This book captivated me from the beginning. I loved the characters and thought it was easy to connect with them. I also really enjoyed the story from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book for a great winter thriller that keeps you guessing.

This was the winter read I have been searching for. The premise was irresistible: a girl found in the Arctic who thaws back to life. The book shines with intelligence and icy Arctic atmosphere. A strong, female protagonist, strange/interesting characters, and several mysteries to be solved make this book one of the best I’ve read so far this year. The narrative had the right amount of otherworldly creepiness, and surprising compassion. I read 100 pages a night to savor the story and was no disappointed. Highly recommend for those who enjoy dense Nordic thrillers and well-paced suspense.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A gripping and tense atmospheric thriller dealing with life, death, and quest to understand each.

GIRL IN ICE is a beautifully written novel centering around a remarkable discovery, climate change, and most importantly, the people who are at the center of it all. Ferencik carefully constructed a mystery that plays off the frigid and isolated surroundings of the Arctic while still tapping into the characters’ emotions and interactions to create an element of hopefulness.

Here is the thing. This book is just as much about the environment as it is about the people you will meet within these pages. In fact, the Arctic could be considered a character itself. The bitterness and unforgiving cold gives life and takes it away. No one realizes this more than Val as she looks for answers to what happened to her brother while helping the young girl found in the ice. She must force herself to work through pain and fear as she deals with an eclectic group of characters. Some of whom, she knows are hiding secrets from her.

The narrative builds the suspense step by step as the author unravels the truth while exploring the relationships and interesting personalities. Seeing the variety of characters and their passion for their work, both with linguistics as well as in science, was refreshing. As a reader, you can tell when an author does their homework and Ferencik did just that. Though I wouldn’t go as far as calling this book an eco-thriller, there is definitely the thread of climate change woven throughout which provides a timely quality to the story.

From the beginning to the end, GIRL IN ICE is a compelling read. The author truly shows the best and worst of the human condition by forcing her characters to confront their mortality in a desolate location.

Valerie Chesterfield is a university professor and linguist. She is asked to consult with Wyatt Speeks, a scientist whose climate research station is located at an uninhabited island on the northwest coast of Greenland, for seven weeks. An eight year old girl has thawed from the ice and miraculously lived, but is speaking a language that no one can decipher. Val's linguistic expertise is needed to learn more about the young girl. Beyond this, Val has another connection to Wyatt. He was the graduate professor and recent colleague of Val's twin brother Andy who died of suicide five months ago while working at this same station in Greenland. Because of her debilitating anxiety/ agoraphobia, the trip is well beyond Val's comfort zone yet something propels her to say yes. She embarks on a trip of a lifetime that will greatly test her physical and emotional limits, armed with determination and enough anxiety medication to get her through her voyage. During her time in the lonely frigid cold of the Arctic with four other adults and a young girl, Val taps into strengths she never knew existed and learns how to survive. This is a well written novel that captivates the reader with its flair for adventure and mystery and its revelatory glimpses into human nature at its best and worst.

I"m sorry. Maybe the ditziness is explained later but when I read on the first page that someone might be riding a llama in Tibet, I closed the book. This is an ARC but that is too much.

Val Chesterfield’s twin brother Andy was stationed at a remote research post on an island off the coast of Greenland, when one night he stepped outside into the freezing cold to die.

Now, almost six months later, a girl has been found there, frozen in the ice; but when she thaws out she’s miraculously alive, and speaking a language no-one understands. As a linguist and a sister, Val can’t resist the invitation to visit the site of her brother’s dead and attempt to unlock the mystery of this child and the frozen landscapes of the north.

Some books just demand to be read in one sitting, and Girl in Ice is certainly one of them. Erica Ferencik brought Greenland to life in my imagination from the moment Val first flew over the icebergs of its frozen seas. The remoteness and danger of just the environment of the island and its research station would have provided plenty of dramatic tension on their own – just surviving the local weather and wildlife isn’t something to take for granted. There are, however, human dynamics galore; Andy wasn’t alone when he took his own life, and the other outpost staff there that day, Wyatt and Jeanne, remain. Val, usually too anxious to leave even her home state, and uncertain of herself, isn’t sure whether she’s imagining that something seems slightly wrong, and the girl she’s pulled herself completely out of her comfort zone to help is reluctant even to be in the same room as other people – let alone attempt to communicate.

Between the characters, the landscape, and that creepingly ominous atmosphere, Girl in Ice had me genuinely torn between my need to read faster and learn just what was going on, and my need to spin the book out, so that I didn’t finish too soon. Val was such a sympathetic character, struggling with her own demons but determined to finally break out of the safe shell she’d trapped herself in, and her specialty of linguistics meant some fascinating details about language, especially the words in other languages for specific tones of emotion.

Whether I was desperate to solve a mystery, marveling at a beautifully described part of the northern scenery, or absorbing some fascinating tidbit of knowledge, this book held me rapt from start to end. Already one of my favorite books of next year, I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

I thought Girl in Ice was interesting and well-done even if not 100% my cup of tea as a reader.

Set in an isolated research station in Greenland, I give Girl In Ice a 10/10 on the creepy claustrophobic vibes. The main character has anxiety and I got terrible anxiety reading about the forbidding climate (dark and freezing), the small research station, the mix of personalities in the small group that's basically trapped together.

I loved the focus on communication as main character Val is summoned to the research station where her twin brother recently died to try to communicate with a young girl that the researchers found nearly frozen to death in the snow. I know a bit about linguistics but learned more about Norse/Scandinavian languages. The plot went into some really strange/out-there directions that I had a few qualms about and I felt the ending fizzled a bit. But if you like thrillers with a strong science/nature vibe you should definitely check this one out.

Linguist Val Chesterfield makes a trip to the remote Arctic Circle in order to help translate the words of a young girl who was found frozen and was revived. As Val struggles to make sense of this, she also grapples with coming to terms with the death of her twin brother and the uncertainties surrounding his death.

This was such an original plot line. Descriptions of the Arctic setting brought me right there and I felt the snow and biting wind as I read. Ferencik's writing is outstanding and she completely drew me in and made me fall in love with the characters. The suspense was abundant and the ending satisfying. Ideal for fans Nevada Barr and Paul Doiron.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Gallery/Scout Press and Erica Ferencik for my complimentary e-copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a good read. The concept was a bit far fetched but the overall story was very ell crafted. The characters were excellent and I would read more of this author's work

I really enjoyed this book. I started reading it in the evening, stayed up late, and then woke up early to finish it.

I absolutely loved the linguistic aspects of this novel. I was fascinated by by the individual words and spent a bit of time researching each one.

The overall plot was interesting and there was just enough doubt cast to leave readers guessing until the final revelations. I had the plot pretty well mapped out pretty early on, or felt I did, but the great writing kept me from being fully confident in my guess work.

The characters were not the most developed I've ever read, but they were well rounded enough to allow me to sympathize/empathize with them to make the plot twists impactful.

Definitely recommend to readers who enjoy suspenseful books.

I really wanted to love this book as I have really enjoyed her other books; however, this one was really slow for me. Val is asked to travel to the Artic to help translate language from a girl that they found frozen in ice. They thawed out this little girl and realized that she is from the Ice Age. I fee like this book didn’t know what it wanted to be and would prefer to give it 2 1/2 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book was a decent read. At some points I found it enjoyable and other parts left me hanging a bit. I loved the atmosphere that was created, it was one of the things that kept me reading.

Valerie Chesterfield is a linguist trained in the most esoteric of disciplines: dead Nordic languages. She lives a quiet and sheltered life compared to her twin brother, Andy, an accomplished climate scientist who has been stationed off Greenland’s barren coast.

But Andy is gone, an apparent victim of suicide, having willfully ventured unprotected into Greenland’s 50 degree below zero weather.

Then Wyatt, Andy’s fellow researcher in the Arctic, begs Valerie to travel to the Arctic to work on what seems like a scientific impossibility, when it’s actually his newest discovery--a young girl who was frozen in a glacier. When they thawed her out, she woke up, and is now speaking a language no one understands.

Val has panic disorder and is terrified of flying, but she gathers every ounce of courage to travel to their base camp to meet this girl and try to decipher what she is so passionately trying to communicate.

The landscape is fierce and unforgiving, and Wyatt is a dangerous-feeling enigma who refuses to share his data or his motivations. Can his data be trusted? And does he have anything to do with how and why Val’s brother died?

The little girl, who is eventually found to be named Sigrid, is easy to fall in love with. Her language is vaguely ancient West Greenlandic and Norse, but not entirely either. I had no previous interest in ancient languages, so I was surprised by how much I loved those sections. For example, the Arctic way of saying “climate change” translates roughly to “my friend is hurting.” Even if you’re not a climate change follower, you will remember that phrase.

The book does discuss climate change (they’re conducting research on a polar shelf after all), and it also demonstrates examples of mental illness in various characters, some to the point that they become unreliable narrators. For me, that added to the plot.

The writing is beautiful, especially in the first half of the book, where the descriptions are eerie and otherworldly. The characters are compelling, if mostly unlikeable, and kept my interest. I learned quite a bit bout Arctic life and survival, which is always a plus in a novel.

However Valerie, the primary narrator, truly was unreliable. Things that mattered intensely at one moment were shrugged aside like nothing a short time later. She is self-medicating all the way through the book, so I pardoned her personality weaknesses and occasional bad decisions. However, as narrator, she has the responsibility to explain the mystery of how this little girl lived after being thawed for 700 years. Apparently it had something to do with electric eels. Valerie hinted, and it was enough to convince me.

But what actually happened to Val’s brother was the most troubling loose end. Did he freeze himself intentionally—or did Wyatt--as part of some botched revival experiment? That was my main question all the way through, and since they never found the body, I kept expecting him to pop out of one of the freezers to be thawed. The author could certainly have woven that sinister plot into the story, but our heroine, who is supposed to be utterly devastated by her twin brother’s death, never even asks Wyatt or anyone else if they had secretly tried to revive him. These unanswered issues left me feeling disappointed, despite the overall enjoyable read.

I loved the mystery surrounding the remote research station and the psychological effects of being connected but disconnected from the world. Enjoy the wintery atmosphere and give The Girl in Ice a try, despite its flaws.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give an unbiased review.

Val leads a sheltered life studying rare and old languages when her world suddenly is upheaved by the death of her twin on a glacier in Greenland. His death, syncing up with the mystery of a girl thawed from the ice alive and speaking nonsense, leads Val on a course to this glacial research station. Here she uncovers truths about herself, brother, those who call the research station home and of the impossibly living child.

I enjoyed this novel! Set in a slightly alternate reality where unexpected weather is causing abnormalities not only in the Arctic but over the world, the research that Val comes across in Greenland is mysterious and captivating. What the researchers are really trying to accomplish keeps you on your guard at the same time our protagonist is trying to crack the puzzle that is the girl found frozen in the ice. Through all this Val is trying to balance her own weaknesses while trying to understand why her brother ended up ending his life the way he did. A truly well written novel. I loved the mystery surrounding the remote research station and the psychological effects of being connected but disconnected from the world. 4 stars.

Review based on digital Advanced Reader’s Copy from Net Galley and Gallery Books.

Mysterious, anxiety-inducing and with a touch of magic, Girl in Ice is a wonderfully unique thriller that’s literally bone chilling. Erica Ferencik has delivered a nerve-wracking thriller that will have you shivering on the edge of your seat.

High up in the Arctic on an island off the coast of Greenland, climate scientists make the amazing discovery of a young girl frozen in ice. Even more astonishing, when thawed out the young girl is alive and talking in a language no one can understand. Enter Val, a renowned linguist who’s summoned to decipher what the girl is saying. Battling severe anxiety and leaving the comfort of her sheltered life in the US, she travels to the Arctic not only as a linguist, but as the twin sister of a man who perished at this very station of an apparent suicide. Val is suspicious of the circumstances surrounding her brother’s death and tries to get to the truth of what really happened. Meanwhile, Val builds a strong personal connection with the thawed-out girl and must quickly figure out her language while watching the girl get sicker and sicker, trying to understand what she needs in order to save her from death. It’s a race against the clock, and the setting sun, to solve multiple mysteries surrounding those she cares about.

There are a couple of aspects of Girl in Ice that are quite intriguing and not typical of a traditional thriller. First is the setting of the unforgiving Arctic. It’s not a common location to find in a novel, but it works brilliantly in multiple ways – harsh climate that acts as another character in the story, focuses the story on a few people who are forced into close quarters with nowhere to hide, and the coming darkness of winter provides a deadline to figure everything out before they need to leave the location. Second, Val’s struggle with anxiety is something distinctive that provides a way to connect with her. Most thriller protagonists are strong, highly capable individuals with no fear. And while Val is highly capable in her career and possesses a strength beyond what she is cognizant of, her vulnerability and fear of the world around her make her relatable and someone worth rooting for.

Girl in Ice is part mystery and part science fiction with a side helping of overcoming your fears. It’s a tale of leaving your comfort zone and finding your inner strength. A unique story for those who appreciate a journey rooted in reality but with a mystical twist.

I love a book that teaches you something, gives you insight into something I wouldn’t necessarily run across if left to my own devices. The parts about linguistics were fascinating. Val is an interesting character, not entirely likable. The setting was a character in itself, the descriptions so vivid and stark. The mystery surrounding her twin brother (Andy) is really almost a side note to the found girl and global warming. The ending felt a bit rushed but overall this was an entertaining read that I would recommend. I will check out more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Gallery Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

Val's twin brother Andy committed suicide. Val has not been the same since. When a girl is found in the ice alive, Val travels to the Artic Circle hoping for answers from the girl about her brother. Can the girl tell Val what actually happened to her brother? This was an ok thriller with some good twists and turns. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

What an interesting book. A woman who is painfully anxious about stepping outside the boundaries of a constricted life decides to do what her elderly father asks of her - go to a remote research site in Greenland to find out why her outgoing and adventurous twin brother froze to death there. As it happens, the dead twin's research colleague has need of her specialty - figuring out obscure languages. Once she arrives she finds out why: they found a girl frozen in a block of ice deep in a crevasse and, strangely enough, she is alive and speaking an unfamiliar language. Once there, things are much stranger than she would have guessed, but she works diligently to connect with the girl and find a way to communicate.

I tore through the book, and enjoyed the relationship between the protagonist, and the girl, the linguistics theme, and the description of the Arctic setting. There's a creepiness about the isolation and the main scientist is a bit mad. One scene definitely verged on horror, with a touch of don't-go-into-that-basement-in-your nightie about it. There is also a strong environmentalist message that isn't overdone. And a plot element that strains credulity, so needed careful handling.

While I wasted no time reading to the end, I wish the author had spent a bit more time working out the mindset of the main character (I had a very hard time connecting the uncertain and neurotic woman in the opening pages and how she acted later - that definitely could use more connect-the-dots - and there were times when consistency in the characters was sacrificed for the demands of the plot, which could have paved over some of its potholes. So a fascinating, but flawed story that has left me with some vivid images and a lingering curiosity about an unusual child.

ERICA FERENCIK DOES IT AGAIN!! When I’m looking for an environmental thriller, I go immediately to her. This story has me on the edge of my seat the entire time!! I was so interested in the science and the knowledge this book provided. I honestly didn’t want it to end. The characters, the mystery, all of it—so well done!!

3 for neutral. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this one on the occasions I tried. Will definitely update if able to finish at a late date, as I am a quite moody reader!