Frozen (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage) Paperback – August 1, 2013

I really liked the character of Sadie Rose, she is a tough cookie but I also liked that we saw this softer side as her memories of when she was young came crashing down on her, the memories of the night her mother died and she almost froze to death in a snowbank but that night she not only lost her mother but her voice too but that was eleven years ago and now Sadie is having flashes of both memory and voice and the memories are not at all what she expected.Of course you kind of have a little inkling of the truth behind what happened to Sadie’s mother but I didn’t care I wanted to see how the story played out. I liked Sadie’s journey from mute half prisoner to talking woman of the world. The awful truths about herself and her mother and father could have easily done a person in but not Sadie Rose they only made her stronger. I loved the other characters in this especially Hans & Aasta they were my favorites. My only small problem with the story is I’m not sure at the end if (hmm how do I saw this without a spoiler) …if things would have worked out so quickly or would more of a fight been put up or that that was enough “justice” for her parents. ( Read the book and hopefully that sentence will make sense to you).This was a great young adult historical fiction set not that far from my home I thought the author did a great job at evoking the time and place in this book I just think the ending will be a problem for some people (I was a little iffy on it myself) but overall I enjoyed this book and would read others by this author as I very much enjoyed her writing. This would have been a solid 4 but the ending felt a bit rushed and not as believable as I had hoped.3 ½ stars

I wanted to read this book as I live in the vicinity of Northern MN. While  Frozen  was a little slow to begin with, by the time I reached the middle of the book I was thoroughly engrossed. Sadie Rose is the 16 year old daughter of Bella Rose,a'red skirt' or prostitute who froze to death in the early 1900s.Sadie Rose was taken in by the Mayor of Ranier and his wife and raised as their ward...neither daughter, nor servant. As a result of the shock of being frozen herself. Sadie Rose has not spoken since the night her mother died. This is a coming of age story as Sadie Rose not only finds her voice, but begins to discover her history and make choices for her future. Because of subject matter , I would recommend this book for older teens or young adults. I am an adult reader and I enjoyed this book. Mary Casanova has done a wonderful job using local history as a base to this novel. I would like to read a sequal to find out what happens with Sadie Rose and Owen and Trinity.

Normally, I read thrillers but a friend recommended this book and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it - so much so that I purchased the next book in the series. I found the writing engaging and beautifully descriptive. It was a captivating story and the characters were unique. I look forward to reading more about the life of Sadie Rose!

I read this book for our book club selection. It provided a great discussion! Maybe not always for the right reason! We chuckled several times about the vastness of the topics covered in this book: mental illness, prostitution, women's rights to vote, the environment etc. We were hard pressed to find another book selection that fit this much in so few pages! Worth reading just to see how the author does it!

Right now, I am enjoying evenings by the fireplace engrossed in Mary Casanova's adult novel, Frozen. I love her literary style which makes me feel as if I am a silent observer in the story. I can see the loon's white spots, hear its "melancholy wail--lyrical and beautiful" and smell the pine and spruce. My emotions rise and fall along with Sadie Rose's: her fear of the past surfacing, the subtle rejection by the Worthingtons, the acceptance and closeness of Aasta, restrained jubilation at beginning to speak . . . God has definitely blessed Mary Casanova as an amazing crafter of words.

I gave this as a gift, so didn't get a chance to more than leaf through a few pages, but think the author has an important statement to make in writing it.

"Frozen" is a gem that will appeal to both adults and young adults. A compassionate, but not saccharine, telling of an awful historic event, it is an excellent coming-of-age tale as well as being an on-target narrative of a huge 1920's era conservation battle in Minnesota's northwoods. As Sadie Rose bravely finds her voice, so does a fledgling conservation movement.

Frozen is a quick read. It held my interest throughout the book. It is a mystery with all the characters and plot coming together in the end.