The Dark Beneath the Ice

May 15, 2018
Stress pushes a former ballet dancer near to the breaking point...but her problems could be more paranormal. Canadian teen Marianne Vandermere didn't think she could cut it at her prestigious conservatory, though her mother, for one, disagreed. Marianne quit, and that decision haunts her--but something more supernatural seems to be haunting her now. She's missing time. Mirrors spontaneously break, and the river seems to call to her through the incessant rain. Rhiannon (aka Ron) is the confident new girl at school, a goth with a mom who is a psychic. While staying at her Aunt Jen's as her parents separate and her mother is hospitalized for mysterious reasons, Marianne asks Ron for help. The two attempt to communicate with whatever is bothering Marianne even though Ron is a skeptic. A dark entity that appears to be intent on destroying Marianne's life...or taking it over...begins stalking the girls as their relationship blossoms into more than friendship. Can they free Marianne? Can they survive? Bérubé's debut survives a few early hiccups (it's slow to start, there's excessive water imagery) to deliver a few fun frights and a well-constructed haunting-as-sexual-awakening tale for LGBTQ girls. It offers a realistic depiction of a teen caught up in her parents' divorce, her struggles complicated by her shyness, sexuality, and perceived failure at ballet. Major characters are white, and there is some diversity in secondary characters.It's Black Swan meets Carrie and worth the right teen's time. (Horror. 13-18)

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July 1, 2018

Gr 7 Up-Former ballerina Marianne is losing time in Bérubé's fast-paced debut. In the midst of her parents' ugly divorce, Marianne becomes tormented by a recurring dream of drowning under ice. She starts doing things she can't remember-dark, angry things that are outside her quiet, controlled nature, and that often seem beyond human capability. Classmate Rhiannon is Marianne's unexpected source of help, but runs away when the two girls conduct an exorcism that ends in disaster. Isolated and possessed by a force increasingly intent on drowning her, Marianne must uncover the reason for its anger or risk losing her family, her blossoming romance with Rhiannon, and her life. The book's haunting, waterlogged atmosphere and Marianne's psychological turmoil will build an effective and growing sense of dread in readers, although some backstory (e.g., Marianne's complicated history with ballet) is not sufficiently fleshed out. While the events of the book are appropriately creepy and at times nail-biting, a lack of graphic violence or overly disturbing turns make this an appropriate selection for many middle and high school readers. VERDICT Hand this novel to those who enjoy spooky, psychological books with strong themes of self-discovery.-Elizabeth Giles, Lubuto Library Partners, Zambia

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