Hi everyone! Today I’m going to be reviewing Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell.
Rating: ✯✯✯
Frozen Charlotte follows the protagonist, Sophie, when she goes to stay with her cousins over the summer in search for answers following her best friend’s death. When she arrives, she immediately notices that something is wrong – and is surprised to see her dead cousin, Rebecca, there, too. It doesn’t take long for things to go wrong and Sophie to regret visiting…
Before I get into this review, I’d like to quickly say that I didn’t realise this was aimed at the younger side of YA, which is probably why I didn’t enjoy it too much. I would still definitely encourage people in the right age group to give it a go, although please be sure to check the content warnings before, which can be found at the bottom of this review.
Honestly, something about this book just missed the mark for me. I was super excited to read it after a member of staff in Waterstones commended me for my choice but I feel like Frozen Charlotte was a bit of a let down. The plot had so much potential and, as much as I wanted to love it, something just wasn’t there for me.
I think one of the things which contributed to this was definitely how predictable the book was. I’m not sure if this was just me, but I could guess what was going to happen at the end and I was really hoping for more twists. It just seemed a little too simple and, for once, I was actually hoping that my predictions were wrong because it just seemed way too easy.
The unanswered questions also really annoyed me. The whole point of Sophie visiting her cousins was to uncover what happened to her best friend, Jay, but she seemed to completely forget that about two thirds of the way in. I understand that other events might have led her mind elsewhere, but I still really wanted to know who was behind Jay’s death, and I feel like Bell could’ve worked that in somewhere, even if it wasn’t a major detail.
I also didn’t like the inconsistencies with the characters, the most notable one being Rebecca. There were times when she was being very evil and frightening, but also times when she seemed like she was trying to help the others. It was certainly very confusing to read and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of her character.
Of course, Rebecca wasn’t the only character who confused me – Uncle James also baffled me. I didn’t understand how he could be so blind and incompetent to what was going on in his house. I couldn’t believe he could be so stupid and it definitely left me with a lot of questions over why he was always so absent, especially whilst he had a visitor.
The hints between what was going on with Callum and Sophie were also really weird. Although they were step-cousins, I still found it really odd that Bell was developing a relationship between the two (although luckily it was never explicit). If she wanted a romance, she could’ve at least made Sophie a family friend!
However, despite all of that, there were definitely some good aspects of the book. The ease of readability was very well done, and I found myself whizzing through the pages. Bell’s writing style was very easy to digest and it made for a quick read which I managed to finish in just a few hours. Of course, this could be partially due to it being aimed at a younger audience, but I still think they would have no trouble with this book.
There were also some creepy moments. Admittedly, it didn’t scare me as much as I thought it would, but that’s not to say that there weren’t some creepy moments. The thing with the dolls was definitely very interesting as well as Rebecca’s ghost. I’m not a huge reader of horror but I think the aspects which were there were very mild so even if you’re not big on horror I would still suggest giving it a go!
Overall, I would recommend Frozen Charlotte to younger readers beginning to explore the horror genre. Although it wasn’t too creepy, lots of classic horror elements were still there, and this was an enjoyable read. I would also recommend it for someone looking to get into the right reading mode for Halloween – this is perfect for the spooky season!
However, please be mindful that this has lots of content warnings: death, suicide, ouiji boards (app), evil dolls, demonic spirits, and hauntings, so please do not read if you feel uncomfortable with any of those.
I hope you enjoyed this review!
Ceri
Read And Review It 
I haven’t read of this book before but it’s such a shame that you didn’t enjoy it that much. The title and the cover of the book is quite catchy! I guess not everything is what it seems like lol. Thank you for sharing an honest review of this!
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Yeah, it really is, I was so looking forward to it! It definitely is, and it had such a promising premise too. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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Great review Ceri!!! This seems to be quite interesting!! Thank you for sharing!!
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Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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I loved the title of the book and the genre would be perfect for me, but my age range is way beyond YA, so it would be a no go for me. It is a shame you didn’t enjoy it that much, but I’m sure the right target audience may fair better with it. Thanks for sharing your honest review.
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So did I, I thought it would be something I’d really enjoy but unfortunately it didn’t work out. I definitely think the right age group would love it! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I love reading honest reviews, and yours feels very down to earth and relatable! The book certainly sounds intriguing so I see what you mean about it having plenty of potential. While I do not think it is for me, I will still recommend the title to my younger friends. 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed it and could see where I was going from! I definitely think the right audience would really enjoy this, it would be a great intro to the genre. Thank you so much for reading and commenting 🙂
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I haven’t heard of this book and horror is definitely not for me so don’t think I would give it go. But it does sound like an interesting story just a shame about the plot holes and character development. I completely agree with you on the step cousins romance, I find it very odd that the author would choose to use that as their romance plot!
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It definitely was, it had a lot of potential but it just didn’t work for me. The step cousins’ romance was definitely really weird, luckily it wasn’t explicit but it was implied that something was going on, which just didn’t sit right with me. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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It’s a shame that Frozen Charlotte didn’t quite hit the spot for you, but I do appreciate your honesty in reviewing it. As you say, it sounds like a good intro to horror for younger readers but I suspect my daughter is too young yet (she’s 11)!
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I’m glad you appreciate the honesty – I always try to make my reviews as honest as possible! It definitely could be, it might be a good idea to wait a year or two though. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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Oh my, this book is really chilling! I’m not a huge fan of horror but nevertheless I loved your review! X Penny / whatdidshetype.blogspot.com
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I’m so glad you enjoyed my review despite it not being for you! Thank you so much for reading and commenting x
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I know that you mentioned it was geared towards a younger audience, but my totally overactive imagination could never handle a story like this, even as I near 30 haha! However, I did enjoy reading your review of it!
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That’s completely understandable haha, it’s definitely not for everyone! I’m so glad you enjoyed my review anyway, thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I appreciate your honest review! That is creepy about cousins forming a romantic relationship. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.
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Thank you, I always try and make sure my reviews are as honest as possible. It definitely is, it really didn’t sit right with me. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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Great, honest review. It’s a shame it missed the mark for you. It sounds a little creepy for my book taste, and also I’m well past the YA age!
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This does sounds really interesting but I’m not sure it’s the book for me but does sounds intriguing! Great review x
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It definitely isn’t for everyone! Thank you so much for reading and commenting x
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Thank you for sharing your review! Sorry to hear that this book missed the mark. The plot sounds really interesting, but if there are a lot of key unanswered questions, then that would be disappointing for me as well. I’m glad there were some enjoyable aspects!
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It definitely was – the premise had so much potential but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. Unanswered questions are definitely a big pet peeve of mine! Me too, thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I love the title of this book, it defiantly draws me in and makes me want to read. Thank you so much for sharing another in-depth and amazing review! Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
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The title is definitely super intriguing! Thank you so much for reading and commenting xx
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I haven’t heard of this book before. This isn’t something I would read. It is great you have shared an honest review. Thank you for sharing.
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It definitely isn’t for everyone! I definitely think honesty is super important with reviews. Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I’m seeing for the first time all those points that i don’t like in a book you pointed out also. Predictable plot can’t be completed. And creepy moments doesn’t sit well with the plot. But the thoroughness that you do for your book reviews is really good. Xx
Isa A. Blogger
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Yes exactly, predictability is a major pet peeve of mine and it’s even worse in mysteries/horrors like these! I’m really glad you’re enjoying my reviews, thank you so much for reading and commenting xx
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Great review, really honest – sorry it didn’t quite hit the mark for you – it happens 🙂
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Thank you so much! Yes unfortunately it does, I wish I could love every book, haha. Thank you so much for reading and commenting 🙂
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