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Freeze Frame
No matter how many times Kyle rewrites the scene, he can't get it right. He tries it in the style of Hitchcock, Tarantino, Eastwood, all of his favorite directors—but regardless of the style, he can't remember what happened that day in the shed. The day Jason died. And until he can, there is one question that keeps haunting Kyle: Did he kill his best friend on purpose?
Debut novelist Heidi Ayarbe delves into the depths of the human psyche as Kyle wrestles with inner demons that make him wonder whether the world will ever be okay again—or if the best thing to do is find a way to join Jason.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2008
23 people are currently reading
1090 people want to read
About the author
Heidi Ayarbe
13 books96 followersI spent 23 years growing up and living in Nevada then have spent the last almost-17 living and traveling around the world with my Colombian husband. I've gone down Class IV Rapids (called THE FROG BLENDER) on my butt in Nepal, been thrown down by gusts of wind hiking in Torres del Paine, gone gator looking in the Amazon, and have climbed up a Mayan pyramid at midnight during a full moon. None of that compares to the joy, drama, and fatigue of motherhood.
Much of my time is spent thinking: What if? And then I spend the rest of my time with BIC (butt-in-chair) inspiration.
I have settled in Colombia, South America with my husband and two daughters. When I'm not thinking "what if", I spend my time wiping pureed food substances off my clothes and wondering, "What's that smell?"
Much of my time is spent thinking: What if? And then I spend the rest of my time with BIC (butt-in-chair) inspiration.
I have settled in Colombia, South America with my husband and two daughters. When I'm not thinking "what if", I spend my time wiping pureed food substances off my clothes and wondering, "What's that smell?"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
August 30, 2019
Rating: 3.5
15-year-old Kyle Carroll’s best friend since kindergarten, Jason Bishop, sleeps over at the Carroll house one Friday in early October, the evening before the big homecoming American football game at the high school. On Saturday morning, as the friends wait for breakfast, they walk out into the backyard. Still in their pyjamas on this chilly autumn morning, they end up in Kyle’s father’s shed. Within minutes, at 9:16 am, Jason is shot with a gun that Mr. Carroll forgot he even had. At 10:46 a.m., Jason, now at the local hospital, is declared dead, and since all signs point to Kyle’s being the shooter, he is taken into custody.
Within days, the juvenile court judge remands Kyle to three years’ probation under the strict supervision of his parole officer. He is also to receive ongoing psychological evaluation by the state-appointed psychiatrist. Although Kyle still doesn’t know what happened in the backyard shed, he finds the sentence inappropriately lenient and says so: “‘It didn’t make sense. It was an open-and-shut case. I killed him. I confessed. And they send me home because it was an ‘unfortunate incident’?”
The central problem in Ayarbe’s young adult novel is that Kyle can recall nothing about those moments preceding his friend’s demise. He has sessions with a psychiatrist and says little. With his utterly flat affect and atypical behaviour, Kyle appears to be in some sort of dissociative state. Wondering what’s wrong with this boy, the reader presses on to find an answer which the author seems reluctant to provide. Knowing of Kyle’s interest in film, his psychiatrist recommends that he write a screenplay of the scene to try to access the memories his mind is hiding from him. Later, a school librarian provides him with a place of refuge, encouragement, and understanding.
Using first-person narration and relying heavily on flashbacks, Ayarbe slowly—too slowly—reveals the story of the boys’ friendship, which had apparently been fraying in recent months. Prior to high school, Jason, like Kyle, had been something of a loner. At the start of tenth grade, however, he’d “ditched” Kyle, who was perhaps becoming a social liability. While Kyle ate alone in the cafeteria, Jason went off campus for lunch with a new gang of popular, athletic boys. After his friend’s death, Kyle replays memory after memory of their decade-long friendship. He also converses with his dead friend, visits his grave, and watches out for Jason’s precocious eight-year-old brother, Chase, a victim of bullying.
Kyle is a movie buff who had hoped to pursue a career in film. The book makes mention of numerous directors and movies, not all of them familiar or meaningful to me. It’s hard to imagine a younger reader finding much value in these references either. However, Ayarbe does use the language of filmmaking effectively to communicate Kyle’s mental processes. He “fast forwards”; wishes he could “edit”; speaks of “scenes”, “takes”, “cuts”, and “rewinding”, and he also thinks about the “freeze frame” in his life—the vivid, motionless scene when action and time were suspended and his friend lay dying in front of him. Kyle realizes that if he were a director, he could change everything, but the movie that plays in his head cannot change, and nothing is under his control.
Initially, Kyle is not a particularly likeable character, and I questioned whether his amnesia was enough of a premise on which to build a novel. I soldiered on, however, and this time it paid off. I discovered what had occurred in the shed that Saturday morning in autumn, and I warmed to Kyle in the process.
Freeze Frame is not a perfect book. First of all, there are a few too many flashbacks to scenes of childhood. Second, the screenplays written in the style of a number of different directors—Tarantino, Lynch, and Hitchcock, to name a few—become tiresome after a while. And, finally, there are plot developments that I found a little hard to credit. Even so, there is still lots to appreciate in this novel. Ayarbe is an ambitious writer. The story she presents and the issues it raises are hardly run-of-the-mill young adult fare. I laud her for that.
15-year-old Kyle Carroll’s best friend since kindergarten, Jason Bishop, sleeps over at the Carroll house one Friday in early October, the evening before the big homecoming American football game at the high school. On Saturday morning, as the friends wait for breakfast, they walk out into the backyard. Still in their pyjamas on this chilly autumn morning, they end up in Kyle’s father’s shed. Within minutes, at 9:16 am, Jason is shot with a gun that Mr. Carroll forgot he even had. At 10:46 a.m., Jason, now at the local hospital, is declared dead, and since all signs point to Kyle’s being the shooter, he is taken into custody.
Within days, the juvenile court judge remands Kyle to three years’ probation under the strict supervision of his parole officer. He is also to receive ongoing psychological evaluation by the state-appointed psychiatrist. Although Kyle still doesn’t know what happened in the backyard shed, he finds the sentence inappropriately lenient and says so: “‘It didn’t make sense. It was an open-and-shut case. I killed him. I confessed. And they send me home because it was an ‘unfortunate incident’?”
The central problem in Ayarbe’s young adult novel is that Kyle can recall nothing about those moments preceding his friend’s demise. He has sessions with a psychiatrist and says little. With his utterly flat affect and atypical behaviour, Kyle appears to be in some sort of dissociative state. Wondering what’s wrong with this boy, the reader presses on to find an answer which the author seems reluctant to provide. Knowing of Kyle’s interest in film, his psychiatrist recommends that he write a screenplay of the scene to try to access the memories his mind is hiding from him. Later, a school librarian provides him with a place of refuge, encouragement, and understanding.
Using first-person narration and relying heavily on flashbacks, Ayarbe slowly—too slowly—reveals the story of the boys’ friendship, which had apparently been fraying in recent months. Prior to high school, Jason, like Kyle, had been something of a loner. At the start of tenth grade, however, he’d “ditched” Kyle, who was perhaps becoming a social liability. While Kyle ate alone in the cafeteria, Jason went off campus for lunch with a new gang of popular, athletic boys. After his friend’s death, Kyle replays memory after memory of their decade-long friendship. He also converses with his dead friend, visits his grave, and watches out for Jason’s precocious eight-year-old brother, Chase, a victim of bullying.
Kyle is a movie buff who had hoped to pursue a career in film. The book makes mention of numerous directors and movies, not all of them familiar or meaningful to me. It’s hard to imagine a younger reader finding much value in these references either. However, Ayarbe does use the language of filmmaking effectively to communicate Kyle’s mental processes. He “fast forwards”; wishes he could “edit”; speaks of “scenes”, “takes”, “cuts”, and “rewinding”, and he also thinks about the “freeze frame” in his life—the vivid, motionless scene when action and time were suspended and his friend lay dying in front of him. Kyle realizes that if he were a director, he could change everything, but the movie that plays in his head cannot change, and nothing is under his control.
Initially, Kyle is not a particularly likeable character, and I questioned whether his amnesia was enough of a premise on which to build a novel. I soldiered on, however, and this time it paid off. I discovered what had occurred in the shed that Saturday morning in autumn, and I warmed to Kyle in the process.
Freeze Frame is not a perfect book. First of all, there are a few too many flashbacks to scenes of childhood. Second, the screenplays written in the style of a number of different directors—Tarantino, Lynch, and Hitchcock, to name a few—become tiresome after a while. And, finally, there are plot developments that I found a little hard to credit. Even so, there is still lots to appreciate in this novel. Ayarbe is an ambitious writer. The story she presents and the issues it raises are hardly run-of-the-mill young adult fare. I laud her for that.
May 10, 2017
This book joins my very short list of "Best Books I've Ever Read But Will Never Ever Re-Read Because They Ripped My Heart Out." But unlike the other books on that list, the heartache wasn't waiting at the end; it was present from almost the first page. I've never cried my way through a book before. And yet I want to buy a copy for everyone I know and make them read it too.
February 7, 2009
It is never easy to lose someone who is close to you.
Imagine what it would be like to see your best friend day. You were just hanging out together, and you come across a gun in the shed. The two of you are looking at it, and it goes off. Now, your friend is dead ... and everyone blames you.
This is exactly what happens to Kyle, when his best friend Jason dies. Everyone seems to want to know what happened in the she. The problem is that Kyle can't quite seem to remember. It's like his memory get stuck right at the moment the gun went off.
He is placed on probation and ends up in counseling, where he is convinced to try journaling in order to try and recover what happened. The hope is to allow him to remember so he can confront the demons that are haunting him. He takes on the task, but instead of journaling, he tries writing what happened in the form of movie script scenes in the style of his favorite directors. He is actually a major movie buff so it comes easily. Unfortunately, he can't seem to bring about the end of the scene no matter what style of presentation it takes.
As all of this is going on, Kyle ends up becoming closer to Jason's younger brother, who is facing bullies at school. Kyle decides to look after the little guy, but this turns out to not be as easy as you would think because Jason's parents want nothing to do with Kyle because they blame him for Jason's death.
Kyle also finds a friend in the school librarian. Most people see the guy as a scary man with a mysterious, mob-related past. Kyle gets a chance to see a different side of Mr. Cordoba.
I was quickly drawn into this one. Kyle's voice is so strong. It is easy to feel all of his emotions with him as he tries to confront the past. Most of the characters in the book are richly drawn, giving the reader a glimpse at their complex views as they all struggle to deal with the tragedy that has taken place.
Time is a major underlying theme throughout the whole book. Confronting and settling your debts to the past so you can move on and be ready for the future.
My only complaint is that for a while, the book becomes bogged down in the scenes written by Kyle, particularly as he starts to look back on his friendship with Jason before the shooting. It is worth sticking through it to reach the conclusion. I would dare anyone to read it without tears coming to their eyes.
Imagine what it would be like to see your best friend day. You were just hanging out together, and you come across a gun in the shed. The two of you are looking at it, and it goes off. Now, your friend is dead ... and everyone blames you.
This is exactly what happens to Kyle, when his best friend Jason dies. Everyone seems to want to know what happened in the she. The problem is that Kyle can't quite seem to remember. It's like his memory get stuck right at the moment the gun went off.
He is placed on probation and ends up in counseling, where he is convinced to try journaling in order to try and recover what happened. The hope is to allow him to remember so he can confront the demons that are haunting him. He takes on the task, but instead of journaling, he tries writing what happened in the form of movie script scenes in the style of his favorite directors. He is actually a major movie buff so it comes easily. Unfortunately, he can't seem to bring about the end of the scene no matter what style of presentation it takes.
As all of this is going on, Kyle ends up becoming closer to Jason's younger brother, who is facing bullies at school. Kyle decides to look after the little guy, but this turns out to not be as easy as you would think because Jason's parents want nothing to do with Kyle because they blame him for Jason's death.
Kyle also finds a friend in the school librarian. Most people see the guy as a scary man with a mysterious, mob-related past. Kyle gets a chance to see a different side of Mr. Cordoba.
I was quickly drawn into this one. Kyle's voice is so strong. It is easy to feel all of his emotions with him as he tries to confront the past. Most of the characters in the book are richly drawn, giving the reader a glimpse at their complex views as they all struggle to deal with the tragedy that has taken place.
Time is a major underlying theme throughout the whole book. Confronting and settling your debts to the past so you can move on and be ready for the future.
My only complaint is that for a while, the book becomes bogged down in the scenes written by Kyle, particularly as he starts to look back on his friendship with Jason before the shooting. It is worth sticking through it to reach the conclusion. I would dare anyone to read it without tears coming to their eyes.
July 7, 2012
This is one of the saddest books I have ever read. I cried for the majority of the book.
Freeze Frame is about a boy named Kyle who shot his best friend and killed him. Kyle is not put into jail but is put on probation until he is 18. Throughout the beginning of the story we see Kyle falling to pieces. He has killed his best friend and he doesn't know if it was an accident or not.
Kyle is in a dark place. He gets into fights and has pent up rage. The only way he can work past his anger is by reading. He reads whatever his librarian, "Scarface," picks out for him. While Kyle is reading his life is changing. It is changing for the better.
This story is heartbreaking and, yes, I did cry for the majority of it, but it still was a great book. It teaches you that life is short and accidents happen that can alter everything that you once knew. Also, living in the past can destroy your future.
Freeze Frame is about a boy named Kyle who shot his best friend and killed him. Kyle is not put into jail but is put on probation until he is 18. Throughout the beginning of the story we see Kyle falling to pieces. He has killed his best friend and he doesn't know if it was an accident or not.
Kyle is in a dark place. He gets into fights and has pent up rage. The only way he can work past his anger is by reading. He reads whatever his librarian, "Scarface," picks out for him. While Kyle is reading his life is changing. It is changing for the better.
This story is heartbreaking and, yes, I did cry for the majority of it, but it still was a great book. It teaches you that life is short and accidents happen that can alter everything that you once knew. Also, living in the past can destroy your future.
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February 27, 2009Loved the presentation of narrative: after a shot is fired, the protagonist can't remember who pulled the trigger, so the scene is replayed 14 different time in the style of various filmmakers as he works it out. Original and gripping.
March 9, 2009
Kyle can't remember what happened in the moments before his best friend Jason died. He tries to write the scene many different ways in the styles of his favorite film directors, but nothing fills in that blank in his memory. Did he mean to kill his friend? What happened in those few seconds? And why can't he remember?
Ayarbe's first novel is a dark nest of tension, doubt and fear. Her ingenious use of film and novels as a language to psychology will make the book very accessible to teens who enjoy movies. Kyle is a fascinating protagonist who feels such guilt for what happened, no matter his own personal role in it. His family's reaction as well as the reaction of Jason's family is so well done and gut wrenching that it could be a novel of its own. Beautifully, taut writing with great characters. No one could wish for more.
I just have to mention the inclusion of a vivid school librarian who is a large part of Kyle's recovery. What a joy to have the librarian be not only a character but an intriguing and strong one.
Highly recommended for teens who enjoy a good psychological mystery. Even better if they enjoy films too. Appropriate for ages 13-16.
Ayarbe's first novel is a dark nest of tension, doubt and fear. Her ingenious use of film and novels as a language to psychology will make the book very accessible to teens who enjoy movies. Kyle is a fascinating protagonist who feels such guilt for what happened, no matter his own personal role in it. His family's reaction as well as the reaction of Jason's family is so well done and gut wrenching that it could be a novel of its own. Beautifully, taut writing with great characters. No one could wish for more.
I just have to mention the inclusion of a vivid school librarian who is a large part of Kyle's recovery. What a joy to have the librarian be not only a character but an intriguing and strong one.
Highly recommended for teens who enjoy a good psychological mystery. Even better if they enjoy films too. Appropriate for ages 13-16.
February 24, 2017
Have you ever done something that you forgot about or only remember small details from? Things like a past birthday, who you got something from, or a vacation. Maybe even... killing someone? Now I’m not saying you’re a murderer. I’m just trying to get your attention. Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe is a book filled with curiosity, suspense, and no matter how hard you try, you just won’t be able to put the book down.
Fast forward, rewind, pause. Kyle’s tried everything, but he just can’t remember. Although what he does remember constantly haunts him. A loud noise, blood, Jason’s limp body. The thought that he killed someone just didn’t seem possible. There’s no way someone would kill their best friend, right? It had to be an accident. Or maybe it was on purpose and his brain is just forgetting what happened to protect him. Will Kyle ever remember what truly happened or will he just live the rest of his life with this terrible burden on his mind?
Fast forward, rewind, pause. Kyle’s tried everything, but he just can’t remember. Although what he does remember constantly haunts him. A loud noise, blood, Jason’s limp body. The thought that he killed someone just didn’t seem possible. There’s no way someone would kill their best friend, right? It had to be an accident. Or maybe it was on purpose and his brain is just forgetting what happened to protect him. Will Kyle ever remember what truly happened or will he just live the rest of his life with this terrible burden on his mind?
November 21, 2019
*WARNING: THIS REVIEW IS FULL OF SPOILERS!!!!*
I just adored this book! One pacific aspect of the book that I enjoyed was when Kyle found out he didn't kill Jason on purpose. It felt heartwarming when he found out the truth. But he didn't just found out the truth, he struggled to get there. He had some good and bad moments. Even moments that surprised himself. This shows that you have to struggle to get and/or find what you want. It isn't just a clear path, it's a bumpy road with many obstacles to overcome.
I just adored this book! One pacific aspect of the book that I enjoyed was when Kyle found out he didn't kill Jason on purpose. It felt heartwarming when he found out the truth. But he didn't just found out the truth, he struggled to get there. He had some good and bad moments. Even moments that surprised himself. This shows that you have to struggle to get and/or find what you want. It isn't just a clear path, it's a bumpy road with many obstacles to overcome.
January 3, 2016
Admittedly, I picked this book up and spent the money on it because the summary sounded something like Christopher Pike. I don't regret that decision, though it wasn't what I was originally expecting. That was okay.
It didn't take me very long to read it, but sometimes I had to take breaks because it managed to get under my skin so badly. It was gripping, impressive, and altogether heartbreaking. It made emotions stir in me. I can count on one hand how many times a book has made me cry/made me tear up. The end of this book made me tear up. It's a book that's going to stay with me for a very, very long time.
It didn't take me very long to read it, but sometimes I had to take breaks because it managed to get under my skin so badly. It was gripping, impressive, and altogether heartbreaking. It made emotions stir in me. I can count on one hand how many times a book has made me cry/made me tear up. The end of this book made me tear up. It's a book that's going to stay with me for a very, very long time.
September 16, 2013
This book wasn't as great as my family told me it was. I didn't cry at the moment they thought I would and I didn't really think it had a good plot. The book was the slightest bit repetitive and dragged on a bit.
August 9, 2015
I assumed that I would cry at some point during this book and I did. I can't imagine ever having to deal with a situation like this. This poor kid has to try to pick up the pieces of his own life, while feeling so confused and guilty. Great story.
November 11, 2013
another book about loss and the feelings and recovery after death. as the story unfolds, I was really caught up in it and wanted to see how it ended. Plus a great Umlee and Neebles page A+++
November 18, 2014
This book was intense. Remembering what happened the day Jason died along with Kyle is heartbreaking.
January 15, 2009
OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! AWESOME BOOK!
January 12, 2021
After reading Paranoid Park last week, I couldn't help but make comparisons between the two novels. Freeze Frame is over twice as long, and while it's the better of the two, it isn't twice as good. Heidi Ayarbe's style is more complex and interesting, and the protagonist, Kyle, is a film buff who rewrites pivotal scenes as if they were a movie script. Freeze Frame has a lot more pathos and turns out to be a surprisingly emotional read.
The novel begins with Kyle accidentally killing his best friend, Jason. The beginning and middle of the book are extremely slow paced—Kyle is consumed with guilt and grief, and isn't exactly co-operative with his parole officer, psych doctor, teachers, and family. While it's realistic that it would take a long time for someone to process such a profound and horrific event, it doesn't make for a very exciting novel; considering the author's unconventional choice of flashbacks in movie script format, she could've easily edited out parts of Kyle's mourning instead of treating us to a chronological slog.
Certain parts of the book seemed unrealistic to me. Kyle gets sentenced to probation even though he committed a felony. His parents decide it's good idea to send him back to school where everyone knows that he killed another student. Despite the ostracization, Kyle ends getting over his grief and trying to do something with the second chance he's been given...with the help of a lovable—but nauseatingly quirky—cast of secondary characters: the school librarian, a Colombian ex-boxer nicknamed "Scarface;" a loner, deformed Native American photographer/classmate; and Jason's precocious kid brother. Together, they make a video tribute to Jason's life and the ending is as feel-good as it can be, considering it's a story about a kid who fatally shoots his best friend.
I know I'm a bad person, but most of the things I dislike about this book are superficial. The cover, the chapter headings, and the font look ugly and dated. I also have MAJOR problems with the pacing of the story. If you're willing to tough out the first half of Freeze Frame the ending almost makes up for the terrible beginning.
The novel begins with Kyle accidentally killing his best friend, Jason. The beginning and middle of the book are extremely slow paced—Kyle is consumed with guilt and grief, and isn't exactly co-operative with his parole officer, psych doctor, teachers, and family. While it's realistic that it would take a long time for someone to process such a profound and horrific event, it doesn't make for a very exciting novel; considering the author's unconventional choice of flashbacks in movie script format, she could've easily edited out parts of Kyle's mourning instead of treating us to a chronological slog.
Certain parts of the book seemed unrealistic to me. Kyle gets sentenced to probation even though he committed a felony. His parents decide it's good idea to send him back to school where everyone knows that he killed another student. Despite the ostracization, Kyle ends getting over his grief and trying to do something with the second chance he's been given...with the help of a lovable—but nauseatingly quirky—cast of secondary characters: the school librarian, a Colombian ex-boxer nicknamed "Scarface;" a loner, deformed Native American photographer/classmate; and Jason's precocious kid brother. Together, they make a video tribute to Jason's life and the ending is as feel-good as it can be, considering it's a story about a kid who fatally shoots his best friend.
I know I'm a bad person, but most of the things I dislike about this book are superficial. The cover, the chapter headings, and the font look ugly and dated. I also have MAJOR problems with the pacing of the story. If you're willing to tough out the first half of Freeze Frame the ending almost makes up for the terrible beginning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2020
A cold winter morning, two best friends and a loaded gun discovered in the toolshed. Before Kyle has even realized what happened his best friend Jason is slumped over and not saying a word. He's taken to a juvenile holding center for a few days until his trial can be arranged all the while trying to understand what even happened. "No matter how many times he rewrites the scene, he can't get it right."
This is one of the most intense reads I've had in a while. Once I started I just couldn't put it down. The struggle Kyle had trying to comprehend and unpack what happened in the shed was painful. Aside from the therapist the adults that spoke with him just kept asking the same thing, "Did you mean to do it?" when Kyle hadn't even had the time to fully grasp how things played out. His parents are upset that he can't just return to normal and his grades are slipping. Kids at school are bullying him and whispering behind his back or just calling him a murderer to his face. Just when it seems Kyle is spiraling down to rock bottom he starts to finally realize that it wasn't his fault. It was an accident. Once he is able to say this out loud he is able to start moving forward and goes on to create a beautiful home film in memory of his friend.
If this book was ever made into a film I would watch it! Hands down a fantastic story of dealing with the loss of a loved one in the eyes/mind of a pre-teen.
This is one of the most intense reads I've had in a while. Once I started I just couldn't put it down. The struggle Kyle had trying to comprehend and unpack what happened in the shed was painful. Aside from the therapist the adults that spoke with him just kept asking the same thing, "Did you mean to do it?" when Kyle hadn't even had the time to fully grasp how things played out. His parents are upset that he can't just return to normal and his grades are slipping. Kids at school are bullying him and whispering behind his back or just calling him a murderer to his face. Just when it seems Kyle is spiraling down to rock bottom he starts to finally realize that it wasn't his fault. It was an accident. Once he is able to say this out loud he is able to start moving forward and goes on to create a beautiful home film in memory of his friend.
If this book was ever made into a film I would watch it! Hands down a fantastic story of dealing with the loss of a loved one in the eyes/mind of a pre-teen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 20, 2022I knew this one was going to get a little emotional after reading Heidi Ayarbe's Wanted some years ago. It's a bit of a slow burn as Kyle goes through his day to day life of dealing with his own feelings and others' after he kills his best friend. It's sort of obvious from the beginning that it was an accident and Kyle not remembering the events was from the disbelief and shock. So, it's not one of those 'intense, anticipation for the reveal' situations.
Kyle is a nice kid and many of the things he thought and said just came across as relatable. I will always root for a kid who is just naturally himself, who doesn't care about being popular and pave their own path. Maybe it's just me but many of the adults around him just came across as unaware and not in tuned to his feelings and i know that's kind of the point that they can't get in his head to actually who what he's feeling but maybe i'm just bias. I felt for Kyle and i'm glad that great characters like Mr. Cordoba, Kohana, and Chase were good friends to him because it's exactly what he needed. I think Kyle's moments with those characters, especially closer to the end, were the most emotional parts.
Kyle is a nice kid and many of the things he thought and said just came across as relatable. I will always root for a kid who is just naturally himself, who doesn't care about being popular and pave their own path. Maybe it's just me but many of the adults around him just came across as unaware and not in tuned to his feelings and i know that's kind of the point that they can't get in his head to actually who what he's feeling but maybe i'm just bias. I felt for Kyle and i'm glad that great characters like Mr. Cordoba, Kohana, and Chase were good friends to him because it's exactly what he needed. I think Kyle's moments with those characters, especially closer to the end, were the most emotional parts.
March 24, 2017
"I looked at the headstone again. Jason G. Bishop. At least they hadn't spelled out Gabriel. He hated his middle name.
I turned back. 'Hey, Jase? What's worse: killing your best friend or being killed by your best friend?'
No answer.
I kinda think the first one is worse. But that's because I don't know what the second one is like. Jase probably had his own ideas about that."
Wow.
Oh my goodness, Freeze Frame just blew me off of my feet! What an amazing, thrilling, and emotional story! I fell in love with it after just reading the very first chapter!
Okay, here's what happened.
Kyle Caroll was best friends with Jason Bishop. They did everything together. They had dreams. They were planning on making it big in life. Jason wanted to become an artist. Kyle would fit well as a movie director.
But then comes the incident.
Kyle sees this day as if it were a scene in a film. He remembers what happens before, when they went into the shed. He remembers finding the gun in the shed.
But then he can't remember what happens quite right after that. It's fuzzy to him. Kyle can't remember what happened. It's like a cut to the film made by the director. All he remembers is the explosion, and then seeing his best friend slumped over, bleeding from a bullet wound to the chest.
Jase died later that day, at 10:46.
And to Kyle, so did he... or at least he wants to.
All Kyle wants is to freeze time. He doesn't want things to move on. He doesn't want people to forget Jason's death. He doesn't want to go home without punishment. He doesn't want to live the rest of his life knowing that he killed his best friend.
"'Look at me, Kyle. Look me in the eyes.' Dad held my jaw in his hand. 'We're going home now.'
I shook my head. 'No. No. No.'"
Kyle is given a second chance, and is allowed to go home and continue his daily life. Everybody is trying to get him to recover, but he just keeps pushing everyone away. What's the point? He killed somebody. It's never going to get better. Others avoid him, some kids bully him, and Jason's family neglects Kyle's family completely now.
Kyle comes up with a goal in mind. To protect Jason's little brother, Chase, from his bullies. It's the least he can do. He just can't bring himself to apologize to the rest of the family, though. It's too hard on him. Once he starts protecting Chase, he starts to befriend the school dork, and the creepy librarian. It's a start, but Kyle is a long way from letting himself and others heal.
After killing Jason, Kyle had fallen into a deep pit of depression and shock. His brain is protecting him from the truth, and he just can't remember the biggest question of them all...
did he kill Jason by accident?
...or on purpose?
Kyle tries hard to figure it out, rewriting that scene over and over, in different versions, as if directed by different directors. Kyle calls the unknown death scene, Scene Three. What Kyle doesn't realize, is that in order to truly figure out the truth, he's going to have to write Scene Three with Kyle himself being the director.
And it's not going to be easy.
"Dude, you're really calling it Scene Three?
Yeah. So?
So that last scene of my life is called Scene Three?
I can't think of anything else right now.
You've gotta do better than that.
Give me time and I'll come up with a name for the whole thing.
Jesus, Kyle. Scene Three."
Freeze Frame really took me by surprise! I was swept away in Kyle's thoughts and emotions, and I could truly feel what he was feeling. I could feel his pain and desperate want to just freeze everything. I feel that hollow feeling, like nothing will ever truly be the same. It's horrible, and I get where all of his desperate tantrums came from.
Losing somebody is awful, downright awful. In only a span of about four years, I had lost two of my close friends, and I am only fifteen at the moment. I could really relate to this book when it came to loss, and I get what Kyle feels in a way. Losing a friend is just crushing. Thinking about the bad makes it bad, but sometimes thinking about the good makes it worse. Other times, it's the other way around.
What was one of the most horrible of parts was, when Kyle described the moment his best friend died. I could feel that icy empty feeling in my chest and I felt my throat closing up, and for a moment, it felt like I was losing somebody all over again. That's what books to do me, they suck me in, and I feel like the characters themselves.
I cried at the funeral scene, because of what Kyle was doing to Jason. That just made me break apart right there.
I cried at Kyle's major freak-out scene, because it felt too real to me, almost.
I cried at the end, because, jeez, I'm an emotional person, okay?
The plot and characters were beautifully created, and I enjoyed every word. I loved the way this was written. I couldn't believe this was Heidi Ayarbe's first novel! Wow! Greatly written, that's for sure! I fell in love with this book, a lot more than I thought I would.
P.S. these type of books are one of my favorite types of books. Yay!
"'But,' I said, shaking my head, 'but they have to tell you about me— about what I did.'
Judge Brown nodded. 'I know what you did, and your sentence is appropriate.'
I killed Jason. How could that sentence be appropriate? I turned to the Bishops. "You saw what I did. Tell her! Tell her!
Mr. Allison yanked on my shirtsleeve. 'Enough!'
'I don't get it. I kill Jase and get a get-out-of-jail-free card? Like nothing? What the fuck is wrong with everyone here? I did it. He's dead because of me.'"
I turned back. 'Hey, Jase? What's worse: killing your best friend or being killed by your best friend?'
No answer.
I kinda think the first one is worse. But that's because I don't know what the second one is like. Jase probably had his own ideas about that."
Wow.
Oh my goodness, Freeze Frame just blew me off of my feet! What an amazing, thrilling, and emotional story! I fell in love with it after just reading the very first chapter!
Okay, here's what happened.
Kyle Caroll was best friends with Jason Bishop. They did everything together. They had dreams. They were planning on making it big in life. Jason wanted to become an artist. Kyle would fit well as a movie director.
But then comes the incident.
Kyle sees this day as if it were a scene in a film. He remembers what happens before, when they went into the shed. He remembers finding the gun in the shed.
But then he can't remember what happens quite right after that. It's fuzzy to him. Kyle can't remember what happened. It's like a cut to the film made by the director. All he remembers is the explosion, and then seeing his best friend slumped over, bleeding from a bullet wound to the chest.
Jase died later that day, at 10:46.
And to Kyle, so did he... or at least he wants to.
All Kyle wants is to freeze time. He doesn't want things to move on. He doesn't want people to forget Jason's death. He doesn't want to go home without punishment. He doesn't want to live the rest of his life knowing that he killed his best friend.
"'Look at me, Kyle. Look me in the eyes.' Dad held my jaw in his hand. 'We're going home now.'
I shook my head. 'No. No. No.'"
Kyle is given a second chance, and is allowed to go home and continue his daily life. Everybody is trying to get him to recover, but he just keeps pushing everyone away. What's the point? He killed somebody. It's never going to get better. Others avoid him, some kids bully him, and Jason's family neglects Kyle's family completely now.
Kyle comes up with a goal in mind. To protect Jason's little brother, Chase, from his bullies. It's the least he can do. He just can't bring himself to apologize to the rest of the family, though. It's too hard on him. Once he starts protecting Chase, he starts to befriend the school dork, and the creepy librarian. It's a start, but Kyle is a long way from letting himself and others heal.
After killing Jason, Kyle had fallen into a deep pit of depression and shock. His brain is protecting him from the truth, and he just can't remember the biggest question of them all...
did he kill Jason by accident?
...or on purpose?
Kyle tries hard to figure it out, rewriting that scene over and over, in different versions, as if directed by different directors. Kyle calls the unknown death scene, Scene Three. What Kyle doesn't realize, is that in order to truly figure out the truth, he's going to have to write Scene Three with Kyle himself being the director.
And it's not going to be easy.
"Dude, you're really calling it Scene Three?
Yeah. So?
So that last scene of my life is called Scene Three?
I can't think of anything else right now.
You've gotta do better than that.
Give me time and I'll come up with a name for the whole thing.
Jesus, Kyle. Scene Three."
Freeze Frame really took me by surprise! I was swept away in Kyle's thoughts and emotions, and I could truly feel what he was feeling. I could feel his pain and desperate want to just freeze everything. I feel that hollow feeling, like nothing will ever truly be the same. It's horrible, and I get where all of his desperate tantrums came from.
Losing somebody is awful, downright awful. In only a span of about four years, I had lost two of my close friends, and I am only fifteen at the moment. I could really relate to this book when it came to loss, and I get what Kyle feels in a way. Losing a friend is just crushing. Thinking about the bad makes it bad, but sometimes thinking about the good makes it worse. Other times, it's the other way around.
What was one of the most horrible of parts was, when Kyle described the moment his best friend died. I could feel that icy empty feeling in my chest and I felt my throat closing up, and for a moment, it felt like I was losing somebody all over again. That's what books to do me, they suck me in, and I feel like the characters themselves.
I cried at the funeral scene, because of what Kyle was doing to Jason. That just made me break apart right there.
I cried at Kyle's major freak-out scene, because it felt too real to me, almost.
I cried at the end, because, jeez, I'm an emotional person, okay?
The plot and characters were beautifully created, and I enjoyed every word. I loved the way this was written. I couldn't believe this was Heidi Ayarbe's first novel! Wow! Greatly written, that's for sure! I fell in love with this book, a lot more than I thought I would.
P.S. these type of books are one of my favorite types of books. Yay!
"'But,' I said, shaking my head, 'but they have to tell you about me— about what I did.'
Judge Brown nodded. 'I know what you did, and your sentence is appropriate.'
I killed Jason. How could that sentence be appropriate? I turned to the Bishops. "You saw what I did. Tell her! Tell her!
Mr. Allison yanked on my shirtsleeve. 'Enough!'
'I don't get it. I kill Jase and get a get-out-of-jail-free card? Like nothing? What the fuck is wrong with everyone here? I did it. He's dead because of me.'"
June 3, 2025
*WARNING: THIS REVIEW IS FULL OF SPOILERS!!!!*
I just adored this book! One pacific aspect of the book that I enjoyed was when Kyle found out he didn't kill Jason on purpose. It felt heartwarming when he found out the truth. But he didn't just found out the truth, he struggled to get there. He had some good and bad moments. Even moments that surprised himself. This shows that you have to struggle to get and/or find what you want. It isn't just a clear path, it's a bumpy road with many obstacles to overcome.
I just adored this book! One pacific aspect of the book that I enjoyed was when Kyle found out he didn't kill Jason on purpose. It felt heartwarming when he found out the truth. But he didn't just found out the truth, he struggled to get there. He had some good and bad moments. Even moments that surprised himself. This shows that you have to struggle to get and/or find what you want. It isn't just a clear path, it's a bumpy road with many obstacles to overcome.
May 27, 2021
All I can think to say is READ THIS BOOK. Kyle's story, Jase's story, kept me reading and wanting to see how everything would unfold. An unfortunate accident took their friendship away but getting Kyle to realize it was an accident...what a ride.
May 6, 2025
found this in a discount section in a 2nd and Charles, and it was SO worth that one dollar. Captivated from the first sentence. This book got me out of my really bad reading block and it was so interesting. Also, very underrated!! reccomend this to anyone struggling with regret.
May 8, 2019
the story is about Kyle who is being in juvenile for maybe killing his best friend Jase.
October 30, 2022
Great young adult book. Guilt will eat you alive if you don’t confront it and your fears. Once you do that and free yourself from the pain it caused you you will be able to function much better.
February 10, 2024
That was anti-climactic and also depressing.
October 27, 2023
The characters and the plot was really confusing to follow. Also some of the characters were really annoying except our main character. This book was okay just wished the plot was easier to follow
April 24, 2009
This was a wonderful debut novel for Ayarbe; I will look forward to reading more of her stuff.
At first I was upset that this kid, a film nut, who has apparently just shot his best friend, is trying to hide from the reality by constantly overlaying it and all of the consequences with references to films and scenes from films. But as you read, you can see why he had to do that at the time, and how he changes and shapes his use of film to, by the end, actually deal with the reality.
The only bone I would pick is that, in real life, the kid probably would not have gotten at home probation - he probably would have been put at the least into an in-patient mental health program, and more likely, a juvenile rehab program (especially in Texas). However, that would not have properly advanced the plot, so I accept what Ayarbe chose.
The kid is clearly on a journey to forgiveness and redemption, with a typical but memorable supporting cast to help him. Of course, as a librarian, I LOVED that a key figure was the HS librarian, whose own story is just as compelling as it is slowly revealed. I loved that Kyle discovered things through books that the librarian chose for him, that the discussions about them after he read them were spare but powerful, and helped Kyle put another piece into his puzzle. And this is a kid who until he started hiding in the library had never really read any books.
The whole notion of stories told through images (both still and moving) was handled well. I think a lit class could study this book as well as a photography or film class.
Hope, dreams, and future all figure in as well. There's a lot in the pages. Including stuff about bullying.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"I'd wished that I had a chance to make that day right. It would be so easy if life could be edited." Who hasn't felt that way?
" 'Remember how important it is to get back into life?' Back into life? As if I ever got out of it. That was Jason. Out of breath. Out of time. Out of life." The kid has a point - stuck in the awful moment is still being in life; you can't just 'move on'.
Watches figure into the story pretty strongly. "I stared at the two watches. One stopped at 10:46. The other ticking away, like nothing had ever happened." That notion of time just going on ahead of you, everyone else going on with their business was a pretty powerful force for Kyle at many moments.
"I felt like I carried the secret to who Mr. Cordoba was in my backpack. But I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what that secret was." Kyle's fear of knowing his own secret is peeking through here.
I could go on, but this is getting too long. I stayed up very late to finish this, it was that good.
I have included Middle School in the reading range; this would probably be for more mature ms kids, although the horror of the event might grab even reluctant readers and help them think on a higher plane.
At first I was upset that this kid, a film nut, who has apparently just shot his best friend, is trying to hide from the reality by constantly overlaying it and all of the consequences with references to films and scenes from films. But as you read, you can see why he had to do that at the time, and how he changes and shapes his use of film to, by the end, actually deal with the reality.
The only bone I would pick is that, in real life, the kid probably would not have gotten at home probation - he probably would have been put at the least into an in-patient mental health program, and more likely, a juvenile rehab program (especially in Texas). However, that would not have properly advanced the plot, so I accept what Ayarbe chose.
The kid is clearly on a journey to forgiveness and redemption, with a typical but memorable supporting cast to help him. Of course, as a librarian, I LOVED that a key figure was the HS librarian, whose own story is just as compelling as it is slowly revealed. I loved that Kyle discovered things through books that the librarian chose for him, that the discussions about them after he read them were spare but powerful, and helped Kyle put another piece into his puzzle. And this is a kid who until he started hiding in the library had never really read any books.
The whole notion of stories told through images (both still and moving) was handled well. I think a lit class could study this book as well as a photography or film class.
Hope, dreams, and future all figure in as well. There's a lot in the pages. Including stuff about bullying.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"I'd wished that I had a chance to make that day right. It would be so easy if life could be edited." Who hasn't felt that way?
" 'Remember how important it is to get back into life?' Back into life? As if I ever got out of it. That was Jason. Out of breath. Out of time. Out of life." The kid has a point - stuck in the awful moment is still being in life; you can't just 'move on'.
Watches figure into the story pretty strongly. "I stared at the two watches. One stopped at 10:46. The other ticking away, like nothing had ever happened." That notion of time just going on ahead of you, everyone else going on with their business was a pretty powerful force for Kyle at many moments.
"I felt like I carried the secret to who Mr. Cordoba was in my backpack. But I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what that secret was." Kyle's fear of knowing his own secret is peeking through here.
I could go on, but this is getting too long. I stayed up very late to finish this, it was that good.
I have included Middle School in the reading range; this would probably be for more mature ms kids, although the horror of the event might grab even reluctant readers and help them think on a higher plane.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2016
Losing your best friend hurts, when you lose him twice, as Kyle does, its so painful his mind refuses to allow him to remember what really happened the second time. He and Jason were besties, living less than a block from each other. Jason longed to become an artist, drawing ever more detailed comic characters. Both his little brother Chase and Kyle were drawn as super heroes, Chase as Kite Rider and Jason as Freeze Frame. Kyle's dream was to become a movie maker and he was obsessed with watching videos and trying to dissect them so he could understand how directors worked.
When Jason started hanging out with new friends, Kyle didn't know how to deal with it. On the surface, the friendship was still solid, but the less time they spent together, the more he started hurting inside. Jason comes over for a weekend visit and something terrible happens in the shed behind the house. Kyle snaps out of a shocked daze to see blood everywhere and Jason lying on the shed floor. He can't remember exactly what happened. One thing does become clear to him. Jason is dying and he's responsible.
What unfolds after this is painful to read at times, while sucking you in a bit more on almost every page. It made me feel intensely for Kyle. He doesn't question his responsibility, but his guilt and grief lead him to numerous choices and actions that upset others and make those who care for him question what's going on in his head. Lost hardly begins to describe how he feels and every time he attempts to recreate the events, switching from movie director to movie director, he ends up in freeze frame at the critical moment.
It takes his promise to protect Chase from bullying at the elementary school, the friendship of Mr. Cordoba, a most unlikely high school librarian, the friendship of Kohana, another teen who understands the role of outcast better than almost anyone and numerous talks to Jason in the graveyard for Kyle to put the pieces together. The result is healing, not only for him, but for almost everyone affected by this tragedy.
It's an excellent book for teens who have, or are grappling with guilt or remorse as well as those who like a book that hits the reader with an emotional body blow.
When Jason started hanging out with new friends, Kyle didn't know how to deal with it. On the surface, the friendship was still solid, but the less time they spent together, the more he started hurting inside. Jason comes over for a weekend visit and something terrible happens in the shed behind the house. Kyle snaps out of a shocked daze to see blood everywhere and Jason lying on the shed floor. He can't remember exactly what happened. One thing does become clear to him. Jason is dying and he's responsible.
What unfolds after this is painful to read at times, while sucking you in a bit more on almost every page. It made me feel intensely for Kyle. He doesn't question his responsibility, but his guilt and grief lead him to numerous choices and actions that upset others and make those who care for him question what's going on in his head. Lost hardly begins to describe how he feels and every time he attempts to recreate the events, switching from movie director to movie director, he ends up in freeze frame at the critical moment.
It takes his promise to protect Chase from bullying at the elementary school, the friendship of Mr. Cordoba, a most unlikely high school librarian, the friendship of Kohana, another teen who understands the role of outcast better than almost anyone and numerous talks to Jason in the graveyard for Kyle to put the pieces together. The result is healing, not only for him, but for almost everyone affected by this tragedy.
It's an excellent book for teens who have, or are grappling with guilt or remorse as well as those who like a book that hits the reader with an emotional body blow.
April 25, 2012
“I never forget that Jason was my best friend.”
“No. But you do forget that you were his.”
*sob*
Kyle’s got a nifty way of thinking about things then presenting them. The thing is, like him, I didn’t quite understand all the mollycoddling that followed. His guilt, his confusion… both these, came across loud and clear. Him pushing others away, him feeling like he’d let everyone down, and they Jason given the decision? I felt it all plausible. His not remembering, his pain… then him trying to cope made this not the easiest of reads, but it was OK.
Kyle aside, most everyone around him did have their moments of truth. While the treading light around him had me reacting as he did (as in, 'I don't deserve it!') his parents’ “What now?” felt just right. The aftermath with his father seeming to shrink before his eyes and his mother not quite knowing what to do all felt like the most likely outcomes. But it was his sister in particular who surprised me. Her whole take on things felt slightly limited to her pain, but surprisingly more honest than all others' reactions. Her anger felt like it was directed at the right person, in the right time... And he took it. It’s her reception and honest contribution to the story that had me continuing.
There are of course, the one by one addition of new people in his life. Take Mr. Cardoba and his own mystery. I knew there was something more to him, and for him to reveal it at almost the same pace that Kyle was revealing his own pain felt… fair. Then take Clock and how Kyle’s eyes opened to how they were in the same boat… but not quite. Ultimately though, it’s the Bishop’s who had me curious. Precocious Chase, who needs protecting has Kyle step ut and pick up where the bigger brother couldn’t. And while it’d feel too hallmark sweet, it felt just right. Both the younger boy and the older were trying move on but not quite ready to do so.
It’s a sad start but with an ending that leaves me a slightly hopeful.
3.5/5
“No. But you do forget that you were his.”
*sob*
Kyle’s got a nifty way of thinking about things then presenting them. The thing is, like him, I didn’t quite understand all the mollycoddling that followed. His guilt, his confusion… both these, came across loud and clear. Him pushing others away, him feeling like he’d let everyone down, and they Jason given the decision? I felt it all plausible. His not remembering, his pain… then him trying to cope made this not the easiest of reads, but it was OK.
Kyle aside, most everyone around him did have their moments of truth. While the treading light around him had me reacting as he did (as in, 'I don't deserve it!') his parents’ “What now?” felt just right. The aftermath with his father seeming to shrink before his eyes and his mother not quite knowing what to do all felt like the most likely outcomes. But it was his sister in particular who surprised me. Her whole take on things felt slightly limited to her pain, but surprisingly more honest than all others' reactions. Her anger felt like it was directed at the right person, in the right time... And he took it. It’s her reception and honest contribution to the story that had me continuing.
There are of course, the one by one addition of new people in his life. Take Mr. Cardoba and his own mystery. I knew there was something more to him, and for him to reveal it at almost the same pace that Kyle was revealing his own pain felt… fair. Then take Clock and how Kyle’s eyes opened to how they were in the same boat… but not quite. Ultimately though, it’s the Bishop’s who had me curious. Precocious Chase, who needs protecting has Kyle step ut and pick up where the bigger brother couldn’t. And while it’d feel too hallmark sweet, it felt just right. Both the younger boy and the older were trying move on but not quite ready to do so.
It’s a sad start but with an ending that leaves me a slightly hopeful.
3.5/5
December 3, 2015
Liz Ropp - Review #14
Freeze Frame follows the hollow and lifeless journey that Kyle Caroll takes the moment after "Scene Three" occurs on a cold fall morning in Kyle's shed with his best friend Jason. Jason discovers a gun in the shed. Kyle somehow ends up with the gun. Jason is dead. Kyle cannot figure out that missing moment - that moment between Jason showing him the gun and Kyle holding the gun standing across from Jason's bleeding body. The rest of the novel takes place mainly in Kyle's mind as he tries desperately to unravel that one moment, that one scene he can't get right. And one terrifying thought haunts him the whole time: Did he kill Jason on purpose?
This book is phenomenal! It was suspenseful, interesting, provocative, disheartening, and real. Kyle is a character who has depth and complexity and this is shown in every page of the book. The reader feels what Kyle is feeling with every word he/she comes across in this novel. Not only does the reader begin to feel like he/she is Kyle, he/she will also sympathize with Kyle's actions and thoughts every step of the way. What was particularly striking to me was the depiction of Kyle's family during this awful time period. Kyle is not so self-involved (indeed he is very thoughtful of all of the other characters) that he does not notice the effect his action had on them. It was refreshing and new to see the effects that such a horrible act would have on the family of such a kid in Kyle's circumstance. People do not always think of how the sister, for example, would feel in that situation. This whole book and the way that Kyle worked through this trying time was astounding and breathtaking and near perfect. I would recommend this novel to anyone in the ninth grade and above and I give in five out of five stars.
Freeze Frame follows the hollow and lifeless journey that Kyle Caroll takes the moment after "Scene Three" occurs on a cold fall morning in Kyle's shed with his best friend Jason. Jason discovers a gun in the shed. Kyle somehow ends up with the gun. Jason is dead. Kyle cannot figure out that missing moment - that moment between Jason showing him the gun and Kyle holding the gun standing across from Jason's bleeding body. The rest of the novel takes place mainly in Kyle's mind as he tries desperately to unravel that one moment, that one scene he can't get right. And one terrifying thought haunts him the whole time: Did he kill Jason on purpose?
This book is phenomenal! It was suspenseful, interesting, provocative, disheartening, and real. Kyle is a character who has depth and complexity and this is shown in every page of the book. The reader feels what Kyle is feeling with every word he/she comes across in this novel. Not only does the reader begin to feel like he/she is Kyle, he/she will also sympathize with Kyle's actions and thoughts every step of the way. What was particularly striking to me was the depiction of Kyle's family during this awful time period. Kyle is not so self-involved (indeed he is very thoughtful of all of the other characters) that he does not notice the effect his action had on them. It was refreshing and new to see the effects that such a horrible act would have on the family of such a kid in Kyle's circumstance. People do not always think of how the sister, for example, would feel in that situation. This whole book and the way that Kyle worked through this trying time was astounding and breathtaking and near perfect. I would recommend this novel to anyone in the ninth grade and above and I give in five out of five stars.
November 4, 2012
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com
No matter how hard he tries, Kyle just can't figure out that one scene that completes the movie he feels like he's in.
He has the beginning scenes. The first scene where Kyle and his best friend, Jason, are eating pancakes. As always, Jason uses up all of the syrup, making Kyle's dad go out and buy some more. After a little quarrel between the two, followed by an insult to his sister, Kyle and Jason run outside into the freezing cold. Not wanting to go back in, Kyle suggests the shed.
Once inside the shed everything goes blank - from here Kyle just cannot figure out the scene, the most important scene.
After the blackout, it's complete chaos - there's blood, calling 911, an ambulance, a trip to the hospital, and then off to a holding cell. Questioned, confused, Kyle just doesn't understand what has happened, or how it happened.
How he killed his best friend.
No matter how hard he tries, Kyle just cannot figure out the one scene that explains it all, the scene that decides whether he is innocent or not, the scene that ended with his best friend dead. Yet, if he can figure it all out, is it the end of the world for him, can he live with knowing the truth, or will it be too much for him to handle?
With brief interruptions of past events that Kyle and Jason shared, Heidi Ayarbe takes us on a breathtaking and thrilling journey of a boy trying to solve a mystery that leaves even the reader at the edge of their seats. Ayarbe creates a work of art using realistic thoughts and images that helps in developing a novel that will be gripped in the reader's hands until the very last page.
FREEZE FRAME is a great debut from a talented new author.
No matter how hard he tries, Kyle just can't figure out that one scene that completes the movie he feels like he's in.
He has the beginning scenes. The first scene where Kyle and his best friend, Jason, are eating pancakes. As always, Jason uses up all of the syrup, making Kyle's dad go out and buy some more. After a little quarrel between the two, followed by an insult to his sister, Kyle and Jason run outside into the freezing cold. Not wanting to go back in, Kyle suggests the shed.
Once inside the shed everything goes blank - from here Kyle just cannot figure out the scene, the most important scene.
After the blackout, it's complete chaos - there's blood, calling 911, an ambulance, a trip to the hospital, and then off to a holding cell. Questioned, confused, Kyle just doesn't understand what has happened, or how it happened.
How he killed his best friend.
No matter how hard he tries, Kyle just cannot figure out the one scene that explains it all, the scene that decides whether he is innocent or not, the scene that ended with his best friend dead. Yet, if he can figure it all out, is it the end of the world for him, can he live with knowing the truth, or will it be too much for him to handle?
With brief interruptions of past events that Kyle and Jason shared, Heidi Ayarbe takes us on a breathtaking and thrilling journey of a boy trying to solve a mystery that leaves even the reader at the edge of their seats. Ayarbe creates a work of art using realistic thoughts and images that helps in developing a novel that will be gripped in the reader's hands until the very last page.
FREEZE FRAME is a great debut from a talented new author.
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