Thaw (Hardcover)

~ Monica Roe (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up—Eighteen-year-old Dane is furious—with his father, his ex-girlfriend, his no-nonsense physical therapist, and most of all with the disease that has robbed him of the use of every muscle in his body, Guillain-Barré syndrome. In a rehabilitation hospital in Florida, far away from his family and his career as a champion high school cross-country skier in upstate New York, Dane slowly relearns how to feed himself, turn the pages of a book, and perform basic physical functions, and he is forced to consider the possibility that he won't fully recover. Punctuating his fear of this fate-worse-than-death scenario are his encounters with the daughter of a man vegetating in a room across the hall, four years after a brain injury. In flashbacks, Dane recounts his relationship with his former girlfriend, whose love he has never been able to fully return (until now?). Like Chris Crutcher's characters, disgruntled Dane guards his emotions carefully, allowing only his nature-loving occupational therapist to penetrate his anger. Roe's descriptions of wintry New York are stunningly beautiful. The protagonist's frustrations about feeling out of control will resonate with teens, and the context of neurological rehab presents an original and challenging read. As Dane and his friends are sexually active, use strong language, and drink at parties, this novel is best suited for an older audience.—Nora G. Murphy, Los Angeles Academy Middle School
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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 235 pages
• Publisher: Front Street imprint of Boyds Mills Press (April 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590784960
• ISBN-13: 978-1590784969
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #772,374 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thaw by Monica Roe, December 29, 2008

By	Amanda Snow (A Patchwork of Books) "Lover of ... (Holloman AFB, NM USA) - See all my reviews

It isn't often that a book comes along leaving me hating the main character but absolutely loving the complete package! The main character in this young adult novel is so refreshingly dislikable...a strange statement, I know, but really, take my word for it here. You'll have extreme disdain for him through most of the book, but by the end you'll love him and just want to give him a hug.

When high school ski star and big man on campus, Dane begins suffering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, life seems to stand still. Though the syndrome is not permanent, it results in Dane being completely immobile, having to slowly regain nerve function in his entire body and re-learn even the most basic of tasks all over again.

While recovering, Dane resides in a rehabilitation home in central Florida, far from the snowy weather of his home in Upstate New York (YAY....my home too!) and very far from the verbal and mental abuse of his father. Given almost endless time to think and reflect on the past couple of years, Dane slowly begins to open his eyes to how he's treated people and why he is constantly surrounded by people, but always alone.

Monica Roe did a beautiful job of creating an incredibly egotistical, smart mouthed main character that really believes he can do no wrong. He has treated his family badly, his girlfriend badly, and his teammates badly, though truly believes all that hurt is attributed to their faults, not his. As he struggles to become whole again, Dane's thought processes begin to shift and his coldness starts to melt, leaving him to try to mend fences that he had broken with his lack of care for others.

Thaw was a true surprise to me. I really didn't like Dane in the beginning of the story, though I now see the point of the character being written the way he was. The plot is very strong and the characters all unique. This is a great teen novel and one I will most definitely be recommending to all.

5.0 out of 5 stars satisfied reader!, September 9, 2009

By	Kyle C. Rhodes - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Very hard book to put down after start. Loved the development of the characters and how their stories intertwined. Written with a depth, that found me personally hating some characters and empathizing with others....where I had to actually put the book down to realize it was just fiction...
The novel was both purely entertaining, and able to leave with you with a lasting impact....

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!, July 4, 2009

By	Mikah Wright (Oregon) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Roe did a great job of putting this story together. I highly recommend this book to someone who is interested in teen drama and sports.