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Frozen

by Mary Casanova (Goodreads Author)

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 261 ratings · 98 reviews

Sixteen-year-old Sadie Rose hasn’t said a word in eleven years—ever since the day she was found lying in a snowbank during a howling storm. Like her voice, her memories of her mother and what happened that night were frozen.

Set during the roaring 1920s in the beautiful, wild area on Rainy Lake where Minnesota meets Canada, Frozen tells the remarkable story of Sadie Rose, w...more

Hardcover, 264 pages

Published September 1st 2012 by Univ Of Minnesota Press (first published August 1st 2012)

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YA Historical Fiction 2012

50th out of 79 books — 444 voters

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Teen Historical Fiction

280th out of 534 books — 1,395 voters

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Aug 18, 2012 Kat rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, historical-fiction, minnesota, 2012-read, arc-review-complete, updated

Frozen is a mix of historical fiction, coming-of-age and mystery, set in 1920s Minnesota. The setting, the characters and the story make for a haunting, lyrical story as Sadie Rose's past is gradually revealed through the return of her memories from childhood.

Dotted throughout the book there are also references to the early wilderness preservation movement, prohibition and the suffragette movement, all of which Sadie finds herself part of. Although the pacing of Frozen is quite slow, it is stead...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Renae M. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, historical-fiction, published-2012

Mary Casanova’s Frozen is a very unique book. The main themes aren’t anything new to me, but the setting and much of the execution were very different from anything I’ve ever read before. Frozen was definitely a very interesting book.

The story follows Sadie Rose, the daughter of a prostitute who died under mysterious circumstances. She was raised by a US Senator and his wife, who didn’t treat her very well do the fact that she’d lost her voice as a child, among other reasons. When Sadie Rose doe...more Mary Casanova’s Frozen is a very unique book. The main themes aren’t anything new to me, but the setting and much of the execution were very different from anything I’ve ever read before. Frozen was definitely a very interesting book.

The story follows Sadie Rose, the daughter of a prostitute who died under mysterious circumstances. She was raised by a US Senator and his wife, who didn’t treat her very well do the fact that she’d lost her voice as a child, among other reasons. When Sadie Rose does regain her voice, she sets out to learn the truth about her mother.

Altogether, I think it was a good story, and Casanova included some nice messages about strength and individuality. I’m not sure if the “mystery” was truly supposed to be mysterious, and it wasn’t really, but the story was engaging and worth reading.

Where this book failed, for me, was in character relationships. There was nothing truly wrong with the characters themselves, but the way in which they interacted together was lacking.

For examples, I’ll use Sadie Rose’s newfound best friend, Trinity, and her love interest, Owen. With Trinity, early on in the book Trinity says she wants “to give friendship a try,” and from that point, it’s just accepted that Sadie Rose and Trinity are friends. With Owen, they go from having never spoken to each other to a point where the reader is supposed to understand that Owen and Sadie Rose have crushes on each other.

Aside from that, I think the 1920s setting Casanova chose to employ was interesting and unique. Most books set in that era are flapper-centric, but that wasn’t the case here. I do wish, however, that things had been expanded on a bit more, as I feel that Casanova could have made her setting vivid instead of just present.

Verdict: Frozen was an interesting read. It scratched the surface of some big issues, but it never went in depth on anything in particular. I did enjoy it, though. The story was engaging and the conclusion was satisfying.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Read more reviews at Respiring Thoughts.(less)

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Mar 21, 2013 Arlena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars, a-good-book, historical, fiction, my-reviews, romance, suspense, young-adult, mystery

Author: Mary Casanova
Published by: Univ. of Minnesota Press
Age Recommended: YA
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 4

Review:

"Frozen" by Marry Casanova was a very good historical fiction novel. I foundin this read the heroine Sadie Rose was a protagonist...who was finding her voice and on to who she really is. "The story begins with Sadie Rose, a 15 year old girl, who does not speak and only has slight memories of her past before she was found in a snow storm. Everything changes for...more

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Dec 29, 2012 MacK rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: am-lit, contemporary, young-adult, chapter-and-verse

Another Minnesota author who takes on a worthy cause in writing, Mary Cassanova, offers Frozen a solid piece of historical fiction that avoids the easy path of sticking kids in the middle of world-changing events, in order to offer both a story and a history lesson. Instead Frozen commits to a quiet, unobtrusive time and place in history (the upper midwest in the early 1920s) and lets the setting help to hone the characters' personalities.

Early in the book, the long mute Sadie Rose breaks her si...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Kayla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, books-with-characters-i-want-to-mar, ebooks, historical-fiction, mystery, not-sure-about, read-in-2012, review-copy, romance

I was originally interested in this book because the concept of an event being so traumatic that it leads to over a decade of silence was interesting to me. But the novel behind the idea seemed to fall flat. It almost felt like there was a good idea, right within reach . . and then everywhere it could have turned in that direction, it went the other way.

I'm trying not to spoil, so one of the main things that annoyed me cannot be detailed. But things from the past that I thought she would have tr...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

In the 1920s, Sadie Rose has suffered the tragic loss of her mother, a prostitute, at an early age, and the experience rendered her selectively mute. She has been fostered by the mayor of her small Minnesota town and his wife, and raised in a very sheltered fashion, attended by Aasta and Hans, who work for the mayor. When she finds pictures of her mother en dishabille, she wants to find out more details about what happened, and starts to be able to speak again. She makes several new friends, but...more

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Oct 14, 2012 HK Savage rated it 3 of 5 stars

I heard about this book at a publisher's fall showcase where we all went and presented our releases, I was overjoyed to be able to present Staccato's and Darkest Night's upcoming releases.
This book was being put out by University of MN Press and sounded fabulous. Inspired by the true story of a dead prostitute's frozen body propped up in the city hall during a time when women were fighting for the right to vote, Mary Casanova (author) thought the story would be told best by a fictional daughter...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Lori L (She Treads Softly) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Frozen by Mary Casanova is set in northern Minnesota during the 1920's. Sixteen year old Sadie Rose has been unable to speak since her mother's death over 11 years ago. At that time, she was taken in and has been raised by the Worthington's. Mr. Worthington is now a senator and Sadie Rose feels the pressure placed on her to behave and act like a well-mannered daughter, although they never have adopted her. When Sadie Rose finds pictures of her mother it unlocks memories she didn't realize she ha...more

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Sep 28, 2012 christa added it

Everything changes the day Sadie Rose finds the photographs. The subject is captured in suggestive poses and as Sadie Rose studies them, her previously locked memories creak open. She remembers touching the fabric of the dress and the face is familiar. It’s her mother, whose death a decade ago has become a sort of urban legend in the small Northern Minnesota town near the Canadian border.

Minnesota writer Mary Casanova’s young adult novel “Frozen” follows Sadie Rose from the day she sheds her co...more Everything changes the day Sadie Rose finds the photographs. The subject is captured in suggestive poses and as Sadie Rose studies them, her previously locked memories creak open. She remembers touching the fabric of the dress and the face is familiar. It’s her mother, whose death a decade ago has become a sort of urban legend in the small Northern Minnesota town near the Canadian border.

Minnesota writer Mary Casanova’s young adult novel “Frozen” follows Sadie Rose from the day she sheds her complacency and begins taking risks to find out what really happened to her mother. Sadie was 4 years old when she was found almost frozen to death in the snow. The newly orphaned girl was taken in by the childless Worthingtons: Him, a politician; Her, a conservative stand-by-your-man sort attuned to the family’s public appearance. Young Sadie’s mother had been a prostitute whose ignominious death is still cause for chatter. The woman’s body had been found frozen in the snow. An anonymous prankster took the body and propped it up at the start of a city council meeting with a bottle of alcohol in her hand, a surprise bit of hilarity for the locals.

The traumatic experience rendered Sadie Rose unable to use her voice. She communicates with a small slate and follows the Worthington’s rules for how to be a lady as the family winters in St. Paul and summers in Rainier, Minn. She absorbs what happens around her and music is her outlet. The Worthington’s are out of town for some flesh pressing and Sadie is in the charge of an older Norwegian couple when she discovers the photographs, which inspire her test the polite boundaries she has silently agreed to in the past.

This new-found bravery marks the surprising return of her voice, a curiosity about the politics involved with the region’s natural landscape and the millionaire owner of the paper mill’s plans for development, a bunch of arty and/or liberal friends who want more rights for women and to save the land from being scarred by big business. They also inspire a new haircut and a need to solve the lifelong mystery of her roots.

Casanova’s story was inspired by true events: In the early 1900s, a frozen prostitute was propped up as a tasteless prank. The writer, known for her children and young adult books, has kicked around the who-what-where-when-whys behind the story for years and finally decided to exorcise it. The quick-read novel is equal parts mystery and portrait of a small town at a time of social change. It’s a nice story and Sadie Rose makes for a pleasant tour guide. She’s an argument for nature in the nature-versus-nurture debate and it’s fun to see her unfold into a woman who asks hard questions and doesn’t settle for the meek, mousey and mute rules of proper living. It’s easy to see her beyond the pages of the book as an initiator of change. The story relies on quite a few plot-tying coincidences, but it’s worth shelving disbelief for an afternoon. (less)

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Sep 01, 2012 Christina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, net-galley, review-copy, y-a

Review also posted at: www.theowlreview.blogspot.com, www.netgalley.com, www.amazon.com

I was immediately drawn into this story. It begins with a girl who has witnessed something traumatic, but as readers, we don't quite know yet what it was exactly. As the story builds, it's very easy to figure out what happened, but it's the why that is yet to unfold. What she saw, precisely, that left her unable to speak.

This story really did get me interested in the beginning. It's very easy to read and I rea...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Lydia Presley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, feminism, fiction, historic-fiction, young-adult

It's interesting, but as I was reading Frozen I kept thinking how similar in style this book was (with a few minor differences) to an American Girls book I'd read recently. Then.. in the back of the book as I finished it up, I noticed that MarY Casanova is responsible for McKenna of the American Girls. Hah!

In Frozen, Sadie Rose is introduced as a teenager who is simply unable to speak, due to a traumatic event in her past. She is an orphan, her father's death ruled a suicide, and her mother foun...more It's interesting, but as I was reading Frozen I kept thinking how similar in style this book was (with a few minor differences) to an American Girls book I'd read recently. Then.. in the back of the book as I finished it up, I noticed that MarY Casanova is responsible for McKenna of the American Girls. Hah!

In Frozen, Sadie Rose is introduced as a teenager who is simply unable to speak, due to a traumatic event in her past. She is an orphan, her father's death ruled a suicide, and her mother found frozen in the forest near Ranier, Minnesota. Taken in by the Worthington's, she remains with them as Mr. Worthington goes from Mayor of Ranier to a government political position. But a stack of photographs challenges Sadie Rose and pushes her from being the quiet, obedient charge into a girl who needs answers.

So here's what I did enjoy about Frozen. Sadie Rose is a spunky little thing. In spite of years of learning how to be a proper young woman, and obeying without any other otherwise, she takes her life into her own hands numerous times in Frozen. This could be a good/bad thing, as it's such a change of character from who Sadie Rose was to who she became, but I like to think that finding the photos she found could have been the catalyst for such a change without making it too drastic.

I loved the portrayal of Minnesota. I haven't read many books about the area, and also found helpful the list of additional reading Mary Casanova includes at the end of the book (and even marked a few of them down as possible future reads). There isn't a lot of deeper writing about critical issues such as wildlife preservation and the feminist movement, but it was nice to see these things making enough of an appearance to give Frozen the overall feeling that it was, indeed, a historical novel and that means that history is happening all around Sadie Rose.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

What I didn't like was the ease in which Sadie Rose regains her voice - especially as it happens so quickly. I mean, part of the reason I picked up the book was because her silence called to me. I needed to see a book written about this event, and grow with Sadie Rose as she struggled to overcome what has happened to her for the last 11 years. I just don't buy it though. I don't think someone who hasn't uttered a word in 11 years could be speaking fairly normally right off the bat. I defer to the experts out there, but as a reader of fiction (who likes it to be fairly realistic, unless I'm reading fantasy or something), it didn't work for me and jarred me out of the story more than once.

END SPOILER!!!

I think Frozen would be a good young adult novel for those interested in exploring historical fiction about the area. Frozen is entertaining, and a fairly quick read, and in spite of that one issue, I did enjoy the book.(less)

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Nov 27, 2012 Kat rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, e-book, mystery, historical-fiction, ya-books

Sadie Rose has been cared for by the senator and his wife for 11 years, ever since she was found almost frozen to death in a snowbank near her dead mother. For these 11 years Sadie Rose's voice remained frozen, until she finds hidden pictures of her mother and decides to start piecing together the mystery of her mother's death, and Sadie's place in this world.

This novel is set on the border between Minnesota and Canada during the 1920's. Sadie is looking for a place to belong, for the family she...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Levina C. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels, historique, arcs

3.33 stars out of 5

It took me a long time to get into this book. To tell the truth, I was bored with it up to the midway point, at which time some action finally happens. Having finished it now, I'm still lukewarm toward it; while there aren't a lot of bad points against it, there's nothing really exceptional either. The author draws up her plot like she's cooking a stew - some mystery meat in the form of a young mute girl searching for the truth behind her past, the greens of an enviromental ae...more 3.33 stars out of 5

It took me a long time to get into this book. To tell the truth, I was bored with it up to the midway point, at which time some action finally happens. Having finished it now, I'm still lukewarm toward it; while there aren't a lot of bad points against it, there's nothing really exceptional either. The author draws up her plot like she's cooking a stew - some mystery meat in the form of a young mute girl searching for the truth behind her past, the greens of an enviromental aesop, the spice of feminism, some chunks of fragrant adventure in the wilderness, and a sprinkle of romance, all in a broth of a historical setting. (Bear with me and my food analogies, please. Reading about hunger makes me hungry.)

Anyway, back to the obligatory serious review. I can't say much about the plot in terms of events. The description or blurb or whatever you call it tells you pretty much the whole story; what you see there is exactly what you get.

Now, the ending. Throughout the course of this book, Sadie does a round-trip of sorts around the islands and lakes of the setting, essentially ending up back where she started, with the difference being the new information in her head and strength in her heart (or wherever strength is stored). She uses these two things to pull together a conclusion for her story and start paving the path for her future.

This is where my major gripe with this book comes in. I don't like how the author decided to "resolve" Sadie's issues. Countering deceit with blackmail is a little contradictory, if you ask me, no matter which you believe is the lesser evil.

My second, more minor gripe is, like some other reviewers have stated, about how quickly and easily Sadie found her voice again after more than a decade of silence. If that was meant to be a plot device, it was discarded too quickly and added nothing to the overall story.

I would recommend this girls in the 9-12 age group, especially those who like historical fiction or who are budding feminists, as it will probably satisfy a preteen more than it would an older teen, i.e. me, or an adult. Thanks to Netgalley.com and the University of Minnisota Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.
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Aug 12, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sadie Rose lost her voice and her memories the night her mother died. Now, at 16 she is living with a pleasant couple, but she is feeling a little trapped. One day, she finds scandalous photographs of her mother, and begins to remember what her early life was like with her mother, a prostitute, including the night her mother died. She also begins to regain her voice, but getting her voice back may prove more dangerous than she could imagine. When she was silent and missing her memories, no one i...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, netgalley

Sixteen-year-old Sadie Rose can’t speak and doesn’t know her last name, but she is beginning to remember snippets from her early life with her mother in a Minnesota brothel. Alone after her mother dies, Sadie is taken in by the wealthy Senator Worthington and his docile wife, who are currently summering in northern Minnesota near the Canadian border. Sadie spends her days practicing piano and helping Hans and Aasta, the Worthingtons’ servants. Two events happen during the summer of 1920 to turn...more Sixteen-year-old Sadie Rose can’t speak and doesn’t know her last name, but she is beginning to remember snippets from her early life with her mother in a Minnesota brothel. Alone after her mother dies, Sadie is taken in by the wealthy Senator Worthington and his docile wife, who are currently summering in northern Minnesota near the Canadian border. Sadie spends her days practicing piano and helping Hans and Aasta, the Worthingtons’ servants. Two events happen during the summer of 1920 to turn Sadie’s world upside down: she discovers some risqué photos of her mother hidden in the gardening shed, and she meets Victor Guttenberg, an environmental activist who directly opposes Mr. Worthington’s industrialist cronies. These momentous events help Sadie to gradually regain her speaking voice and long for a voice of her own amid the political upheaval of the day. The suspense in the novel comes from Sadie’s quest to remember what happened the night her mother died. Will she regain her voice and remember what happened before it’s too late?

Frozen provides a nice change of pace from other YA books about the 1920s that are centered stereotypically on booze and flapperdom. I enjoyed learning about the clashing worlds of the industrialists and environmentalists in the Great Lakes region, which was something I knew little about. There were also some brief nods to Prohibition and women’s suffrage, but I never felt like the time period fully gelled. Some of the characters, like Owen and Trinity, lacked development, and the events at the end of the book (especially the mental illness subplot) felt slightly rushed. All in all, there were lots of interesting issues touched upon, some more expansively than others.

This was an interesting book, with a very unique premise. I did have a hard time getting into the book; it started out a little slowly, but once I reached the midpoint, I had a hard time putting it down. I would recommend this book to younger teens, especially those who enjoy historical fiction with an uncommon setting.

eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley
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Aug 20, 2012 Nan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Set in the 1920s in northern Minnesota, Frozen incorporates historical fiction with mystery and coming-of-age. Throughout the book are references to the early wilderness preservation movement, prohibition and the suffragette movement. Sadie Rose comes in contact with them all through the people she encounters and befriends. Having lost her voice in a childhood trauma she regains it again after the discovery of some photographs that trigger her memories. As she finds her voice she also finds hers...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Katie Mercer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I heard about this book a while ago, and have meant to grab a copy for a while. I don't know what took me so long (I know, a month after publication. Slacker.). The premise sounded fabulous - based on the true story of a dead prostitute's frozen body found propped up at city hall when suffrage was in it's height, Casanova chose to tell the story through a fictional 16 year old daughter. The basic premise is that 16 year old Sadie Rose lost the ability to speak after her mother died 11 years ago....more I heard about this book a while ago, and have meant to grab a copy for a while. I don't know what took me so long (I know, a month after publication. Slacker.). The premise sounded fabulous - based on the true story of a dead prostitute's frozen body found propped up at city hall when suffrage was in it's height, Casanova chose to tell the story through a fictional 16 year old daughter. The basic premise is that 16 year old Sadie Rose lost the ability to speak after her mother died 11 years ago. She was taken in by a senator, and Sadie feels pressure to be who they want her to be, even if she isn't quite sure who she is. When she finds pictures of her mother, it unlocks memories and helps her find her voice. That's as much summary as you get, because other better people write other better summaries.

The thing about this book is that I found it... pensive. That's almost the right word, but maybe quiet works better? It's not an action packed book, full of adventure and unpredictability, it's a coming of age story that more slowly takes you on a journey. But that's also not right because that makes the book sound boring, and it isn't. Casanova does a great job with the historical setting and the resulting social details - Google tells me Casanova wrote for American girls and I find that not at all surprising. Clearly historical fiction is an area she enjoys writing about. Frankly, that's one of the problems - I wonder if Casanova is writing a touch out of her comfort zone in terms of age bracket, because the plot at times is a bit awkward, and some of the secondary characters are a little too shallow. That being said, Sadie Rose is a great character, pitched pretty spot on to her 13-17 age range (though I admittedly would lean more to 12-15 age range for recommendations, personally).

Casanova is generally a fantastic writer - the book is beautifully written and the premise is solid. I liked this book, I just didn't love it. But that's not a bad thing, because I will 100% suggest this book to some of the teens at my library. I think younger readers will find something very appealing about Sadie's rather rapid transformation - the identifiable nature of feeling the need to figure out who you are. All this being said, it was a quick read and an enjoyable one.

*** Review is based on an advance copy from NetGalley. Blah Blah this didn't affect my review. Promise.(less)

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Oct 01, 2012 Terri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Every time I read historical fiction, I begin by apologizing for the fact that this is not my genre of choice. The fantastic historical fiction that I have read over the past couple of years ("Okay for Now," "Revolution," ""Between Shades of Grey," and others, however, has actually turned me into a historical fiction fan! "Frozen," by Mary Casanova put me solidly in the "historical fiction fan" column! I loved this book!

When I think of the doors that Nancy Pearl theorizes that a reader enters a...more Every time I read historical fiction, I begin by apologizing for the fact that this is not my genre of choice. The fantastic historical fiction that I have read over the past couple of years ("Okay for Now," "Revolution," ""Between Shades of Grey," and others, however, has actually turned me into a historical fiction fan! "Frozen," by Mary Casanova put me solidly in the "historical fiction fan" column! I loved this book!

When I think of the doors that Nancy Pearl theorizes that a reader enters a book through, I also would not put myself into the "setting" category. However, it was the setting of this book that really captivated me. Set on the Northern border between Canada and Minnesota on Rainy Lake in the 1920's, the setting of "Frozen" came to life for me. I have been in Koochiching County near International Falls, Ranier, and Kettle Falls and could picture it all. And the tie-in to Gustavus Adolphus College and the state hospital in St. Peter, Minnesota, at the end had me in tears. Casanova does a wonderful job of incorporating historical details of both the local and national political issues of the time - the impact of logging and dam building in this pristine wilderness, women's suffrage, etc. Sometimes she tends to be a bit didactic, but those moments are few and far between. For some reason, I really connected with the time, place, and tone of this story.

Teenager Sadie Rose, the protagonist of the story, has been mute since the tragic death of her mother when she was very young. The discovery of hidden pictures of her mother, a former prostitute, awakens something in her. As a result, she begins to find her voice, both literally and figuratively. After the death of her mother, Sadie Rose was taken in by Walter and Elizabeth Worthington. They have raised her in the comfort of high society, as Mr. Worthington is a powerful state senator. When Sadie Rose begins to poke around in local politics and in her past, she threatens Mr. Worthington's position as well as her own safety. The mystery surrounding the death of her mother, and later her father, are the focus of the book. I note that some reviewers of the novel thought the pacing of "Frozen" is slow. I thought it moved swiftly. I tried to make myself slow down because I did not want the story to end. I found myself wondering, between readings, about the characters and what would happen to them. However, the novel is definitely setting and character driven. Those who prefer a plot driven book may think it slow, but I felt there was always plenty happening in terms of plot. I didn't want it to end.

The characters are all well-developed. I grew very attached to all of them, especially Sadie Rose, Hans, Aasta, Owen, and Trinity. I could picture them all and believed their strengths and their flaws.

Thematic content, especially that of finding one's voice, is also a strength of the novel. At one point, Sadie Rose says, "All I wanted was to use my voice - to learn about my mother." Some other important ideas include: "' Only when ordinary people speak up and demand their rights do things change,'" and "Words were powerful...Words set things in motion.'"

I have to think about how I will booktalk this book, as historical fiction can be a hard sell with teens. But it is definitely worth my thought, as I think this is a wonderful book that needs to be read - especially by the Minnesota teens whom I work with. I see that Mary Casanova will be speaking at a couple of local libraries this coming weekend. I will definitely make an effort to go and hear her speak - and get my copy of the book signed. Kuddos to Mary Casanova!

BTW - the cover? Yeah. Not so much.
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Sep 06, 2012 Lisa Wolf rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult

Sadie Rose was rescued from death at age five when she was pulled from a snowbank in the middle of a cold Minnesota night, and hasn’t said a word since. Raised by the wealthy Worthingtons, a senator and his wife, Sadie Rose lives a comfortable but cheerless life in 1920s-era rural Minnesota, protected from all outside forces and influences, seeking shelter in her piano music and random hobbies, with no knowledge or memory of her origins. Until, that is, the fateful day arrives when Sadie discove...more Sadie Rose was rescued from death at age five when she was pulled from a snowbank in the middle of a cold Minnesota night, and hasn’t said a word since. Raised by the wealthy Worthingtons, a senator and his wife, Sadie Rose lives a comfortable but cheerless life in 1920s-era rural Minnesota, protected from all outside forces and influences, seeking shelter in her piano music and random hobbies, with no knowledge or memory of her origins. Until, that is, the fateful day arrives when Sadie discovers a cache of hidden photos of a glamorous, scandalous woman, and recognizes this stranger as her long-lost mother, Bella Rose.

Bit by bit, Sadie recovers pieces of the past, as she recalls her early years living in the brothel where her mother worked, until her mother’s death on the same night that Sadie was pulled from the snow. Bella Rose’s untimely demise was attributed to drink and wantonness, as she was found frozen to death with an empty bottle in her lifeless hand. As Sadie’s memory returns, she realizes that there is more to the story, and as she uncovers the truth, she also rediscovers her own ability to speak.

Frozen is set in northern Minnesota, in a small town on the banks of the great lake separating Minnesota from Canada. Prohibition is the law of the land, and moonshine and smuggling are a way of life. A powerful lumber baron controls everything and everyone in the area, and to cross him is to risk one’s life. Women’s suffrage is gaining momentum, a small group of environmentalists is trying to stop the clear-cutting practices of the lumber industry, and loose women still find ready employment in the wilds of the frontier towns.

The author does a nice job conveying the atmosphere of the time and place in which the story is set, and yet I was left wishing for a bit more meat in the story. Sadie’s journey from silence to finding a voice of her own is a bit sudden, and the catalyst of her transformation — finding her mother’s pictures — wasn’t as clearly defined as it should have been. Frozen has almost too many plot threads — a love story, a mentally ill friend, the investigation into her mother’s past, the environmental protests, local politics — and it’s really more than can be sustained by such a slim tale. The climax and denouement came a bit too easily, and I found the ending unconvincing.

Frozen is being marketed as a young adult novel, and I would imagine that teens interested in a historical setting would enjoy this. For me, as an adult who often adores YA fiction, Frozen fell a little short — a nice effort, pleasant to read, but not substantial enough to feel satisfying.(less)

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Oct 18, 2012 Chiara (Oscuro y Seductor Romance) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

3,5 de 5 puntos

Es un libro basado en la década de 1920 donde la ambientación ha sido muy cuidada y la autora se ha empapado bien de las costumbres de la época: la manera en que se comportaba una señorita, siempre acompañada y nunca dejada a solas con un hombre.

La autora ha sabido transmitir esa época a través de libros y escritores que se leían entonces: My Antonia de Willa Cather, Cuento de Navidad de Dickens ó J. Scott Fitgerald. E incluso por el famoso coche Modelo T.

Es también el momento de...more 3,5 de 5 puntos

Es un libro basado en la década de 1920 donde la ambientación ha sido muy cuidada y la autora se ha empapado bien de las costumbres de la época: la manera en que se comportaba una señorita, siempre acompañada y nunca dejada a solas con un hombre.

La autora ha sabido transmitir esa época a través de libros y escritores que se leían entonces: My Antonia de Willa Cather, Cuento de Navidad de Dickens ó J. Scott Fitgerald. E incluso por el famoso coche Modelo T.

Es también el momento decisivo en el que las mujeres, que no tenían voz ni voto (cosa que podemos ver en la figura de la señora Worthington, quien sigue a rajatabla y sin preguntas todo lo que su marido le dice), optarán al voto electoral y al acceso a la universidad.

En esta historia, Sadie Rose tendrá que luchar contra todo eso mientras se propone descubrir cómo fue la vida de su madre y qué la llevó verdaderamente a su fin. La gente no se lo pondrá precisamente fácil y es que nadie quiere enfrentarse al señor Ewis, el dueño de la industria papelera de la ciudad y el principal benefactor de la campaña electoral del señor Worthington, el padre adoptivo de Sadie Rose.

Esta chica de 16 años entrará en contacto con chicos de su edad e irá descubriendo sus opiniones respecto a las intenciones de su padre de crear más presas, lo que haría que las islas habitables más próximas se inundaran.

A la vez que todo esto sucede, Sadie Rose recuperará el habla (el cual había perdido once años atrás, al ser encontrada junto al cuerpo de su madre) y también recuerdos que creía olvidados. Se embarcará en un viaje al pasado de su madre donde los secretos serán finalmente revelados.

He disfrutado realmente el libro pero el final me ha gustado y decepcionado a partes iguales. No me ha gustado el giro tan brusco que recibe la historia para llegar al final. Me ha sorprendido, sin embargo, la noticia que Sadie Rose recibe y me ha encantado cómo ha sabido manejar la situación para que todos quedaran contentos.

En general, la historia es buena y te hace pasar un rato entretenido, que al fin y al cabo es de lo que se trata.(less)

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Aug 31, 2012 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, age-ya, arcs, mystery, historical-fiction

I read this ARC via NetGalley.com

Sadie Rose hasn't spoken a word since she was found at age 5, nearly frozen in the snow, after the murder of her prostitute mother. But now Sadie is finally speaking again. She meets Victor, a young photographer, who her foster father, a senator, believes is out to ruin him. She meets Trinity, a flapper, and Owen, who Sadie likes a lot. Sadie wants to find out more about her mother as her memories begin to return to her, and she must strike out on her own to find...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Lucie rated it 3 of 5 stars

A flashback into the time when women had not the right to vote in the United States, when men reigned in supremacy.
By starting this novel, the reader is immersed in a certain torpor. You are overwhelmed by the same feelings as when you entered a house that had not been opened and occupied for a while. Once the sheets are removed from the furnitures and you will let in the light enter, the house is breathing again …

Besides, I'm not sure that staying put knitting in a corner or talking about munda...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

The synopsis pretty much says it all, but Frozen is a gorgeously written historical fiction novel. One that quickly drew me in and kept me immersed. It takes a lot for me to really get into historical fiction normally. I'm the girl who adores quick moving plots and witty heroines. However Mary Casanova's story drew me in for much different reasons, and it was utterly refreshing.

Sadie Rose is quite the protagonist. My favorite part about her was her spirit. When the book starts, Sadie Rose is jus...more The synopsis pretty much says it all, but Frozen is a gorgeously written historical fiction novel. One that quickly drew me in and kept me immersed. It takes a lot for me to really get into historical fiction normally. I'm the girl who adores quick moving plots and witty heroines. However Mary Casanova's story drew me in for much different reasons, and it was utterly refreshing.

Sadie Rose is quite the protagonist. My favorite part about her was her spirit. When the book starts, Sadie Rose is just finding her voice. This sets in motion a series of events that lead her towards finding out who she truly is. What the reader finds is a girl who has been stifled in her growth. Missing part of her past, and constantly being told what her future will be, Sadie Rose feels like her life is going nowhere. I loved watching her grow into her own, slowly discovering how to be independent. She is a pretty brave girl, especially in the 1920's!

That being said, the rich setting of this book is also one of the reasons that I enjoyed it so much. To Sadie Rose, Rainy Lake is a small and pretty drab town. However to me, the reader, it was a place of possibility. It was fascinating to see people going about their daily lives in this time period. The divide between rich and poor. The political issues of the day. This isn't just a story about a girl finding herself, it's also an opportunity to see the beginning of a great era.

My one qualm with this book, and honestly it's a small one, is that it is rather slow at parts. The mystery surrounding Rainy Lake and Sadie Rose's past keeps things flowing pretty well. However there were points where the descriptions were a bit lengthy, and slowed things down. It didn't hamper my overall enjoyment of the story however. Those who read historical fiction often will know that descriptive writing is part and parcel to the genre.

I sincerely enjoyed Frozen as a whole, and am very glad that I took the time to read it! As I said, this isn't usually my genre of choice. That's what I'm all the more ecstatic to be able to say that I truly enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of historical fiction, give Frozen a place on your reading list.(less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Brittany Rehage rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really, really enjoyed Frozen. More than I thought I would. It tells Sadie’s coming of age story extremely well, and even though the mystery wasn’t really much of a mystery for me, I still found myself reading as quickly as I could, wanting to know the next chapter of the story.

Sadie Rose has been the unofficial daughter of the Worthingtons for 11 years, after the death of her mother and nearly freezing to death herself. She’s been mute since then, finding other ways to communicate. When she s...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story begins with Sadie Rose, a 15 year old girl, who does not speak and only has slight memories of her past before she was found in a snow storm. Everything changes for Sadie Rose when she discovers hidden photos of her Mother. Soon enough, the "thaw," on Sadie Rose begins. This book is set in the time when women's lib was becomnig stronger and stronger and times were definitely changing.
"Words set things in motion." This quote couldn't be more true. When Sadie discovers the photos, she a...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, spotlight-books, cln

Sadie Rose has been mute since as a 5-year-old girl, her prostitute mother was found frozen to death outside in the brutal Minnesota weather, and Sadie was taken in by a prominent local family, the Worthingtons. She is now 16 and with the discovery of some old pictures of her mother, finds her voice and learns the secretive story of her mother's life and death. Mr. Worthington, now a senator, is bankrolled by the powerful E.W. Ennis, whose logging business is buoyed by dams built in the area, no...more

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Jan 23, 2013 a_tiffyfit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, reviewed-2013

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Disclaimer: Received this as an ARC from NetGalley and the book's publishers in return for a unbiased, honest review!

Frozen is a story about a young girl who witnesses something traumatic, the death of her mother and those that tried to cover it up, and loses her capability of speech for more than a decade afterwards. Sadie Rose is now 16, on the cusp of womanhood, and finding a bunch of provocative (given the time period) photos of a woman, her memories of that long ago night open and trigger...more Disclaimer: Received this as an ARC from NetGalley and the book's publishers in return for a unbiased, honest review!

Frozen is a story about a young girl who witnesses something traumatic, the death of her mother and those that tried to cover it up, and loses her capability of speech for more than a decade afterwards. Sadie Rose is now 16, on the cusp of womanhood, and finding a bunch of provocative (given the time period) photos of a woman, her memories of that long ago night open and trigger her capability of speech.

This is a historical fiction novel, set during prohibition.

I liked this book. That sounds so lukewarm, and it is, but I did. I liked it. I thought it was going to be a kind of horror story, focusing on Sadie Rose's mother's death and Sadie's life, etc. but it wasn't. It was more of a coming of age story, but there were so many tangents that I felt as if I didn't have a complete story...to ANY of the tangents. There's prohibition, a blossoming young woman who is mute and comes from bad circumstances, local politics focusing on environmental issues, corrupt bigwig corporate person funneling money to get what he wants politically, a whole history of the mother, Bella Rose, that is just barely touched upon, a young love story, mental illness and how it is handled, etc. SO MUCH COMMENTARY in such a short book. And when you have that much to explore, you don't really get into the depths of any of it. It's impossible.

I liked the characters, although I think Sadie goes from being a complacent mute to a rule-breaking rebel incredibly fast and it makes it a bit offputting to the reader. You hear her inner dialogue about wanting freedom, but then her first taste of it, she's walking and being heckled by coarse men. I can't see a woman who can't scream wanting to take that walk into town. Trinity and Owen and Vic and Hans and Aasta are all appealing and vibrant.

When you focus on Sadie Rose, you come away from this book happy and liking it. She goes from being a mute orphan whose future depends on the good graces of her "benefactors" to a more confident young woman who realizes that Mrs. Worthington and Hans and Aasta are her family. She gets her dream of a college education, friends of her own choosing, and a local sweetheart to boot.

The writing is sound and pulls you in, the pace is fluid with only a few bubbles that burst quickly and allow you to get back on track. It's a world well-described and easy to picture.

Frozen is already out on shelves, so go pick up a copy for a good read!

(less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Soma "Insomnia Of Books" rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: wish-list

I love unpredictable things, unpredictable books, unpredictable movies, unpredictable answers; anything, really. So, when I read the blurb of this book, I couldn't predict anything from it, so I gave it a shot. This book was really unpredictable, but not all in a good way.
Sadie Rose has lost her mother, eight years ago. She only remembers glimpses of her past life, the life when her mother was alive. She has lived with the Worthingtons ever since her mama died. Mrs. Worthington seems to care a...more I love unpredictable things, unpredictable books, unpredictable movies, unpredictable answers; anything, really. So, when I read the blurb of this book, I couldn't predict anything from it, so I gave it a shot. This book was really unpredictable, but not all in a good way.
Sadie Rose has lost her mother, eight years ago. She only remembers glimpses of her past life, the life when her mother was alive. She has lived with the Worthingtons ever since her mama died. Mrs. Worthington seems to care about her, and Sadie Rose loves the two servants, Aasta and Hans. That should have been enough, but is it?
When Sadie Rose discovers some photographs of her mother in the Wothington's house, she's shocked and determined to know the truth about her mother's death. What helps the most, though; is that Sadie Rose is beginning to remember how her life was like before, her glimpses are becoming more of memories.
So, Sade Rose starts on an unpredictable adventure to find the truth about her life, and to remove the covers on the lies she has been told her whole life. On her journey, she meets many new friends: Tiffany , Victor, and the lovable Owen. She also discovers many secrets about her life, and about her true family.
What has her family been hiding from Sadie Rose? What will she discover on her quest? Will she find true love in a hopeless wreck? Find out much more when you read this heart-wrenching story, Frozen...
I liked this book very much. Mary Casanova has written a story about self-discovery, betrayal, and the power of families. This story has a beautiful premise, the storyline is that of uniqueness, but I felt like the author missed some points in the book. Like: The descriptions were too overwhelming, they covered far too much of the book, and left no room for imagination.
Most of the characters were realistic, but some were two-dimensional. I felt like most of them didn't have true motives or reasons for what they were doing. Plus, I didn't like Sadie Rose very much, I didn't relate to her. I had no real idea why she were doing what she was doing. It was unaccounted for.
Although this book was unique and touching, I found a few aspects that weren't to my liking. This book might appeal to fans of historical fictions and contemporary romance. You will never find out if you like this, if you don't try it first. So go ahead, and grab a copy!(less)

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May 17, 2013 Tessa Joy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Sadie Rose has been mute ever since her mother’s body was left to freeze in the snows of northern Minnesota. Eleven years later, Sadie stumbles upon pictures of her mother in the garage of her not-quite-adopted family: Senator Walter and Elizabeth Worthington. Sadie finds courage to use her voice and the pictures to understand why her mother became a prostitute, who her father is, and who the man was that killed her mother. From her findings, Sadie discovers that her mother’s murderer is the pap...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Verena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Frozen by Minnesota author Mary Casanova takes place in 1920 in the Rainy Lake area on the Minnesota-Canadian border. The body of a prostitute is found frozen in the snow. Her five-year-old daughter is also found nearby, barely alive and so traumatized that she does not speak for the next 11 years. When she is 16 years old she finds hidden photographs of her mother that awaken suppressed memories, revive her ability to speak, and foster a determination to find out her mother’s story and her own....more

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About Mary Casanova

Mary Casanova is an award-winning children's author of novels and picture books. Many of her books stem from her life on the Minnesota-Canadian border; yet some of her stories have taken her as far away as France, Norway, and Belize for research. Whatever the setting for her books, Casanova writes stories that matter--and stories that kids can't put down.

Her book awards include: American Library A...more Mary Casanova is an award-winning children's author of novels and picture books. Many of her books stem from her life on the Minnesota-Canadian border; yet some of her stories have taken her as far away as France, Norway, and Belize for research. Whatever the setting for her books, Casanova writes stories that matter--and stories that kids can't put down.

Her book awards include: American Library Association "Notable," Aesop Accolades by the American Folklore Society, Parents' Choice "Gold" Award, Booklist Editor Choice, and two Minnesota Book Awards. Her books frequently land on state children's choice book master lists across the country. "The greatest reward for me," Casanova states, "is when a young reader tells me she or he loves one of my books. For me, it's all about communicating writer-to-reader through a character and story."

Casanova grew up in a family of ten children in St. Paul, Minnesota. In a bustling camp-like atmosphere, Casanova found that writing became her voice. "Words are my paintbrush," she explains, "my way of exploring the world around me."

Now, with 19 books published and many more under contract and forthcoming, she divides her time between writing and traveling. Nationally and internationally, at schools and conferences, Casanova shares her love of writing and reading with children and adults.

Her newest novel, The Klipfish Code, makes use of Mary's on-site research in Norway. The story explores an important facet of Norwegian history through the experiences of Marit, a 12-year-old Norwegian girl who finds a way to fight against the 5-year Nazi occupation of Norway. Marit and her brother Lars are separated from their parents (who are working for the Resistance) and sent to live on an island with their gruff grandfather and school teacher aunt. During the course of the story, Marit's aunt is one of the Norwegian school teachers that gets sent to a concentration camp for refusing to integrate Nazi propaganda into her classroom. With potential danger waiting every turn, Marit finds a way to help the Resistance and eventually reunite her family.

Mary's series, Dog Watch (Simon and Schuster) is based on her northern Minnesota village where dogs are allowed to roam free—as long as they don't get in trouble. If they get in trouble, they earn a sticker on their page at the village clerk's office; too many stickers and a trouble-making dog must remain at home. "I never know where the next story will come from. It’s a delight when the stories come right from this corner of the world I call home." She makes her home in a 100-year old house on Rainy Lake with her husband, Charles, and their three "above average" dogs and spends free time with their horses, Jay and Midnight.(less)

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