Blood Gone Cold

by Katy Grant

Genres: Young Adult, Thriller

200 pages, Library Binding

Published December 16, 2024

About the author

Katy Grant grew up in Tennessee and decided at age eight she wanted to be a writer after reading a biography of Louisa May Alcott. (But for some strange reason she never got around to reading Little Women until she was an adult.) For many years she taught composition and creative writing courses at university and community colleges. She currently lives in Arizona with her husband Eric and enjoys spending time with her two adult sons.

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Katy Grant for the opportunity to read Blood Gone Cold in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Thee Shots (a truly brilliant work of art) and Disaster Trail, I was excited for her next HiLo novel-in-verse (structured in a poetic format). With an end phrase to the blurb seeing if they can "survive this blood-chilling night," I had some spooky expectations. While the novel has some chilling moments of suspense, it lacks the fright I thought may be present (the "blood-chilling" referring to the literal fact that the characters must trudge through the snow...).

Abby and Natalie are sisters and their relationship comes with the arguments, teasing, and loving connections that many sisterly relationships tend to have. When they are on a family vacation at their parents cabin in the mountains, their parents get tired of their daughters' bickering and leave them alone to go have their own dinner for the night. Abby wants to play a trick on her sister by hiding her phone. One the perfect spot is found, she heads out to the hot tub to enjoy her victory.

When a stream of headlights appears. Abby thinks its her parents, returning for something they may have forgotten. But no. It is two men with a dirty pickup. Who are they? Abby overhears their plan to break into the cabin, thinking it would be empty, their plans premeditated. With her sister inside and both of their phones hidden (Abby hid hers so Nat couldn't get revenge), there's no way to call 911 or their parents.

The two sisters must work together to escape the men before they can murder the witnesses, make it through the snowy night together, and find solace in each other's company to overcome the night's ordeal. Can they put aside their differences when it comes to survival?

This book was a quick and fun read. Mostly thrilling, though it didn't have as much interaction with the men and being in danger as I anticipated. Key thematic ideas of this novel are sisterhood and survival. It's man vs man and man vs nature in a more isolated setting with the harsh weather fighting against them.

I enjoyed the story (even though I thought it would be scarier) and find that there is a few very clear messages here for younger (middle grade or teen) readers.

[Joey Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Rosen Publishing/ West 44 Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Abby and Nat won’t stop fighting, so their parents leave them alone in the cabin whilst they have a date. Trouble starts instantly as two men break into the cabin, Nat is trapped inside with them whilst Abby is outside in the hot tub. Together the girls must figure out a way to survive the freezing conditions and outsmart the men.

This was scary, Goatee was so evil and goodness knows what he could actually have done to these girls. Abby thankfully is incredibly smart and found a way to get her sister away from him. It was terrifying them being stuck in the freezing snowy woods, with no knowledge of where they were or where they were going to go. Abby’s mind is the only thing that kept them going as she kept figuring out what to do.

I liked the girls relationship though they had stopped being best friends, I did like that they mended their ways are were still close enough to protect each other and care for each other during this scary event in their lives. It was also really sweet that though she didn’t say it you could tell how proud and also jealous Nat was of Abby’s intelligence.

This was such a unique verse book, which is what I love about these books they always tell such different stories and always in a really easy and fun way. This was a very intense and scary story but a very enjoyable read too, it was gripping as you wanted to know constantly what was going to happen to them and how they would survive.

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read. The novel is told in verse. The story starts out with two sisters snowboarding with their parents, Abby is the nerdy one and Natalie is the popular sister. They used to be so close. They are constantly arguing with each other. After returning to the cabin and arguing about what to do for dinner the parents solve the issue. The two girls can figure out what they are going to eat and the parents are going to go out for dinner. Abby hides her sisters phone while she is in the shower. Then she goes out and sits in the hot tub. She sees car lights in the drive and assumes it is her parents returning. To her surprise and horror it is not her parents but two men in a pickup. She hides in the hot tub and hears them break into the house. Now she is worried about her sister. When they bring her sister downstairs she has to come up with a plan to save her sister and escape from these men.
This kept me on the edge of my seat. Abby comes up with the plan and Natalie is grateful. This is a book that accurately displays the relationship between sisters and how it changes over time yet often finds its way back again.

[Agd]

2.24.25. 7+. Verse hilo.

Present-Day winter cabin in ski town.

Abby and her older sister Natalie used to be close. But that was before they both became teenagers. Now, quiet, bookish Abby and social, popular Natalie are constantly fighting. It gets so bad on a family ski trip that their parents leave them at home while they go try to enjoy a peaceful dinner. Abby goes to the hot tub while Natalie goes upstairs for a shower. That's when 2 men break into the house assuming it's empty only to find Natalie. Now Abby has to set aside her frustrations with her sister to not only save her but flee into the snowy night woods with the intruders in pursuit.

Super fast read w/ lots of action. Some pages make good use of verse format.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

No where in the description does it let you know that the story is written poetry style.

I DNF. I can’t stand that type of writing. It sacrifices a lot of suspense and world building imo to have the writing structured that way.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5: great option for 7th graders and up who want a quick, intense read and/or need something with a low reading level (2nd/3rd grade). I think this will be very popular with middle school readers.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read in verse. Two sisters who bicker a lot and are different from each other get involved in 2 guys breaking into the ski chalet house they are staying in. They had been bickering so neither had their phone (Abby had hidden natalies and her own) Natalie locked her sister out of the house when she was in the jacuzzi and this is when the men broke in. Abby saved her sister and they ran into the woods with little to no clothing and Abby without shoes. They were able to save them selves afte r another run in with one of the bad guys and they took his truck to safety and called 911. This is abotu having a sister as a best friend even when you change. Good, quick read.