Ok confession time. I don't like the fairy tale beauty and the beast. I get grossed out by the fact that Belle falls for what looks like a Giant St Bernard. So imagine my doubts when I started reading a book with a girl cuddling the coca cola bear! Add to that the words on the bookmark: "a polar bear, true love, and one girl's impossible quest..." The story has also been described as a "deeply romantic story." by Juliet Marillier. But a girl. A bear. True love? I gave an internal what the hell? Then, I opened the book and read the first line: Once upon a time...
I was gone from there. I can't explained what happened with me. What-where did I go wrong? How did Bear get me? I guess I should say what went right. Ice by Sarah Beth Durst did everything right. Bear, that's the polar bear king's name, was oh my heck loveable. And not because he was a giant teddy bear. Very rarely I do I fall in love with a book hero yet when I closed my eyes one night I saw a waltzing polar bear and a girl with her head thrown back in laughter. And holy heck! That girl was none other than me! ME! With a dang polar bear. I knew right then...Ice was my undoing. Ice had me. But Bear is so much more than that more than a polar bear, more than a human. He is just more. He is honest, strong, funny, vulnerable, reasonable, caring, patient and easy. He is all a girl could dream for. Cassie, the books heroine (not me lol) had no choice but to go head over heels gaga for him.
Cassie, was a well written character. I always find it hard to find a heroine I like. I didn't particularly like Cassie but she wasn't too stupid to live so it's a plus. I will say maybe she was too STUBBORN to live. Her stubbornness and unwillingness to understand is what caused the whole conflict that happened in this story to began with. I know it had to happen but the fact she tried to somehow put what she had done on purpose, on Bear and what he had done out of naiveté and misunderstanding, helped demonstrate her immaturity. And you saw her sort of grow up while trying to get love back. So at first I told myself that, Bear loves her so, like a good Bear groupie, I can put up with her if she is what makes him happy. Then I saw her mature majorly at the end of the story. Her display and bond with whom she loved brought a tear to my eye. I was surprised.
But, like I said Cassie is a great heroine. Durst knows how to write great, believable and flawed characters. You can imagine meeting these characters in real life. I love that. The secondary characters, the munaqsri to be specific, whom Cassie gave adorable names too. For example she called the artic fox, Fluffy. I grew to love every single character especially Cassie! Her forgiveness also demonstrated her growth from child to woman.
The amount of love Cassie has for Bear is touching. She is literally willing to go to the ends of the earth for that man. Its heart warming to read a story where its not one sided. The love, you can see it flowing both ways. Its not one of the stories where you have to be constantly told, these two people love each other. But you ask yourself 'uh ok? Why? and where?' If they never said they loved each other once in this book, you'd STILL know that they did and why.
I love this book so much, that I am giving this book away. Well, rephrase. I won a copy of Ice. Mrs Durst signed it and made it out to ME. So I am not giving this (points to mine) away but I am buying a copy and giving that one away. Contest ends on Christmas eve. To enter to win just leave a comment on what you have done, are willing to do or the sweetest thing that you have done...for love. Because really, that’s what life is all about...Love.
Thanks Jeri Smith-Ready for the blogtoberfest contest that I won Ice on and Thanks Sarah Beth Durst for sending me the book! I truly enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Thanks for writing a book that I think of now when I picture a true love story. Casse
