McGregor, Elizabeth. The ice child - Young Adult Review - Book Review

Penguin Putnam, Onyx. 438p, map. c2002.0-451-41061-0. $7.99. SA

It is hard to pigeonhole The Ice Child. Is it a historical novel? Much of the present-day plot revolves around the search for the Franklin Expedition, which disappeared in the 1800s during a fruitless search for the Northwest Passage. In fact, there are chapters that serve as flashbacks to that doomed journey and crew interspersed with the lives of the modern-day characters. Is it a romance? There is the love affair between Douglas Marshall, the middle-aged archaeologist, whose whole life revolves around the search for the remains of the Franklin Expedition, and Jo Harper, the 20-something London writer assigned to write his story. Is it a medical story, strong on details of a rare disease? There is even a storyline involving a polar bear and her cub. Ultimately, all the storylines involve survival: human and animal survival against terrible odds; the survival of love; and the survival of the next generation. The storylines generally enhance each other, although some details and plot curves could have been shortened. Most people looking for that "good read" will feel they've found it in The Ice Child. Katherine E. Gillen, Libn., Luke AFB Lib., AZ

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kliatt
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group