Shiver

Allie Reynolds

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In "Shiver" by Allie Reynolds, a group of former snowboarding friends reunite at an isolated ski lodge in the French Alps, where a mysterious death from their past resurfaces, leading to a series of chilling events and revelations. The narrative alternates between the present day and ten years ago, creating a tense atmosphere as secrets are unveiled, suspicions rise, and the characters' connections and tensions come to light. Reynolds' background in snowboarding adds authenticity to the competitive and dangerous world depicted in the novel, while the locked room mystery plot keeps readers on the edge of their seats, questioning who to trust and what really happened to Saskia.

Characters:

The characters are complex and flawed, with Milla as a competitive protagonist. The dynamics among the group reveal underlying tensions and secrets related to a past tragedy.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by crisp prose and brisk pacing, featuring evocative descriptions and an authentic portrayal of extreme sports, primarily through Milla's perspective.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot features a tense thriller centered around a reunion at a ski lodge with a dual timeline, exploring a mysterious disappearance and themes of guilt and rivalry, with numerous twists.

Setting:

The setting features a remote ski lodge in the French Alps during winter, adding to the eerie atmosphere and isolation, particularly accentuated by a snowstorm.

Pacing:

The pacing is mostly brisk with an intense build-up, though there are some lags in the middle; the dual timelines maintain engagement.

The familiar red-and-white cable car sits in the bay, but there’s nobody in the operator booth. The sun has disappeared behind the Alps, the sky is pink, yet there isn’t a single light on in the build...

Notes:

The story is set at a deserted ski station in the French Alps.

It unfolds in two timelines: Now and Ten Years Ago.

The plot revolves around five friends haunted by the disappearance of a sixth friend, Saskia, ten years prior.

The characters are former elite snowboarders preparing for a major competition.

Milla, the main narrator, is portrayed as competitive and dealing with past guilt.

The book features a tense atmosphere and elements of mystery with one character believed to be a potential killer.

Reynolds' background as a snowboarder adds authenticity to the sports scenes.

A major theme is the rivalry and friendships within a high-stakes, competitive environment.

As secrets unravel, trust among the characters erodes, leading to suspenseful moments.

The setting of the out-of-season ski lodge creates an eerie, isolated feeling.

Readers describe the plot as twisty and full of unexpected surprises.

The story captures the dangers of extreme sports and the mentality of its athletes.

Shiver blends elements of thriller and psychological drama, focusing on character dynamics.

The novel has been compared to Agatha Christie's style of locked room mysteries.

The book received strong praise for its immersive setting and character development.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of death, disappearance, and psychological tension.

Has Romance?

There are elements of romance present, particularly revolving around past relationships and unresolved feelings among the characters.

From The Publisher:

In this propulsive locked-room thriller debut, a reunion weekend in the French Alps turns deadly when five friends discover that someone has deliberately stranded them at their remote mountaintop resort during a snowstorm.

When Milla accepts an off-season invitation to Le Rocher, a cozy ski resort in the French Alps, she's expecting an intimate weekend of catching up with four old friends. It might have been a decade since she saw them last, but she's never forgotten the bond they forged on this very mountain during a winter spent fiercely training for an elite snowboarding competition.

Yet no sooner do Milla and the others arrive for the reunion than they realize something is horribly wrong. The resort is deserted. The cable cars that delivered them to the mountaintop have stopped working. Their cell phones-missing. And inside the hotel, detailed instructions await them: an icebreaker game, designed to draw out their secrets. A game meant to remind them of Saskia, the enigmatic sixth member of their group, who vanished the morning of the competition years before and has long been presumed dead.

Stranded in the resort, Milla's not sure what's worse: the increasingly sinister things happening around her or the looming snowstorm that's making escape even more impossible. All she knows is that there's no one on the mountain she can trust. Because someone has gathered them there to find out the truth about Saskia…someone who will stop at nothing to get answers. And if Milla's not careful, she could be the next to disappear…

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Reader Stats (32):

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Want To Read (11)
Did Not Finish (1)
Not Interested (2)

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About the Author:

Allie Reynolds is the author of Shiver. Born in Britain, Reynolds is a former freestyle snowboarder who swapped her snowboard for a surfboard and moved to the Gold Coast in Australia, where she taught English as a foreign language for…

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