Cold: A Novel

The body of Todd Mayer, naked and frozen, has been found in a park, and detectives are busy with the case, interviewing students and staff at Albright Academy and anyone else who may have information about Todd and his actions on the night of his death. Georgia didn’t know Todd but realizes she has seen him and, therefore, she feels drawn to the mystery. As she learns more about him, Georgia realizes that she and Todd had more in common than she might have thought, and she feels compelled to figure out what happened to him.

Georgia is half-Asian, queer and a natural storyteller. She observes people and events around her more than participating in them. The cliques of mean girls at the school make her life difficult, but Georgia seems able, especially by the end of the novel, to assert herself and follow her own path. She grows as a character by learning more about herself, her family, and her relationships. It is important for her to tell her own story since her mother is a writer of children’s books and too often Georgia is featured in them, often without her prior knowledge and certainly against her will.

In the novel, Todd’s character is a ghost, and every other chapter is told from his point of view. The living Todd was a bright student but a loner, bullied and shamed by his fellow students because of his sexual orientation. His ghost persona is apt since during his life he hovered around the edges rather than participating fully in events. Sadly, it seemed that no one at school really knew Todd nor cared much about him. As a ghost, he continues to be an observer of events and appears, at least on the surface, to be cold and dispassionate as he watches the investigation into his murder.

Rounding out the cast of characters are Georgia’s parents and her brother Mark as well as various students and faculty at Georgia and Todd’s respective schools. Greevy and Daniels are the two police officers involved in the investigation. Many of the characters in the novel are gay, and thus the theme of homophobia is one of the main focuses of the book. Another thematic thread is that of keeping secrets, and it is lies, or at least omissions of the truth, which make it difficult to get to the truth about Todd’s death and how various characters may have been involved.

That said, the ending of the novel is predictable, given the various clues offered by Tamaki. Cold is not a murder mystery which is fast-paced, keeping readers on the edge of their seats unable to put down the book until the case is solved. Rather, it is a slower-moving saga which is more about character and relationships.

Author Tamaki is known for her graphic novels and perhaps this is why the writing in the novel seems very straightforward and, at times, simplistic. Her continued use of italics and capital letters was distracting and seemed unnecessary, at least for this reader. Ditto for her use of language. Almost every character uses vulgar language in everyday, ordinary speech, and this is so pervasive that it means nothing regarding character, nor does it add to the plot. It is a distraction that perhaps is intended to appeal to a certain segment of the target young adult audience.

Homophobia, people who tell half-truths or outright lies, the murder of a young man – these elements are central to the novel, and the result is an unsettling and somewhat depressing book. Todd never was able to live his life nor tell his story. The hopeful note at the end of Cold is that Georgia has learned some valuable lessons and appears ready to move on with her life in a more positive and optimistic manner.