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A review by nancyotoole
Season of Ice by Diane Les Becquets
3.0
In late fall, Genesis's father heads out to Moosehead Lake and vanishes. A frantic search takes place with no results, and it is determined that he has perished beneath the frozen waters of the lake. Recovery is delayed until spring, and Genesis and her family must go on living without any concrete answers. But when she hears a rumor that her father is still alive, and has run away with another women, Genesis begins to ask more questions about her father's disappearance.
Season of Ice is a realistic work of young adult fiction that takes place in Maine. One of the things that impressed me the most about the novel is how accurate Les Becquets captures life in rural Maine. It's obvious from the small details she provides, from plastic on the windows in winter to front yards filled with broken down cars, that that author has a real life connection to the place. As someone who lives in Maine, I could make real life connections with a lot of details she provides. Another thing I really liked about this novel is it's protagonist Genesis. I admired her maturity, but also feel sympathetic towards her plight. Genesis has to grow up too fast due to events in her life. While reading, I often found myself wishing that she had more time just to be a seventeen-year-old girl. On occasion, the writing is surprisingly lovely. I found myself pausing to reread over certain passages several times.
Admittedly, there are a few issues I had with Season of Ice, but I'm willing to admit that this had a lot to do with my own expectations coming into the novel. One is due to the poor way in which the jacket blurb advertises the book. The blurb talks about how Genesis and her family must struggle in poverty as a result of not receiving any insurance money when her father's body is not recovered. I was a little disappointed when I discovered that this isn't really what the book is about. Instead it focuses on Genesis's quest to determine the truth behind her father's disappearance. Another thing that dragged my enjoyment down at times is the pacing. Season of Ice is a novel that emphasizes setting and characterization over plot, resulting in a book that is surprisingly slow paced for a young adult novel. Once I grew used to it, I found I enjoyed the calm pacing. I grew to love this story which, despite it's sad premise, feels very grounded in reality, and is free of any cheap thrills or melodrama.
Season of Ice was not what I expected, but I found that I grew to appreciate Genesis and her story. This beautifully written story should hold appeal to more patient young adults, and should appeal to adult readers as well.
Season of Ice is a realistic work of young adult fiction that takes place in Maine. One of the things that impressed me the most about the novel is how accurate Les Becquets captures life in rural Maine. It's obvious from the small details she provides, from plastic on the windows in winter to front yards filled with broken down cars, that that author has a real life connection to the place. As someone who lives in Maine, I could make real life connections with a lot of details she provides. Another thing I really liked about this novel is it's protagonist Genesis. I admired her maturity, but also feel sympathetic towards her plight. Genesis has to grow up too fast due to events in her life. While reading, I often found myself wishing that she had more time just to be a seventeen-year-old girl. On occasion, the writing is surprisingly lovely. I found myself pausing to reread over certain passages several times.
Admittedly, there are a few issues I had with Season of Ice, but I'm willing to admit that this had a lot to do with my own expectations coming into the novel. One is due to the poor way in which the jacket blurb advertises the book. The blurb talks about how Genesis and her family must struggle in poverty as a result of not receiving any insurance money when her father's body is not recovered. I was a little disappointed when I discovered that this isn't really what the book is about. Instead it focuses on Genesis's quest to determine the truth behind her father's disappearance. Another thing that dragged my enjoyment down at times is the pacing. Season of Ice is a novel that emphasizes setting and characterization over plot, resulting in a book that is surprisingly slow paced for a young adult novel. Once I grew used to it, I found I enjoyed the calm pacing. I grew to love this story which, despite it's sad premise, feels very grounded in reality, and is free of any cheap thrills or melodrama.
Season of Ice was not what I expected, but I found that I grew to appreciate Genesis and her story. This beautifully written story should hold appeal to more patient young adults, and should appeal to adult readers as well.