Frozen Charlotte

When her best friend dies under mysterious circumstances, Sophie sets off to stay with her cousins on the remote Isle of Skye. It's been years since she last saw them--brooding Cameron with his scarred hand; Piper, who seems too perfect to be real; and peculiar little Lilias with her fear of bones.Still, Sophie never expected the strange new rules the family now lives by: Make no mention of Cameron's accident. Never leave the front gate unlocked. Above all, don't speak of the girl who's no longer there, the sister whose death might have closer ties to Sophie's past--and more sinister consequences for her future--than she ever knew.A wondrously haunting and modern thriller, Frozen Charlotte drips with mystery and madness, secrets and survival, and the chilling sense that the impossible might be all too real.

From School Library Journal

Gr 7–10—For Sophie, it was a Ouija board that seemed to trigger the events that turned a visit north to Scotland to see her cousins from a pleasant trip to something much more sinister. Her friend Jay drowns just before she leaves, and it is with a heavy heart that she arrives on the remote island where Uncle James and her cousins Lilias, Piper, and Cameron live. Her other cousin, Rebecca, died in a tragic accident years earlier. Their home is an old school that closed after the deaths of a student and teacher 100 years earlier. Some might blame these deaths on the Frozen Charlotte dolls (china dolls popular during the Victorian era) that litter the property, and Sophie learns that these dolls still seem to have a hold on those living in the old house. During Sophie's visit, Cameron's prized piano is smashed to bits and Piper's boyfriend's eyes are pierced with needles. Sophie must figure out which of her cousins she can trust and decide how to foil the plan to destroy her. Though all the adults in the story seem to be blind to the existence of the dolls and the havoc they wreak, Sophie tries to deal with the peculiar activities around her in a levelheaded way. Readers are brought along for the ride and soon discover with her who has a true heart and who has evil lurking within. Teens looking for a novel to keep them up at night will find it in this one. VERDICT A general purchase for horror collections.—Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Avondale, LA

About the Author

Alex Bell has published novels and short stories for both adults and young adults, including the fantasy The Ninth Circle. She lives in the UK.

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