The Dark Beneath the Ice

Gr 7 Up—Former ballerina Marianne is losing time in Bérubé's fast-paced debut. In the midst of her parents' ugly divorce, Marianne becomes tormented by a recurring dream of drowning under ice. She starts doing things she can't remember—dark, angry things that are outside her quiet, controlled nature, and that often seem beyond human capability. Classmate Rhiannon is Marianne's unexpected source of help, but runs away when the two girls conduct an exorcism that ends in disaster. Isolated and possessed by a force increasingly intent on drowning her, Marianne must uncover the reason for its anger or risk losing her family, her blossoming romance with Rhiannon, and her life. The book's haunting, waterlogged atmosphere and Marianne's psychological turmoil will build an effective and growing sense of dread in readers, although some backstory (e.g., Marianne's complicated history with ballet) is not sufficiently fleshed out. While the events of the book are appropriately creepy and at times nail-biting, a lack of graphic violence or overly disturbing turns make this an appropriate selection for many middle and high school readers.