Freezing Point

by Karen Dionne

The polar icecaps are melting - fast.

In a drowning, desperate world, the Soldyne Corporation sees an opportunity: Melt Antarctic icebergs into drinking water using their microwave satellite array, ship the water to thirsty nations around the globe, and make a fortune.

But deep within the ice waits an enemy more deadly than anyone could imagine--and an apocalyptic horror Earth may not survive.

Includes excerpts from BOILING POINT by K. L. (Karen) Dionne, and WHAT CAME AFTER by Sam Winston

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Horror

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 16, 2008

About the author

Karen Dionne is the USA Today and #1 internationally bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter and The Wicked Sister, both published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons in the US and in dozens of other languages. Praised by The New York Times Book Review as “subtle, brilliant, and mature,” The Marsh King’s Daughter is soon to be a major motion picture starring Ben Mendelsohn and Daisy Ridley.

Reviews

[Anand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never heard of the author, and when I saw the blurb calling her the next 'Michael Crichton', and also labelled as an eco-thriller, I immediately wanted to read this. I started in the evening, and finished reading in a straight sitting of 4 hours. The story is about an environmentalist, Ben, working for a business corporation that is attempting to cull fresh, drinking water out of the fast melting glaciers of Antarctic. The idea is to use high-tech satellite systems to throw concentrated beams of microwave from outer earth orbit, and melt "lakes" on the break-away glacial pieces and then transport it. Ben's ideal end-use of such water is for the betterment of what the author still very naively prefers to refer to as the "Third World" countries, while his boss has ideas of profitability.

Given this background, most of the story pans out on the white and desolate landscape of Antarctic, where in addition to Ben's team of engineers, there is another set of scientists (not connected to Ben's company) around 50 kilometers away in another location. There are killer rats infesting the area that starts attacking people and become man-eaters, and there is also a mysterious illness that starts killing people. In that context, as a I reader having read the novel, I am not sure what is the central theme of the plot. Is it about greedy business interests trying to exploit Nature, or is it about the astounding story of rats infesting the desolate area and evolving into pack-hunters, or is it about a mysterious contagion killing people inexplicably? In the end it all ties up reasonably okay, but still left me feeling having read a concoction of Crichton and Robin Cook, and being unsure who was trying to outdo the other! Overall, enjoyable.

[Maicie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I have no idea how this book ended up on my shelf. The jacket describes the book as a battle between greedy corporations, activists and ecoterrorists all fighting over who owns the earth's water sources. It also says something about an apocalyptic horror that could destroy mankind. Given my love of horror that's probably the reason I bought the book.

It's not horror but it is a fascinating read. I love a fiction book that leads to a Google search just in case some part of the novel is true. In this case the author played with the truth, as all good authors must, and wrote a tight little drama.

My only beef is the incredible amount of characters involved. And many of them didn't play a big part of the story. I thought about making a little cheat sheet to keep track of everything but that sounded like work. I just kept reading and it all came together eventually. The ending was just a tad to perfect for my taste. Not all stories need complete closure.

Very good tale.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of a hope for the environment, corporate greed, and danger among the icebergs in a place where most people wouldn’t dare to go or be brave enough to face the obstacles found there.

Ben Maki has dreams of seeing clean drinking water for the thirsty people of the world. Ben is working for a large corporation and the head of that corporation appears to be backing Ben’s vision but when the truth is revealed that is not really the case.

From a breathtaking scene at St. John’s Newfoundland to Los Angeles to the Antarctic Peninsula Freezing Point the descriptions are marvelous and will keep you reading. The hardships that are faced by scientists trying to solve some of the world’s many problems are more than most people could handle. The characters are excellent with varying points of view and dedication to helping our environment.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another"Clear My Kindle" read down. My rating of two stars means this was an OK read, in a good sort of way. A Big Corp executive uses underhanded, deadly means of sabotaging a project of melting icebergs from Antartica to harvest water for profit. One of the characters is a very strong woman scientist which I liked. It also has deadly swarming rats. Yuck.
It felt like this was written as a pitch for an action/adventure movie.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced environmental thriller. Reminiscent of the late Alistair Maclean and guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books about Antarctica and this one delivered. "Freezing Point" was AWESOME!!!

[Anne Trager · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a short lull at the beginning, I had a great time reading this book. It was believable, scary, and I wanted to know what happened next.

[David Hibberd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A company intends on melting an Antarctic iceberg to produce fresh water. When a large berg breaks off from the ice shelf they put their plan to work. The initial option is to use the company's microwave satellites directed to the berg to melt the ice and load it onto water tankers for transport.

A problem arises in the form of hundreds of rats trapped on the berg. That is only one problem. Another is when members of the exploration group become ill and some die. Rats end up feeding on some of the dead.

It is discovered that the water being produced has become contaminated from the rats.

Meanwhile, agents from an eco-terrorist group are working to halt the water project and discredit the company behind it. Their plan is to plant bombs on the water tanker and end the project. In the end, mother nature wins.

The story was okay but not great.

[Diana H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sounded really interesting from the blurb on the back cover. It didn't live up to my expectations. Too much "save the earth" sort of stuff - which probably appeals to other readers, just not my favorite thing to read for enjoyment.

[Maddin809 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein guter und spannender Thriller um Umweltzerstörung, Wasserknappheit, einem Virus und viele Ratten.
———
A good and exciting thriller about environmental destruction, water scarcity, a virus and lots of rats.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good suspenseful read that had me scurrying to see just what species could survive in the climate of Antarctica.

[Kathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Week 43 of the 2017 Reading Challenge: A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold).

[Erinn · Rating 1 out of 5]

A long and unorganized tale that has so much action, it’s simply too unbelievable to enjoy.

[Andy Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Megan Connolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

ecological thriller

Fast-paced ecological thriller with a hopeful ending. Is water a human right or a commodity? Plus, rats are super adaptable.

[M. Sprouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The point of Karen Dionne's Freezing Point was suspense, action and a bit of an environmental view.
I think the novel was quite the success. I finished it in just over two days. Sure there were a couple of aspects that were a little bit of a stretch, but you have to do that to have a good "adventure thriller". I was surprised at the negative reviews. Everyone's a critic. At first, I was somewhat skeptical of folks going out naked and dipping in the water and surviving in Antarctica, but the truth is that it is not uncommon for the daily high temperature to be in the mid 20s or higher during January. The other aspect that I was not too sure about initially was the rats. However, I became more comfortable with the concept. Rats are amazing creatures. The book never really addressed to my satisfaction if these were like prehistoric rats, mutated rats or just recently evolved rats. Anyway, I thought the rats were a great touch, it would have been hard to have the amount of suspense and action without them. Overall a VERY engaging read.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, is bad. Like really really bad. I started it in 2017 and put it down after a few chapters and forgot about it, until recently when I was going through my Currently Reading shelve on Goodreads. So I decided to read it to get it off my shelve. But I wasn’t going to write about it. I was going to let this one go into the donate pile to be forgotten about. But yesterday me and my Boyfriend started talking about this book, and now I have to comment on it. This book is about a water company that wants to melt icebergs using microwave technology. So they plant a bomb on an iceberg in Antarctica, and then they go down there and begin to start melting the berg. There’s a group of scientists on the other side of Antarctica and they are just doing research when all of a sudden everyone starts getting super sick. The story just gets more convoluted as there are man eating mutated rats that are trying to kill everyone, but the rat poop has the cure for diabetes but that’s also why everyone is getting sick and dying because they are drinking the contaminated water. Its the most confusing and insane story I have ever read. But of all the things I read, I had to know if there were mutated rats on Antarctica, because that made the most sense to me. Spoiler: there are no rats on Antarctica. But this was such a source of contention with my boyfriend that I even looked it up. In my defense, it seemed plausible that rats could have come over on explorers ships and mutated into carnivores (eating penguins when humans weren’t around). More logical than controlled microwaves melting icebergs anyway.

Don’t read this book. The plot is nonsense, the characters are forgettable, and the story is confusing. I gave it a 2/5 stars but I was being generous because of the discussion it sparked with my boyfriend (who is now getting my copy of this book so he can read it).

I write more reviews here: https://gothiccornilabooks.wordpress.com

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the world is running low on safe, drinkable water, big business starts scurrying to find ways to tap the iceberg's resources. And where can they find the ultimate in iceberg resources but Antarctica? Soldyne Corporation has plans to use microwaves to melt the ice and transport the water back to the United States to sell it. However, they have to wait until a part of the ice shelf breaks off before they can begin their efforts.

Meanwhile, scientists are living and studying in Antarctica. They have a variety of scientific studies going on, and these scientists are advocates for the environment. However, the scientists aren't the only creatures in Antarctica. The icy region is also inhabited by rats.

When a large section of the ice shelf "conveniently" breaks away, Soldyne races to beat Australian scientists to the newly formed iceberg. The Australian scientists initially win that race but almost immediately relinquish their rights to Soldyne. Then all the real action starts to take place.

I was immediately hooked because of the ties to the environment and environmental issues.

The novel is very fast paced. I moved through the book quite quickly, despite the fact that I'm squeamish about rats. I was worried at times that I would end up with nightmares about rats.

What was gripping about the book was the concept of the world not having enough drinking water. So, I was definitely intrigued to see how that element would play out. But, I have to say, for the most part, I wasn't really connecting with too many of the characters. The character that pulled me in the most was only present at the beginning of the novel: Derek MacCallister, an iceberg "cowboy." The concept for the microwaves to melt the 'berg came from MacCallister.

The beginning of the novel illustrates the fearlessness of MacCallister when he ties himself to the bow of his boat when an iceberg is forcing the boat to capsize. The boat literally turns 360 degrees and then rights itself. MacCallister is still out on the bow of the boat, grinning like a goof and giving the thumbs up sign! I was completely hooked on him at that moment. He's fearless; he's crazy; he's funny. He's also incredibly smart. He sold his plans to Soldyne for two million dollars, and then THEY were left with the "hard part". He walked away with the cash, never to be seen again. That was disappointing to me.

I think Dionne's intention was for the novel to be more plot driven than character driven, but character development is key for me in a great novel. Zo - short for Amazon - is a scientist at the station in Antarctica, who also happens to be pregnant. I thought the pregnancy was probably more on the fluff side. It didn't really play into anything that was vital to the plot. Ben works for Soldyne and he's in Antarctica to follow up on some problems that are occurring with their process. Both characters are likable, but neither really "stuck" with me.

The plot is very strong in this novel, however. I admired how Dionne portrayed both ends of the environmental extremes as detrimental to society. And I have to say that I was riveted by her ideas of what could potentially happen.

The novel also portrays the greed-factor. This is absolutely repulsive to me and Dionne doesn't harp on it, but presents just enough of it to make you angry. I cannot imagine anyone reading this book and feeling any compassion for Donald Gillette. Gillette is Ben's boss who is also disgruntled because Soldyne is using Ben's microwave science as opposed to Gillette's proposed approach. Dionne definitely did a great job of making me hate the antagonist.

Overall, if you enjoy scientific thrillers, you will most likely enjoy this novel - unless of course you have real issues with rats.

[Anna del C. Dye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed reading Freezing Point by Karen Dionne.
It is an intriguing tale of two different groups of people who find themselves in opposing roles but still connected to each other in the cold Antarctic. The one group collects icebergs to melt into water for the needs of the population in different parts of the world.
The other is a group of scientists that includes the diabetic wife of their leader together with two environmentalists who are not currently activists, yet are very much in tune with the planet.
All seems to be well until the diabetic woman gets pregnant and is keeping it from her husband or she will be shipped back home where she can have the care she needs. But her studies are important enough that she doesn't want anyone to know. She spends her days with horrible morning sickness that she hides by finding a cave where she goes to puke every morning.
Then they discover some neighbors, a pack of rats that are multiplying at a fast pace and have changed their habits to survive in this cold place. They start to hunt in packs and can kill most anything in just minutes. Then to add to the chaos, all of a sudden, people start to get sick with weird symptoms that start to be displayed by some in the scientific community. The mystery graduates to an even higher level when dead people start to pop up.
In the meantime, the group on the biggest iceberg known to that date is trying to melt it with a new wave created for this purpose. Everything is going fine until the best men in the group start to have memory problems and act radically in many ways. Then the man that is second in charge of the multi-million dollar project is found dead on the iceberg.
The pressure for a return on investors' money is great in the company especially after months without an iceberg from which to get water. For this reason the head of the company (and brother-in-law to the dead man) keep the manner of his death secret, which in turns starts a rumor that the dead man died as a result of the new waves they are using to melt the iceberg. This further incites the environmentalists against them.
This book will keep you in suspense every minute, making it hard to put down. The characters are believable normal people put into a frustrating and unusual situation in the coldest place on earth. Nonetheless, in the mist of harrowing experiences, the survivors manage to discover a secret that can change human life forever.
The author did a great job of representing the life and surroundings of the Antarctic and the nearby countries. The only thing I would like to add is that it is not an every day occurrence that policemen in my country, Chile carry an automatic weapon. Neither do they use them to keep peace amongst the people. They used them in Punta Arenas to keep peace with our neighboring countries and to make sure all recognize that we claim sovereignty over a piece of the Antarctic. I recommend this book for all lovers of mystery and suspense, but it is not for young readers. You will enjoy the surprising end to this freezing tale.

[Michael Sherer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, I'm all about promoting authors on social media. I'll talk up someone's book because I hope that others will talk up mine. But mea culpa, maybe we shouldn't be promoting someone just because others are. May be we should promote books we've actually read, or at least sampled. That way perhaps readers won't buy something on our recommendation that wasn't all that hot.

Case in point is Dionne's "Freezing Point." I bought into the hype without reading the fine print and purchased an e-copy. At the very least I should have read a synopsis before buying because it's not my cuppa. It's not that I don't like thrillers. I do; that's why I bought this book. But--** SPOILER ALERT**--rats? Come on. We just went from thriller to horror in four letters. Now I'll have a hard time finishing the book if at all.

So, let me talk about what I've read so far. Dionne writes well enough. In fact, she's quite good. Her language is more descriptive than that of many authors in this genre. Her cardinal sin in the third I've read so far is POV. Dionne switches POV (well, all third person) whenever she wants to impart more information to the reader and move the plot along. The problem is that too often she introduces a new character in the process, BUT DOESN'T MAKE US CARE about that character. They end up as devices so Dionne can get to a new set on this movie of hers.

For example, the book has a great premise which Dionne sets up nicely--harvesting icebergs for fresh water. And she does give us a character to root for in the main protagonist who has convinced a company to fund a technology that will make it cost-effective. Then, a quarter of the way through, she lets us know an Australian telecommunications company has stolen the idea and has the technology to make it work. Earlier would have been better. Then we switch to the POV of the telecommunications company founder on board a ship about to claim the huge iceberg that the American team created (more plot twists). We see this guy Mawson for one scene when he's potentially a serious threat to the American plan. Then we're introduced to his nephew for another short scene, again simply as a device to reveal the true four-letter plot behind the premise.

So maybe Dionne's offense is venial to most readers and I shouldn't be wasting time on this. But it should be a lesson to us all--buyer beware.

[Cate's Book Nut Hut · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not entirely sure how this book came to be in reading stack, as I’ve not heard of this Author before now. This is a different type of book insomuch as it is not only fiction but includes a lot of aspects of real world concerns within its pages. If you like a book that will make you think and question things, then you might like to pick this up. This is also a debut novel for this Author.

As much as I liked this book, I felt I could not rate it any higher than I did due to a number of things, one of these being the vast number of characters that appear in it. Some just pop in then drop from sight; others are continued throughout the book. Because of this it is hard to identify one main protagonist as each of the cast has an important role to play in the telling of this story. Despite the difficulty in keeping track of this ‘cast of thousands’ if the reader manages to make it to the end their roles in what has been read before all comes together.

Another reason for the lower rating than it might have been given was all the extra details that the Author included in their novel. These had a tendency to really slow the storyline down, and in order to keep the book moving along I felt that the development of the character was given a very low priority. Combine these with too many clichés and some obvious, and not so obvious, research errors and what could have being an outstanding, well crafted and captivating thriller turned into just another, well just another book really. I felt with the use of a really good editor this book could have been so much more.

I am going to recommend this book purely because of the fact that it makes the reader think and reassess the world they live in.


Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/02/26...



This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

[Book Lovers Never Go to Bed Alone · Rating 2 out of 5]

With climate change comes infinite possibilities for horror. We are creating a real-life nightmare across the globe as extreme weather conditions continue to wreak havoc. Environmental horror is just waiting for the right author to come along and tap into the growing fears and nightmares. Karen Dionne’s novel Freezing Point addresses the crisis in the polar region. Environmentalist Ben Maki wants to solve the growing water crisis by melting arctic icebergs. In theory, his solution makes sense, but the reality is far different. His team unleashes monstrous rats and their idealism quickly turns to survival.

Dionne’s debut novel just reaches too far. She had a way with words of that there is no doubt. The opening line “The wind howled around the solitary trawler like an angry god” grabbed me immediately. The imagery of ice, solitude, and rugged nothingness was stunning. Instead of tapping into the nightmare of this landscape decayed, Dionne chooses to unleash monster rats. In addition, we have a cast of characters (all of whom seem to have confusing connection) with little distinction or depth. Our corporate bad guys and eco-terrorists do, say, and act precisely as we expect. By the time the pandemic-style disease comes along courtesy of the rats, I had long since checked out.

Dionne’s female lead was a breath of fresh air in a male-dominated genre and the descriptive elements to her narrative are wonderful. The plot however, just feels like a hydra growing heads with each new chapter. Extraneous details bog down the pacing and she then sacrifices character development to keep the story moving. Research errors and cliché indicate a rush-job on the manuscript. Rather than a well-crafted tale, we have horror movie tropes galore all packed together in the Antarctic. There’s potential here, but not with this one.

Originally published at Horror Novel Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

KAREN DIONNE beschreibt in ihrem Buch "Gefrierpunkt" ein Szenario, wie es schon in wenigen Jahren Wirklichkeit werden könnte. Wissenschaftler warnen bereits seit Jahrzehnten, dass die Wasservorräte auf unserem Planeten knapp werden. Durch die ansteigende Weltbewölkerung, Mißmanagement und Verschmutzung ist es in ihrem Roman bereits so weit. Großkonzerne haben die Erde fast trocken gelegt. Wasser ist rationiert und Trinkwasser wird in Flaschen verkauft. Der Ingenieur Ben, Leiter eines dieser Konzerne, versucht mit Hilfe einer neuen Mikrowellentechnik die letzten Reserven - die Eisberge der Antarktis - nutzbar zu machen und daraus Wasser zu gewinnen, um mit deren Millionen Litern Trinkwasser Menschen zu retten. Eine Forschungsstation vor Ort versorgt ihn mit den entsprechenden Daten.
Der Erde helfen wollen auf ihre Weise auch Ökoterroristen, die gegen die mächtigen Konzerne auch vor Gewaltattacken nicht zurückschrecken. Doch das ist nicht der einzige Gegner: in der Antarkis-Station breitet sich ein unbekannter Virus aus, der erste Opfer fordert. Tödlich für die Menschen, harmlos für die eben von Menschen schon vor Jahren auf diesen Kontinent eingeschleppten Ratten, die sich selbst in dieser unwirklichen Umgebung vermehrten. Eine doppelte Bedrohung! Und es sieht so aus, als wäre das Wasser, dass man dort abbauen will, mit eben diesem Virus kontaminiert. Ein Tankschiff mit verseuchtem Wasser ist bereits auf dem Weg nach L.A.!
Durch die wechselnden Schauplätze und Aktionen konfrontiert uns die Autorin mit einer filmgerechten Zukunftsvision. Leider wechseln diese Schauplätze und Handlungen manchmal zu rasch. Der Spannung tut das jedoch keinen Abbruch. Ein sehr realitätsnaher Thriller.

[Jane Blanchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freezing Point by Karen Dionne is about several companies vying for the technology to melt the Antarctic icebergs into drinking water. To gain an advantage, Don Gillette, the head of the Soldyne Corporation is unscrupulous. His antics set off a series of events that result in the death of many researchers and workers at the polar cap, the potential of releasing tons of fresh water in the oceans around Antarctica—a potential tipping point in the fragile ecosystems, and marketing contaminated drinking water to L.A.

My favorite character is researcher Zo Zelinsk. She is strong, resourceful, and a survivor, but can any one person realistically survive the ordeals she goes through? The other characters are not as well-developed. Ben Maki, a Soldyne engineer, hopes to solve the world's water shortage. When he discovers what Gillette has done, he does not wrestle long in a moral conflict between money and doing the right thing. Ross, the microbiologist known as the Iceman to students around the world, teams with Zo to save as many researches as possible from the happenings at the station.

Ms. Dionne shows how one environmental change can have unexpected and catastrophic effects. The real villains are the rats that came with the early explorers. Her descriptions of these rodents terrified me more than most horror fictions. I could envision them better than a movie, which made it all that more frightening.

Greed, betrayal, eco-terrorism, and a strong scientific lean coupled with quick actions and plot twists makes this a trilling read.

[John Podlaski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early on, Freezing Point appeared confusing when scenes jump around and different characters are introduced. However, it didn't take long to distinguish between the good characters and evil ones. The concept was fascinating - melting icebergs in Antarctica to provide drinking water for a thirsty world. Only everything that could possibly go wrong, does. The detonation used to prematurely break a piece of the main ice shelf causes a horror to be unleashed on the members of this expedition. Most of them begin getting sick, dropping into a comas and eventually dying. The pandemic is spreading quickly across the Antarctic to other small encampments.
The dead turn up as stripped and polished skeletons, not even a small scrap of their former bodies remain. What's causing this? Is there a cure? Will people survive?

I began cheering for Zo, Ben and Ross in their attempts to end the scourge, however, it soon appears like somebody else is intentionally sabotaging the project. Meanwhile, the first tanker filled with harvested water is en route to Los Angeles. The ship needs to be stopped, but there is no way of contacting them...all the equipment has been destroyed. Time is running out! The threesome are racing death and almost succumb.

Freezing Point is a real nail biter and will have you stay up late in the night to find out what happens next. I really enjoyed the story and recommend it to all.

John Podlaski, author
Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good science thriller, but I didn't really get into it until the middle/end. There was such a character dump at the beginning that I was literally just confused throughout that entire section, until the author seemed to have finally decided who we would be focusing on and then I could get into the story.

There were also some sections that were really confusing and made me think I'd managed to miss a few chapters because it appeared to have revealed something to the characters that I didn't remember having been revealed. But then, I realised that it was just bad editing and the thing was still secret.

The story was intersting and did through up a few philosophical questions such as: Who owns water? Is water a basic human right? etc.

I also enjoyed the revelation about what was up with the water and why everyone was getting sick. I thought that it was quite clever and I'm intrigued as to whether a compound like that really does exist.

Without revealing too many spoilers, it was quite clever in the end, but it took too much faffing around to get there, so I don't really recommend this book. It is in serious need of a good editor, and I don't feel as though I got much out of reading it. But if you're looking for a science thriller/mystery and you know you like this type of book, then you might want to consider this one.

[Carrie Kilgore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely some potential with this author, but this book has a few difficulties that make it less than what it could be. The setting is fascinating, as is the premise: using icebergs to get water where it's needed on the planet. This would have been far more effective without the rats to muddy the thrills and chills. Are humans not rats enough? (Conversely, the idea of rats in Antarctica is an interesting idea itself, particularly as to the changes that take place as they adapt...but would be better in a book of its own.)

The action was far too often broken by over-explanation (a common novice writer problem). Spoilers were included in descriptions/explanations/backstory, etc., of characters we never really needed to see at all. In a book with many characters, it can be fatal to try to get the reader invested in everyone because we end up not being very engaged with anyone. So we don't feel a great loss with any death, nor do we care fervently about any character's individual chances. (Pregnancy is not an automatic "man, she has to live!" ploy, especially when the pregnant mom has made it clear through her choices that the pregnancy takes a backseat to her other interests.)

So, some decent writing, but definite flaws. Still, will pass the time pleasantly enough.

[David Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Access to clean drinking water is something that we take for granted, But what happens when it is in short supply? For some, water is a right, something that should be made available to everyone, for others, it is an inexhaustible revenue stream.

In Freezing Point, Karen Dionne brings these two sides together in explosive mix.

A team of scientists, working at a station in the Antarctic, find themselves at the centre of a conflict between environmentalists and big business. But there is something else lurking in the ice shelf, something unexpected and deadly.

The plot is not original, bearing a close resemblance to several other novels and films, but with strong characters, compelling science and a first class plot, “Freezing Point” is an exciting debut novel. There is plenty of action as the characters fight for their lives against the elements, business interests and a hidden, unexpected old enemy.

This is a well written, compelling and exciting book. I am definitely going to read more.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is not dated but takes place in the not too distant future. The world is running out of water. Soldyne, a huge global company, buys an experimental technology from a Canadian fisherman for harvesting icebergs. A crew is sent to Antarctica to set up this new technology. A Navaho environmental group is working to stop Soldyne.

Meanwhile, a scientific research station on Antarctica is dealing with two problems, rats and a sudden illness that strikes most of their members. A storm blows up that makes reaching the base at McMurdo sound impossible, and a piece of the Antarctic ice shelf breaks loose.

The rats, the Soldyne crew and the scientists all have different reactions to the storm. This is a page-turner. It was a great read during a heat wave because everyone in the book is always cold.

WARNING: mild horror -- the rats DO attack but the descriptions are brief and not too gory.