Blood Gone Cold

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Katy Grant for the opportunity to read Blood Gone Cold in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Thee Shots (a truly brilliant work of art) and Disaster Trail, I was excited for her next HiLo novel-in-verse (structured in a poetic format). With an end phrase to the blurb seeing if they can "survive this blood-chilling night," I had some spooky expectations. While the novel has some chilling moments of suspense, it lacks the fright I thought may be present (the "blood-chilling" referring to the literal fact that the characters must trudge through the snow...).

Abby and Natalie are sisters and their relationship comes with the arguments, teasing, and loving connections that many sisterly relationships tend to have. When they are on a family vacation at their parents cabin in the mountains, their parents get tired of their daughters' bickering and leave them alone to go have their own dinner for the night. Abby wants to play a trick on her sister by hiding her phone. One the perfect spot is found, she heads out to the hot tub to enjoy her victory.

When a stream of headlights appears. Abby thinks its her parents, returning for something they may have forgotten. But no. It is two men with a dirty pickup. Who are they? Abby overhears their plan to break into the cabin, thinking it would be empty, their plans premeditated. With her sister inside and both of their phones hidden (Abby hid hers so Nat couldn't get revenge), there's no way to call 911 or their parents.

The two sisters must work together to escape the men before they can murder the witnesses, make it through the snowy night together, and find solace in each other's company to overcome the night's ordeal. Can they put aside their differences when it comes to survival?

This book was a quick and fun read. Mostly thrilling, though it didn't have as much interaction with the men and being in danger as I anticipated. Key thematic ideas of this novel are sisterhood and survival. It's man vs man and man vs nature in a more isolated setting with the harsh weather fighting against them.

I enjoyed the story (even though I thought it would be scarier) and find that there is a few very clear messages here for younger (middle grade or teen) readers.

Thank you so much to Rosen Publishing/ West 44 Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Abby and Nat won’t stop fighting, so their parents leave them alone in the cabin whilst they have a date. Trouble starts instantly as two men break into the cabin, Nat is trapped inside with them whilst Abby is outside in the hot tub. Together the girls must figure out a way to survive the freezing conditions and outsmart the men.

This was scary, Goatee was so evil and goodness knows what he could actually have done to these girls. Abby thankfully is incredibly smart and found a way to get her sister away from him. It was terrifying them being stuck in the freezing snowy woods, with no knowledge of where they were or where they were going to go. Abby’s mind is the only thing that kept them going as she kept figuring out what to do.

I liked the girls relationship though they had stopped being best friends, I did like that they mended their ways are were still close enough to protect each other and care for each other during this scary event in their lives. It was also really sweet that though she didn’t say it you could tell how proud and also jealous Nat was of Abby’s intelligence.

This was such a unique verse book, which is what I love about these books they always tell such different stories and always in a really easy and fun way. This was a very intense and scary story but a very enjoyable read too, it was gripping as you wanted to know constantly what was going to happen to them and how they would survive.

After a tense day on the slopes, Abby and Natalie find themselves alone at a remote cabin while their parents enjoy a dinner away from the girls and their sibling rivalry. Abby decides to hide Natalie's phone as well as tucking her own phone away to keep it safe from Natalie. While Abby is soaking in the hot tub, two men arrive to hide out in what they think is an unoccupied cabin. Through frigid temperatures, Abby and Natalie need to escape as these men present a level of danger that means them great harm. Can these sisters put aside their tensions and figure out a way to survive? This thrilling Hi-Lo book will provide more opportunity for struggling readers to be successful.
Thanks to West 44 Books, Katy Grant and NetGalley for this ARC.