The dark beneath the ice

Format:

Book (regular print)

Title:

The dark beneath the ice

Author:

Bérubé, Amelinda author

ISBN:

9781492657071

Publication:

Naperville, Illinois : Sourcebooks Fire, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc., [2018]

Physical Description:

327 pages ; 22 cm

Summary:

Marianne's parents have finally split up; and her mother has checked herself into the hospital. Marianne's own life hasn't been the same since she quit dancing. Then she start losing time, doing things she would never do. And objects around her seem to break whenever she comes close. Something is after her ... and the only one who seems to believe her is the daughter of a local psychic. When their first attempt at an exorcism calls down the full force of the thing's rage, it demands Marianne give back what she stole. And if the nightmare takes what it thinks it's owed, Marianne will be trapped in the darkness of the other side.

Subject(s):

Paranormal fiction.

Anxiety disorders -- Fiction.

Mentally ill -- Fiction.

Divorce -- Fiction.

Aunts -- Fiction.

Demonology -- Fiction.

Young adult fiction.

Paranormal fiction -- Juvenile fiction.

Supernatural -- Fiction

Anxiety disorders -- Fiction

Mentally ill -- Fiction

Genre:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Newberg Public Library	TEEN BERUBE	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Black Swan meets Paranormal Activity in this compelling ghost story about a former dancer whose grip on reality slips when she begins to think a dark entity is stalking her.

Something is wrong with Marianne.

It's not just that her parents have finally split up. Or that life hasn't been the same since she quit dancing. Or even that her mother has checked herself into the hospital.

She's losing time. Doing things she would never do. And objects around her seem to break whenever she comes close. Something is after her. And the only one who seems to believe her is the daughter of a local psychic.

But their first attempt at an exorcism calls down the full force of the thing's rage. It demands Marianne give back what she stole. Whatever is haunting her, it wants everything she has--everything it's convinced she stole. Marianne must uncover the truth that lies beneath it all before the nightmare can take what it thinks it's owed, leaving Marianne trapped in the darkness of the other side.

Author Notes

Amelinda Berube has been a writer and editor with a small department in the Canadian public service. She holds a bachelor of humanities from Carleton University and a master of arts from McGill. Amelinda is also the author of The Dark Beneath the Ice and can be found on Twitter @metuiteme. Visit amelindaberube.com.

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 7 Up-Former ballerina Marianne is losing time in Bérubé's fast-paced debut. In the midst of her parents' ugly divorce, Marianne becomes tormented by a recurring dream of drowning under ice. She starts doing things she can't remember-dark, angry things that are outside her quiet, controlled nature, and that often seem beyond human capability. Classmate Rhiannon is Marianne's unexpected source of help, but runs away when the two girls conduct an exorcism that ends in disaster. Isolated and possessed by a force increasingly intent on drowning her, Marianne must uncover the reason for its anger or risk losing her family, her blossoming romance with Rhiannon, and her life. The book's haunting, waterlogged atmosphere and Marianne's psychological turmoil will build an effective and growing sense of dread in readers, although some backstory (e.g., Marianne's complicated history with ballet) is not sufficiently fleshed out. While the events of the book are appropriately creepy and at times nail-biting, a lack of graphic violence or overly disturbing turns make this an appropriate selection for many middle and high school readers. VERDICT Hand this novel to those who enjoy spooky, psychological books with strong themes of self-discovery.-Elizabeth Giles, Lubuto Library Partners, Zambia © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

Stress pushes a former ballet dancer near to the breaking pointbut her problems could be more paranormal. Canadian teen Marianne Vandermere didn't think she could cut it at her prestigious conservatory, though her mother, for one, disagreed. Marianne quit, and that decision haunts herbut something more supernatural seems to be haunting her now. She's missing time. Mirrors spontaneously break, and the river seems to call to her through the incessant rain. Rhiannon (aka Ron) is the confident new girl at school, a goth with a mom who is a psychic. While staying at her Aunt Jen's as her parents separate and her mother is hospitalized for mysterious reasons, Marianne asks Ron for help. The two attempt to communicate with whatever is bothering Marianne even though Ron is a skeptic. A dark entity that appears to be intent on destroying Marianne's lifeor taking it overbegins stalking the girls as their relationship blossoms into more than friendship. Can they free Marianne? Can they survive? Brub's debut survives a few early hiccups (it's slow to start, there's excessive water imagery) to deliver a few fun frights and a well-constructed haunting-as-sexual-awakening tale for LGBTQ girls. It offers a realistic depiction of a teen caught up in her parents' divorce, her struggles complicated by her shyness, sexuality, and perceived failure at ballet. Major characters are white, and there is some diversity in secondary characters.It's Black Swan meets Carrie and worth the right teen's time. (Horror. 13-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Things are not going well for Marianne as of late. She is losing chunks of time, doing things that she can't remember, and alienating friends and family members in the process. When she meets Rhiannon (Ron to her friends), Marianne wonders if maybe she has finally found someone who can help her understand what's been happening to her. The two girls develop a complex relationship that vacillates between troubled friendship and romantic entanglement. By working together, they search for whatever ghost or supernatural force may be haunting Marianne and everyone around her. The trouble is, without knowing what it is that the entity wants, there seems to be no possibility for a solution. Bérubé's debut novel is a sinister exploration of self-doubt, internalized hatred, trust, and a romantic awakening. Though the ending wraps up a bit quickly and the explanation for the supernatural elements could have been more deeply explored, the novel is nevertheless well crafted and unsettling, making it ideal for teenage fans of supernatural thrillers.--Rob Bittner Copyright 2018 Booklist