Frost

by:  Marianna Baer
published by:  Balzer + Bray
publish date:  September 13, 2011

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?

This is the first offering from debut author Marianna Baer.  I got an ARC of this at the ALA convention in New Orleans.  I didn't really know too much about it other than it was a ghost story.   I liked the first 7/8 of the book...approximately.  I wasn't thrilled with the ending.

The story centered around Leena moving into Frost House for her senior year of high school at a private boarding school.   It's an old house that has ghost stories attached to it.  When she moves in she gets the unpleasant news that she's going to have to room with Celeste.  She tries to make the best of it and make friends with Celeste and it doesn't hurt that Celeste has an older brother that is really hot.  However, the house it seems has other things in mind for Celeste and Leena.

This book is more like a YA psychological thriller than a YA paranormal ghost story.  I think I went into it expecting more of a ghost story, and less of the psychological thriller part.  Other than that, it was well written and interesting.  There were some parts that I wish I could have had pictures of like the cockroaches in dresses.  I would have liked to have seen Celeste's artwork.