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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Now this is the fluff I've been looking for! And I know it has a murder and everything, but it's still delicious, delicious fluff.
We'll get the bad stuff out of the way first: it was cliched. I guessed who the villain was as soon as they appeared in the book. I even guessed the why of the murder correctly. If you've seen enough cop shows, you'll get it, too. And the love triangle was weak. There's nice-guy ex-boyfriend Justin, who has always accepted Clare for exactly who she is, but whose betrayal Clare can't forgive. And there's bad-boy cop's son Gabriel (comes complete with mysterious tattoo!) who thinks Clare and her family are frauds (they are for realz psychic). Both boys were cookie-cutter and I do not care who she ends up with. Also, I wanted to shake sense into Clare's mom, who acts about sixteen years old most of the book.
BUT none of those complaints matter. Why? Because it was just...fluffy. And not boring. And nothing that was wrong with the book bothered me while I was reading. It's basically like a Meg Cabot book. Sure, it's about as substantial as cotton candy, but who cares? It's so enjoyable while it lasts.
I think my favorite part of the book was Clare being in the family business, which is to be psychic. Mom can read minds, brother can talk to ghosts and Clare can glimpse the past through touching objects. It's a fun twist to the whole I-have-to-work-at-my-parent's-business thing. Giving psychic readings is much cooler than working in your parent's grocery store! But both come with certain obligations and responsibilities and the complicated dynamics of family. Also liked that Clare's brother was the main murder suspect (to the police, not to Clare). It gave Clare more of an incentive to actually solve the murder and again has the family dynamic thing that really gets me in stories (ah, blood loyalties).
This is pretty much the perfect beach read. You can practically smell the ocean from the book (takes place in the summer in an East Coast beach town).
One more thing that's not a knock on the book but that has been bothering me recently that happened to come up in the book: you know how sometimes in movies (and books) bystanders have completely unnatural reactions to actual events and instead act as audience surrogates? Like, at the end of The Proposal the two main characters share The Big Kiss and everyone in the audience is going Awww and inwardly cheering. But, strangely, the other employees who are standing around during The Big Kiss scene form a circle around the couple and start clapping. You know what real people would do if they saw their co-worker and boss making out in the middle of the office? Either start gossiping like mad immediately or give looks of disgusts and silent disdain toward unnecessary PDA in the office. This relates back to Clarity because there's a scene where Clare confronts the resident Mean Girl in the restaurant where Mean Girl works. Mean Girl spit in Clare's drink and after some sniping between them, Clare throws her drink at Mean Girl. The audience, of course, cheers, because we hate Mean Girl. Weirdly, though, cop and cop's son (aforementioned love interest Gabriel), who have never met Clare before and probably only know Mean Girl as their waitress, are all impressed and give her "give 'em hell!" looks. Umm....if a random girl threw a drink at the waitress, I wouldn't know if they were bitter rivals or if random girl was just angry because her food was cold. I'd be a little worried if she came over to my table and started talking to me.
We'll get the bad stuff out of the way first: it was cliched. I guessed who the villain was as soon as they appeared in the book. I even guessed the why of the murder correctly. If you've seen enough cop shows, you'll get it, too. And the love triangle was weak. There's nice-guy ex-boyfriend Justin, who has always accepted Clare for exactly who she is, but whose betrayal Clare can't forgive. And there's bad-boy cop's son Gabriel (comes complete with mysterious tattoo!) who thinks Clare and her family are frauds (they are for realz psychic). Both boys were cookie-cutter and I do not care who she ends up with. Also, I wanted to shake sense into Clare's mom, who acts about sixteen years old most of the book.
BUT none of those complaints matter. Why? Because it was just...fluffy. And not boring. And nothing that was wrong with the book bothered me while I was reading. It's basically like a Meg Cabot book. Sure, it's about as substantial as cotton candy, but who cares? It's so enjoyable while it lasts.
I think my favorite part of the book was Clare being in the family business, which is to be psychic. Mom can read minds, brother can talk to ghosts and Clare can glimpse the past through touching objects. It's a fun twist to the whole I-have-to-work-at-my-parent's-business thing. Giving psychic readings is much cooler than working in your parent's grocery store! But both come with certain obligations and responsibilities and the complicated dynamics of family. Also liked that Clare's brother was the main murder suspect (to the police, not to Clare). It gave Clare more of an incentive to actually solve the murder and again has the family dynamic thing that really gets me in stories (ah, blood loyalties).
This is pretty much the perfect beach read. You can practically smell the ocean from the book (takes place in the summer in an East Coast beach town).
One more thing that's not a knock on the book but that has been bothering me recently that happened to come up in the book: you know how sometimes in movies (and books) bystanders have completely unnatural reactions to actual events and instead act as audience surrogates? Like, at the end of The Proposal the two main characters share The Big Kiss and everyone in the audience is going Awww and inwardly cheering. But, strangely, the other employees who are standing around during The Big Kiss scene form a circle around the couple and start clapping. You know what real people would do if they saw their co-worker and boss making out in the middle of the office? Either start gossiping like mad immediately or give looks of disgusts and silent disdain toward unnecessary PDA in the office. This relates back to Clarity because there's a scene where Clare confronts the resident Mean Girl in the restaurant where Mean Girl works. Mean Girl spit in Clare's drink and after some sniping between them, Clare throws her drink at Mean Girl. The audience, of course, cheers, because we hate Mean Girl. Weirdly, though, cop and cop's son (aforementioned love interest Gabriel), who have never met Clare before and probably only know Mean Girl as their waitress, are all impressed and give her "give 'em hell!" looks. Umm....if a random girl threw a drink at the waitress, I wouldn't know if they were bitter rivals or if random girl was just angry because her food was cold. I'd be a little worried if she came over to my table and started talking to me.
Clarity is a decent and entertaining debut, but I'm struggling to find anything especially unique or memorable about it. There's nothing that sets it apart from other YA paranormal mysteries. (It's very similar to [b:The Body Finder|6261522|The Body Finder (The Body Finder, #1)|Kimberly Derting|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358266631s/6261522.jpg|6196751], but not quite as good).
Clare has the ability to sense visions and memories whenever she touches an object. When a teenage girl is found murdered and her brother is one of the prime suspects, Clare decides to team up with the police to solve the case using her special powers.
Like the story itself, Clare is a decent heroine, but not especially noteworthy or memorable. She's the same as every other protagonist in the paranormal mystery genre - sassy, smart and loyal - and I just wish there was a bit more depth to her.
There is a love triangle here between Justin, Clare's ex-boyfriend (the sweet golden boy), and Gabriel, the detective's son (the mysterious bad boy). The love triangle was one I was a bit ambivalent about. It wasn't completely necessary to the story, but it didn't overpower the plot either.
The mystery itself is mediocre. The murderer is rather obvious, and I wish there were more red herrings and twists to make the reveal more surprising and unpredictable.
All in all, Clarity is not a bad book, but it's not a great book either. If you don't mind reading about a lot of common YA troupes, you'll probably find this to be an entertaining and quick read.
Like other reviewers have said, I thought the best part of this book was the main character, Clare/Clarity. Her voice was very believable for her age, and showed the right amount of development through the story.
That said, I have to say that I was not impressed by the first few chapters. I found the characters a bit shallow, and most of the backstory/character introductions were told instead of shown. The writing style took a while to grow on me as well, as it seemed a bit too simplistic.
Also, the whole family of psychics idea felt a little flat, at first. I was skeptical whether or not a murder mystery could pull of the secondary plot of being a psychic. But, I was pleasantly surprised by the end. I grew to like some of the characters--although some were still flat--and the psychic story thread was woven in well to the overall story.
After the first few chapters, I did find myself getting into the plot more. I was so sure I had picked out the murderer--but nope! I was wrong. (Though I still think the person I picked is suspicious...maybe in the next book.) The build-up and the tension were very well done; I was definitely sucked in. There were a lot of characters in this for the length, but many of them were interesting and popped up unexpected in places. The whole father plot line as an insert for the next book in the series (I assume) was a bit iffy, but I will withhold judgment until the next book, which I plan on reading.
Overall, I give this book three stars, since I did enjoy reading it. If you're looking for a quick, simple murder mystery involving teen drama and a strong female narrator, this is the book for you.
That said, I have to say that I was not impressed by the first few chapters. I found the characters a bit shallow, and most of the backstory/character introductions were told instead of shown. The writing style took a while to grow on me as well, as it seemed a bit too simplistic.
Also, the whole family of psychics idea felt a little flat, at first. I was skeptical whether or not a murder mystery could pull of the secondary plot of being a psychic. But, I was pleasantly surprised by the end. I grew to like some of the characters--although some were still flat--and the psychic story thread was woven in well to the overall story.
After the first few chapters, I did find myself getting into the plot more. I was so sure I had picked out the murderer--but nope! I was wrong. (Though I still think the person I picked is suspicious...maybe in the next book.) The build-up and the tension were very well done; I was definitely sucked in. There were a lot of characters in this for the length, but many of them were interesting and popped up unexpected in places. The whole father plot line as an insert for the next book in the series (I assume) was a bit iffy, but I will withhold judgment until the next book, which I plan on reading.
Overall, I give this book three stars, since I did enjoy reading it. If you're looking for a quick, simple murder mystery involving teen drama and a strong female narrator, this is the book for you.
"Clarity" was a quick, entertaining read. I enjoyed the fact that it was a mystery with a twist - a teenage girl with the ability to see the past by touching objects belonging to others. When a girl is murdered in her small coastal town, Clare works with the son of the police detective and her ex-boyfriend to determine the truth behind her death. I think the premise of the book was interesting, because the author spun Clare's ability as more of a family inheritance rather than a superpower and the story never strayed into paranormal romance.
Clare "Clarity" Fern, the lead character, served well as a narrator, but overall was not a very deep character. The book was short, had a decent premise, and held my interest, but I had determined the truth behind the mystery long before the characters in the story did, and was finished with the book very quickly. It is not a book I would read again, but it was not a waste of time, either. I would recommend it for anyone looking for a light, entertaining mystery.
Clare "Clarity" Fern, the lead character, served well as a narrator, but overall was not a very deep character. The book was short, had a decent premise, and held my interest, but I had determined the truth behind the mystery long before the characters in the story did, and was finished with the book very quickly. It is not a book I would read again, but it was not a waste of time, either. I would recommend it for anyone looking for a light, entertaining mystery.
Great book for much need genre in teen fiction...the mystery. I enjoyed following along as Clare tried to piece together who killed eighteen year old Victoria in a motel near house on Cape Cod. I like the idea of a family that consist of a psychic, a telepath, and medium. I hope Clare and her unusual family have chance to solve more crimes.
loved this book it was one of the first books i ever read on my own, and once i started reading it i couldnt make myself put it down.
The mystery elements of the story were a bit uninspired, but I enjoyed the characters and Kim Harrington's writing style. Nice, breezy read.
Clarity is a wonderfully witty, humorous and interesting novel. It tells the story of Clarity Fern, who has visions and comes from a family of psychics. When her brother Periwinkle becomes a suspect in a murder, she decides that she has to clear his name.
First of all, if the names Clarity and Periwinkle (a guy's name!) doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will. Clarity is hilarious! While she most certainly can do without her gift, she deals with it with a lot of grace and punch. She doesn't take BS and she's most certainly a feisty character. If you're looking for a novel with great narration, this is it.
Another great thing about Clarity is that it incorporates a murder-mystery into a YA novel and it's done well. I was left guessing as to who was responsible for the murders and I was definitely surprised at the revelations. Little twists and turns are like small bonuses in this story.
I suppose love triangles are something all YA novels must have now, but for this one, I think it might have been better if there wasn't any. Don't get me wrong, both boys have their qualities and their presence certainly spiced things up but I just got the sense that it could have been a lot better without a love triangle. I'm TEAM JUSTIN, by the way.
The ending, while not a cliffhanger, leaves a small opening for a sequel and if Kim Harrington keeps this up, this is definitely a series to keep your eye on. :)
First of all, if the names Clarity and Periwinkle (a guy's name!) doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will. Clarity is hilarious! While she most certainly can do without her gift, she deals with it with a lot of grace and punch. She doesn't take BS and she's most certainly a feisty character. If you're looking for a novel with great narration, this is it.
Another great thing about Clarity is that it incorporates a murder-mystery into a YA novel and it's done well. I was left guessing as to who was responsible for the murders and I was definitely surprised at the revelations. Little twists and turns are like small bonuses in this story.
I suppose love triangles are something all YA novels must have now, but for this one, I think it might have been better if there wasn't any. Don't get me wrong, both boys have their qualities and their presence certainly spiced things up but I just got the sense that it could have been a lot better without a love triangle. I'm TEAM JUSTIN, by the way.
The ending, while not a cliffhanger, leaves a small opening for a sequel and if Kim Harrington keeps this up, this is definitely a series to keep your eye on. :)
http://nyx-shadow.blogspot.fr/2012/08/visions-t1-visions-kim-harrington.html