Antarctica's Frozen Chosen

Antarctica’s Frozen Chosen by Hazel Edwards is a riveting story about a young person’s time in Antarctica told in an authentic voice. Kyle, a young lab worker, has the opportunity to go to Antarctica for the summer at short notice to take the place of someone who is injured. His role is to gather data about the ele-seals for his boss, a Professor who has a passion for these creatures. Kyle goes on the voyage and has an incredible range of experiences. As the story is told by Kyle this allows the author to pose many questions and deliberate and muse about much of what is happening. Through emails to his girlfriend Jade in Spain Kyle tells of what happens during the voyage South and then the events that unfold while the ship is beset in the pack-ice. There are many exciting events that happen and serious issues such as mutiny and eco-terrorism faced in the course of what seems a routine voyage. As well as these Hazel Edwards enables the reader to have a good insight into what life is like aboard a polar supply ship with most of the crew and passengers having little to do when beset, how people who have disparate interests must get on together in this unusual situation and how they depend on each other. Much is learned about the Antarctic and about human nature and what motivates and drives people – and the lengths they will go to to achieve their beliefs.
Young people from lower secondary level onward will find much to interest them in this book.