Reading Between the Pages: Frostbite by David Wellington

by: RFR Casket Crew Denise


Greeting Deadites,

It’s that time for the next installment of Reading Between the Pages.

“Wolves,” she said. “They nearly got me. One kinda did. There was this pack of wolves. They followed me.”

“Wolves?” he asked. “You were attacked by wolves??” He sounded as if he was asking if she’d seen any interesting wild flowers on the way to his camp.

“Yeah. A whole pack of them,” she said. “And this big one…”

“No worries there,” he told her. “A wolf will never attack a human being, even out here where they’ve never seen a human before. It just doesn’t happen. You just don’t look like their food. Most likely they were just curious or they were trying to play with you. That’s all.”

Her leg was proof of the opposite, she thought. But then again it hadn’t been a normal wolf that had gotten her.

When as strange wolf’s teeth slash Cheyenne’s ankle to the bone, her old life ends, and she becomes the very monster that has haunted her nightmares for years. When she was young, Cheyenne and her father went camping at Jasper National Park. After a week and with over a 1,000 miles from home, a wolf attached their vehicle. Chey watched the wolf kill her father and drag his body into the woods. That night changed her life forever. Years later, she goes to spend the summer with her Uncle Bannerman. He is a military man and takes Cheyenne into the wilderness to “straighten her out.” After two weeks, he puts her on a plane back to her mother when he discovers a wolf tattoo. Eventually she leaves her mother’s house and becomes a bartender. While tending bar, she meets Bobby who works for the Canadian Government. He gives her the chance to confront and kill her demon. At least she thought that was the plan.

Frostbite is a werewolf tale with a different twist. There aren’t any victims. All the character are strong and deal with their circumstances in different and unique ways. Sometimes with a humorous flare.

Chey woke up stiff and naked with Powell also naked drapped across her legs. His pennis was flopping across his thigh.

“Gaw,” she let out in disgust. She thought she might throw up. When he had put his hand on her shoulder that was one thing, but this. She could not let herself get close to him. Not like that.

“Jesus,” she said her whole body shivering from the cold. She slid out from under him and dashed behind a tree. When she looked again, his green eyes were open and starring at her. But he lay as still as a dead man on the forest floor.

“This is not cool,” she said. “This is definitely not cool.”

He didn’t cover himself up. He didn’t even look down at himself. “Don’t be so agitated,” he told her. “You’ve never seen a man’s thing before?”

“A man’s thing? What are you…twelve-years-old?” She turned away and covered her face. When she looked again, he hadn’t moved. “Put that thing away, please. Now!”

He waited a moment longer and then smiled with a certain degree of self satisfaction. She didn’t like it at all. Eventually he sat up and moved his leg so he wasn’t entirely naked.

Beside humor, this tale has its tragic moments but through all the twists and betrayals, it’s also stocked full of suspense and action.

It took a while for me to warm up to David Wellington’s Frostbite. The introduction and first few chapters were a little confusing because it wasn’t clear to me what was happening. Instead of throwing the book down, which I normally would do, I kept reading. And boy am I glad I did. This has got to be one of my favorite werewolf stories.

Next time I’ll be delivering on my super secret surprise. Be sure to come back for the big reveal.

Until then, Sit Back, Relax and Rot Away.