A young adult contemporary novel that follows Fiona, a teenager who has lived a quiet life in the idyllic suburb of Hamm. Everything changes when the enigmatic DJ known as the Pit Viper returns to town. With his hypnotic music and dark past, the Pit Viper's presence stirs up old secrets and new emotions for Fiona.

Frequency has a unique storyline, with intriguing character dynamics and is a gripping and emotional read filled with dark and mysterious elements.

My music library is a monstrous, many-faced thing. 90s pop, R&B, operatic metal, show tunes, modern pop, country, Eurovision Song Contest entries--I'm primarily trash for modern pop and will belt out JoJo and Kesha with everything I've got, but I give most music a try. I like songs by women the best and boy bands are a big NO. But Fiona Jones, the main character of this book? She's all rock, all the time and also gifted at playing the guitar. Frequency is really just the story of how a girl, her trusty electric guitar Betty, and a little bit of music-based magic save a small town.

There's so much I should like about this book. It's like a cross between the story of the Pied Piper and A Nightmare on Elm Street wherein the antagonist seeks revenge against those who wronged him by going after their children. It just so happens Fiona's love interest is that antagonist: a mysterious DJ known as the Pit Viper, who was a teenager when she last saw him at age nine. Nine years later, he's all grown up and so is she.

It seems like she's the only teenager in all of Hamm, Ohio unaffected--even negatively affected--by the Pit Viper's beats. That's because she has the same kind of magic he does. They can hypnotize listeners, wipe their minds clean, and even suck the life out of people. But is Fiona willing to go to the same lengths as the monster she's grown to love?

Do y'all even KNOW me? A protagonist/antagonist romance (aka Dating Catwoman) is one of my favorite tropes! This should have been my book! And I really do like the magic system. Some people are more in tune with music and the universe than all the rest, allowing them to hit notes and find frequencies that can control the listener. It's not unlike the myth of the siren.

But Fiona and the Pit Viper's twisted romance left me cold, as did the girl hate, Not Like Other Girls schtick unrelated to Fiona's abilities, and lack of supporting female characters. If they're an important character but aren't Fiona, they're a man. All those issues seem to accompany any story, regardless of genre, where a Gen Z teenager primarily listens to 80s rock. Everything feels out of touch.

Frequency is a novel-length battle over whose generation has better music: millennials/gen Z kids (represented by the Pit Viper's EDM/electronica) or our parents (represented by Fiona's classic rock). Miss me with that fight. This would fit as a Halloween read since the climactic scenes occur on Halloween night, but I just don't recommend it. Magic or no magic, I'm not into music snobbery.

When authors retell the story of the Pied Piper, they usually focus one one of two elements: the Piper's motivation or the mechanics by which he steals the children. Krovatin examines both of these ideas. We're presented with a Piper who's motivated by revenge and an increase in power. He also must follow the whims of a master. Krovatin also gives a lot of real estate to the motivations of the villagers. We see the fear that drove the original deal, their desperation and the need to protect their children from "bad elements". It's a desperation that leads them to offer that which they cannot give, so they betray their deal, sealing their eventual fate. As the plot becomes more complex, though, these complexities become more shadowy. We're introduced to a sort of magic, some elemental universal force that has twisted the piper into a dark force. But that exploration is pretty surface. This mythology takes us out of the real world into dark forces that are harder to relate to as a modern reader.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I got the impression that this was a modern retelling of the Pied Piper. I could be completely wrong about that. Fiona had her first dealing with the Pit Viper when she was a child when the City Council hired him to get rid some partying teenager. She witness the deal being made. Now at 18 years old she believe he is back or things are happening to the other teens in town. She does not seem to be effected by the music of the Pit Viper. She can with a lot of what is happen, but one thing she can't deal with in getting to close to him and having feelings for him.

I have unfortunately tried several times to get into this book, but couldn't connect with the characters. The premise was interesting, but the characterizations didn't work for me. Sorry to disappoint.

I found this book to be a very enjoyable read. It was very interesting to learn the different powers of music and how they worked. It was an interesting take on the Pied Piper we know. The writing was very good and easy to understand. It wasn't confusing. I liked all but one aspect of the book which was the romance. I think the romance was too quick and rushed. It seemed more lust than love.

I really liked Fiona as a character as she stood up for herself and didn't back down but sometimes like a normal teenager she didn't make the best of choices.

I'm eager to see how the next book will play out as there has to be a next book after that ending. There is still more story to tell.

I'd definitely recommend this book if your looking for a twist on a known story.

Overall I gave this book a 4/5

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: First up I'm going to point out that this is definitely a more mature YA story. The content from the start is not really suitable for younger YA readers.

On to the story: A simple act of kindness can go a long way! Think Pied Piper meets superstar DJ. Pit Viper is back in town (or is he?) and everyone is drawn to the bad boy DJ's music, even Fiona's boyfriend Horace. Fiona is confused. Is it the same guy from years ago? What does he wants? How does he seem to be able to hypnotise everybody? So many questions.

The plot actually reminded me of an episode of Grimm where a DJ uses a pied piper rat trance-ish vibe (it makes more sense when you watch it).

Fiona decides to uncover the truth and find out what Pit Viper is up to, but finds herself being drawn in by him instead of just his music.

I loved the revenge style plot and the fairy tale nods - I do like a retelling done well! There's music, magic, corruption and mystery - what's not to like? I'm a rock gal at heart hello musical references.

I enjoyed the romance and the twists even if it was a little darker than I expected, but in a good way...

4 Stars in my Sky!

This one was a good read. I was looking for a different type of read then I normally read and this one fit the bill. This one was not the normal genre I read, so it took me a little bit to get a feel for the story and to get totally hooked to it. Once I settled in and got a feel for the characters, I was hooked.

When Fiona was nine, the teen named Pit Viper came to town to take care of a group of bed influences. Now Fiona is older. She loves to listen to music and play music. She has a guitar named Betty. I really liked her. She's a down earth teen character that is pretty likable. Pit Viper comes back to town. She is drawn to him. Pit Viper had me fooled. I kind of thought he was a nice guy but he has a reason he came back to town.

The story flowed perfectly. It has a different story line that had me hooked. I ended has me wanting more and I'm hoping that there's a second book.

Engaging read!
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled for the opportunity to read and review Frequency by Christopher Krovatin!
Fiona sees her father and his companions threaten and beat up a young man when she’s a young girl. The story jumps to an eighteen year old Fiona and her boyfriend Horace. She’s content with her life until Horace and their mutual friends get caught up in the party life, drugs and mind altering music of Pit Viper, the DJ that was beaten up by Fiona’s father all those years ago. The mystery surrounding Pit Viper is confusing to Fiona and she’s not sure whether it’s ominous or misunderstood. Fiona enters a world that she might regret and a relationship she might not be ready for. Part science fiction, part fantasy and all engaging, 5 stars!

Sex, drugs, and music pound through every page, luring into a dark tale which grabs, twists and brings exciting chords.

Fiona was a kid when her cousin over-dosed and died, but that was the most shocking moment for her. She witnessed something much worse, and it has everything to do with a DJ named Pit Viper.
Now, years later, Pit Viper is back and all of her friends are crazy about his music. A musician herself, Fiona doesn't completely understand the obsession, but as secrets unfold and past's pieces slowly fall into place, she realizes the danger they are all in. Not only is her heart at stake, but the lives of every teenager in town.

This is such a hard book to rate. On one hand, it is good. Very good. The writing flows and draws in making it hard to put the book down. Fiona is a bit hard to grasp in the beginning. She's a bit of a loner in some respects, but still has an awkwardness about her. As the book goes on, she grows and it's easier to connect with her. But her attitude stays raw and spiky the whole way through.

I wouldn't hand this over to readers under sixteen as the topics and attitudes tend to steer toward a slightly older age group. Drugs and sex are not shied away from...although these themes don't control the plot either. This is a raw read with very dark moments, but it's powerful too. The music aspects thread in seamlessly and give this a very original and refreshing twist. That alone deserves bonus points. There is passion, hatred, manipulation and very dark desires. It's an addicting combination.

The twist around the Pied Piper is very obvious and well done. While parallels are easy to see, other aspects are completely original and give this a deliciously dark side. It slides into modern reality well while maintaining a wonderfully, slightly magical taste.

The romance on this one is not sweet or cozy or satisfying. In many ways, to classify it as a romance is slightly off. There are moments of desire and tingling feelings and hopes of love, but it's woven around secrets and deceits, throwing the entire thing out of the area of a pure romance read.

I enjoyed many parts of this, while others were a little illogical or didn't flow quite right. But it was a very grabbing read and surprised in so many ways. It's definitely worth a read.

I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and enjoyed reading this one quite a bit. So, I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.

I wasn't able to finish this book. While it is interesting, and very entertaining, it's just not for me. I wasn't really able to connect with the characters, nor follow the storyline very well.

Again, it seems like a really great book, I personally just couldn't get into it.

This book came with one of my favorite covers this year...and i could now wait to start reading.
Based on a teenage girl that love rock n roll and her best friend (her guitar) Betty live in a small town that like to hide their secrets. Seen as a modern day remake on "the pied piper' this book comes with love,desire,infatuation,revenge,dark undertones and a slight horror feel.
What i thought would be a love story turned into something completely different....but the writing is magical and i could not get enough.
How i wish i had seen a happier ending thou.
Thank you for allowing me to read this book .

the pied piper of hammelin is kind of a dark fairy tale, and it's retelling is no less dark. as frequency opens, fiona jones witnesses something horrific 9 years ago. something that connects her to the darkness that lies beneath the surface of her hometown of hamm. she sees her father and two councilmen beat up a guy for fulfilling their request.

the town of hamm had been overrun with teens who were into drugs and other undesirable things. so the pit viper took them away. and got beat up for his troubles. except he promises to return and fiona gave him an apple.

that moment of connection shouldn't mean anything, but when fiona's boyfriend gifts her a pit viper record the name is too distinctive to belong to anyone else. and just when she'd started to believe that small town life wasn't so bad, everything starts to change for the worse.

all her friends are obsessed, only fiona finds the pit viper's music off-putting. it turns out she has some extraordinary abilities too. except she'd rather use it for good. not evil.

this was one very compelling read, dark and twisty. fitting since the story it's based on is all kinds of creepy.

**frequency will publish on october 2, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (entangled teen) in exchange for my honest review.

The ‘Pied Piper of Hamelin’ has been re-imagined as the ‘Pit Viper of Hamm.’

An intriguing and dark retelling of the Pied Piper, full of teenagers using bad language, detailed rock music references, and a hint of magic. There is some new adult romance to be had, though that is not the focus of this story, and I’m happy to say that the plot kept me guessing.

‘Frequency’ will be available on October 2, 2018.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

Frequency by Christopher Krovatin is a young adult/new adult fantasy read that seems to be a modernized, dark and twisted retelling of the Pied Piper. With mentions of sex and drug use this one would probably be best for the older teens.

When Fiona was nine her small suburb of Hamm was being overrun with teens partying so the town council which included Fiona’s father came up with a plan. Contacting a teen known as the Pit Viper they were told or 100k he could run off the group so they would not return. Spying on her father Fiona witnessed the agreement and the aftermath of that night with the Pit Viper.

Now at eighteen Fiona has grown into her own love for music and shares the passion with her boyfriend who always brings her his new musical finds. When a recording of the Pit Viper shows up Fiona can’t help but wonder if it’s the same guy from all those years ago and when she gets the chance to see him she can’t help but take it.

Ok, being a fan of retellings, fantasy and music this one was sure to be interesting to me on some level and when finished I can say it definitely was. The one thing I questioned though was why bother with starting the book with the main character just having sex and her friends teasing her with it’s about time… what kind of message does that start off with when it’s not necessary for the story? I would have preferred it being cleaned up a bit more so to speak and just concentrating on the mystery of the music and without those little things added but otherwise I’d recommend this more to the new adult crowd.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Wow! This was an intense read. This book starts off with a nine year old Fiona witnessing her father beating a teenager, a DJ named Pit Viper and running him out of town. Fiona is kind to him before running away from him and this starts the beginning of their relationship. Flash-forward nine years, and Fiona meets up with Pit Viper when he comes back into town. They start up a secret romance that Fiona tries to hide from her friends and family. I really wanted to like them together, and I did to some extent, but there were some aspects of their relationship I didn't care for especially the way Fiona drops her friends when she starts seeing Pit Viper.

A major aspect of this book revolves around music and has plenty of band references. Many I had heard of before, but there were plenty that I hadn't. There is also some magic regarding an ancient music book and this becomes a more critical part of the book towards the end. When Pit Viper plays the music from the book he can influence others. I could kind of predict what was going to happen in the end so it wasn't a huge surprise. With all that said, I has mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted to love it, but in the end I felt a little disappointed.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A modern-day tale of the pied piper.

Music is everything. Sex, drugs and rock and roll. Fiona and her friends are into the hottest new sounds. Her boyfriend, Horace craves to be a DJ but there is a new guy on the sound system. The Pit Viper's music is hypnotic. Everyone seems to live it. Everyone except Fiona. She knows there is something about the Pit Viper that isn't normal. She's drawn to him but not like the others. Fiona wants to know the guy behind the music.

A small town with secrets. A corrupt system which has already dealt a dodgy hand. This is the tale of revenge and dark magic.

Frequency is aimed at the older teen (college/university). Fiona's music taste is rock and metal (Frequency even contains an Iron Maiden quote). The story has themes of drugs, sex, violence and bad language. Frequency is a unique and creative read. It has a tainted edge and is touching on the horror genre.

Ok, so I'm finding it hard to rate this book. It's really well written and the story is interesting. Frequency has a badass rock style life form to it. The idea behind the book is really good but it's just not my style. I'm all about romance and this book isn't. Don't get me wrong, it is a girl meets boy story but the circumstances are dark. Frequency has so much to offer outside the romance genre. I would say this book is aimed at college students looking for something different.

For me, this is a 3-star read. It's okay but for the right audience, it will be loved. This is not the typical Entangled Teen read.

Recommend for 18 + audience.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I've joined the YA bound blog tour my date 12 October 2018.

I absolutely LOVED this book. The characters were great, the small-town with secrets vibe was fun, and the story kept me interested the whole time.

I think one of the things that I liked about this book was the music. I was huge into music for a long time in my life, and this whole book sings with it. Fiona, the main character in the book, is into a different style of music than I was, but I could completely relate to her and her love for music. That may be one of the things I found so compelling about this book.

Fiona knows a secret. A long time ago, something bad happened in her small little town. When the past comes back nine years later, it draws her in. Maybe the past is going to repeat itself. When she finds herself in the middle, she needs to figure things out... and maybe become the hero. Sorry, I don't really want to give away any spoilers.

This book is labeled young adult, but I wouldn't recommend it for the younger range of the YA spectrum. Maybe for ages 15/16+. There's quite a bit of drug use in this book and references to sex (nothing graphic though) that might be inappropriate for younger YA readers.

I'm thankful to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Frequency" was an interesting New Adult fantasy/thriller. I label it as New Adult because it had more of that feel than YA to me (due to sexual content, age of characters/although some in high school, they were 18+, excessive drug use/references, and violence). Anyway, I overall enjoyed it, but it was not what I was expecting! I think I would just label it differently.

Hamm is a quiet, rural town. Predominantly white with middle class problems, everything changed for the town- and for Fiona- nine years earlier. The town became a party spot with drugs and crime pouring in as young people came to party at the old Mill. After a couple local teens died from overdose, the town council decided that something must be done.

They turned to the Pit Viper, who said for a hundred grand he would DJ at the mill and clear it out. Not understanding his methods, and perhaps not wanting to understand, they agreed to hire him. He did his job- everyone at the Mill that night disappeared and no one returned. However, Fiona witnessed her dad and other town council members take Pit Viper and beat him up, threatening him if he ever returned and sending him away without the funds promised. The town has tried to forget collectively what happened. Now, nine years later, Pit Viper's CDs are showing up around Hamm, and the quiet town has its past to fear.

Fiona is 18 years old and in her last year of high school. She has a guitar, Betty, which she loves dearly and a boyfriend of six months, Horace, who she has just slept with. She felt a connection to Pit Viper when she was 9 years old and saw his presentation at the council and then witnessed her father's actions following. When the CDs start showing up, Fiona is anxious/excited, and when she sees Pit Viper, she feels that instant connection again. As their relationship grows, Fiona learns more about music than she could have imagined and gives her heart to the DJ she remembers from her childhood.

In part, the book feels like a thriller- we don't know what happened 9 years ago, and we don't know what is planned for Hamm now (although we know something is coming). The flow is very fast and the writing is gripping- the mystery really pulls you in to the story. We slowly get information about what happened nine years ago and why, but it is parceled out piecemeal over time as Fiona slowly/casually investigates. The idea of music having the potential to be somewhat magical was pretty interesting, and I would have loved to have more history/backstory on this. I also wanted to know more about the characters with Pit Viper- we get some but not all the answers by the end of the book (is it meant to be a series?). I would have liked more answers/information about all of the happenings and why, and I feel like we got pretty minimal details on this.

I would give it between 3-4 stars and I am bumping it up because I found it really hard to put down- it was a fast-paced and engaging story, but I would like a sequel to find out more! Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5/3.75 stars. I received an e-ARC from Netgalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review.
I wish I had been more invested in the characters from the beginning but it didn't really happen till about halfway through, that being said I did read about 70% straight through to the end and it absolutely held my attention and had me wondering how it was going to end. The magic element to the music was a different and intriguing concept I don't think I've seen/read before. I would pick up a second book if there was one.