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bellacate's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
langos_ta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
justwithaine's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
chnh's review against another edition
4.0
a childlike eerie ice palace story. heavy nordic influence. seasonally captivating. serene landscape. icy tonality. illusory in nature.
the story follows two girls, siss and unn, who become instant friends. you feel their quick connection and enthusiasm coupled with shyness and eagerness to be together. in their short burst together, you feel their bond.
unn disappears in the ice palace, and the remaining story follows siss in her grief.
the book is direct but also indirect. it plays on childhood fears of the dark and vivid imaginations. the inability to distinguish what is real apart from what isn’t. it tackles grief and how everyone just wants you to move on and be how you used to be before the loss and how hard it is to get out of the rut. it focuses on winter and how things change seasonally and mentally when spring approaches. themes of growing up and conquering fears and whims.
the prose is beautiful. the story bounces from third person to first person perspective and is mixed with bouts of poetry in between.
…
“her thoughts were simple now. the cold had paralysed them little by little.”
“such things are odd and make you feel insecure.”
“it had been a time of snow and a time of death and of closed bedrooms - and she had arrived bang on the other side of it, her eyes dimming for joy because a boy had said, 'you with the dimples'”
the story follows two girls, siss and unn, who become instant friends. you feel their quick connection and enthusiasm coupled with shyness and eagerness to be together. in their short burst together, you feel their bond.
unn disappears in the ice palace, and the remaining story follows siss in her grief.
the book is direct but also indirect. it plays on childhood fears of the dark and vivid imaginations. the inability to distinguish what is real apart from what isn’t. it tackles grief and how everyone just wants you to move on and be how you used to be before the loss and how hard it is to get out of the rut. it focuses on winter and how things change seasonally and mentally when spring approaches. themes of growing up and conquering fears and whims.
the prose is beautiful. the story bounces from third person to first person perspective and is mixed with bouts of poetry in between.
…
“her thoughts were simple now. the cold had paralysed them little by little.”
“such things are odd and make you feel insecure.”
“it had been a time of snow and a time of death and of closed bedrooms - and she had arrived bang on the other side of it, her eyes dimming for joy because a boy had said, 'you with the dimples'”
tsefalofor's review against another edition
4.0
HUGE climate, very beautiful children, melodious norsk, and good use of ALACRITY, my review
highlandmoo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
bookpanther's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5/5
In a rural Norwegian town, two 11 year old girls, Siss and Unn, spark up an intense connection. At their school, Siss is the most popular kid, while Unn actively keeps to herself in the shadows. Though the two rarely speak to each other at school, they become increasingly drawn to each other and one day decide to meet after school at Unn's house. There, they hang out for the first time ever and open up to each other in their own pure and awkward way. The next day, Unn, both excited and embarrassed about the previous day, skips school and takes refuge in "the Ice Palace," an enormous frozen waterfall, only to never be found again. The rest of the novel follows Siss and her journey through grief, loss, and acceptance. Like Unn, Siss holes herself up in an "Ice Palace" of her own making and we get to see if she can dismantle the walls or remain trapped.
The Ice Palace was such a perfectly atmospheric read and densely packed with metaphors (I ended up revisiting certain parts after my first read-through). I can't say it resonated with me on a personal level, but I could definitely appreciate it as its own form of art.
In a rural Norwegian town, two 11 year old girls, Siss and Unn, spark up an intense connection. At their school, Siss is the most popular kid, while Unn actively keeps to herself in the shadows. Though the two rarely speak to each other at school, they become increasingly drawn to each other and one day decide to meet after school at Unn's house. There, they hang out for the first time ever and open up to each other in their own pure and awkward way. The next day, Unn, both excited and embarrassed about the previous day, skips school and takes refuge in "the Ice Palace," an enormous frozen waterfall, only to never be found again. The rest of the novel follows Siss and her journey through grief, loss, and acceptance. Like Unn, Siss holes herself up in an "Ice Palace" of her own making and we get to see if she can dismantle the walls or remain trapped.
The Ice Palace was such a perfectly atmospheric read and densely packed with metaphors (I ended up revisiting certain parts after my first read-through). I can't say it resonated with me on a personal level, but I could definitely appreciate it as its own form of art.
liesbethtatjana's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This hit me incredibly hard. Such a beautiful portrait of now numbing grief can be. The descriptions of the icy Norwegian winter landscape really fit the mood. Lovelovelove!!
anna_vaclavik's review against another edition
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0