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czoltak's review
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book was like a bad soap opera. The characters were annoying, the dialogue was cringy, and the plot was completely over the top. However, there was something weirdly, compulsively readable about this that made it hard to put down. Points to the audiobook and that fact for making it so I read this book in only a matter of hours 🤷‍♀️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Murder, Drug use, Death, and Drug abuse
theoceanrose's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Bullying, and Death
jenn_o_3's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
Read her other books instead
I love this author so was disappointed by this book. It just wasn’t as good as her other novels. I know this is more of a thriller than a mystery, but thrillers usually rely on perilous circumstances to create tension while most of the tension here was all in Lia’s head. It was like being in a non-stop panic attack.
The whole second half of the book is Lia dealing with her guilt about Werner’s death. I’ve seen a lot of people in the reviews call it murder, but he was trying to kill her. Even if her actions killed him, and it’s not clear they did, it would be self defense. But it really was an accident in the midst of an assault BY HIM!! I can understand her not trusting the cops after all the adults who’ve already betrayed her so far in the story, but the starving herself out of guilt seems misplaced. Speaking of that, she’s on a track scholarship and the coach doesn’t notice she’s dropped too much weight until the day of the meet?
At the end, they never explain why Lia is wearing an ankle monitor. They say Danny never revealed her involvement in Werner’s death, and the rich parents covered up the drugs. What was she guilty of?
Less important, but annoying, is the track storyline makes no sense. There’s only 8 girls on the track team? They never mention the boys track team even though meets are always mixed. Track on the west coast is a spring sport, not fall. Sports college scholarships aren’t offered to sophomores. Her coach doesn’t notice that she’s lost an unhealthy amount of weight? If you’re going to make something a large part of your character’s story, do some basic research.
I love this author so was disappointed by this book. It just wasn’t as good as her other novels. I know this is more of a thriller than a mystery, but thrillers usually rely on perilous circumstances to create tension while most of the tension here was all in Lia’s head. It was like being in a non-stop panic attack.
The whole second half of the book is Lia
At the end, they never explain why Lia is wearing an ankle monitor. They say Danny never revealed her involvement in Werner’s death, and the rich parents covered up the drugs. What was she guilty of?
Less important, but annoying, is the track storyline makes no sense. There’s only 8 girls on the track team? They never mention the boys track team even though meets are always mixed. Track on the west coast is a spring sport, not fall. Sports college scholarships aren’t offered to sophomores. Her coach doesn’t notice that she’s lost an unhealthy amount of weight? If you’re going to make something a large part of your character’s story, do some basic research.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Racism, Drug abuse, and Bullying
casualspoons's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
While the general arc of this mystery is predictable, there were certainly a few surprises for me along the way. And despite knowing where this mystery would end, I tore through this book in a matter of days (which is fast for me.) I don’t think I’ll re read this one, but I’m glad I picked up another book by Jesse Q. Sutanto and will certainly do so again in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Racism, and Emotional abuse
honestlyyours77's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I will note that I listened to the audio version of this book which I fear is completely responsible for my lack of enjoyment of it.
I wish there was a user based app where there was at least an audio book section to rate the reading of the book since it has such an impact on the consumption of the work.
I wanted to scream at the characters but most likely because of how Eunice Wong performed it. I honestly wonder if some of there female audio readers of a certain age have ever had interactions with a teen. Their caricature like performances are getting more and more ridiculous and completely taking the consumer out of the story. This may not be the authors fault directly but they are ultimately responsible for their work and need to figure out something better as not to ruin their novels.
Audio readers need to walk the line of reading the book with energy and nuance to get a reader engaged and know the intent of the emotion going on but not step into completely taking over and not allowing the consumer to build their vision of the world being put forth.
Spoilers…
For the book. It was terribly predictable. Just once I would like the nice good looking boyfriend that the protagonist didn’t think they could “get”, to not be the culprit in the end. Other than the predictability if it, it is contributing to a very sexist mindset in many facets.
The biggest issue with the work is that it’s simply not believable. While nobody should be ridiculed or even commented on for their race, sex, financial status etc… it’s no wonder she isn’t liked as she is so over the top.
Stories are recycled often and that is fine but you need to do it well and this just does not hit the mark. It has the “been there , heard that” feeling of gossip girl, mean girls and a hint of pretty little liars all rolled into one and it just doesn’t live up.
It was also an edited mess. There were many holes that should have been caught by the editors or in the editing the holes inadvertently got created. Either way it was a fail.
Positives? The color of the cover is pretty. It’s also nice to have diverse characters that are from different cultures. I just just a shame it didn’t have more positives to go along with it.
I wish there was a user based app where there was at least an audio book section to rate the reading of the book since it has such an impact on the consumption of the work.
I wanted to scream at the characters but most likely because of how Eunice Wong performed it. I honestly wonder if some of there female audio readers of a certain age have ever had interactions with a teen. Their caricature like performances are getting more and more ridiculous and completely taking the consumer out of the story. This may not be the authors fault directly but they are ultimately responsible for their work and need to figure out something better as not to ruin their novels.
Audio readers need to walk the line of reading the book with energy and nuance to get a reader engaged and know the intent of the emotion going on but not step into completely taking over and not allowing the consumer to build their vision of the world being put forth.
Spoilers…
For the book. It was terribly predictable. Just once I would like the nice good looking boyfriend that the protagonist didn’t think they could “get”, to not be the culprit in the end. Other than the predictability if it, it is contributing to a very sexist mindset in many facets.
The biggest issue with the work is that it’s simply not believable. While nobody should be ridiculed or even commented on for their race, sex, financial status etc… it’s no wonder she isn’t liked as she is so over the top.
Stories are recycled often and that is fine but you need to do it well and this just does not hit the mark. It has the “been there , heard that” feeling of gossip girl, mean girls and a hint of pretty little liars all rolled into one and it just doesn’t live up.
It was also an edited mess. There were many holes that should have been caught by the editors or in the editing the holes inadvertently got created. Either way it was a fail.
Positives? The color of the cover is pretty. It’s also nice to have diverse characters that are from different cultures. I just just a shame it didn’t have more positives to go along with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Bullying, and Drug abuse
mollyolloxenfree25's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Drug use and Drug abuse
jasmineslibraryy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
train wreck but in a fun messy teenage girl way
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Vomit, Bullying, Murder, Drug use, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Cursing, Racism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Physical abuse, Addiction, Death, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Stalking, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
britbrit29's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Racism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Classism
wulfwyn's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I read The Obsession and needed more. The New Girl was written after but I'm not sure if it takes place the same time as The Obsession or before. Read them both.
We get to know a lot about Lia. I liked her and kept rooting for her even after she started making questionable choices. I liked Stacey and Beth. Danny was the perfect boyfriend. The others, I either disliked or was ambivalent about them.
I really enjoyed how the story unfolded and all the twists that suddenly would appear. I kept guessing at who did what. I was correct a few times. But all those other times, when a twist popped up, kept me turning pages. If twisty YA is your thing, pick this up.
We get to know a lot about Lia. I liked her and kept rooting for her even after she started making questionable choices. I liked Stacey and Beth. Danny was the perfect boyfriend. The others, I either disliked or was ambivalent about them.
I really enjoyed how the story unfolded and all the twists that suddenly would appear. I kept guessing at who did what. I was correct a few times. But all those other times, when a twist popped up, kept me turning pages. If twisty YA is your thing, pick this up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Bullying
Moderate: Eating disorder, Classism, and Murder
shaerikireads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Drug use, Violence, and Drug abuse