YA Book Club 2025 (paused) discussion

Hi, this is the discussion topic for week 1s progress with our Januarys book, Frozen Charlotte.

This topic can include spoilers up to the end of chapter 4, so only continue reading this post if you have read up to this point.

I'd love to know what you think so far.

- Do you have a favourite scene or character?
- Is it scary?
- Do you have any predictions?

I will open up the next topic in a week for us to talk (with spoilers) about up to page 171/the end of chapter 10.

I'm really enjoying it so far! I wouldn't call it "scary," per say, but I'm definitely intrigued and enjoying the creepy atmosphere. Very interested to know what Rebecca's deal was - as a cat lover she's definitely not my favorite character!

Big nostalgia for my '90's teen years feels very point horror, so far creepy rather than scary but I love creepy - which may explain why Lilias is my favourite characters, just finding out what Rebecca did to the cats made me instantly hate her. Looking forward to learning some more - really hoping for more chapters like the prologue- I want to know what went down in 1910!

Hello everyone.
I’m completely in love with this book its got a good amount of creepy and I like that Lilias has an unusual phobia she seems so sweet and then something happens and I wonder how her story will evolve.
I think Cameron is my favourite so far although I do wander what happened to him, or maybe dark Tom is my favourite just because he’s a animal.
It really had to force myself to stop reading as you get so intrigued in the story you just want to keep reading. I really want to stick within book club sections as it will be nice to talk about it with others.
I have questions regarding Rebecca that I hope get answered in the future.

I was so scared from the start!!!
I was shocked by the besties death! I thought it was quite sudden for the first few chapters but it also did feel like it was eluding to it, so I shouldn't really be shocked... more heartbreaking I guess? despite only just getting to know him... when our MC admitted to him possibly having deeper feelings for her, it just made me feel sad... melancholy even

the house and inhabitants just feels so wrong... I felt scared reading about the littlest sister and that bloody parrot haha

I read through to the end of chapter 4 in one sitting.

Definitely creepy, especially with the cold, grabby hands. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.

I wouldn’t say the book is scary so far but definitely creepy…. I can’t wait to continue to see where it goes next…

Katie wrote: "Big nostalgia for my '90's teen years feels very point horror, so far creepy rather than scary but I love creepy - which may explain why Lilias is my favourite characters, just finding out what Reb..."

Oh yes, I want more flashbacks to the old orphanage too!

Really enjoying the book so far. I think the dinner table scene has been my favourite part so far and the bone phobia! That freaked me out more than I’d have imagined it would.

Such a creepy atmosphere created so far. Cameron probably my favourite character so far. Interested to find out what he is about.

Looking forward to cracking on.

I'm loving it so far! Total 90s nostalgia for me too. Creepy as opposed to scary for sure (although her poor bestie, that upset me because he was so nice). Am I the only one who doesn't trust Piper? I dunno, she seems sooo nice, I can't help suspecting she's responsible for some of the awfulness - maybe she locked Rebecca out that night and/or hurt the cat & blamed Rebecca/gaslit her into thinking it was her fault? Or maybe I'm being overly suspicious ...

I love Cameron, poor guy. But the way they made a point of saying they weren't blood family, and the fact she reflected on how handsome he is, makes me think I'm going to wind up a little icked out later - he'd be a great love interest, IF HE WEREN'T HER COUSIN (I know, I know, they've also barely seen each other, but still *shudders*).

I think the parrot's going to wind up yelling some kind of important exposition at some point that will upend everything we think we know, and I wonder if poor Lillias is being haunted by Rebecca - trying to warn her about Frozen Charlotte possessing Piper (or however it works)- rather than by Charlotte herself.

I can't wait to see where this all goes! I want to see more of the old school too, that was delightfully creepy!

I really struggle with books scaring me but this one is doing the job lol!! I'm sad Jay died right in the beginning, I reckon he would've been a really great character. my favourite scene has to be when lilias is standing in the hallway and asks Sophie who the girl she came with is.

Really liking this book so far, after being behind with the reading, I binged the first 4 chapters and eff me! so much going on!
The first chapter had me a little on edge when she saw the girl on the table at the cafe *shudder*
The rest of the setup is giving me Woman in Black vibes- gotta love a classic haunting story! can't wait to see what happens next!

Forgot to add, the worst thing is that my daughter is called Piper, so reading about a girl who according to the back of the book is 'too good to be true' is adding to my nerves around her character Couldn't it have been Pippa instead??? lol

The dinner table scene was my favourite so far, especially intrigued by Lilias's drawings and cartilogenophobia .. I also really enjoyed (yes that's the right word as I love to be creeped out) the nightmare with cold grabby hands, and following interaction between Cameron and Sophie .. I feel like he's waiting in the background ready to protect, but hesitant of straight up tell her what's going on as that would scare her and maybe put everyone in more danger ..

I don't trust Piper at all! And hope we get to look inside Rebeccas room soon, maybe there's a journal that will explain some more? Or maybe Dark Tom will spill the beans ......

I ended up finishing it yesterday! I couldn't stop reading! looking forward to hearing everyone's opinions

Ok so I have finally caught up, and read a little further but my goodness I was not expecting how brutal and dark this book was going to be :( Animal death is a huge thing for me in books and I know it was only mentioned but wow that was upsetting, I am unnerved by everything going on in this book and I think once we start getting answers it will be really good. The writing style, for me, feels quite young (not a bad thing) but it felt difficult for me to pinpoint the age of the characters, I was a bit surprised when Sophie said she was 15 as I feel like she reads around 11/12ish... might be just me but the further I have read the more I have enjoyed this book.

Literally came here to say the same as everyone else - started yesterday finally and big no no to the animal abuse, specifically as the owner as two cats its a big ick for me - if anyone has finished, is there any more(beyond the eye/fire reveal?) I'm probably going to DNF if so, I'm afraid.

Hi everyone, I'm glad most people are enjoying the book overall! I agree with a lot of the comments about specific characters. Also I'd forgotten how scary the book is!

Apologies for not flagging the reference to animal cruelty. I didn't remember that from when I read it years ago, and I'm hoping it won't recur again. If I read ahead and there are any more mentions, I'll flag it.

With the shadow of someone who died years before hanging over a secluded manor, and due to one of the characters' names, I'm getting REBECCA vibes from FROZEN CHARLOTTE.

The strong mood-setting comes unexpected. Also, I'd have expected the siblings to get closer to each other after a tragedy like this. Instead they avoid each other? What is going on here? It seems like each of the siblings knows more than they're willing to talk about.

FROZEN CHARLOTTE is creepier than I expected from a YA book. Children play with a Ouija board, and I love that they're using an app! The group of children faces a dark presence and the scene in the café turns into something nightmarish. There's the girl with the blindfold in the 1910 timeline. A piano prodigy lost the ability to use one of his arms. One of the siblings died. There are the remains of a burned tree outside Sophie's room. The youngest sibling has a fear of bones! There's a cat who lost the sight on one of its eyes. And we have merely gotten a short glimpse of the dolls yet.

I love how each chapter ends with something that comes out of left field or makes your blood curdle. Alex Bell doesn't hold back with creepiness.

And I agree with Jade. I also struggle with horror books scaring me. It's less about the extremeness of the horror described, but about exploring the characters psychologically and setting up mood and atmosphere. The mood is suspenseful. And the writing creates an atmosphere that is scaring me.

I thought of REBECCA as well!!

also, I don't believe there was any more animal abuse mentioned for the rest of the story, but I think they make reference to what we know already about Shelly coat and her sister