Black Ice

August 11, 2014
High school senior Britt Pheiffer plans to spend spring break backpacking in the Grand Tetons before a blizzard strands her, and two strangers take her hostage. Forced to feign wilderness expertise, she promises to guide them to the highway so they’ll spare her life. An abrupt and disturbingly graphic opener sets the tone for Fitzpatrick’s (the Hush, Hush Series) staccato storytelling and barrage of deadly complications. Britt is smart and resourceful, untangling mixed signals from mysterious captor Mason (who helps her lie to his partner-in-crime, Shaun, to save her friend Korbie), plotting her escape, and navigating the brutal elements—blinding snowfalls, frigid temperatures, and grizzly bears. As Britt narrates the tale, she flits between naïve damsel in distress, desperately hoping her outdoorsy ex, Calvin, will come to her rescue and quick-witted young woman who shows resiliency after making the sickening discovery that her captors have killed before. In the vein of Marcus Sedgwick’s Revolver, Fitzpatrick’s novel is rife with psychological twists exploring themes of revenge, misogyny, and familial duty. Ages 14–up. Agent: Catherine Drayton, Inkwell Management.