A Gift of Ice

The Jimmy Fincher Saga #2

by James Dashner

A Gift of Ice continues the fantastic journey for truth that began with A Door in the Woods and will become a four-volume series.

The series has been enjoyed by readers of all ages, but it has particularly been a big hit with teenage readers. Book 2 of the Jimmy Fincher Saga Jimmy Fincher cannot be destroyed. In an impossible place under A Door in the Woods, Jimmy received the first of The Four Gifts—contributions of a mysterious and desperate people trying to save the world from an enemy unprecedented in ruthlessness. Not much is known about this enemy, or what their purposes may be. But a haunting phrase has been spoken as a warning. The Stompers are coming. Having temporarily sealed the entrance to the Black Curtain—that strange portal from whence the Stompers will come—Jimmy has fled to Japan with his family in search of The Second Gift, with only scant clues as their guide. Peril will be inescapable, mysteries will abound. Nothing can be assumed, and help will be found in the least likely of places. The weight of the world will fall upon Jimmy.

He is not a wizard.
He is not a mutant. He is not a genius. He is far more powerful. He is Jimmy Fincher.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

238 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2004

About the author

James is the author of THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy and THE 13TH REALITY series. He also published a series (beginning with A DOOR IN THE WOODS) with a small publisher several years ago. He lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains.

Reviews

[Janell · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the second in the series this book improved a little but still struggled. The story is overfilled with strange characters and happenings that all feel too forced. The writing is choppy and I've never been fond of authors who explain every last event and emotion to me as if I'm not intelligent enough to figure it out myself. Plus, I've always felt you should be so immersed in the story that emotion is felt, not explained. Since the book was fairly annoying, I'm not sure whether I'll finish the last two books. My curiosity may win out, however so I might find the last book in the library and check out the last few pages to see how he saves the world. :-)

NOTE: Other reviewers seem to really like this book, especially the younger kids so if the synopsis appeals to you, it could be one you'd end up liking.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great sequel to A Door in the Woods. Each book in short, so a little frustrating that they are just not all combines. Again, the showing instead of just telling the story is done very well. I am giving it four stars because I think your readers would really enjoy this fast paced saga.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was...astonishingly terrible. I found myself rolling my eyes throughout 98% of the book. And there are reasons for this.

Reason #1: The main character, Jimmy-san, didn't progress or develop as a deep character. He made stupid, ridiculous jokes and laughed at the dumbest things like burping, sneezing, or throwing up on people. He acts like a badass only when he's using his stupid powers, then is back to being annoying, immature, and overwhelmingly stupid overall.

Reason #2: The world and lore building is underwhelming. I found myself confused and unimpressed by the "threatening" world-destroyers called Stompers (that is the worst title anyone could have come up with for monsters that destroy worlds). The only thing I did like about the overall setting is Japan. I mean, come on - Japan is beautiful!

Reason #3: The side characters are stereotypical, boring, and/or unnecessary. Take Jimmy's family for example. None of them are interesting! Like I said in my review of the first book, there needs to be actual interesting conversations/fun banter thrown here and there. His family is pointless to the story if they aren't going to be meaningful or motivators to Jimmy and his quest. I felt like they were there for no reason. But supposedly, Jimmy's family is his only motivation to save the world-so hurray...

Overall, this story so far is confusing, annoying, and pointless. There are no lessons to be taken from this except to be immature as you possibly can at the age of 14. (Unlike Harry Potter who is mature as hell at the age of 14 where he went through the Triwizard Tournament and faced off against Voldemort) So forgive me for hating this character with a passion for being the most annoying little "hero" of all time.

[Jodee Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

great installment. does not dissapoint. love.the characters and the overall story.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having already met the characters in the Jimmy Fincher saga, this book moved more quickly into the adventures of this unlikely hero. I read it in one day - I just didn't want to wait to see what would happen. I am still enjoying Jimmy's humble ordinariness and his undying devotion to his family and to making selfless choices. This book is action packed, funny, and touching.

The epiphany for me personally came at the end where Jimmy has the insight that it's time to stop resisting. "Thought through from beginning to end, it was tiring. But this was my new life. And that morning, perhaps truly for the first time, I accepted it. The future of the world rested with me." We can all say that - our lives are full of challenges and trials. But in the end, the future of the world rests with each of us. It is up to us to decide to embrace our lives NOW - not long for some past or future version of ourselves. Beautiful!!!

I'm already on to book 3 and loving this series. Thank you, James!

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jimmy Fincher is in danger and so is his family. In this action-packed second book of the Jimmy Fincher Saga, Jimmy is just starting to get comfortable with the first gift he received from the Givers when all of a sudden a gang called the Bosa Zuka, a japanese motorcycle gang, crash into his hotel room and set off a "sounding rod" designed to exploit the only flaw in his shield. A great follow-up to the first, this book introduces new characters into the story and lets you see further into Jimmy's new strange world. Jimmy along with members of the Alliance must find the second gift before the Shadow Ka can destroy it and rescue Jimmy's family before it's too late. The story, characters, and the author's writing style is more developed than the first book. This is an easy, fun read.

[Shanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book of the Jimmy Fincher Saga was more than I expected after reading the first book. While the first book was entertaining, the writing has definitely improved and I found myself in a good amount of suspense quite often. James Dashner has learned how to end a chapter to keep you reading and I can understand now why my daughter's fourth grade class was upset when their teacher told them she wasn't going to read them the 3rd and 4th books in the series because the school year was ending. I went straight into the third book, Tower of Air, after reading A Gift of Ice.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this out of sequence (last of the four) but it was still a good story on its own. It was much better than the first regarding writer - errors- but it was still poorly edited and there were some cases in which the author "lies" about certain issues. In a later book he reverses what he said in this book which misleads the reader but it is not a major issue but still it shows the issues of Author needing a good editor and he didn't have it in this book either. But still the story was great and lots of suspense - he does overdo some of the fantasy stuff but I could live with that.

[Sheila (sheilasbookreviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading this series to my 2nd grade class. They love it!! It is the only time during the day when I have every child's attention and not one of them is talking. They love the mystery, the action, and the characters. This 2nd book is written well and it shows that James Dashner only got better with every book he wrote. My class has insisted that I start reading book #3 as soon as we go back on track.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book of the series... okay, I'm getting more into the story! Still a little different for me as far as the way the story is told, but I think it's just a jr. fiction thing. Jimmy now has two of the gifts he is to collect, and they're off for to look for the third. I find myself wondering where in the world someone gets the ideas for a story like this? Hmmm... well, at any rate, it's keeping my interest picqued!

[A.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second Jimmy Fincher book did not disappoint. Some of the small things that annoyed me about the first one were gone, and the book moves along at a very fast pace. This book was far more exciting than the first. Imagine a teenage Raiders of the Lost Ark. It has a few spots where it rather inelegantly infodumps some background story. Other than that, it was better than the first, and I'm definitely looking forward to number 3.

[06danielc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was a cool book. The first book of this series was about a boy that receive the first of four gifts to save the world. This book was how he received the second book. And as you would have thought it was the gift of ice. He uses this gift many times to save himself and his family.

[JC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun read in this series in which Fincher obtains his second gift in his quest to save the world from the stompers. This books takes him to Japan as he must save his family and he gets several new friends. Knowing a little Japanese helped here and I laughed at the name Baka (means idiot). Overall another quick and fun read in this series.

[Scott Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While better than the first book, this book was one of those books that I decided to read when there was nothing else to do. I wasn't drawn to it or excited to see what happened next. Jimmy's adventures are over the top at times and the story feels rushed like it could have been developed better in spots.

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was much better than the first in the series. Dashner's writing improved in this book, and though I was still conscious the whole time that I was "reading a story" if you know what I mean, this one was fun and hard to put down!

[Sara Register · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that this book is much better than the first. I read it in a day because I just couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed it. Dashner's creativity is pretty fantastic and I can't wait to pick up the next book.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good continuation of the first book. I like the bond that the main character and his family have. Sometimes I get a little tired of every chapter ending with a cliff hangar. You start to guess what is going to happen.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book in the series, but those who enjoyed it should enjoy this one, even if it has some problems with continuity. (Certain events occurred in Nebraska or Oklahoma depending on which book you believe, and Jimmy's horse is a boy or a girl depending on which chapter).

[Tiffany Cannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The minds of authors never cease to amaze me and James Dashner is certainly no exception! This second book in the Jimmy Fincher Saga is quite a roller coaster ride in the fantastical life of a 14 year old boy. As Jimmy might say, it is really cool!

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not near as intriguing or witty as the first one, but still decent enough to keep going. Keeping in mind that it is definitely left for younger readers, I was still drawn in enough to enjoy the imagination of the author through Jimmy.

[david · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Japan, fourteen-year-old Jimmy Fincher adds another gift to the arsenal of weapons he can use in his mission to prevent the evil Stompers from destroying Earth, much to the dismay of the Bosu Zoku, agents of the Shadow Ka. Another FUN read.

[Miss Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

GR Level: ?

FIC DAS

Follow Jimmy Fincher and his family to Japan. Find out what the second gift is and meet new members of "the society" who want to defeat The Stompers. This book was interesting, but I think I like the first one better.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow Jimmy Fincher and his family to Japan. Find out what the second gift is and meet new members of "the society" who want to defeat The Stompers. This book was interesting, but I think I like the first one better.

[K Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing style-jumping back and forth in time, telling background stories while In the present, and bringing characters back from the dead- not my favorite. It has some great ideas and interesting characters.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jimmy Fincher gets the gift of ice- awesome!

[Kennen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesomest book ever!!

[David Sanderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little tighter than the first book. Dashner's style is slowly evolving. Fun little read.

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

sequel to the best book ever.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good continuation of the story. Easy read. My daughter really likes the books.

[Cindy]

No review yet, just at the beginning