BLACK ICE
Written By: xhighhopes

» Status: Completed (in editing)
» Type: FanFiction, Luke Hemmings, 5SOS
» Genre: Drama, Coming-of-Age
» Warnings / Triggers: Suicide, Depression, Anxiety, Rape, Bullying, Abuse, Profane Language, and Sexual Themes

Winner of the 2018 Waste The Night Awards:
Vanguard Division

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As I contemplate how I want to craft this review, I have come to the realization that this will take me a serious amount of time. Why, you might ask? Well, that is because BLACK ICE is a story that deserves a heartfelt, exceptionally well written review that does it justice.

This fanfic is more than a fanfic. It is a story that completely crushes all archetypes of fanfiction writing. This is a book that defies what it means to be a fanfiction, and has single handedly become the rebel of 5SOS storytelling. With a diverse set of dynamic, multidimensional characters, mixed together with a timeline of heart pounding events, it is obvious as to why BLACK ICE has won the Waste The Night Pioneer Award.

During the winter in small town Harrison, we meet Reese Fletcher. She is your seemingly typical teenaged girl on a journey towards finishing her high school career. With her red hair, dull blue eyes, and a mousey demeanor, our protagonist is known as the school's freak. Instead of fighting her entire school on this notion, Reese embraces it. However, she doesn't welcome this perception in a positive way, and that's the first indication that her mental stability is on an unparalleled descent. Just when things couldn't get worse, they do.

Reese's life is hit with great impact— literally.

Luke Hemmings is classified as a bonafide asshole. He has no regard for anyone but himself. His most prized possession is his black Range Rover, and when it comes to the act of sympathy, Luke lacks the heart. He comes from an affluent family, he's worshipped by the female population, and has a group of loyal friends. Luke has every reason to be thankful for the life he lives, but treats it and everyone else around him, like vermin.

While this may seem like a classic tale of the school's weirdo stealing the heart of the pretentious popular boy, rest assured, it is not. BLACK ICE is 53 chapters of notable moments that steer clear of any fanfiction cliches. The author has impeccable talent for emotional and sensory detail. Audiences don't just read the words of a great story— they feel the tale electrifying their soul, heart, and bones.

This story is brimming with creative themes and thought provoking motifs. We see a young girl face trauma over and over again, while exploring the idea of existence itself. Reese gets sucked into a deep pit of soul-crushing tar by the hands of her peers, her abuser, and most heart-wrenchingly, her parents. As our leading lady navigates through life, she's has to decide if her place on this world is truly worth something.

At the same time, Luke realizes that the pedestal he stands on, isn't as Olympian as he once thought. He falls into constant conflict; an inner battle between who he thinks he is, who he really is, and how he should feel— especially after his Range Rover hits a patch of black ice, thus recalibrating the world he thought he owned.

Reese Fletcher no longer is a thorn on Luke's side, and instead inadvertently ignites something in him. While the two protagonists pilot their lives, both Reese and Luke see each other for what their souls have to offer. They are two characters on the opposite sides of a spectrum, fusing together unexpectedly yet beautifully at the same time.

The author, xhighhopes, has created an extraordinary tale worth every word read; worth every emotion felt. I hope others will jump into the front seat and take a ride with Reese Fletcher and Luke Hemmings — the black ice beneath the tires isn't the most alarming part, it's the desolating aftershock that creates a collision of utmost impact.

Are you ready?