Book Review of “Ice” by Jessica Wren

“Ice” is a book that satisfies on many levels. The story, as a whole, is extremely evocative, creating a strong “small town” feeling like a vintage Ray Bradbury story. The small town atmosphere reminds me of the Americana iconic play “Our town”. Wren is skillful in her development of a small American town complete with portrayals of small town secretiveness and quirky, independent characters.

Just below the surface of this portrayal of rural American life is a paranormal undertone, something else that Wren handles well. The small town of Minterville, in Rural Georgia, has a secret, one that the outside world can’t know: the inhabitants of the town who are descended from the town’s founders can broadcast their thoughts through an entity called “The Minter”. All the other descendants can immediately hear the message in their heads.

It’s the gradual death of “The…