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Shiver
They don't know what I did. And I intend to keep it that way.
How far would you go to win? Hyper-competitive people, mind games and a dangerous natural environment combine to make the must-read thriller of the year. Fans of Lucy Foley and Lisa Jewell will be gripped by spectacular debut novel Shiver.
When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one person she can't seem to let go.
The five friends haven't seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns menacing, they realise they don't know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth.
In a deserted lodge high up a mountain, the secrets of the past are about to come to light.
How far would you go to win? Hyper-competitive people, mind games and a dangerous natural environment combine to make the must-read thriller of the year. Fans of Lucy Foley and Lisa Jewell will be gripped by spectacular debut novel Shiver.
When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one person she can't seem to let go.
The five friends haven't seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns menacing, they realise they don't know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth.
In a deserted lodge high up a mountain, the secrets of the past are about to come to light.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published October 27, 2020
811 people are currently reading
31.5k people want to read
About the author
Allie Reynolds
2books1,028followersAllie Reynolds' debut thriller SHIVER has sold in 24 territories and will be translated into 23 languages.
Her second thriller THE BAY (UK, ANZ) is titled THE SWELL in North America.
Born and raised in the UK, Allie moved to Queensland Australia in 2004. She lives by the beach with her two young boys.
Many years ago she competed at snowboard halfpipe. These days she sticks to surfing - water doesn't hurt as much as ice when you fall on it.
She's a massive reader. Her first ever job was a Saturday job in a bookstore, at age 14. She's read and enjoyed pretty much every genre there is, but these days she mostly prefers thrillers, especially psychological thrillers with interesting settings. She also loves romance, crime, sports fiction, high concept stories with interesting premises, and non-fiction including sports biographies and self-help.
Her second thriller THE BAY (UK, ANZ) is titled THE SWELL in North America.
Born and raised in the UK, Allie moved to Queensland Australia in 2004. She lives by the beach with her two young boys.
Many years ago she competed at snowboard halfpipe. These days she sticks to surfing - water doesn't hurt as much as ice when you fall on it.
She's a massive reader. Her first ever job was a Saturday job in a bookstore, at age 14. She's read and enjoyed pretty much every genre there is, but these days she mostly prefers thrillers, especially psychological thrillers with interesting settings. She also loves romance, crime, sports fiction, high concept stories with interesting premises, and non-fiction including sports biographies and self-help.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,715 reviews
March 30, 2021
I'm really not sure why this book worked so well for me, but I absolutely loved this debut novel from Allie Reynolds. As someone who has mostly stayed away from thrillers of all kinds over the past calendar year, I have to say it's done wonders for enabling me to enjoy them again. Here we have an atmospheric, character driven novel of suspense, and picking it up during the snowy days of winter was the correct choice. While snowboarding is a huge theme in the plot, you don't have to have any knowledge of the sport whatsoever to enjoy this book. Alternating between past and present, we see why this crew of 5 have been brought together for a reunion 10 years after seeing each other for the last time. While I did pick up on the "who" was behind staging the present day sections, I found the real draw was flipping the pages at a frightening speed to figure out the "how" and "why". This book oozes Agatha Christie levels of suspense, and I highly recommend for anyone looking for a slow burning mystery.
January 3, 2021
4.5 stars
Hats off to Allie Reynolds on her debut novel!
The synopsis alone grabbed my attention, but the writing and plot sealed the deal.
A reunion in the French Alps sounds wonderful doesn't it? Except when you are stranded at a mountain top resort, during a snowstorm and there is no staff on site. Plus, this reunion comes with some stress, ten years earlier, one of them, Saskia went missing and has never been found.
Milla accepts the invitation to the reunion getaway at Le Rocher, believing she was invited by one of her former friends. She has not seen any of her fellow snowboarding friends for ten years. She hopes to spend the weekend catching up with Curtis, Dale, Heather and Brent. She spent time with them ten years ago, preparing for an elite competition, trying to work on her skills, maybe learn some new ones and of course to win!
They begin to feel that something is not right soon after they all arrived. Their icebreaker game goes awry when they realize that someone knows their secrets. They are getting uncomfortable, suspicious, and beginning to doubt each other. The "Ghost" of Saskia looms over them. She was Milla's nemesis and biggest competitor and Curtis's sister.
Trapped, and full of suspicion, tension rise as the temperature plummets. Who can you trust? Who really invited them? Who stranded them there? What really happened to Saskia? Was one of them responsible for her disappearance? Is she dead or alive? Suspicion falls on all them all. This is a chilling and atmospheric book. I love when the environment is very much a character in the book as well. This book is told in the present as well as ten years ago. We see them in the past, snowboarding, hanging out, competing, and being taunted by Saskia.
Allie Reynolds is a former freestyle snowboarder and avid reader. She combined her two favorite things to write this book. This was a captivating read which had me guessing and trying to figure out who was behind them being stranded. I found this book to be well written and perfectly plotted. I enjoyed both timelines and the alternative timeless really set the stage for the unfolding of the plot. I enjoyed reading as the characters changed, grew and evolved. Are they the same people they were when they were competing? Has Saskia's disappearance changed them? Is their friendship still there?
Shiver is an intriguing, riveting, tension filled whodunit which I highly recommend.
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at
Hats off to Allie Reynolds on her debut novel!
The synopsis alone grabbed my attention, but the writing and plot sealed the deal.
A reunion in the French Alps sounds wonderful doesn't it? Except when you are stranded at a mountain top resort, during a snowstorm and there is no staff on site. Plus, this reunion comes with some stress, ten years earlier, one of them, Saskia went missing and has never been found.
Milla accepts the invitation to the reunion getaway at Le Rocher, believing she was invited by one of her former friends. She has not seen any of her fellow snowboarding friends for ten years. She hopes to spend the weekend catching up with Curtis, Dale, Heather and Brent. She spent time with them ten years ago, preparing for an elite competition, trying to work on her skills, maybe learn some new ones and of course to win!
They begin to feel that something is not right soon after they all arrived. Their icebreaker game goes awry when they realize that someone knows their secrets. They are getting uncomfortable, suspicious, and beginning to doubt each other. The "Ghost" of Saskia looms over them. She was Milla's nemesis and biggest competitor and Curtis's sister.
Trapped, and full of suspicion, tension rise as the temperature plummets. Who can you trust? Who really invited them? Who stranded them there? What really happened to Saskia? Was one of them responsible for her disappearance? Is she dead or alive? Suspicion falls on all them all. This is a chilling and atmospheric book. I love when the environment is very much a character in the book as well. This book is told in the present as well as ten years ago. We see them in the past, snowboarding, hanging out, competing, and being taunted by Saskia.
Allie Reynolds is a former freestyle snowboarder and avid reader. She combined her two favorite things to write this book. This was a captivating read which had me guessing and trying to figure out who was behind them being stranded. I found this book to be well written and perfectly plotted. I enjoyed both timelines and the alternative timeless really set the stage for the unfolding of the plot. I enjoyed reading as the characters changed, grew and evolved. Are they the same people they were when they were competing? Has Saskia's disappearance changed them? Is their friendship still there?
Shiver is an intriguing, riveting, tension filled whodunit which I highly recommend.
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at
April 22, 2021
A group of snowboarding competitors spend the season practicing, sleeping around, and sabotaging each other until a mysterious mishap causes the disappearance and assumed death of the group's queen bee.
Ten years later the group reunites, hoping to shed light on what really happened that winter.
❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄
SHIVER is told entirely from Milla's point of view and alternates between NOW and THEN chapters.
I liked the THEN half of the story.
I know nothing about snowboarding and found myself Googling the different techniques mentioned so I definitely learned from this book. I also enjoyed the cold, competitive atmosphere and the dramatics the characters kept causing. It did feel like reading YA but I was into it!
The NOW part was a bit trickier to enjoy.
I had to keep reminding myself to 'just have fun with it' because no one's behaviour made any sense and the reveals were either way OTT or straight-up impossible.
Still, I never considered DNFing because I wanted to know how it would end so 3-3.5 �
Ten years later the group reunites, hoping to shed light on what really happened that winter.
❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄
SHIVER is told entirely from Milla's point of view and alternates between NOW and THEN chapters.
I liked the THEN half of the story.
I know nothing about snowboarding and found myself Googling the different techniques mentioned so I definitely learned from this book. I also enjoyed the cold, competitive atmosphere and the dramatics the characters kept causing. It did feel like reading YA but I was into it!
The NOW part was a bit trickier to enjoy.
I had to keep reminding myself to 'just have fun with it' because no one's behaviour made any sense and the reveals were either way OTT or straight-up impossible.
Still, I never considered DNFing because I wanted to know how it would end so 3-3.5 �
February 23, 2025
Shiver brings all the chills and the thrills!
💙🖤🥶❄🖤🥶❄💙🖤🥶❄🖤🥶❄💙🖤🥶�
When Milla receives an invitation to Le Rocher, a ski resort in the French Alps, to reunite with her old friends, nearly all former pro-snowboarders, she's anxious to go.
It has been 10-years since they were all together and they hadn't parted under the best of circumstances.
That final winter, they were staying at Le Rocher and fiercely training for a snowboard competition.
It was the winter that Milla's frenemy, Saskia, disappeared, presumed dead. Lost to the brutal forces of the mountain.
Upon arrival, things are a little awkward. There's a lot left unsaid. One can easily tell there is a giant elephant joining the friends on this weekend getaway.
Awkwardness aside, it doesn't take long before the five friends realize that something sinister may be in the works.
The resort is completely deserted and as soon as they are deposited there, the cable cars that brought them stop working, their cell phones disappear and the game begins.
It's an ice breaker game aimed at drawing out everyone's secrets. Disturbingly, everything about this scenario is making them think of Saskia.
Who would do this? Who would want to reunite them, strand them and then bring up such a terrible tragedy? They're all just trying to move on, aren't they?
The thing is, they're the only guests, so one of the five friends must be behind it, right?
As more and more frightening things begin to occur, and with a serious snowstorm on the way, Milla realizes they are well and truly stuck.
Escaping from the resort, down the mountain, could prove just as dangerous as what, or who, has brought them there.
This was a really entertaining locked-room mystery with a final line that gave me chills.
One of my favorite tropes is when a group of people get stranded somewhere remote due to inclement weather. Reynolds not only included that within this story, she excelled at it.
I felt the stress and pressure these characters were under, particularly Milla. It felt claustrophobic. I swear, I wanted to get out of there as much as they did.
I also had fun with the past timeline, as we learn more about what happened the winter they were training together for the competition. Saskia was a vibrant character. You could see why she had such an impact on everyone around her.
As past and present begin to merge, the truth edges closer and closer to being exposed. I felt Reynolds pulled off that merge, and the subsequent reveals, very well.
It kept me at the edge of my seat and I absolutely flew through this one. I really wanted to know what had happened. Everyone was a suspect.
Overall, I was really impressed with this as a debut. I loved that it included the character's sport, training and competition elements. It seems, as an athlete herself, that may be a theme Reynolds continues to incorporate into her stories.
I am really looking forward to her next release, , set to release in Summer 2022!!
💙🖤🥶❄🖤🥶❄💙🖤🥶❄🖤🥶❄💙🖤🥶�
When Milla receives an invitation to Le Rocher, a ski resort in the French Alps, to reunite with her old friends, nearly all former pro-snowboarders, she's anxious to go.
It has been 10-years since they were all together and they hadn't parted under the best of circumstances.
That final winter, they were staying at Le Rocher and fiercely training for a snowboard competition.
It was the winter that Milla's frenemy, Saskia, disappeared, presumed dead. Lost to the brutal forces of the mountain.
Upon arrival, things are a little awkward. There's a lot left unsaid. One can easily tell there is a giant elephant joining the friends on this weekend getaway.
Awkwardness aside, it doesn't take long before the five friends realize that something sinister may be in the works.
The resort is completely deserted and as soon as they are deposited there, the cable cars that brought them stop working, their cell phones disappear and the game begins.
It's an ice breaker game aimed at drawing out everyone's secrets. Disturbingly, everything about this scenario is making them think of Saskia.
Who would do this? Who would want to reunite them, strand them and then bring up such a terrible tragedy? They're all just trying to move on, aren't they?
The thing is, they're the only guests, so one of the five friends must be behind it, right?
As more and more frightening things begin to occur, and with a serious snowstorm on the way, Milla realizes they are well and truly stuck.
Escaping from the resort, down the mountain, could prove just as dangerous as what, or who, has brought them there.
This was a really entertaining locked-room mystery with a final line that gave me chills.
One of my favorite tropes is when a group of people get stranded somewhere remote due to inclement weather. Reynolds not only included that within this story, she excelled at it.
I felt the stress and pressure these characters were under, particularly Milla. It felt claustrophobic. I swear, I wanted to get out of there as much as they did.
I also had fun with the past timeline, as we learn more about what happened the winter they were training together for the competition. Saskia was a vibrant character. You could see why she had such an impact on everyone around her.
As past and present begin to merge, the truth edges closer and closer to being exposed. I felt Reynolds pulled off that merge, and the subsequent reveals, very well.
It kept me at the edge of my seat and I absolutely flew through this one. I really wanted to know what had happened. Everyone was a suspect.
Overall, I was really impressed with this as a debut. I loved that it included the character's sport, training and competition elements. It seems, as an athlete herself, that may be a theme Reynolds continues to incorporate into her stories.
I am really looking forward to her next release, , set to release in Summer 2022!!
May 13, 2020
Well tickle me silly Miss Allie Reynolds!
In her novel debut I found excitement, suspense and A LOT of snow!!
The story takes place at a European professional skier training site. There are alternating timelines. A view from when the group has a reunion at the training site and ten years earlier when the group first trained together. The group had fallen apart after one member mysteriously disappeared and has never been found.
They will not see each other again until they arrive for a tense reunion. It is the off-season and no one is at the facility except them. Things go sideways quickly and the group starts to panic when all their cell phones go missing and the ski lift no longer works.
Who is doing this? Is it one of them? Or could it be the lost group member? As old resentments come to the surface and secrets from long ago are revealed, the group members start to turn on each other. No one trusts anyone but they all agree on one thing; something terrible will happen if they can't find a way to get back down the mountain.
The alternating timelines were nicely used for character development. It created more suspense. The pace was quick other than a slight lull about 2/3 into the book. There is also a small romantic aspect to the book. It was another dynamic that made me enjoy it even more.
Ruth Wares "One by One" is a very similar whodunnit book that also takes place at a ski resort. For context I rated "One by One" 5 stars.This new author was able to hold her own against Wares and has written a great 4 star suspenseful story!
*Thank you to Penguin Publishing Group via Edelweiss+ for providing the digital review copy.
In her novel debut I found excitement, suspense and A LOT of snow!!
The story takes place at a European professional skier training site. There are alternating timelines. A view from when the group has a reunion at the training site and ten years earlier when the group first trained together. The group had fallen apart after one member mysteriously disappeared and has never been found.
They will not see each other again until they arrive for a tense reunion. It is the off-season and no one is at the facility except them. Things go sideways quickly and the group starts to panic when all their cell phones go missing and the ski lift no longer works.
Who is doing this? Is it one of them? Or could it be the lost group member? As old resentments come to the surface and secrets from long ago are revealed, the group members start to turn on each other. No one trusts anyone but they all agree on one thing; something terrible will happen if they can't find a way to get back down the mountain.
The alternating timelines were nicely used for character development. It created more suspense. The pace was quick other than a slight lull about 2/3 into the book. There is also a small romantic aspect to the book. It was another dynamic that made me enjoy it even more.
Ruth Wares "One by One" is a very similar whodunnit book that also takes place at a ski resort. For context I rated "One by One" 5 stars.This new author was able to hold her own against Wares and has written a great 4 star suspenseful story!
*Thank you to Penguin Publishing Group via Edelweiss+ for providing the digital review copy.
April 11, 2021
I have put off writing this review (and another) because I get no pleasure out of writing one star reviews, but try as I have, I cannot in good faith find a single reason to give this book another star. This read like a really bad YA novel with endless repetition and boring, one dimensional characters who behaved the same in both time periods: immature. Their "friendship" in the past was barely that, which made the premise of a reunion patently unbelievable. The entire plot was absurd and the ending was both ridiculous and medically impossible. The last line made me cringe. 1 star.
Shiver was some of the worst writing and dialogue I've ever read.
Example of dialogue: "I couldn't have mixed a relationship with you and taken my snowboarding where I wanted it to go."
"What about now?" he says. "Can you mix me with your life now?"
I swallow. "I hope so. Can you mix me?"
Example of writing: My groan isn't feigned.
I'm shocked at this book's 3.89 rating, but to each his/her own.
Shiver was some of the worst writing and dialogue I've ever read.
Example of dialogue: "I couldn't have mixed a relationship with you and taken my snowboarding where I wanted it to go."
"What about now?" he says. "Can you mix me with your life now?"
I swallow. "I hope so. Can you mix me?"
Example of writing: My groan isn't feigned.
I'm shocked at this book's 3.89 rating, but to each his/her own.
January 24, 2021
To the mood-reader folks who live in extremely cold conditions like I do at this time of year (particularly this day!), SHIVER could be the book for you.
Milla is thrilled when she receives an invitation to meet up with old snowboarding friends at a ski resort where they got to know each other years prior. Yet, when they arrive, the resort has no staff, the cable cars are no longer working, someone has hidden their cell phones, and they are essentially in the middle of nowhere.
5 friends regroup, but 10 years ago...there were more in the group.
As Milla tries to figure out why this group was brought together after a decade in these extreme circumstances, her mind rehashes the past...when one woman disappeared. More than one person has a motive for the disappearance, and those motives will reveal themselves like the crevasses that are hidden by fresh snow.
Kudos to debut author Allie Reynolds for her atmospheric writing. She is a former freestyle snowboarder, so I’m guessing she knows what she’s talking about. Although I know nothing about the sport, I appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to succeed.
It took a hot minute or two for me to really get into this one, but I really loved how each chapter jumped from the past (10 years ago) to present. There is rising suspense, moments that cause unease, and a gripping narrative. The chapters in the past are the most interesting though...they contain multiple conflicts and dynamics that set the stage for the current story.
BONUS: short chapters. Easy to get lost in the story as the timeline bounced me around like a yo-yo.
At the end of the day, I don’t know if I’d really consider this a “locked room mystery� as advertised (and I wasn’t completely blown away by the denouement), but it’s a solid read that kept me turning the pages...waiting for the past to catch up to the present.
3.5 stars
Review also posted at:
Milla is thrilled when she receives an invitation to meet up with old snowboarding friends at a ski resort where they got to know each other years prior. Yet, when they arrive, the resort has no staff, the cable cars are no longer working, someone has hidden their cell phones, and they are essentially in the middle of nowhere.
5 friends regroup, but 10 years ago...there were more in the group.
As Milla tries to figure out why this group was brought together after a decade in these extreme circumstances, her mind rehashes the past...when one woman disappeared. More than one person has a motive for the disappearance, and those motives will reveal themselves like the crevasses that are hidden by fresh snow.
Kudos to debut author Allie Reynolds for her atmospheric writing. She is a former freestyle snowboarder, so I’m guessing she knows what she’s talking about. Although I know nothing about the sport, I appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to succeed.
It took a hot minute or two for me to really get into this one, but I really loved how each chapter jumped from the past (10 years ago) to present. There is rising suspense, moments that cause unease, and a gripping narrative. The chapters in the past are the most interesting though...they contain multiple conflicts and dynamics that set the stage for the current story.
BONUS: short chapters. Easy to get lost in the story as the timeline bounced me around like a yo-yo.
At the end of the day, I don’t know if I’d really consider this a “locked room mystery� as advertised (and I wasn’t completely blown away by the denouement), but it’s a solid read that kept me turning the pages...waiting for the past to catch up to the present.
3.5 stars
Review also posted at:
May 7, 2021
As someone who has tried snowboarding before, Shiver was just up my alley.
Mila receives an invite to the ski resort in the French Alps. She has not been back in a decade and she has not seen her other four friends, Curtis, Dale, Heather, and Brent since then. A terrible thing happened the last time she was there and putting some distance was the only way to deal with her memories.
Saskia disappeared ten years ago. Saskia was Curtis's sister. She was also not so nice. She played games and loved to see her attacks deliver the punch she intended. Saskia was an excellent snowboarder and Mila was worried about competing against her. Mila knew she needed to train harder, be faster, and have some tricks under her sleeve to win a spot.
Then Saskia disappears the day of the competition.
At present and soon after arriving at the resort, they discovered they are stranded. Their phones have been taken. No one else is at the resort except for them. No help is coming!
There are so many questions:
Who is doing this to them and why?
Is it Saskia?
Is it revenge?
And the biggest one, Is one of them a killer?
Great debut for this author! I truly enjoyed listening to the audio. The two timelines and the plot were well done. I could feel the snow, the impending storm, the fear, and the suspense. Yes, I did guess most of the twists but I was still unsure of a few.
I also liked that Shiver gave me some insight into what snowboarder competitors go through. The training, the injuries, the falls are all so intense and cutthroat.
Personally, I believe snowboarding to be hard. Going down the mountain can be exhausting. Falling is hard and painful. My rotator cuff and my knee can attest to it.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
| | |
Mila receives an invite to the ski resort in the French Alps. She has not been back in a decade and she has not seen her other four friends, Curtis, Dale, Heather, and Brent since then. A terrible thing happened the last time she was there and putting some distance was the only way to deal with her memories.
Saskia disappeared ten years ago. Saskia was Curtis's sister. She was also not so nice. She played games and loved to see her attacks deliver the punch she intended. Saskia was an excellent snowboarder and Mila was worried about competing against her. Mila knew she needed to train harder, be faster, and have some tricks under her sleeve to win a spot.
Then Saskia disappears the day of the competition.
At present and soon after arriving at the resort, they discovered they are stranded. Their phones have been taken. No one else is at the resort except for them. No help is coming!
There are so many questions:
Who is doing this to them and why?
Is it Saskia?
Is it revenge?
And the biggest one, Is one of them a killer?
Great debut for this author! I truly enjoyed listening to the audio. The two timelines and the plot were well done. I could feel the snow, the impending storm, the fear, and the suspense. Yes, I did guess most of the twists but I was still unsure of a few.
I also liked that Shiver gave me some insight into what snowboarder competitors go through. The training, the injuries, the falls are all so intense and cutthroat.
Personally, I believe snowboarding to be hard. Going down the mountain can be exhausting. Falling is hard and painful. My rotator cuff and my knee can attest to it.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
| | |
February 18, 2021
Ten years before Milla was close to joining the ranks of elite snowboarders and had hope of being selected for the British Olympic team. She saved up enough to quit work and spend an entire winter training for the British Open at the Le Rocher resort in the French alps. There she met a group of other top snowboarders and they quickly become friends training and socialising together. Milla was so determined to concentrate on training, that she ignored her attraction to one of the guys, Curtis on the grounds that she didn't want a serious relationship to interfere with her training and instead embarked on a casual relationship with Brent, one of Curtis' friends. Milla can't help being hyper-competitive and soon finds herself competing against Curtis' talented and beautiful sister Saskia, who likes to play games to mess with people if it gives her an advantage.
Now, ten years after that fateful winter, the group, minus Saskia have been invited back to Le Rocher for a reunion. The season hasn't started yet and they knew they would have the resort to themselves, but weren't expecting that there would be no staff and no one to operating the cable car after they arrived. Not long after they get there, strange events start to occur and they get the feeling that someone may be playing a dangerous game.
This is a very suspenseful mystery told in two time lines, asking what really happened ten years ago when the group were last together, and why have they been invited to a reunion after all this time. The isolated alpine location with the empty resort, freezing snowy conditions and loss of contact with the outside world makes for a very eerie atmosphere, especially once strange things start to happen. The story is narrated by Milla but there is also good insight into the dynamics of the group and what the others are thinking. Once a snowboarder herself, the author writes knowledgably about the sport and the intense rivalry at the elite level, combined with the stress of constantly striving to perform more difficult tricks. A riveting read and an excellent debut novel.
Now, ten years after that fateful winter, the group, minus Saskia have been invited back to Le Rocher for a reunion. The season hasn't started yet and they knew they would have the resort to themselves, but weren't expecting that there would be no staff and no one to operating the cable car after they arrived. Not long after they get there, strange events start to occur and they get the feeling that someone may be playing a dangerous game.
This is a very suspenseful mystery told in two time lines, asking what really happened ten years ago when the group were last together, and why have they been invited to a reunion after all this time. The isolated alpine location with the empty resort, freezing snowy conditions and loss of contact with the outside world makes for a very eerie atmosphere, especially once strange things start to happen. The story is narrated by Milla but there is also good insight into the dynamics of the group and what the others are thinking. Once a snowboarder herself, the author writes knowledgably about the sport and the intense rivalry at the elite level, combined with the stress of constantly striving to perform more difficult tricks. A riveting read and an excellent debut novel.
April 2, 2023
Did not finish it. The writing style was juvenile and it grates on my nerves.
October 16, 2023
4 stars
Milla and a group of former pro snowboarders accept an invitation to visit a resort ten years after they were last all together. Once they arrive, they realize they were all brought there under more sinister circumstances. They were all in the same friend group in the past, and one of them went missing. Stranded in the resort during a snowstorm, mysterious things begin happening and escape is not as easy as they expected.
I have to say, I was really impressed by this book as it’s a debut. It switches from the past to present perspectives and the present day one reminded me a lot of the book One by One by Ruth Ware, except I enjoyed this one a lot more. I thought this book had a great mystery with a fairly surprising ending. I know the author is an athlete but I did get kind of sick of all the parts about snowboarding. Like it was fine but a little too much and not as related to the overall plot in some parts. I really liked how as the reader we really didn’t know who to trust, nothing was ever suer obvious and I appreciated that about this book.
Milla and a group of former pro snowboarders accept an invitation to visit a resort ten years after they were last all together. Once they arrive, they realize they were all brought there under more sinister circumstances. They were all in the same friend group in the past, and one of them went missing. Stranded in the resort during a snowstorm, mysterious things begin happening and escape is not as easy as they expected.
I have to say, I was really impressed by this book as it’s a debut. It switches from the past to present perspectives and the present day one reminded me a lot of the book One by One by Ruth Ware, except I enjoyed this one a lot more. I thought this book had a great mystery with a fairly surprising ending. I know the author is an athlete but I did get kind of sick of all the parts about snowboarding. Like it was fine but a little too much and not as related to the overall plot in some parts. I really liked how as the reader we really didn’t know who to trust, nothing was ever suer obvious and I appreciated that about this book.
March 24, 2021
"Ik had bij dit boek echt een wow effect en wou continu verder gaan met lezen. Het verhaal greep me echt, ik wou zo graag weten wie er in het verblijf al die ‘vallen� had uitgezet voor de groep en hoe alles verklaard zou worden. Het einde heeft me niet teleurgesteld en dit is zeker een boek dat ik thrillerliefhebbers zou aanraden, zonder meer!"
April 4, 2021
Review also posted on the Blog:
A Locked Room Mystery at a Ski Chalet in the French Alps?
Does this sound like Déjà vu or is it just me? Baaawaaahh!
In “Shiver� five former friends reunite under suspicious circumstances. It’s been 10 years since Saskia disappeared and someone wants answers. Immediately upon arrival, things go awry. From cell phones being stolen to secrets being outed - tensions are high!
Soon things go from bad to worse when scary things start happening and it’s clear that no one is safe. The question is, who has it out for who? Is it one of the five friends who reunited for the weekend or is it someone else entirely? What’s clear is that no one (and I mean no one) can be trusted!
Told both in the past and present tense, this is one locked room mystery that’s not to be missed. Though I’m not a skier myself, I was gripped to this debut novel for dear life. I listened to the audiobook version of this and quite enjoyed it.
Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy.
Review posted on ŷ, Twitter and Instagram
A Locked Room Mystery at a Ski Chalet in the French Alps?
Does this sound like Déjà vu or is it just me? Baaawaaahh!
In “Shiver� five former friends reunite under suspicious circumstances. It’s been 10 years since Saskia disappeared and someone wants answers. Immediately upon arrival, things go awry. From cell phones being stolen to secrets being outed - tensions are high!
Soon things go from bad to worse when scary things start happening and it’s clear that no one is safe. The question is, who has it out for who? Is it one of the five friends who reunited for the weekend or is it someone else entirely? What’s clear is that no one (and I mean no one) can be trusted!
Told both in the past and present tense, this is one locked room mystery that’s not to be missed. Though I’m not a skier myself, I was gripped to this debut novel for dear life. I listened to the audiobook version of this and quite enjoyed it.
Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy.
Review posted on ŷ, Twitter and Instagram
April 2, 2025
“I’ve always wondered how the loss affected him. From his behavior earlier, there’s clearly a lot of emotion there, but does he miss her? Does it stab him in the heart every time he hears her name?
Shiver takes place amongst the beautiful landscape of the French Alps with snowcapped mountains and cutthroat competition. Milla, the narrator, has a compulsive urge to always want to win, this desire isolating her from others, as she stops at nothing to achieve her greatest, much sought after ambitions. While simultaneously never missing the brazen chance to flip the most daredevil of tricks on her snowboard, the adrenaline making her feel the most alive and free she’s ever felt.
“THE GAME CONTINUES.�
During her time competing, she meets Saskia, svelte, bold, feared, deeply manipulative, and fiercely cruel. Milla becomes her closest competitor, as the two remain neck and neck with each other in the rankings, daring each other to one up the other at every chance. And in the time that they know each other there are dangerously underhanded acts that occur, passion that turns violent, and trysts, cheating, and lying that emerge and shake up their world cataclysmically within their closest circles.
“I can’t tell if it’s ghosts that scare her or this particular ghost."
However, fast forward, as the narrative alternates between past and present, and Saskia has gone missing, presumed to be killed, and everyone who is believed to be in some way involved with her or her disappearance, including Milla, are summoned by, who they later learn must be someone who has it out for them, to convene back near the sight of where Saskia disappeared at a mountaintop lodge. They are falsely led to believe that they are being invited for a good-hearted reunion, but the longer they stay the more sinister the circumstances become as no one is left to trust anyone. It is almost as if they can horrifyingly detect Saskia’s former sharp, exotic vanilla scent and see her shock of white-blond hair disappear around corners.
“Even after our earlier intimacy, I’m no closer to understanding her.�
This novel was a touch glacial (pun intended!) in the beginning to get started, but once it got going the pace picked up and I became submerged in this wintry world and breathtaking twists and turns that felt comparable to skiing down moguls. One of the only things that prevented me from liking it more, including the pace at the beginning, was how unlikeable a majority of the characters became. They most all hurt/betrayed each other irreparably, talked with no empathy, love, or compassion in certain instances that I believe wholeheartedly required it, and tramped on each other’s feelings so unblinkingly that it unnerved, shocked, and disappointed me.
� “Kiss me, I whisper. Silence. “My head’s a mess.� “I know. So is mine.� I trace his mouth with a fingertip. “Kiss me anyway.� �
The very end also felt like the main character hadn’t learned really anything authentic or true about her messy experiences of pain and different forms of grief that she had lived and maybe her coming full-circle would’ve also felt false or too clean-cut, but some greater acknowledgement on her part would’ve been nice.
“Shadow spreads up the slope as a cloud drifts by, and the mountain bruises violet before my eyes. What exactly went on up there?�
Other than that this was a thrilling adventure that made me question how games and our competitive, self-preservation instincts can get the better of us, but in the end I hope they won’t always win out over our equally as valuable capacities for love, goodness, and grace.
Shiver takes place amongst the beautiful landscape of the French Alps with snowcapped mountains and cutthroat competition. Milla, the narrator, has a compulsive urge to always want to win, this desire isolating her from others, as she stops at nothing to achieve her greatest, much sought after ambitions. While simultaneously never missing the brazen chance to flip the most daredevil of tricks on her snowboard, the adrenaline making her feel the most alive and free she’s ever felt.
“THE GAME CONTINUES.�
During her time competing, she meets Saskia, svelte, bold, feared, deeply manipulative, and fiercely cruel. Milla becomes her closest competitor, as the two remain neck and neck with each other in the rankings, daring each other to one up the other at every chance. And in the time that they know each other there are dangerously underhanded acts that occur, passion that turns violent, and trysts, cheating, and lying that emerge and shake up their world cataclysmically within their closest circles.
“I can’t tell if it’s ghosts that scare her or this particular ghost."
However, fast forward, as the narrative alternates between past and present, and Saskia has gone missing, presumed to be killed, and everyone who is believed to be in some way involved with her or her disappearance, including Milla, are summoned by, who they later learn must be someone who has it out for them, to convene back near the sight of where Saskia disappeared at a mountaintop lodge. They are falsely led to believe that they are being invited for a good-hearted reunion, but the longer they stay the more sinister the circumstances become as no one is left to trust anyone. It is almost as if they can horrifyingly detect Saskia’s former sharp, exotic vanilla scent and see her shock of white-blond hair disappear around corners.
“Even after our earlier intimacy, I’m no closer to understanding her.�
This novel was a touch glacial (pun intended!) in the beginning to get started, but once it got going the pace picked up and I became submerged in this wintry world and breathtaking twists and turns that felt comparable to skiing down moguls. One of the only things that prevented me from liking it more, including the pace at the beginning, was how unlikeable a majority of the characters became. They most all hurt/betrayed each other irreparably, talked with no empathy, love, or compassion in certain instances that I believe wholeheartedly required it, and tramped on each other’s feelings so unblinkingly that it unnerved, shocked, and disappointed me.
� “Kiss me, I whisper. Silence. “My head’s a mess.� “I know. So is mine.� I trace his mouth with a fingertip. “Kiss me anyway.� �
The very end also felt like the main character hadn’t learned really anything authentic or true about her messy experiences of pain and different forms of grief that she had lived and maybe her coming full-circle would’ve also felt false or too clean-cut, but some greater acknowledgement on her part would’ve been nice.
“Shadow spreads up the slope as a cloud drifts by, and the mountain bruises violet before my eyes. What exactly went on up there?�
Other than that this was a thrilling adventure that made me question how games and our competitive, self-preservation instincts can get the better of us, but in the end I hope they won’t always win out over our equally as valuable capacities for love, goodness, and grace.
April 11, 2021
Good lord, i have to quit reading thrillers. Like a bad boyfriend you hope will change his ways and get better if only you stick with him long enough, he will continue to disappoint with his bad behavior. Thrillers are like that.
I feel like the folks giving this book a lot of stars must be snowboarders. Why all these stars?
This books is filled with self involved young snowboarders who are so competitive that nothing will get in their way as they snowboard in the French Alps in hopes of one day competing in the Olympics. Ten years ago one of the main characters in their group of ‘friends�, Skanki/Skakia whatever her name is) disappeared on the mountain and was never seen again. The remaining ‘friends� get together for a reunion. The book moves back and forth in time.
I couldn’t stand any of the characters. Skanki/Skakia is such a sociopath that it’s hard for me to understand why her brother Curtis and the main character, Milla even want to be around her.
Milla is the narrator of the story. She is an extremely competitive athlete who cares nothing about anyone or anything else, except for snowboarding. She too is a horrible person who will use and hurt anyone in order to advance herself in the competition. The author tries to portray her as a tough feminist who never needs help from anyone. But Milla has been pining away for ten years over Curtis, and her thoughts about this get rather boring and redundant. There is no inspiration or admiration for her drive to be the best. And yet Milla is supposed to be a character that the author believes we should care about.
i finished this book quickly just so i could be done with it.
P.S. I decided to change my rating from a two star to a one star only because i want to counter all of these highly praised reviews. I have no idea how this book could receive more than two stars at best. Are they friends of the author?
I feel like the folks giving this book a lot of stars must be snowboarders. Why all these stars?
This books is filled with self involved young snowboarders who are so competitive that nothing will get in their way as they snowboard in the French Alps in hopes of one day competing in the Olympics. Ten years ago one of the main characters in their group of ‘friends�, Skanki/Skakia whatever her name is) disappeared on the mountain and was never seen again. The remaining ‘friends� get together for a reunion. The book moves back and forth in time.
I couldn’t stand any of the characters. Skanki/Skakia is such a sociopath that it’s hard for me to understand why her brother Curtis and the main character, Milla even want to be around her.
Milla is the narrator of the story. She is an extremely competitive athlete who cares nothing about anyone or anything else, except for snowboarding. She too is a horrible person who will use and hurt anyone in order to advance herself in the competition. The author tries to portray her as a tough feminist who never needs help from anyone. But Milla has been pining away for ten years over Curtis, and her thoughts about this get rather boring and redundant. There is no inspiration or admiration for her drive to be the best. And yet Milla is supposed to be a character that the author believes we should care about.
i finished this book quickly just so i could be done with it.
P.S. I decided to change my rating from a two star to a one star only because i want to counter all of these highly praised reviews. I have no idea how this book could receive more than two stars at best. Are they friends of the author?
December 30, 2020
Oh my...Allie Reynolds, this is amazing! As soon as I read the synopsis for Shiver I knew that I had to read it. Thank you to the lovely Allie and Hachette Australia for sending me an ARC.
Full review to follow closer to release date in January - but I couldn't put it down. I even got up early on a Saturday morning to finish it - unheard for me!!
Shiver is a book that I was really excited to read and it did not disappoint. A story of 5 professional snowboarding friends who return to the scene of their friends disappearance 10 years early for a reunion.
Much has changed for these friends, who were all highly competitive and at the top of the game 10 years prior. When Saskia went missing and is ow presumed dead, they all had their reasons for wanting her gone. They are all still keeping secrets from each other about what really happened back then. Now they are back together at the isolated resort with nobody else around. Somebody wants the truth out, but will it cost them their lives?
I could not get enough of this book! I needed to know what was going to happen next and whose lies would be found out. The characters are not the most likeable at all - but for me this made the story all the juicier!
Cannot recommend this one more - you all need to grab it.
Full review to follow closer to release date in January - but I couldn't put it down. I even got up early on a Saturday morning to finish it - unheard for me!!
Shiver is a book that I was really excited to read and it did not disappoint. A story of 5 professional snowboarding friends who return to the scene of their friends disappearance 10 years early for a reunion.
Much has changed for these friends, who were all highly competitive and at the top of the game 10 years prior. When Saskia went missing and is ow presumed dead, they all had their reasons for wanting her gone. They are all still keeping secrets from each other about what really happened back then. Now they are back together at the isolated resort with nobody else around. Somebody wants the truth out, but will it cost them their lives?
I could not get enough of this book! I needed to know what was going to happen next and whose lies would be found out. The characters are not the most likeable at all - but for me this made the story all the juicier!
Cannot recommend this one more - you all need to grab it.
February 1, 2021
I've decided to be much pickier this year in my ratings, and my 5 star reviews will be very hard to come by. That being said, giving this book 5 shining stars was a total no-brainer for me. I'm a former collegiate athlete, and this book not only touched every imaginable aspect required for me in a fantastic thriller, but it also satiated my competitive juices that I've always had. I felt as though I were present amongst this group of former competitive athletes, and I felt right at home (until the scary stuff started, of course)! Not only could I relate with the characters for the most part, but I genuinely understood their motivations (past & present) and was rooting for them. My favorite and understandably most likeable character was Curtis, but I really enjoyed our main protagonist, Milla, as well. Saskia, on the other hand, drove me bonkers, and I was at the edge of my seat waiting to see what became of her. I truly believe that I discovered this richly atmospheric thriller at just the right time of the year (strategic marketing and publishing, anyone?), and on those freezing days I cuddled up in my comfy recliner by the fire, finding it almost impossible to put it down, but wanting to prolong my enjoyment and completing it. I really enjoyed the past to present alternating chapters, as it gave me a better understanding of the dynamics to the relationships. You could definitely feel the tension amongst this group of five in the initial scene, and this impeccably plotted tale slowly unraveled each relationship and what exactly went down at the top of that mountain ten years prior, and I was living for that reveal (which I was genuinely shocked by!)!!! I think the most enjoyable aspect of this novel for me was that it was only told from one perspective, which is incredibly rare these days, and it made this novel unique and undoubtedly it will stand out amongst all of my reads by the end of '21. If I had to compare this read to any other author's works, I'd have to say it was reminiscent (but perhaps more adult) to those fantastic Christopher Pike books I gobbled up as a teen, so the nostalgia factor did nothing but contribute and enhance my reading experience. This was definitely one of my two favorite reads of 2021 (out of the 13 i've read thus far), and I couldn't recommend this anymore to my fellow thriller/suspense/horror/mystery/drama fanatics! Sensational debut Allie Reynolds, you've got my attention now and I can't wait for your next release! Please keep up the great work!!
January 16, 2022
I enjoyed this chilling thriller! There’s something about a cat and mouse game especially in an isolated snowy setting that is so creepy and atmospheric. The parts where they talked about snowboarding kinda dragged for me and I ended up figuring out the plot twist but it didn’t take away from book.
Milla receives an invitation to attend a weekend getaway with her four friends to an isolated ski resort in the Swiss Alps. It’s been ten years since she’s seen her old friends however, she can’t help but remember the bond formed between them during their competitive snowboarding days.
It doesn’t take long after Milla and her friends arrive for them to realize that something’s fishy. The resort is deserted, the lifts stopped working, and they can’t find their phones. A game of icebreaker is the cause of major friction between the group as their most private secrets are revealed.
The whole orchestrated experience seemed to be designed to acknowledge Saskia, a frenemy of the group who disappeared the morning of an important competition years prior. She was never found and later presumed dead. Strange things begin happening around the resort. Messages appearing on mirrors, random power outages, and peculiar reminders of their deceased friend. They begin to question if she is actually alive.
With an impending snowstorm and no way to call for help Milla must decide who she can trust. Someone has gathered this group together for a reason and is intent on making it an unhappy reunion.
Milla receives an invitation to attend a weekend getaway with her four friends to an isolated ski resort in the Swiss Alps. It’s been ten years since she’s seen her old friends however, she can’t help but remember the bond formed between them during their competitive snowboarding days.
It doesn’t take long after Milla and her friends arrive for them to realize that something’s fishy. The resort is deserted, the lifts stopped working, and they can’t find their phones. A game of icebreaker is the cause of major friction between the group as their most private secrets are revealed.
The whole orchestrated experience seemed to be designed to acknowledge Saskia, a frenemy of the group who disappeared the morning of an important competition years prior. She was never found and later presumed dead. Strange things begin happening around the resort. Messages appearing on mirrors, random power outages, and peculiar reminders of their deceased friend. They begin to question if she is actually alive.
With an impending snowstorm and no way to call for help Milla must decide who she can trust. Someone has gathered this group together for a reason and is intent on making it an unhappy reunion.
December 1, 2021
4.5❄️
Fabulous winter thriller! Intense and gripping with some memorable characters and an amazing setting in the French Alps. I enjoyed learning many things about snowboarding. Highly recommend!
Fabulous winter thriller! Intense and gripping with some memorable characters and an amazing setting in the French Alps. I enjoyed learning many things about snowboarding. Highly recommend!
February 23, 2025
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Shiver by Allie Reynolds is one of the most intense thrillers I have read this year, and I am so glad I came across it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher � Headline, for approving me the ARC copy. Also thanks to the team at Tandem, for letting me join the readalong and chat with amazing people while reading the book.
Synopsis:
When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one person she can’t seem to let go.
The five friends haven’t seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns menacing, they realise they don’t know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth.
In a deserted lodge high up a mountain, the secrets of the past are about to come to light.
My Thoughts:
Shiver is set in two timelines; one in current day, and the other 10 years ago. The story is told from Milla’s point of view, but we get to read about all the other characters in great detail. As you dive into the book, you start to get a very good idea of what goes in people’s heads and what they are like.
I used to be a professional karate athlete for the Macedonian team for many years. This experience made me feel connected to Shiver in a much deeper level. The competitive spirit, the rivalries, the effort they put into everything they do � it all came back as a deja-vu to me. Even their fears of failing and their anger when injuries prevented them from competing.
The winter setting is so well written.
I could picture them on the snow so easily, imagine their jumps and their warm sports gear. The snowboarding setup for the competitions, the people watching, the ice rink, and the glaciers � it was so vividly written!
“There’s something about fresh snow that brings your inner child to the surface.�
The mystery was amazing as well, and it was also my favorite part of the book. To gather a group of people and be around them alone. All while knowing one of them is capable of doing horrible things is quite scary. And this feeling lingered throughout the whole book. I had many different theories of the ending and the reveal, and they kept changing as I was reading. In the end, I did manage to predict it, but it still caught me off guard when the reveal happened.
I also enjoyed the romantic element in Shiver as well. I didn’t expect a romantic part, but it was quite pleasurable to read about. It brought a nice balance between the many intense moments. And it wasn’t too much as well, which I also liked.
I loved Shiver and would never have guessed this was Allie’s debut novel. If you love winter, snowboarding, thrillers and people that are quite good in keeping secrets, you shouldn’t miss this one!
Shiver by Allie Reynolds is one of the most intense thrillers I have read this year, and I am so glad I came across it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher � Headline, for approving me the ARC copy. Also thanks to the team at Tandem, for letting me join the readalong and chat with amazing people while reading the book.
Synopsis:
When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one person she can’t seem to let go.
The five friends haven’t seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns menacing, they realise they don’t know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth.
In a deserted lodge high up a mountain, the secrets of the past are about to come to light.
My Thoughts:
Shiver is set in two timelines; one in current day, and the other 10 years ago. The story is told from Milla’s point of view, but we get to read about all the other characters in great detail. As you dive into the book, you start to get a very good idea of what goes in people’s heads and what they are like.
I used to be a professional karate athlete for the Macedonian team for many years. This experience made me feel connected to Shiver in a much deeper level. The competitive spirit, the rivalries, the effort they put into everything they do � it all came back as a deja-vu to me. Even their fears of failing and their anger when injuries prevented them from competing.
The winter setting is so well written.
I could picture them on the snow so easily, imagine their jumps and their warm sports gear. The snowboarding setup for the competitions, the people watching, the ice rink, and the glaciers � it was so vividly written!
“There’s something about fresh snow that brings your inner child to the surface.�
The mystery was amazing as well, and it was also my favorite part of the book. To gather a group of people and be around them alone. All while knowing one of them is capable of doing horrible things is quite scary. And this feeling lingered throughout the whole book. I had many different theories of the ending and the reveal, and they kept changing as I was reading. In the end, I did manage to predict it, but it still caught me off guard when the reveal happened.
I also enjoyed the romantic element in Shiver as well. I didn’t expect a romantic part, but it was quite pleasurable to read about. It brought a nice balance between the many intense moments. And it wasn’t too much as well, which I also liked.
I loved Shiver and would never have guessed this was Allie’s debut novel. If you love winter, snowboarding, thrillers and people that are quite good in keeping secrets, you shouldn’t miss this one!
August 31, 2021
3.5 stars
Location : The Glacier du Diable. Le Rocher in the French Alps; an anxious watcher; will it release the secret that may be contained within?
Milla is invited to a ten year reunion at the out of season and closed Panorama Building at the above location, there she meets Curtis, Brent, Heather and Dale. Five of the original gang of talented and ambitious snowboarders, one of whom will never walk again and one missing presumed dead. But, who sent the reunion invitation and begins to mess with their heads? ‘The game is on� and so is the heat and it becomes very dangerous sport. The story is told Then and Now. So we have us a locked up by a glacier mystery!
The first part of the book is a bit slow to get going but once it does the past narrative is good with oodles of tension between the group as their ambitions get the better of them, in addition the dynamics constantly shift which is really interesting. They really do ‘game play� which starts to get dangerous and ultra competitive. In the present day the old resentments and grudges quickly flair up again and suspicions grow between them which also chops and changes as they have no idea who is trustworthy and who is the one to fear. The claustrophobia of being trapped up the mountain is conveyed well too.
Whilst I do like the snowboarding element initially my interest begins to wane as there’s quite a lot of it, less is more methinks. None of the characters are particularly likeable so you don’t become invested in an outcome. Although most of the second half is really good and keeps my attention, the ending doesn’t blow my socks off as logically it kind of had to be ......
Overall, though this is certainly a debut of real promise as Allie Reynolds can write well though maybe just bear in mind not everyone will be quite so enthusiastic about snowboarding!!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Location : The Glacier du Diable. Le Rocher in the French Alps; an anxious watcher; will it release the secret that may be contained within?
Milla is invited to a ten year reunion at the out of season and closed Panorama Building at the above location, there she meets Curtis, Brent, Heather and Dale. Five of the original gang of talented and ambitious snowboarders, one of whom will never walk again and one missing presumed dead. But, who sent the reunion invitation and begins to mess with their heads? ‘The game is on� and so is the heat and it becomes very dangerous sport. The story is told Then and Now. So we have us a locked up by a glacier mystery!
The first part of the book is a bit slow to get going but once it does the past narrative is good with oodles of tension between the group as their ambitions get the better of them, in addition the dynamics constantly shift which is really interesting. They really do ‘game play� which starts to get dangerous and ultra competitive. In the present day the old resentments and grudges quickly flair up again and suspicions grow between them which also chops and changes as they have no idea who is trustworthy and who is the one to fear. The claustrophobia of being trapped up the mountain is conveyed well too.
Whilst I do like the snowboarding element initially my interest begins to wane as there’s quite a lot of it, less is more methinks. None of the characters are particularly likeable so you don’t become invested in an outcome. Although most of the second half is really good and keeps my attention, the ending doesn’t blow my socks off as logically it kind of had to be ......
Overall, though this is certainly a debut of real promise as Allie Reynolds can write well though maybe just bear in mind not everyone will be quite so enthusiastic about snowboarding!!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
July 29, 2023
Milla is heading back to the mountains for a sort-of reunion between her and her former snowboarding friends. They haven't seen each other in ten years because of a tragedy that ended many of their competition hopes for the future. Milla is obviously nervous to see everyone again: Curtis, Brent, Dale and Heather. The only one missing is Milla's rival and Curtis' sister, Saskia. They all left that mountain different people with very different secrets. As they reconnect, they realize that someone has brought them all together in hopes of finding the truth. How did Saskia die and who killed her? Can they trust each other? Can they share their deepest, darkest secrets that ruined their lives ten years ago?
Shiver is Allie Reynolds' debut novel and I think she did a good job at creating an interesting concept and establishing a good pace for a thriller. There are quite a few secrets/mysteries to solve, so readers feel like they are solving all the puzzles with Milla. I enjoyed the balance of the then and now stories. The narrative jumps between the current timeline and ten years ago. Each chapter works together to highlight a mystery or secret and show how the characters developed their friendships and rivalries. Like another reviewer, I think I liked the "then" storyline more. Not that the "now" was bad, but the "then" had so much of the character development and conflicts. The "now" sections were mostly reactionary to the problem of solving who is responsible for their current predicament, which was good and added to the overall thrill. I love a good, twisty mystery. I think this one had some good twists, but it was fairly easy to figure out who was the nefarious one. A few reviewers kept saying they didn't understand the friendships and how these people would even show up for a reunion. However, there is a plot-based reason for that: blackmail for some and hope for reconnection for others. It made sense to me once the last secrets were revealed. There was a lot going on with these characters in the past and present, so that could be why some reviewers aren't loving the book. Perhaps some suspension of disbelief is needed for the ending, but it wasn't so out of the realm of possibility.
Characters are everything in a novel. I like action and all that, but a well-drawn character makes a novel. I've noticed a trend of unreliable or unlikable characters in current novels. I still subscribe to the advice of Kurt Vonnegut: give the reader at least one character to root for. Luckily, Reynolds does this. Usually, I like it when this is the lead character, but Milla wasn't my favorite. She's a tough one to really connect to. She's an athlete who pushes herself to compete at the highest levels and is willing to do just about anything to win. She's pushed to go even further by her main rival, Saskia. Saskia is absolutely terrible! She's ultra competitive and narcissistic with a strong tendency towards hurting others to get her way. Nearly every character has a terrible run-in with her, even her brother. She uses and abuses her friends and her family - all in the name of winning. I suppose there are athletes out there who would cross lines to win, but I have seen more instances of supportive and kind teammates and competitors than I have seen people like Saskia. She's a good villain to hate. Milla has this love/hate relationship with her, which pushes Milla to become very much like Saskia - ultra competitive and selfish. Their monomania to win takes over their lives and prevents them from truly caring about anyone else. It's tough reading when the hero and villain are two sides of the same coin. If it hadn't been for Curtis, I'm not sure I would have liked this as much. He's a competitive snowboarder as well, but he supports his friends in their endeavors. He gives advice pretty freely and helps with training strategies. He knows his sister goes too far and tries to prevent damage, including trying to keep Milla from becoming Saskia. He's a pretty good guy and he's easy to root for.
While the ending becomes a bit over the top and I'm not sure that some of it was medically possible, it was still fun to whip through the ending. It was a fast read for me - just a few hours on a Sunday. One review said that it was written in a juvenile way, but I felt like it was just part of the character's personality to narrate the story that way. She's pretty straightforward and lacks flowery speech. She's direct so I thought the narration fit the character. If you are looking for an entertaining mystery/thriller, this one is pretty good. Hoping Reynolds hones her craft more as she publishes more books. She's got talent.
Shiver is Allie Reynolds' debut novel and I think she did a good job at creating an interesting concept and establishing a good pace for a thriller. There are quite a few secrets/mysteries to solve, so readers feel like they are solving all the puzzles with Milla. I enjoyed the balance of the then and now stories. The narrative jumps between the current timeline and ten years ago. Each chapter works together to highlight a mystery or secret and show how the characters developed their friendships and rivalries. Like another reviewer, I think I liked the "then" storyline more. Not that the "now" was bad, but the "then" had so much of the character development and conflicts. The "now" sections were mostly reactionary to the problem of solving who is responsible for their current predicament, which was good and added to the overall thrill. I love a good, twisty mystery. I think this one had some good twists, but it was fairly easy to figure out who was the nefarious one. A few reviewers kept saying they didn't understand the friendships and how these people would even show up for a reunion. However, there is a plot-based reason for that: blackmail for some and hope for reconnection for others. It made sense to me once the last secrets were revealed. There was a lot going on with these characters in the past and present, so that could be why some reviewers aren't loving the book. Perhaps some suspension of disbelief is needed for the ending, but it wasn't so out of the realm of possibility.
Characters are everything in a novel. I like action and all that, but a well-drawn character makes a novel. I've noticed a trend of unreliable or unlikable characters in current novels. I still subscribe to the advice of Kurt Vonnegut: give the reader at least one character to root for. Luckily, Reynolds does this. Usually, I like it when this is the lead character, but Milla wasn't my favorite. She's a tough one to really connect to. She's an athlete who pushes herself to compete at the highest levels and is willing to do just about anything to win. She's pushed to go even further by her main rival, Saskia. Saskia is absolutely terrible! She's ultra competitive and narcissistic with a strong tendency towards hurting others to get her way. Nearly every character has a terrible run-in with her, even her brother. She uses and abuses her friends and her family - all in the name of winning. I suppose there are athletes out there who would cross lines to win, but I have seen more instances of supportive and kind teammates and competitors than I have seen people like Saskia. She's a good villain to hate. Milla has this love/hate relationship with her, which pushes Milla to become very much like Saskia - ultra competitive and selfish. Their monomania to win takes over their lives and prevents them from truly caring about anyone else. It's tough reading when the hero and villain are two sides of the same coin. If it hadn't been for Curtis, I'm not sure I would have liked this as much. He's a competitive snowboarder as well, but he supports his friends in their endeavors. He gives advice pretty freely and helps with training strategies. He knows his sister goes too far and tries to prevent damage, including trying to keep Milla from becoming Saskia. He's a pretty good guy and he's easy to root for.
While the ending becomes a bit over the top and I'm not sure that some of it was medically possible, it was still fun to whip through the ending. It was a fast read for me - just a few hours on a Sunday. One review said that it was written in a juvenile way, but I felt like it was just part of the character's personality to narrate the story that way. She's pretty straightforward and lacks flowery speech. She's direct so I thought the narration fit the character. If you are looking for an entertaining mystery/thriller, this one is pretty good. Hoping Reynolds hones her craft more as she publishes more books. She's got talent.
March 24, 2021
Locked room mystery set in snowy mountains, what more could you want 😍
I’m obsessed with books set in snowy, remote settings so I could not resist this one and it definitely delivered a whole lot of snow. ❄️
Told in alternating timelines that weave in and out seamlessly, we learn about the events leading up to Saskia’s disappearance that everyone had something to prove and could be a suspect which was done so well.
There is a lot of snowboard talk, mostly in the past Timeline as it’s based around a snowboard competition, so as someone who has never even seen snow it was a bit lost on me.
A brilliant debut novel that’s easy to read and keeps you guessing. Perfect for those who want a ‘light� thriller. ☃️
Thank you Hachette Australia for my copy.
I’m obsessed with books set in snowy, remote settings so I could not resist this one and it definitely delivered a whole lot of snow. ❄️
Told in alternating timelines that weave in and out seamlessly, we learn about the events leading up to Saskia’s disappearance that everyone had something to prove and could be a suspect which was done so well.
There is a lot of snowboard talk, mostly in the past Timeline as it’s based around a snowboard competition, so as someone who has never even seen snow it was a bit lost on me.
A brilliant debut novel that’s easy to read and keeps you guessing. Perfect for those who want a ‘light� thriller. ☃️
Thank you Hachette Australia for my copy.
September 2, 2024
Review published in:
WOW! Just wow! My mind is still reeling this is a debut novel. Kudos Ms. Reynolds for such a spectacular debut!
When I read the synopsis of Shiver last year I knew this would be one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and it certainly delivered! The setting in an isolated lodge on a glacier in the French Alps was incredibly atmospheric and I could truly feel the cold while reading (I even checked my heating had not stopped working). It's the first time I read a book about snowboarding t the author managed to portray that competitive environment to perfection. She was a freestyle snowboarder herself and it shows that she knows what she's writing about. Even though there was quite some talk about snowboarding, tricks and competitions, of which I didn't understand half of it, that was no problem at all cause I was having so much fun.
The story is filled with tension from page one. The gripping short chapters ending most of them in a high with some revelation made it impossible to stop reading, being imperative to read another chapter before putting the book down.
The characters were not particularly likeable but that made it even better. Saskia is one of those characters you love to hate. Is she dead? Is she back after 10 years tormenting her old friends? Who can you trust? Answer: NO ONE!
The alternating timelines were very interesting to see how the characters had evolved in those 10 years. Their competitive nature and all the conflicts and changing alliances in the past line made it really engaging.
It was very well written and the plot was perfectly developed. It kept me guessing till the very end. Those last few chapters had me squealing and gasping! The romantic side plot added another layer of fun to the mix.
Last year Ruth Ware's "One by one" was my favorite book of the year. This year (I know it's only February) "Shiver" looks like a strong contender for the title, so that makes me wonder...Do I have an inner skier or snowboarder or whatever without my knowledge and I should move to a snowy setting? Nah, I would be terrified! But I love to read about it!
In two words: COMPULSIVELY READABLE!!
WOW! Just wow! My mind is still reeling this is a debut novel. Kudos Ms. Reynolds for such a spectacular debut!
When I read the synopsis of Shiver last year I knew this would be one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and it certainly delivered! The setting in an isolated lodge on a glacier in the French Alps was incredibly atmospheric and I could truly feel the cold while reading (I even checked my heating had not stopped working). It's the first time I read a book about snowboarding t the author managed to portray that competitive environment to perfection. She was a freestyle snowboarder herself and it shows that she knows what she's writing about. Even though there was quite some talk about snowboarding, tricks and competitions, of which I didn't understand half of it, that was no problem at all cause I was having so much fun.
The story is filled with tension from page one. The gripping short chapters ending most of them in a high with some revelation made it impossible to stop reading, being imperative to read another chapter before putting the book down.
The characters were not particularly likeable but that made it even better. Saskia is one of those characters you love to hate. Is she dead? Is she back after 10 years tormenting her old friends? Who can you trust? Answer: NO ONE!
The alternating timelines were very interesting to see how the characters had evolved in those 10 years. Their competitive nature and all the conflicts and changing alliances in the past line made it really engaging.
It was very well written and the plot was perfectly developed. It kept me guessing till the very end. Those last few chapters had me squealing and gasping! The romantic side plot added another layer of fun to the mix.
Last year Ruth Ware's "One by one" was my favorite book of the year. This year (I know it's only February) "Shiver" looks like a strong contender for the title, so that makes me wonder...Do I have an inner skier or snowboarder or whatever without my knowledge and I should move to a snowy setting? Nah, I would be terrified! But I love to read about it!
In two words: COMPULSIVELY READABLE!!
June 23, 2021
Watch out for the crevasse!
Get ready for a stellar locked room debut thriller! All characters are suspects and no one is safe at this reunion weekend in the French Alps. Ten years after her peak as a leading snowboarder, Milla is reunited with her friends and competitors. They have not seen each other since Saskia disappeared all those years ago. When an icebreaker game goes awry, they realize that someone sinister may have invited them to the lodge. Who is the real host? What secrets are the guests keeping? What happened to Saskia?
I absolutely shivered as I listened to this audiobook! The reader is fantastic and the pacing is perfect. The story alternates between ten years ago and the present, slowly unraveling the mystery in dueling timelines. The frigid setting adds to the impending doom and sense of isolation. I also really liked Milla’s character because she was not an overbearing amateur sleuth. While I also enjoyed learning more about snowboarding, I do feel like at times it was very heavy on the details.
The ending was well crafted and believable. I was able to piece some of the puzzle together, but did not guess everything! Overall, this book was a great surprise and I highly recommend the audiobook.
4/5 stars
Get ready for a stellar locked room debut thriller! All characters are suspects and no one is safe at this reunion weekend in the French Alps. Ten years after her peak as a leading snowboarder, Milla is reunited with her friends and competitors. They have not seen each other since Saskia disappeared all those years ago. When an icebreaker game goes awry, they realize that someone sinister may have invited them to the lodge. Who is the real host? What secrets are the guests keeping? What happened to Saskia?
I absolutely shivered as I listened to this audiobook! The reader is fantastic and the pacing is perfect. The story alternates between ten years ago and the present, slowly unraveling the mystery in dueling timelines. The frigid setting adds to the impending doom and sense of isolation. I also really liked Milla’s character because she was not an overbearing amateur sleuth. While I also enjoyed learning more about snowboarding, I do feel like at times it was very heavy on the details.
The ending was well crafted and believable. I was able to piece some of the puzzle together, but did not guess everything! Overall, this book was a great surprise and I highly recommend the audiobook.
4/5 stars
March 5, 2021
In 'Shiver', five snowboarder friends are reunited after a decade at the very place where Saskia disappeared. Milla is eager to meet the one who got away, Curtis (Saskia's brother) and to a lesser extent, her former (brief) flame Brent and now-married Heather and Dale. However, the reunion turns out to be a revenge extravaganza.
This book gave me the shivers, not because it was thrilling but because it was exceptionally atrocious. Where do I begin?
- The dual timelines failed to flesh out the characters and tease the reader with more details. They merely highlighted the uneventfulness and repetitiveness.
- The characters were one-dimensional and moronic. There was too much telling. Milla was always eyeing Curtis and Brent (past) / Curtis (present). She was super competitive yet didn't strive to be the first one out of that deserted place. Curtis was Mr. I Am In Charge & Don't Question My Authority. Brent was Mr. Always There For Milla / Mr. Always Drunk (ten years later). Heather was clueless and helpless. Dale was� just there. Saskia was dreadful.
- Summary of the past: Oodles of making out, sleeping with each other and giving 'judging you' looks. Milla was suspicious of Saskia and Curtis. She was torn between two men, feelin' like a fool.
- Summary of the present: They suspected one another, talked about pointless stuff and went in and out without doing anything productive despite being stranded. Milla was suspicious of everyone and banged on mentally about something terrible she had done. Notes and messages appeared here and there, their phones and other items were taken, the lights went off randomly. Ooh, scary!
- There was an avalanche of snowboarding and absurd sentences as follows.
Athletes are physical people. We have all this energy and sometimes there's some left at the end of the day. So it doesn't surprise me that the boys did that. And I like how they did it. There was nothing leery or threatening about it; they simply put out the offer for me to take or leave.
Key takeaway: They propositioned her because they had energy.
His fiery energy is a pain in the kitchen, but I'm pretty sure it would be explosive in the bedroom.
Key takeaway: Milla, stop thinking your stupid thoughts already.
"What about now?" he says. "Can you mix me with your life now?"
I swallow. "I hope so. Can you mix me?"
Key takeaway: They don't know how to talk.
- The number of times certain characters were about to say something presumably important only to get interrupted was astounding.
- By the time something remotely interesting happened, the book was almost over.
- The denouement was peppered with sudden, contrived and senseless confessions that required suspension of disbelief and grey cells.
- The perpetrator's plan was dumb.
- When the truth was out in the open, the perpetrator didn't exact revenge immediately. Instead,
- The ending was predictable and yet another revelation was squeezed in.
Overall, 'Shiver' sent shivers down my spine throughout due to the badly executed plot, flat characters and monotonous content.
This book gave me the shivers, not because it was thrilling but because it was exceptionally atrocious. Where do I begin?
- The dual timelines failed to flesh out the characters and tease the reader with more details. They merely highlighted the uneventfulness and repetitiveness.
- The characters were one-dimensional and moronic. There was too much telling. Milla was always eyeing Curtis and Brent (past) / Curtis (present). She was super competitive yet didn't strive to be the first one out of that deserted place. Curtis was Mr. I Am In Charge & Don't Question My Authority. Brent was Mr. Always There For Milla / Mr. Always Drunk (ten years later). Heather was clueless and helpless. Dale was� just there. Saskia was dreadful.
- Summary of the past: Oodles of making out, sleeping with each other and giving 'judging you' looks. Milla was suspicious of Saskia and Curtis. She was torn between two men, feelin' like a fool.
- Summary of the present: They suspected one another, talked about pointless stuff and went in and out without doing anything productive despite being stranded. Milla was suspicious of everyone and banged on mentally about something terrible she had done. Notes and messages appeared here and there, their phones and other items were taken, the lights went off randomly. Ooh, scary!
- There was an avalanche of snowboarding and absurd sentences as follows.
Athletes are physical people. We have all this energy and sometimes there's some left at the end of the day. So it doesn't surprise me that the boys did that. And I like how they did it. There was nothing leery or threatening about it; they simply put out the offer for me to take or leave.
Key takeaway: They propositioned her because they had energy.
His fiery energy is a pain in the kitchen, but I'm pretty sure it would be explosive in the bedroom.
Key takeaway: Milla, stop thinking your stupid thoughts already.
"What about now?" he says. "Can you mix me with your life now?"
I swallow. "I hope so. Can you mix me?"
Key takeaway: They don't know how to talk.
- The number of times certain characters were about to say something presumably important only to get interrupted was astounding.
- By the time something remotely interesting happened, the book was almost over.
- The denouement was peppered with sudden, contrived and senseless confessions that required suspension of disbelief and grey cells.
- The perpetrator's plan was dumb.
- When the truth was out in the open, the perpetrator didn't exact revenge immediately. Instead,
- The ending was predictable and yet another revelation was squeezed in.
Overall, 'Shiver' sent shivers down my spine throughout due to the badly executed plot, flat characters and monotonous content.
March 17, 2021
This is a great book for those who love snowboarding! Unfortunately all of my snowboarding experience comes from a few video games 😁
Milla receives an email invite to a reunion at her old ski training facility in the French Alps. Five friends meeting up 10 years after one of them went missing. Once there, Milla realizes something is terribly wrong. First, no one knows who really invited them. Second, the facility has no staff. Third, not one person at the reunion has a cell phone on them.
The story moves between current day and reflections from ten years ago- when Saskia went missing. Saskia was Millas biggest competition in snowboarding. She is also an evil and cruel person with little to no friends.
This book was a solid 3.5 stars until the 4 star ending. This book goes perfectly with a snowstorm, roaring fire and a warm beverage!
Milla receives an email invite to a reunion at her old ski training facility in the French Alps. Five friends meeting up 10 years after one of them went missing. Once there, Milla realizes something is terribly wrong. First, no one knows who really invited them. Second, the facility has no staff. Third, not one person at the reunion has a cell phone on them.
The story moves between current day and reflections from ten years ago- when Saskia went missing. Saskia was Millas biggest competition in snowboarding. She is also an evil and cruel person with little to no friends.
This book was a solid 3.5 stars until the 4 star ending. This book goes perfectly with a snowstorm, roaring fire and a warm beverage!
December 30, 2024
My last review of 2024!
Five snowboarding friends decide to accept an invite for a 10-year reunion. It was a decade ago that they lost the sixth member of their group, a beautiful blonde named Saskia.
On the morning of a highly competitive comp, Saskia never showed up. It was presumed that she fell down a crevasse, for she was never seen again.
As the group gathers at a famous ski resort, they realize that something is off. The whole place is deserted. No staff are in sight, the food is limited, and the power keeps turning on and off. On top of that, a snowstorm has trapped them inside.
When the group figures out that their invitations are a dupe, they begin to wonder what the motive is.
They quickly discover that someone wants to find out what happened to Saskia that cold winter day and will stop at nothing to make sure the truth comes out.
-----�---------------------------------------------------------------
This is the author 's debut novel and what a banger it is! Loved it! 💙❄️❄️
Five snowboarding friends decide to accept an invite for a 10-year reunion. It was a decade ago that they lost the sixth member of their group, a beautiful blonde named Saskia.
On the morning of a highly competitive comp, Saskia never showed up. It was presumed that she fell down a crevasse, for she was never seen again.
As the group gathers at a famous ski resort, they realize that something is off. The whole place is deserted. No staff are in sight, the food is limited, and the power keeps turning on and off. On top of that, a snowstorm has trapped them inside.
When the group figures out that their invitations are a dupe, they begin to wonder what the motive is.
They quickly discover that someone wants to find out what happened to Saskia that cold winter day and will stop at nothing to make sure the truth comes out.
-----�---------------------------------------------------------------
This is the author 's debut novel and what a banger it is! Loved it! 💙❄️❄️
July 13, 2022
This debut thriller made me shiver in more ways than one. I really needed some hot tea while reading this one. Five people return to a resort just below a glacier just ten years after their band of snowboarders was splintered. There once were seven, but one disappeared (presumed dead in a crevasse) and one had a crippling fall at their last competition. The resort is strangely deserted, not even any staff in sight. When the ice breaker game is rigged and their phones disappear, they all begin to suspect each other. Or is there someone else up there pulling the strings? Could Saskia still be alive? Filled with peril on the slopes and a boatload of red herrings. If you like the locked room type of mystery and the style of Ruth Ware (this one reminded me of One By One), this one is for you.
If you loved this one, you need to check out the second book from this author: .
If you loved this one, you need to check out the second book from this author: .
March 14, 2021
(4.5 rounded up!) This “locked room mystery� was 1 of the best I’ve read.. I enjoyed both- the “now� chapters & the alternating ones from 10 years ago. Just a fun, quick read that kept me guessing all the way through! Audio was really good too!
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