The Ice House

by Monica Sherwood

With shades of When You Reach Me, The Thing About Jellyfish, and Bridge to Terabithia, and a big, timely climate hook at its core, here is a heartfelt middle grade debut about the inevitability of change that will resonate profoundly during these extraordinary times.

Spring has arrived, and yet an unyielding winter freeze has left Louisa snowed into her apartment building for months with parents coping with extreme stress, a little brother struggling with cabin fever, and—awkwardly—her neighbor and former close friend, Luke. The new realities of this climate disaster have not only affected Louisa's family, but when Luke's dad has an ice-related accident and it's unclear if he'll recover, both families' lives are turned upside down.

Desperate to find an escape from the grief plaguing their homes, Louisa and Luke build a massive snow fort in their yard. But their creation opens up an otherworldly window to what could lie ahead, and sets them on a mission: to restore the universe to its rightful order, so the ice will melt and life will return to "normal".

With a deft combination of heartfelt prose and a touch of magic, Monica Sherwood's affecting debut novel is a relatable story of families grappling with—and emerging from—a different kind of quarantine.

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Science Fiction, Fiction, Juvenile, Dystopia

352 pages, Hardcover

First published November 16, 2021

About the author

I grew up in New York, where I dreamed of becoming a teacher, a writer, an ice skater, an artist, an interior designer, and occasionally, a professional taste-tester.
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Though I'm still not totally sure what I want to be when I grow up, I've always loved stories, and I feel so lucky that I get to write them.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely a work of art.
I think Louisa summed it up best when presenting her project; “But I don’t need to tell you what it means, exactly, because these symbols could mean one thing for me and something else for you. My mom told me that art should make you feel something, so I hope that’s what my painting does…”
A beautiful book that will resonate will anyone who has endured through the past two years…

[Carol Youssif · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the metaphor and analogy of the Freeze to the current pandemic is obvious, so it was really hard for me to read this very bleak story.
I do want to like it, but it moves gently, so much so that it drags, and in my opinion it doesn't have a satisfying ending.
Couldn't really like it.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The global freeze felt a whole lot like the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, so I think readers will be able to relate quite easily. There are a whole lot of tough things going on in this book, though, so super sensitive readers may be overwhelmed. There is a touch of magic realism that didn't quite feel resolved, but the stories of friendship and family and community are very solid.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the premise of this book—two kids build an ice house in their backyard that transports them to happier times and helps them cope with the fear, anxiety, and frustration they feel with their world encased in a strange, dangerous deep freeze. I was expecting a portal fantasy-ish read, but that's really not what I got. THE ICE HOUSE is more of a family/friend drama than anything else. While I found the idea of a magical ice house to be the most interesting and compelling thing about the novel, it really wasn't a huge part of the story, unfortunately. I definitely wanted it to play a bigger role. Other than that disappointment, I found THE ICE HOUSE to be a heartfelt book filled with sympathetic characters who learn important lessons about dealing with brokenness. There's nothing really unique about the tale, but I do think today's kids will relate well to the fear, anxiety, frustration, claustrophobia, etc. that the characters in the novel feel as they deal with their own worldwide crisis.

If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I rounded up.

[Pasquina Santina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute YA novel. A lot of deep and meaningful topics in this book. Great for teens dealing with loss, change, and isolation.

[Rubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heavy topics for kids

The author did a great job portraying depression, death, accidents, fear, etc that was very age appropriate for the target audience as well as not shying away from the ugliness of it all. I give her props for that. It reminded me very much of how the world turned upside down for some in the year 2020, except a different scenario caused everyone to be shut inside and schools to close. In this story, it hasn't stopped snowing and people are snowed in for the foreseeable future.
Being locked away with her family is understandably making Lou go nuts, especially when dealing with her whiny little brother, her disattached mother, and the distance from her friends which seem to be growing apart.
I am not sure how kids take/took to this story and while I did enjoy some parts, others.....I couldn't get past.
Her mother's attitude just made me angry. Yes, she was sad, yes life was hard, yes people handle grief/change differently, but wow. She was harsh with her daughter. It broke my heart to read about a little girl trying to "fix" things for her MOTHER, a woman who is SUPPOSED to be there for HER! How she tried to just spend quality time with her mother, how she wanted to see her mom happy and making art again and over and over the woman was all "I don't want to talk about it." Or "STOP IT!" Or "Can't you just help?", "I can't handle this right now", "He's your brother."
Well, lady he's YOUR son! Its is not a child's job to make sure her sibling is not bored and taken care of or entertained. Her daughters concerns and feelings were JUST as valid! As an adult, she should try to BE there for her kids. I'm not saying an adult has to hide her feelings or emotions and put on a mask. But there are ways to handle it healthily, without making it worse for kids. It was just so sad and upsetting.
Idk, maybe I just can't relate. Even as a child my mom would sit me down to explain situations so I wouldnt be confused, even when she was having marital problems. I was also never a child who pretended to like things just because my friends did. Nor did I stay friends with kids that I felt were mean. That's just not something I can relate to.
I think poor Lou had problems dealing with her pain because her mother wasn't showing her a good example and so she kept it bottled up too and made choices that her herself and sometimes others.
Towards the end though she broke through and expressed herself through art which was beautiful! It was overall a good book and their father was so supportive even when in the face of a tragedy their friend/neighbor was going through too. So sweet of them to help. Loved that.

[Kristin Yourdon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Ice House is about a girl named Louisa who is living through an unprecedented historical event - a massive continuous snowstorm that covers the entire globe and lasts for months well past winter. Louisa and her family are all stuck at home as travel is dangerous because of all the ice and snow. When the father of her former best friend has an accident and loses his memory, she finds herself spending a lot more time with her friend. Together they build a snow fort that seems to be magical. Can the magic of the fort help them to fix their families and see the end of the Freeze?

I sort of enjoyed this novel, I found Louisa very relatable and her struggles seemed very real and well developed. The reason why I didn't like this novel as much is probably just personal, but I felt like it was too soon for me to read something like this. There are a lot of parallels to the global pandemic we've been living in for the past couple years. It is an entirely different situation, since it's focused on a weather related event rather than a medical one, but it touched on virtual learning, food shortages, staying home with family, death - though that isn't as prevalent in the novel - the challenges of maintaining friendships when you can't see your friends in person, how everything in life changed very suddenly, uncertainty of the future, etc.

I think this might be a great novel to use to talk about some of these topics with children, but it definitely isn't for a person who is looking for some escapism in their novels.

[Dr. T Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - I was surprised how much I enjoyed this story. I went in blind and thought it would be about kids during winter break, but it is actually an interesting look at the pandemic as a weather phenomenon rather than a virus. A mini ice age wraps the globe, and people are stuck inside unless they brave dangerous conditions outdoors. And it's not crazy ice age animals or super-cold freezing that threatens, but simply the dangers of walking on ice all the time and frozen items breaking and falling on people. The story is mostly about how people deal with being confined. There is also an element of dealing with loss (the MCs grandmother died because of ice-related injuries, and the MC s godfather and friend's father gets brain damaged when a frozen branch falls and hits him). There is also an element of magic - the MC and her friend build a house of ice in their back yard, and discover they can see visions inside it. It might be the future, it might be projections of their desires, but the visions serve as motivation to try to make a change in the world around them, even when things seem hopeless.

[Katya M · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.4 stars

honestly? just plain boring. i picked up the book because i thought it would have stronger supernatural elements, but was strongly disappointed. despite it being the title of the novel, the ice house is barely in the story.

the writing is strongly 'middle grade', with little-to-no prose. it feels like there is no passage of time whatsoever, like everything takes place in one elongated day. it never really felt like the freeze had any severity to it, just like a normal winter. Also, it felt like nearly every single fuckin' chapter had the exact same conversation about "ohh, the ice will/won't melt soon!?!" because of this, the pacing is really, not good. the ice house is built 100~ pages into the novel, we spent 50ish pages in it, and then they just start, going to school?? it is just a subpar slice-of-life with a backdrop of winter.

maybe it would have been more bearable had the characters been better written, but all of them felt pretty flat and interchangeable. i never cared for any of them, what happened to them or their struggles. the ending was also not great... it was fine the snow started melting, but Louisiana's mom is feeling better and Luke's dad is implied to somewhat regain his memory?

i think the book might have been stronger if it was more about 'adapting to changing situations' and less 'everything will just fix itself'. the reoccurring theme of "fixing" is disturbing in the context of medical problems and weather events, more so when it is voiced by children and everything in the novel seems to endorse this is the correct path of action.

did i enjoy it? -not really
would i read it again? -no way!
would i have read it knowing what i do after? -no

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is not about the pandemic, there are going to be many pieces of it that will be relatable for today's readers. In this story there is a freeze that has taken over the world. Kids are remote learning. People stay in their homes because travel is limited to essential traveling only. Louisa feels like her friend group is starting to shift during this time. She is hanging out with Luke, who used to be a friend, but is now someone more to just hang out with since they live in the same building. But when Luke's dad has a horrible accident, Louisa figures out how to be a better friend to Luke. Which includes hanging out in the ice house they made in the backyard. While they are inside the house, they learn it can do something special, something magical. Maybe it's the key to moving forward with life.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ice House perfectly constructs a story that makes a mini ice age (the freeze) seem relatable. Louisa and her apartment neighbour Luke are stuck inside in isolation due to the freezing temperatures and unsafe snow outside. With online schooling and uncertainty about when life will go back to normal. Sound familiar? When their respective families become too much to bear inside (annoying little brothers anyone?), Louisa and Luke decide to create an ice house. Using their maker's club knowledge, they construct an igloo, which becomes a place of escapism and hope.

This novel perfectly captures a range of experiences and emotions in a middle-grade appropriate way. Big issues like injuries, death and grief caused by the freeze aren’t shied away from, and neither are their parent's emotions, one of which could be seen as depression. Feelings about being anxious about a return to school and friendships changing due to the time spent apart are relatable and dealt with realistically. Even though Louisa and Luke desperately want a return to normalcy, this book doesn’t try to solve all its character's problems (or the world’s problems) but rather lets them play out, leaving room for hope, growth and enduring friendship.

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes everything we experience/felt during the global pandemic and gives it a twist. The world is undergoing something newscasters are simply calling "The Freeze." Snow is falling globally, and there's talk of it being the next ice age. School is handled remotely, food shortages are real, and Louisa has cabin fever. So even though they aren't friends any more at school, she and her childhood friend Luke meet in the yard behind their apartments and begin building an ice house together.

Friends with changing interests, death and grief and depression, accidents and amnesia, close quarters living (and being sick of it), and life being not fair. But Sherwood manages to deal with all these themes with a thread of hope. People can gather their resolves, make beauty in the midst of struggle, and be okay when things change. Recommended!

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this book based on the blurb but it didn't meet them. It was a decent story but the frozen settings wasn't integral to the story. Everyone was sad and challenged by something but none were truly tied to the unprecedented global freeze. I think that was the main issue for me - I was expecting the challenges to be directly related to the unusual setting and they simply weren't. And there were so many personal dramas - all the major characters were struggling with various issues - so it gave the book a depressing feel. Perhaps that's how winter weather makes some people feel but it didn't make for an uplifting read. Overall it was a fairly good read but the premise promised so much more.

[Charlesa Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book this morning.
It deals well with some hard life topics (changing of friends, death of loved ones, parents struggling, etc) and pivotal life changes. As a parent, it was a enlightening read as parent/child relationship was given through the 6th grader’s point of view.

The main character becomes close friends to a family friend’s son so there is a boy/girl friendship but nothing romantic. There was a bit of magic or imagining of the future but nothing that is more than possible day dreaming. There is no profanity or objectionable content. It might be a bit heavy for pre-teens but overall I think it’s a solid read especially in light of the past few years. I highly recommend it for anyone with some guidance for the tender hearted.

[IvyZuzu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite a good read, but at times, the characters got confusing. This book is most suitable for years 3-6 readers as the vocabulary is not too hard and the story is realistic. As the world turns to ice, accidents become more frequent… sometimes ending fatally, sometimes only severe. One day, as the temperatures continue to drop, an old friend of Louisa comes knocking at their door. Luke said that his dad was hit on the head by an icicle. Louisa feels really bad for him, but doesn’t know how to react. Brian, Luke’s dad, had been quite close to Louisa, even calling her by her nickname. Luckily, Brian’s injuries were not fatal, but quite severe, causing memory loss. Louisa feels like her whole world came crashing down… Will Brian’s memory ever return?

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Endless winter has covered the world and all Louisa longs for is that things will return to normal. Life happens: Nana dies, Mom decides to stop her glassblowing, her friend's dad hits his head when he slips on the ice and develops amnesia. People are tired of being stuck in small apartments with only family members. Louisa is tired of online school and misses her friends even though they can communicate online.
Louisa teams with Luke to build a house of ice behind their apartment building which becomes a refuge and a possible magical window. Friendships change as they normally would, but Louisa blames it all on the endless ice and snow.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow burn friendship/family story as 2 close knit neighbor families deal with a months long snowpocalypse. Isolation issues and energy levels for everyday life is similar to the current covid pandemic. Little bright hopeful spots begin to appear and things change for the families. Love the fantasy of the ice house ceiling and the hopeful glimpse into the future - we all could use some of that well into the second year of covid. Love the cover art! Thought this was going to have a bit more sci fi/dystopia kind of action.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about family and friendship and working through adversity with a touch of dystopia.

The world is frozen, forcing families into isolation with limited travel and even less hope. Louisa's mom is struggling after the death of her mother, her friends are starting to act weird, and her neighbor suffers a serious injury that affects both their families. While the dystopian-like Freeze is a big part of the story, Louisa's journey is really about resiliency and accepting change. (Important themes for everyone.)

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book and definitely touches a lot on how life was during the pandemic.
I liked the different dynamics between the families and how they all had very real issues going on but in the end things seem to come together and they learn that even though things may be going on in the world that you don’t like or make life different you can still enjoy and live your life and learn new ways to have fun and make good memories.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts about this book that I enjoyed but for the most part I think it was too soon for me to read a homebound book. I see how a few years down the road, every child will be able to relate to this book but while still being in the thick of it it is too much for me. Especially with the mother's grief, I sympathized more with the mother than anyone else.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong debut, with a great Freeze, which traps Louise, her younger brother at home with Mom and Dad. Louise forms a friendship with her neighbor Luke, whose dad suffers a brain injury. The best part of this book was the ice house they build in the backyard. The Ice Age descriptions gave me chills (ha).

[Patricia McGuinness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and touching story, brimming with relevance to the challenges faced by young people coping with the consequences of unforeseen global developments. Sherwood mines the silver lining exquisitely.

[Miss Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good story, but I had a hard time being there right now. It felt too much like what we are experiencing with the pandemic - the isolation, the shortages, the way the situation is affecting relationships. I think I would have really enjoyed this book pre-pandemic.

[Tammy Rima · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this one 2.5-3, but in fairness, it was middle grade and I don’t ever read middle grade. I heard it recommended on a podcast and I can do YA, so I gave it a try. I feel like it just needed more depth. But for the intended audience, it might be perfect.

[Sarah]

the online school scenes were PAINFUL oW
she gave a presentation and everyone was on mute and so she was talking into the void and
it brought me right back
i had to stop reading for a bit ow

anyway, gud

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

While The Ice House is about a weather-related crisis, those who have just been through the COVID pandemic will find the myriad of details in this story to be very familiar to the past two years of their own lives.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this one. Maybe reading it in January and February didn't help, honestly. I've given it to patrons to get their reactions, and they've liked it. Give it a try and see how it works for you.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great themes and characters. Excellent premise. Authentic relationships showing that people are complicated and emotions can be tricky. Lou is a lovely girl, well meaning and sincere. Her family is living with lots of stress but they work through the issues, one at a time. Loved it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great middle grade fiction. “The Freeze” produced restrictions similar to what we have been going through with covid - shortages, online learning, isolation from loved ones.

[Jayne Bartrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, hopeful, MG read about the power of art, imagination, friendship, and family to meet life’s challenges.
Author’s debut novel