REVIEW: Below Zero

BELOW ZERO

by Dan Smith

Pages: 304

Publisher: Chicken House

Publication Date: January 4th 2018

Received From: Chicken House

Twelve-year-old Zak, who has an inoperable brain tumour, is with his sister and parents when their private plane is disastrously diverted. Wrecked on a remote research outpost in the Antarctic, they find themselves in an abandoned base. Then Zak's parents disappear, and the base's equipment starts 3D-printing nightmarish spiderlike creatures. Zak's bizarre visions appear to suggest a link to something else - beneath the ice - which only he can understand...

Below Zero is one of those books that took me by surprise. It's common knowledge that I have issues with young protagonists so when I read that our young hero was only 12 I had my reservations. However, Dan Smith did something no other author I've read has done before... well other than the likes of J.K and co. For Dan made me forget about age. There was nothing childish about the story, it felt grown up, serious and constantly left me sitting on the edge of my seat.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here... lets go back to the beginning.

Below Zero is a story told in two parts, one of the present and one of the very recent past. This book follows 12 year old Zak as he and his family crash land on Outpost Zero - a small research base at the Antarctic, training for life on Mars. However, when Zak arrives at the base nothing is as it should be. The scientists that inhabit Outpost Zero are nowhere to be seen, the power is out and the spider like robots Zak's parents helped create are acting more than a little bit strange. As the story unfolds the reader slowly discovers what happened to the now abandoned base and most importantly what lays beneath the ice that has everyone so scared.

The tag line fore this book is, "Your blood will run cold" and I can't lie there were moments when I literally found myself shivering. From the very first page I found myself being pulled into this story. The world in which Dan creates is eery and dangerous and 100% unpredictable. For me though it was the way in which Zak's illness played into the plot, it made a book that I was already a little in love with someone that I can honestly say I've never read before. It was a unique story arch than had me questing until the very last page.

Overall, Below Zero is faced paged, exciting and un-put-downable. There are moments in the story that are pure genius and I can't wait to see what Dan writes next. I'll admit I wasn't sure what I was expecting with this book but it surpassed my expectations and I hope you all give it a go because I will guarantee you won't regret it.

**I received this book as an ARC from Chicken House to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**