Scan barcode
avanders's review against another edition
4.0
Review based on ARC.
I'd never heard of Norah McClintock, but I should have. She writes YA mysteries and, if this one is any indication, they're fast, fun, and surprising!
About that Night is a book that mostly focuses on the disappearance of a popular teenage boy one cold night after Christmas. However, the same night that Derek disappears, a popular high school teacher Elise also disappears. Is it just an unlucky night, or are the two related? Elise is found relative quickly and her disappearance is explained relatively quickly. But Derek's lingering disappearance becomes the mystery of the story.
Jordie, Derek's girlfriend, and the reader know more than the cops for a majority of the story. There are little details to which we are privy, and yet it's not obvious. While Jordie is trying to solve the mystery and save the lives (or quality of lives) of the potentially innocent, so is the reader.
The pacing of the book is fast and energetic, constantly presenting a new theory, hitch, or clue for the reader to chew on. The characters, while not particularly likable, are relatable and feel like normal people in extraordinary circumstances.
The ultimate resolution.... well, you'll have to read it to find out. But I will say I ended the book and my first thought was "whoa." So I recommend to anyone looking for a quick mystery to pass a few hours. (And I note that I didn't think the fact that it's a YA detracted at all from the mystery.)
I'd never heard of Norah McClintock, but I should have. She writes YA mysteries and, if this one is any indication, they're fast, fun, and surprising!
About that Night is a book that mostly focuses on the disappearance of a popular teenage boy one cold night after Christmas. However, the same night that Derek disappears, a popular high school teacher Elise also disappears. Is it just an unlucky night, or are the two related? Elise is found relative quickly and her disappearance is explained relatively quickly. But Derek's lingering disappearance becomes the mystery of the story.
Jordie, Derek's girlfriend, and the reader know more than the cops for a majority of the story. There are little details to which we are privy, and yet it's not obvious. While Jordie is trying to solve the mystery and save the lives (or quality of lives) of the potentially innocent, so is the reader.
The pacing of the book is fast and energetic, constantly presenting a new theory, hitch, or clue for the reader to chew on. The characters, while not particularly likable, are relatable and feel like normal people in extraordinary circumstances.
The ultimate resolution.... well, you'll have to read it to find out. But I will say I ended the book and my first thought was "whoa." So I recommend to anyone looking for a quick mystery to pass a few hours. (And I note that I didn't think the fact that it's a YA detracted at all from the mystery.)
melbsreads's review against another edition
3.0
Trigger warnings: murder, bullying.
This was........boring, tbh. A woman wanders off into the depths of a Canadian winter. Nearby, a teenage boy has a fight with his girlfriend and walks off into the night. Essentially, it sounded like it should have been gripping and atmospheric and generally great.
Instead, what I got were cardboard cutout characters that I didn't care about. The protagonist was...a bitch, to be honest. The whole plot basically hinges around her dating a nice guy that she doesn't really like because her bad boy boyfriend broke up with her. Despite her boyfriend having disappeared, she spends half the book trying to track down a bracelet her ex gave her, and I. just. didn't. caaaaaaaaaaare.
So yeah. It wasn't BAD, per se. It was just...dull. And repetitive. And full of meh characters.
This was........boring, tbh. A woman wanders off into the depths of a Canadian winter. Nearby, a teenage boy has a fight with his girlfriend and walks off into the night. Essentially, it sounded like it should have been gripping and atmospheric and generally great.
Instead, what I got were cardboard cutout characters that I didn't care about. The protagonist was...a bitch, to be honest. The whole plot basically hinges around her dating a nice guy that she doesn't really like because her bad boy boyfriend broke up with her. Despite her boyfriend having disappeared, she spends half the book trying to track down a bracelet her ex gave her, and I. just. didn't. caaaaaaaaaaare.
So yeah. It wasn't BAD, per se. It was just...dull. And repetitive. And full of meh characters.
julesgou's review against another edition
3.0
I am on the fence with this novel.
The crime aspect was done well, I thought that it was interesting how it played out. I liked the way that it was written as well.
However, Jordie tended to annoy me. It was all about her ex-boyfriend. What about Derek? The thing that I didn't like was that she never really seemed to mourn him. It was always about Ronan. She didn't really do anything for Derek, she did it for Ronan. I mean, Derek disappeared in her mind and it was like she didn't even give him a passing thought. I couldn't understand that. Even if she didn't love him, she should still mourn him. She didn't and I can't comprehend that.
Other than the whole Jordie thing, I quite enjoyed this novel. I would definitely read more of McClintock's work. It was a quick and interesting read!
The crime aspect was done well, I thought that it was interesting how it played out. I liked the way that it was written as well.
However, Jordie tended to annoy me. It was all about her ex-boyfriend. What about Derek? The thing that I didn't like was that she never really seemed to mourn him. It was always about Ronan. She didn't really do anything for Derek, she did it for Ronan. I mean, Derek disappeared in her mind and it was like she didn't even give him a passing thought. I couldn't understand that. Even if she didn't love him, she should still mourn him. She didn't and I can't comprehend that.
Other than the whole Jordie thing, I quite enjoyed this novel. I would definitely read more of McClintock's work. It was a quick and interesting read!
More...