Your Friend Is Not Real

Aman Hiregoudar

Frozen - Erin Bowman

“This replica, this reflection-it is not me. I want it dead. I want it gone. I want it to have never existed” (Bowman).

        You are on a mission to save the world. But there’s one problem: your best friend is actually a killer robot. That is exactly what Gray Weathersby is going through in Frozen, by Erin Bowman, the second book in the Taken series.

        This book is the second book in the Taken series. After escaping from the Order and surviving with the rebels in Crevice Valley, it is time to build the rebellion. The rebels are going against Frank and the Order who are in charge of the Laicos Project, which leads to the formation of his super army to fight AmWest, AmEast’s enemy. When Gray infiltrates Frank’s headquarters in the previous book, he sees a glimpse of life in one of the monitors watching all of the cities. The monitor is connected to cameras in Group A, a city under Frank, that’s supposedly deserted. Now Gray and the rebels want to see if there is actually life in Group A that will help their rebellion. They also hope to establish a second headquarters, next to AmWest, to form a strong relationship. A group of the rebels sets off on the long journey to Group A. However, Gray lives in a time of uncertainty, and life is full of lies thanks to Frank. Even the closest people around him may be lies. But will Gray realize the forgeries in his life? Or will he succumb to the deceptive strategies of the Order?

        Frozen by Erin Bowman is another great book in the Taken series. However, I am not sure if it is better than the first book. Perhaps the most visible change that I really liked to read is the character development of Gray in this novel. More specifically, I enjoyed reading about how Gray interacted with the other characters and how that interaction progresses throughout the novel. In the beginning, Gray has a strong relationship with all of his friends in the rebellion. More importantly, he has the strongest relationship with his father and brother. Whenever Gray thinks about Blaine, his brother, he remembers his brother’s “brilliant and bluer than a summer sky” (Bowman) eyes. As the rebels make their journey through the woods to find Group A, Gray’s attitude changes drastically. He starts doubting others and even himself and is very confused. Everything “seems impossible, even when I’m staring at the proof” (Bowman) for Gray. Frank’s technology of developing forgeries of people is really messing with Gray’s emotions. A huge change can be seen; Gray has now become more cautious, even with his teammates. This is something that is amazing because it adds an element of emotion to this dystopian science fiction book. It helps keep the story balanced rather than it completely turning into a science world. As I mentioned, this book is a dystopian story, and Gray’s emotions satisfy the need for emotion in a great way.

        Connected to this is another thing that amazes me. Erin Bowman does such a great job with the details of the forgeries. I will try to explain this without giving away too much because there are so many plot twists that will keep you on edge. There is one forgery that I can reveal without giving away too much: Jackson. He is under orders from Frank to follow the rebels and see what they are up to. He gets caught and the rebels hold him while they continue their journey. However, the dazzling part is the fact that Jackson is not a real person. The Jackson they encounter is “a soldier. A technologically enhanced soldier overloaded with secrets” (Bowman). However, he seems just like a regular person when he is not. This makes it extremely hard for the rebels and Gray to figure out who is real and who is an engineered soldier. This is something that is a great addition because it introduces some smaller mystery and conflict for Gray to process. Having this extra layer of mystery on top of the main conflict helps strengthen the plot and produces a strong, multi-layered novel.

        A final thing that really stands out to me is the rebels interaction with the civilization on Group A. The survivors of Group A, or Burg, are a civilization that is behind the rest of the world. When the rebels first arrive at Burg, the people see them as the enemy; the rebels want to help them but can’t. The citizens hold them and they are tortured, but eventually, the rebels gain their trust. When the rebels first arrive, they are on opposite sides, but as time passes, the rebels befriend the citizens of Burg and soon they are fighting alongside each other against Frank and the Order. This event takes place toward the end of the book. That contributes to my liking of the introduction of this new group of people. This new group energizes the reader toward the end of the book where they might be getting bored. It is just a great element that shows how the rebels behave with another group, and how they try to convince them to join the rebellion.

        I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a science-fiction or dystopian novel. However, I would strongly suggest that you read the first book in the series because you will be confused if you start reading this book. This book is definitely as the high school level. One theme that I think is highlighted and very important in this book is the danger of friendships. After reading this novel, I am sure you will agree with this theme. As I mentioned in the beginning, I am not sure if this book is better than the first book; I feel the first book has more content and action than this book. To be honest, I feel that most of the book is their journey to Group A. However, when the rebels reach Group A, the book gains action. Overall, I give this book a 9 out of 10.

Image: embowman.com