Review: Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

July 26, 2011

Kensington Teen

Synopsis:
My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.
But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .

My Review:
WOW. Jennifer Estep completely blew me away with this book. It was so good that I even read it while I was in the car. This may sound like some easy feat, but let me tell you, it isn't for me. I get car sick so that Touch of Frost was so engaging that I had to keep reading while in the car is AMAZING. And let me tell you, I didn't even feel a "touch" of sickness because I was so distracted by all the action in this book. You are missing out on a phenomenal story if you don't pick up this one on its release date tomorrow.

I think I may have a girl crush on Gwen! She is some special qualities that you don't find often, if at all in YA. She isn't really a fighter, but doesn't complain about it. Even though she does need to be rescued sometimes, she doesn't complain about it. And if that wasn't enough, Gwen isn't afraid to reveal her feelings to Logan. Usually girls in books are all "I like him, but I don't want him to know. I will just yell at him and act like I hate him so I don't have to make a fool out of myself!". Not Gwen. When she starts feeling butterflies around Logan, she tells him, even knowing that she could be let down by him. That is something to applaud her for!!

Then there are the secondary characters, who are just as wonderful as Gwen. Logan Quinn is sooo dreamy. He is a total bad boy, but doesn't really act like a jerk around Gwen. He has a dark side and some secrets that I would just love to find out about!! Daphne acts like a real drama queen and mean girl at first, but as the story goes on, we get to see a whole other side to her. I loved that! Grandma Frost is a sweetheart and a mean baker. Estep's descriptions of her scrumptious desserts had my mouth watering! She is also a fantastic Grandma to Gwen, and is always there for her when she needs it. Professor Metis is quite the character. There is something about her that is unique that we don't get to see until the very end.

If the characters weren't enough to hook you into the story, the mythology would sure do it. I loved where Estep went with the myths. It was great to learn more about the gods and goddesses, and how different countries mythologies were connected. All of the mythical creatures are beautifully fleshed out. I enjoyed getting to see all the Valkyries, Spartans, and other mythological beings that reside at Mythos Academy. The plot is very engaging. I had no idea what would happen next, who did what, and why they did it. Estep reveals the answers to our questions at just the right times, leaving us thoroughly satisfied in the end, yet salivating for more.

My descriptions really can't do the story justice. It is complicated, mysterious, dramatic, and romantic all at the same time. Do not miss out on Estep's remarkable YA debut.


My Rating: