liked the concept but the writing wasn’t my cup of tea. sadly DNF :((( maybe i’ll try again some day

This was a good novella and it really kept my interest. Learning about the characters and the world was very good and made the story better. This should have been a novel but I enjoyed the book none the less.

‘Frost’ is a novella by Isabelle Adler which follows Finn and Spencer, two boys who meet in the middle of a post-apocalyptic cold world.

The concept of the setting is interesting but under-developed. There is not much information provided about the surroundings of the characters, except the fact that it’s bad, cold and lonely. It’s also dangerous and for the purpose of the story, said danger finds our characters so the rest can save them.

The plot is linear and simply follows the two main characters as events happen to reinforce their budding romance. There are no subplots which means a lot of side questions I had remained unanswered. The pacing is good - the lack of side characters and issues helps with keeping the action tight.

The characters follow a similar linear pattern – their problems are predictable and while quite grave, did not manage to make me feel for them. They are likeable, especially Siobhan, but not engaging. They are forced to react to the world and what’s happening to them which makes them seem lacking initiative. It is clear from page one there will be a happily ever after for the two boys.

I was also quite sad to read that Siobhan will be the unfortunate third wheel forever. Give the girl a purpose! The instant love between Finn and Spencer at least did not feel too unnatural provided social constructs seem to not exist and there are hardly any other people to love around. You take what you get, and I liked that.

The writing style is quite basic but easy to read. The book feels like fan fiction, however, and I would have loved to read more about the world and its inhabitants, even more about the main characters. The story was heart-warming but lacked substance. It would have benefitted from being a novel.

Review will be posted on my website and formatted on Goodreads on 14th June.

A vignette is what comes to mind to describe this story. A vignette into the life of people trying to survive a near apocalyptic situation. Of course the close escapes seem unbelievable given the odds, but you just want to root for these people. The ending was all the sweeter for its restraint. No attempt to paint a fairy tale future, rather a sense of infectious optimism about forging ahead, facing the odds together, and finding some happiness.

The world building and the characters were the highlights of this story. Unfortunately, the writing was average and just didn't draw me in. I'm not a huge fan of insta-love and the plot and character development felt really rushed. There were several plot points that just made no sense to me and there was an excessive amount of explaining and then re-explaining as if the author assumed the reader wasn't savvy enough to understand what she was trying to say. The relationships between Finn and his sister, and ultimately Finn and Spencer, were cute but not enough to carry the story for me.

The story was sweet but all in all really flat. I already had the first problem when Spencer wasted a bullet to shoot in the air to proof he's serious - in a postapocalyptic world where bullets are rare you don't waste them like this if you /actually/ are serious. Also the development of their relationship was frustrating; both of them being so shy and beating around the bush... The drama at the end was foreseeable and the ending itself a tad bit too sweet.

Okay, let’s get this out-of-the-way – this is a novella! And my one complaint about it is that I can’t believe it’s not a novel! Sometimes, I can read an entire book and not feel any great connection with the characters. That is not true of this short work by Isabelle Adler.

This story is set in a post-apocalyptic type of world, basically a nuclear winter. The reader is introduced to Finn, a young man who is hunting for medication for his sister at an abandoned and run-down hospital. He encounters a gang of scavengers who grab him and if it weren’t for the intervention of a stranger with a shot-gun… Finn would probably be dead.

Spencer is the name of the bearded man who saved Finn’s life. Finn is surprised by the intervention…then again he’s surprised when he is invited to stay at Spencer’s home to ride out a storm. It’s clear that living in the wasted world has been hard on Finn. He’s almost heartbreakingly desperate to continue his fragile friendship with Spencer while at the same time convinced that it can’t be real.

The friendship grows into something more…and just as Finn is beginning to think that there may just be a little joy left in his life, Spencer disappears.

Adler does a fantastic job of fleshing out the feelings of the characters even in the short eighty-two pages of the novella. The state of the world is bleak, but there’s a spark of hope in Finn and he sets out to find Spencer. I believed in Finn!

No spoilers here! Pick this novella up!

So much apocalyptic fiction is around these days that I found this book refreshing and well written. Searching for medicine for his ill sister, Finn meets Spencer in the midst of nuclear winter and violent gang action. They are attracted to each other, but when Spencer is captured, Finn must try to rescue his new friend.

I would rate this 4 stars.

This is a post-apocalyptic short novella set in the future near Indianapolis. It's told from Finn's POV and starts with him trying to find medicine at the hospital for his sister Siobhan. He meets Spencer, who rescues him from looters and gives him shelter during a storm. Established trust goes a long way in helping them grow closer in the trying circumstances, so although it's within a quick timeframe, it seems very natural that they develop feelings so quickly. In a world like this you have to hang on to what you want and the goodness you find without worrying about the rest. People are mostly feral in trying to survive the nuclear winter. Siobhan had health issues even before, and with medicines rare, her future looks short. I took the title to mean not just the weather, but that part of your humanity, your heart, that you have to freeze to survive. Just when it looks like things are looking up, everything goes wrong. Finn finds the bravery he needs to fight for his future. On the one hand this was scary and gloomy; on the other hand is was hopeful. Even though everything is stilled down to survival mode, the author shows us the difference between surviving and living.

A post-apocalyptic setting for a romance, is the kind of story that always got my attention. Frost had some charming characters and an attractive plot. It was exactly what I was looking for.

There is a little too short or maybe it was because I liked it that I wanted it to be longer. The plot was very interesting. It had a steady paced and a nice, easy to read, writing style. I liked the setting. It reminds me the actual weather situations this days. It make it seem realistic enough to be facing such circumstances in the future.

The characters are all so nice. Finn and Spencer relationship start a bit too fast, but it doesn’t feel forced. Maybe it is because I prefer slow burn romances that it was a bit of an issue to me. Considering the length and the situations they were facing, it was a believable. They were very nice together but I would like to see some more scenes of them as a couple.

Overall it was a nice book to read. It’s not the first book I’d read from the author. I had a similar positive experience from the previous book, so I guess it will be an author to keep my eyes on in the future.

This was pretty short, but I really enjoyed the story. Finn and Spencer found love when there wasn’t much hope of anything hopeful. This was a very sweet post-apocalyptic story.

I liked the beginning, it had a really great start, but after that it started to fall flat for me. I found it difficult to connect with the main characters, and it started to drag until about chapter six. I love the premise and I wanted to love this, but I think some more dialogue and build up between the MCs would have gone a long way to getting me more interested in their story. Overall it's a pretty good book and I liked the characters in the end.

A fresh take on a post-apocalypse setting, which was well-executed. Kudos on an engaging plot, sophisticated writing, and enjoyable characters -- all the things I look for in a good novel. I look forward to the next installment, and recommend this quick read!

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

Horrible, horrible book. I expected a book about surviving an apocalypse with a little romance. Most of the book is spent with Finn drowning in his libido with occasional moments of guilt for not taking care of his sister.

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend the book. I regret requesting it from Netgalley. The best part of the book was when it finally ended.

I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
1.5/5 stars

This book grabbed me from the first sentence. The setting was (all too) believable, and the writing was excellent. My main quibble was that I wanted the story to be longer, to go into more depth. That's not to say what was on the page wasn't complete; I just would have liked more. I'd also have liked to have seen both MCs' POVs. I want to know more about Spencer. That said, this was a solid book. I was grateful to receive an ARC, and I'll be looking for more from this author. Recommended!

I had no idea what to expect with Frost - was interested in the book because of the post-apocalyptic story and the gorgeous cover. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Finn and his sister live in a post-apocalyptic world where environmental factors such as toxic snow and giant hail - not to mention threats from roving gangs and dwindling supplies - mean survival is difficult. While trying to find medicine for his sister, Finn is saved by a group of bandits by Spencer, and a new relationship tentatively begins.

Frost is a quick read that feels more like a novella than a full fledged novel, but that's okay. The pacing is quick, the writing is engaging, and I was never bored. Adler paints a bleak picture of the apocalypse, though the back story isn't fully explained. But really, Frost's story is more about the romance between Finn and Spencer than anything else - I just wish the story had been longer, so their coupling didn't feel as much like instalove. Still, unlike so many onerous pairings in other stories, something about this duo's instalove feels more palatable.

Overall a solid read, and I plan to check out more from this author.

*Received a free ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I'm not really sure what Frost wanted to be. Was it a Dystopian? Was it a contemporary? Some type of thriller? I'm just confused after reading it. I went into the book picturing The Day After Tomorrow (the movie) and what I got was nothing like that. Yes, the world ended and everything is frozen. There's even a little romance and some survival stuff. But I think Frost tries to pack too much into what I would say is more novella than novel resulting in stilted awkward dialogue. There's no chemistry and not much plot. I didn't like it.

***Thanks to Netgalley and NineStar Press for providing me with a review copy of Frost.***

I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did!

The story line is believable and draws you in from the start and keeps your attention all the way through. It's a LGBTQ+ post apocalyptic story following two siblings, Finn and Spencer as they try to survive in a harsh and brutal world. This tale does not involve many of the usual expectations one carries forward into reading the genre and at the same time it also follows along in the footsteps of other books that have come before it. The power structure that is described where a certain group decides how things should be rebuilt upon one person's vision is very familiar as well as disturbing in it's extremity. The will to go on in such a depressing world is powerful in this one as it involves family and love. It was interesting to see how different people dealt with society's collapse.

The relationships that formed between the characters were really well-written and I particularly liked the tight knit family bonds the characters radiated. It added sunshine in otherwise a dark world.

If you are looking for a good post apocalyptic book, that gives a new version of the end of the world, you have found it! I would recommend this to anyone who loves these types of books! Very well-written and a quick, easy read.

an ice age has settled over earth and the people who have survived it must scavenge for everything. food, shelter, medicine...nothing is certain in frost. when spencer saves finn from a life-threatening situation, they form a friendship that is forged in hardship.

there are hints of attraction, but finn is afraid to explore things further, especially since he needs to get back to his ailing sister. if anything happens to her while he was off enjoying himself, he wouldn't be able to live with the guilt. never mind that the human connection, the burgeoning companionship is exactly what he needs.

but life is too fragile, too unpredictable to waste time. as the novella ends there may or may not be hope for the world after an environmental collapse, but at the very least you know that if you find love and happiness you might as well hold on to it.

**frost will publish on march 4, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgally/ninestar press in exchange for my honest review.

This review is based on an ARC.

This is not a take on the apocalypse I personally have read before, so I found it fresh and interesting. The situation also gives some credence to what I would disappointedly call "insta love" in many other contexts. There were a few minor editing issues, but those may well be fixed in the finish work.