What readers think of The Ice Queen, plus links to write your own review.

This is a fairy tale for grown-ups. And quite a tale it is with the suffering heroine, the monster with whom she falls in love, and a desperately unhappy life that happily turns around.

As a little girl, our heroine said something almost every angry child utters at one time or another. But in this case, the meanspirited wish came true, causing the unnamed narrator to believe she could make bad things happen just by wishing it so. After living a solitary, loveless life with a heart that has turned to ice, her brother, Ned, essentially forces her to move from their family home in New Jersey to be near him in Florida. And then the seemingly impossible happens: She is struck by lightning. While the physical effects of the lightning strike are horrific, it gives her a new beginning as she embarks on a passionate love affair with another lightning strike survivor — a man who is so burning hot that his breath can make water boil. Can love make the ice queen's heart melt? Like her, he harbors secrets that are almost too terrible to speak aloud, but it is only when the strange and horrific secrets are revealed that they lose their power to hurt.

Like all good fairy tales, there is a moral lesson that leads to a healing redemption and a bold transformation. Author Alice Hoffman, who is a genius at the tricky genre of magical realism, has created an imaginative, emotionally-searing story that is absolutely spellbinding. And the ending is perfect. (Well, it is a fairy tale!)

Bonus: This is also a fascinating scientific primer on the physical and psychological effects of lightning strikes on human beings, as well as the basics of chaos theory.

I'm 18 years old and I will be moving out this summer and starting a new life. I believe this is my new favorite book. It is very well written, as most of Hoffman’s books are and has great imagery and metaphors. Her views on love and death are so strong. It has parts that made me cry and others that made me hopeful but the whole time kept me up to about 2 in the morning just to see what happens.

I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn't put it down. This is the first Alice Hoffman novel I have read and can't wait to read her other books. I have recommended this to my family and friends. She is truly unique!!

This is the first Alice Hoffman novel I ever read and I absolutely loved it!! I can't wait to read her other books. I plan on recommending this to all my friends. She is truly unique!!