Review: Frost

by Marianna Baer publisher: Balzer & Bray date of publication: September 13, 2011 format: hardcover pages: 400 source: purchased Amazon / Goodreads / B&N
From Goodreads:

Leena Thomas’s senior year at boarding school begins with a shock: Frost House, her cozy dorm of close friends, has been assigned an unexpected roommate: confrontational, eccentric Celeste Lazar. But while Leena’s anxiety about a threat to her sanctuary proves valid, it becomes less and less clear whether the threat lies with her new roommate, within Leena’s own mind, or within the very nature of Frost House itself. Mysterious happenings in the dorm, an intense triangle between Leena, Celeste, and Celeste’s brother, and the reawakening of childhood fears, all push Leena to take increasingly desperate measures to feel safe. Frost is the story of a haunting. As to whether the demons are supernatural or psychological . . . well, which answer would let you sleep at night?

What I Thought
The premise of Frost was immediately intriguing to me upon reading the plot description. I am also a sucker for ghost stories, so I eagerly awaited its release. I learned, however, that Frost isn't your typical ghost story. Instead, it is a blend of paranormal and psychological thriller that kept me guessing throughout the progression of the story. This made for an interesting premise that I did very much enjoy. However, the plot wasn't all there was to take into account.
There is an interesting mix of characters in Frost. Unfortunately, I found most of them to be completely off-putting. Leena, the main character, as well as her love interest, David, were not to my liking, let alone most of Leena's friends and her roommate, Celeste. At first, Leena comes across as a self-assured, level-headed high school student who has big things ahead of her. As the story progresses, however, it is revealed that her persona is mostly a facade. Beneath the surface, she is insecure, which produces some disturbing thoughts later in the book that I couldn't help but wonder the point of. She also did not seem like a very good friend. Granted, one of her friends was on the jealous side. I did notice, though, that once David became closer to her that she also stopped paying much attention to either friend, which was really off-putting. All of this is secondary to her other traits, which tie into the overall plot and, therefor, will not be mentioned here.
One thing I did love about Frost was its setting. It takes place in a private school in New England, where Leena, her two best friends, and eccentric art student, Celeste, share a rather unconventional dorm, an old Victorian home called Frost House. The descriptions of Frost House alone are lovely. I could imagine every room described in my mind and the overall impression was of a pretty little house set against the backdrop of a New England autumn. When things begin happening, the setting is even more perfect and lends itself to a well-developed air of foreboding. It was probably my favorite aspect of this book.
Frost had its ups and downs, but all in all, it was a pretty good story. It was suspenseful, eerie, and mysterious. Not all of the questions I had were answered, which was disappointing, but the setting and premise made for a nice read. If you like psychological thrillers and slightly twisted story lines, you may want to give this one a try.