are involved in crime and possibly the disappearance of local girls. The men hold the girls hostage and force Britt to guide them through the forest to freedom. She has to comply with their demands or be killed, but she pieces together evidence and plots her escape at the same time. Hopefully she can survive long enough to bring the men to justice and return to her life.I hated Hush, Hush and its sequel Crescendo, but I wanted to give Becca Fitzpatrick one more chance to impress me. Black Ice sounds like a fast paced thriller, which I typically enjoy. However, I underestimated how much I would not enjoy the overall story. Fitzpatrick's writing is actually engaging. The narrative flows well and somehow kept my interest despite the fact that the characters are awful and the main romance is based on Stockholm syndrome. Britt wants to come off as clever and intelligent, but is really just naive, immature, obsessive, and incredibly lucky she wasn't murdered, much like Nora from the Hush, Hush series. Even in life threatening situations, she can only think about her ex-boyfriend every second. Supposedly, she was training for her trip for months, but never showed any sort of real knowledge on how to survive in the wilderness. Korbie is awful just like Vee in the Hush, Hush series. Their "friendship" is all about one upping each other, putting each other down, and just generally being horrible. Who wants friends like that? I don't understand how both of these relationships Fitzpatrick writes about are never addressed as being incredibly toxic or why she even insists on writing the same characters in similar situations. On to the "bad boy" Mason/Jude (who of course can't stick to just one name). He is not attractive or mysterious or sexy. He is a criminal who was an accessory to killing a two law enforcement agents, a hit and run, and a robbery. He also kidnapped Britt, threatened her, and held her against her will. I don't care how hot the guy is or how nice he is after that, he obviously is not a good or desirable guy. Apparently, Britt's brain turns to mush in the presence of moderately attractive guys and she just can't help but fall in love with them. The reader is supposed to be happy that he gets away with all of his crimes in the end, which is disgusting and crazy. The super fluffy happy ending was cringeworthy. Britt's ex-boyfriend Calvin is the bad psychopath of the piece and it's supposed to be the huge twist of the book. I saw it coming from miles away. His reasons for killing the girls were misogynistic and horrible, but the narrative seems to confirm his misogyny rather than dispelling it. I read to the end because I love a good train wreck, but I won't bother to read another Becca Fitzpatrick novel. She seems only to be able to write about toxic friendships, abusive love interests, and vapid, shallow characters, which I am wholly uninterested in.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So I started this book looking for some good thrilling action. I got just that.Plot: This story revolves around the woods, a snow storm and some unexpected run in with some trouble. I really liked the pace of the story. One minute its going they way I think it is them BAM, change. The plot is very thrilling with the mysterious of the woods, survivals and of course disappearances. All the characters bring something to the table. Either it’s their keen instinct for survival, their mysteriousness of who they really are and the storm that keeps on getting worse.Characters: This story also plots out a very good teen thrill-like movie. The chapters flow well with bits of the characters of who they really are coming out little by little. I admit that my suspensions of what was really going on was flying through my head. Like is he the killer? Where did the other girl go? How did he get there so fast? So many questions/motives going through my head that I was thoroughly entertained.Ending: Now the ending didn’t quite catch me by surprise sense I had my suspensions right, but I loved the way the plot lead up to it. It gave me this rush of excitement to know what is about to go down!My only gripe is the slight stockholm syndrome. Then again, everyone was lying not saying who they really were so I think I can get past this little tidbit.Overall, this is a great thrilling book. I would recommend this book for older mature teens as it does carry on some gruesome scenes right from the start. Black Ice is an sharply written, well written thriller.