Icecore

:My random thoughts:

My first thriller. And, i wasn't entirely displeased. The story line was GREAT, the plot was too, and the characters were SO real.  Even the suicide Bomber, you can't help but feel drawn to Thomas Grimstead!  Plus, this book gives you a huge urge to become a Computer Hacker....

:Publisher's Description:

He's a seventeen-year-old British computer hacker who penetrated the security systems at Fort Knox for a laugh. But the American government was less than amused. Since his prank, gold bars have been landing in the hands of terrorists across the globe. Now, Carl has found himself in a military prison deep in the Arctic and far off the grid. He's been caged alongside the world's most notorious terrorists, with no one to trust and no end in sight.
Carl Hobbes may not be a criminal mastermind, but if he wants to escape this subzero prison with his life, he'll have to start thinking like one.

:info to know:

Author:  Matt Whyman

My reccomended age:  13+

Their recomended age:  NA

Publisher:  Atheneum

 

Number of Pages: 320

• Characters:   excellent. Thomas Grimstead was intriguing, even if he appeared (spoiler there!) to be a big bad guy.  I never fully trusted McCoy, High five to me! And Beth was just...Beth.  I have an ultra sweet friend named Beth, but even that fact didn't draw me from who the character was.  I felt the desperation Carl must've felt, and over all, I must agree, I never want to go to Ice Core.

 Plot:

Big thumbs up! I think it was fast paced, yet slow enough to where nothing got skipped. 

Writing Style:

There were a few times I got slightly confused because Whyman didn't explain enough, but other then those 1 or 2 times, it was great!

Cover:

Now, the book I borrowed from the library didn't have such a chilling, and great cover, but it wasn't horrid and ugly either.  I'd give it a 'good'.


Ending:

Naughty Mr. Whyman! He didn't complete the ending well enough to suit me.  Actually, I kinda felt like I was left hanging. There is a sequel, which I have no hopes of setting my hands on, but there is.  I had a lot of questions, such as "What next?" "How did Beth and Carl hitch hike out of the Artic?" that weren't answered.


World Building:

Well, for one thing, I'm completely sure I'm NOT going to be a hacker due to fear of ending up in Icecore.  The whole place was VERY well described. It didn't have any long, lengthy description, but just enough to give you the chills.

Language:

Ok, this is where it gets nasty.  There was A LOT of nasty words I wouldn't use. 

A*s, b***h are the ones I remember right off. I REALLY wished Mr. Whyman hadn't used these, as if it hadn't been for them, the book would've been remarkable. Crude language just RUINS novels sometimes, don't they?

Drugs and Drink:

None.

Romance and sexual content:

None. which was really great.  This was something I was bracing for the whole book, but there wasn't ANY interaction between Beth and Carl.

 

 

Violence:

 Ok, so...where do I start? People get shot, Grimstead appears (spoiler again!) to be a suicide bomber, McCoy blows people up, Grimstead gets shot, One of the agents gets shot (won't say who..*whistles* let me say, If it had been a movie, I would've cried at that time), Grimstead forces a plane down, yeah, you get the point. 

Ratings:

I thought the book was nice. Not incredible.  There was just to much cussing to keep me happy. The whole plot, characters, everything except the bad words, was truly amazing.  But, when you're a writer, even the smallest thing that sets reviewers off can ruin a rating.

I give it a four.  It doesn't deserve a five, and three just seems to be cheating it of something.  It really was a great book, but that cussing, Mh...couldn't get past it.  And why should I? Cussing isn't a virtue.

Don't you hate it when something so seemingly simple ruins a great read?