From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. "Be careful what you wish for. I know that for a fact. Wishes... burn your tongue the moment they're spoken and you can never take them back." Thus begins Hoffman's (Practical Magic; Here on Earth) stellar 18th novel about healing and transformation. As an eight-year-old, the unnamed narrator makes a terrible wish that comes true; remorseful for the next 30 years, she shuts down emotionally to become a self-proclaimed ice queen. Unlike her brother, Ned, who relies on logic, math and science to make sense of the world, the loner librarian fears the chaotic randomness of existence and is obsessed by death. Then lightning strikes, literally. In a flash, she's jolted out of her rut, noticing for the first time all that she's been taking for granted—even the color red, which after the strike she can no longer see: "How could I have been so stupid to ignore everything I'd had in my life? The color red alone was worth kingdoms." The novel turns sultry when the slowly melting ice queen seeks out reclusive Lazarus Jones, a fellow lightning survivor who came back to life after 40 minutes of death: "I wanted a man like that, one it was impossible to kill, who wouldn't flinch if you wished him dead." Blanketed in prose that has never been dreamier and gloriously vivid imagery, this life-affirming fable is ripe with Hoffman's trademark symbolism and magic, but with a steelier edge: "Every fairy tale had a bloody lining. Every one had teeth and claws." Both longtime fans and newcomers will relish it.
-------------------------------
This was the first of Hoffman's books that I read. I really enjoyed this book. You can see my original review here.

I got this book from msjoanna at a meetup yesterday. I enjoyed meeting you and the other Bookcrossers! Thanks for the books!

I really enjoyed this book. Once I picked it up, I had to finish it, even though there are other things I "should" be reading.

One of the few things that interrupted my enjoyment was the extreme, unrealistic symptoms of the different people struck by lightning. I know they're supposed to be fairy-tale-like metaphors, but I found it distracting.

I loved the ending which included this passage: "The best way to die is while you're living, even in New Jersey."

I offered this in a BookObsessed relay called Treasure Hunt where we give clues to the book's identity until someone guesses it. Just for fun, I will share the clues I gave and their explanation:

Clue 1: It's within temptation.
Within Temptation is a European band who had a hit song titled Ice Queen.

Clue 2: She's harder than Hans Christian Anderson thought.
Hans Anderson wrote The Snow Queen. Ice is harder than snow.
(And, Ice Queen can often refer to someone who's 'hard' or cruel.)

Clue 3: It could be considered women's fiction.
I'm not sure it's strictly in that category, but it does have a romantic aspect. And the main character is a woman.

Clue 4: One of the previous clues would be easier for a European to get.
See explanation for clue 1

Clue 5: She came from the Pleistocene Age and went direct to video in 2005
There was a (reportedly bad) movie called Ice Queen. I haven't seen it, only googled it.

Marlene guessed it, so I'll be sending this off to The Netherlands. Enjoy!

And what great clues you gave. I am thrilled that I ended up with this book.
It is so funny. I am playing in the Non Genre Swap and I just posted there that I had to go and decide which book i would offer for this. Then this book arrived. I think I know what to offer. Oops I see MSJoanna is playing. well don't ask my reveal babe. ;)

I hardly owe TBR's so I can offer this one and it gives me a reason to read it quick. .
Now off to Zoho to change this book's status to received.
thanks babe

Just came back from my parents (Father's day). I'd taken this book with me , I always have a book where ever I go)
My mom gave me back all the books I had lend her in the last few months. (Big bag full) but then I told her and showed her this book The Ice Queen and i noticed she was interested, so I lend it to her.

Wondering if she is going to like it. Will let you know and then it is my turn. ;)

I used this book in the Non Genre Swap June 2008 and AceofHearts was the one who ended up with it.

Called my mom and asked her about the book. Well she did not like it at all. LMAO. Poor woman. Unlucky. Then I asked her why and when she told me a little bit, I must admit i do not think I will like it either.It seems to be so unrealistic.
Of course I will give it a try. Have to wait till I am back from vacation.

My mom gave this book back to me a few days ago. Today I decided I really ahd to send out some owed books. Just offered 5 books in one swap and I know I get nervous if I owe too many.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This book was mailed to Ace today. Priority cause they do not offer standard mail anymore. Enjoy babe

received in the mail today. Thanks

My mom, AceofHearts, passed away from breast cancer in September, 2013. Aside from being one of the best people I know, she was an avid reader and took immense pleasure in Bookcrossing, her book club, and reading many great books. Unfortunately she didn't get around to reading this book.

We had similar tastes in books... infact I think this may even be on my wish list... and would share them whenever we read something we enjoyed. This book sounds interesting so I'm going to keep it to read.

As a young girl, on her mother's birthday, the young narrator asks her mom to stay home with her and her brother. They want to celebrate her birthday with her. Angry that her mom won't stay, she wishes death on her and death is what her mom gets. The girl realizes that she holds a power in wishes and believes herself responsible for her mom's death. She cannot forgive herself and turns to ice on the inside, incapable of any kind of relationship, including with her brother.

As a grown woman, her life is monotonous. She once again makes a wish. This time, that lightning will strike her. It does, but does not kill her. Instead it leaves her with ringing in her head and the inability to see red. In a support group for other lighting strike survivors, she hears about Lazarus. He died for 40 minutes before coming back to life. The narrator needs to understand what it's like being dead.

Before writing this review, I spent a good 10 minutes trying to remember what the name of the main character was. Looking at other reviews, it seems that we never learned it in the book, which I find hard to believe that I never really pieced this together while I was reading it.

This book is full of depressing subject matter. All the characters are Debbie Downers, but I still had hope that the narrator would find what she was looking for and be able to turn her life around. Thankfully, there is light at the end of the tunnel but it's quite a journey for a few of the characters to get there.

There was a great quote in here about how the only way to stop from dying is to keep breathing. I like the simplicity and honesty of the quote.

To the finder of this book: I hope you enjoy reading this book. Please keep it or set it free when you're done. If the book is of no interest to you, please release it into the wild for someone else to find and enjoy. I hope you will make a journal entry so its journey can be tracked and to let me know the book has been found. You can remain anonymous if you wish, but if you join BookCrossing, you are in for a great experience.