Release Date: March 17th 2019
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 368
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository
Source: I received an E-ARC of this book through the Fantastic Flying Book Club
Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis

Everyone in Devil’s Lake knows the three golden Malloy sisters—but one of them is keeping a secret that will turn their little world inside out….

No one knows exactly what happened to Kit in the woods that night—all they have are a constellation of facts: icy blue lips and fingers cold to the touch, a lacy bra, an abandoned pick-up truck with keys still in the ignition. Still, Tessa, even in her fog of grief, is certain that her sister’s killer wasn’t Boyd, the boy next door whom they’ve all loved in their own way. There are too many details that don’t add up, too many secrets still tucked away.

But no matter how fiercely she searches for answers, at the core of that complicated night is a truth that’s heartbreakingly simple.

Told in lush, haunting prose, Frozen Beauty is a story of the intoxicating power of first love, the deep bonds of sisterhood, and a shocking death that will forever change the living.

Review

This book captured my attention because I read and really enjoyed Lexa Hillyer’s Spindle Fire duology and this sounded like such an intriguing premise. Following three sisters – the Malloy’s and their life in Devil’s Lake, a small town where they live with their Mum. When one tragically dies the story follows sisters Tessa and Lilly as they process the death of their sister, and uncover the secrets that have been surrounding the family.

Frozen Beauty is a beautifully told tale of family, friendship, love and loss. I loved the setting of Devil’s Lake, this quaint little town that has something more sinister going on underneath. Hillyer has a really gorgeous writing style and it’s so easy to just become completely wrapped up in the tale she is weaving. The story jumps around in time and perspective as we uncover the secrets in this town and I enjoyed getting to know all three Malloy sisters as well as Patrick and Boyd too. Hillyer has creating a really interesting cast of characters, each dealing with difficult issues. The characters were well fleshed out and I liked that they were flawed, made mistakes and very much felt like real people.

The mystery of Kit’s death is a really interesting story, there are plenty of twists and turns in this tale that surprised me, and it had an ending I did not see coming. The story also contains some of Kit’s poetry which was a fascinating insight into the character and a nice addition to the story. If you’re looking for a tense, atmospheric read that you definitely won’t want to put down, I highly recommend picking this one up.