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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
good book and a quick read. liked the plot but wasn’t given the big plot twist i enjoy in mysteries/thrillers. the book was satisfying even though it lacked the plot twist i like to see. you can tell this author put a lot of research into the books because the details are great and help shape the story.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fun YA thriller I didn't want to put down, but probably won't re-read either.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Wow. This was a fantastic story. I picked it up on a quick stop at the store, I admittedly was attracted to the cover. beautiful art! I couldn't put it down until it was finished. The pace is perfect and the change in voice from the main character, Kate, and someone else(not spoiling it!) really kept me hooked. I also really enjoyed the format changes from first person POV, to text messages, to police transcripts, it was so original.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, and I enjoyed it. I thought it was very solid and a fun read, but nothing particularly earth-shattering. I was also expecting a major twist at the end and it didn't have one, so it's my own fault that I was disappointed, not really the fault of the book itself. The writing was fast paced and easy to read, and the main character was likable. Definitely a solid YA thriller with a good bit of romance thrown in and worth reading if you generally like that genre.
This book started off strong, lost steam in the middle, and landed flat on its face at the end. The only thing that kept me reading to the end was my curiosity; I wanted to know who the killer was. The things that bothered me might seem insignificant, but they prevented me from becoming fully absorbed.
I never felt like I had a clear picture of Kate, and I don't just mean what she looks like. I know what she likes to do for fun... but I don't really know who she is. That made it very hard for me to connect with her. It was frustrating because I know Elston had it in her to write a fully fleshed-out character; I have a very clear picture of each of the River Point Boys.
I really didn't like the way Elston wrote the adult characters. It turns me off when parents are written in a way that makes it obvious the author didn't want them to be part of the story but couldn't think of a plausible reason to completely leave them out. That, to me, is lazy. Kate's mom is present throughout but never really *there*. She's always taking a smoke break, stuck working late, and tossing her car keys at Kate so Kate can drive around and get caught spying on people. Mr. Stone, on the other hand, was very much a part of the story. And he was interesting and likeable until he did something that was out of character and clearly just meant to service the plot. Another turnoff.
Then there's the ending. The killer wasn't who I thought it was... but the reveal wasn't that exciting. But perhaps that's mostly because I just didn't care at that point and wanted to be done with the book so I could start a new one.
One thing I really liked about this book: dual perspective. Most of the story is told from Kate's point of view, but there are short sections told from the killer's perspective. It really added interest to the story and kept me reading even when I was feeling bored by Kate.
This book was an entertaining quick read, but I'm not rushing to recommend it to anyone.
I never felt like I had a clear picture of Kate, and I don't just mean what she looks like. I know what she likes to do for fun... but I don't really know who she is. That made it very hard for me to connect with her. It was frustrating because I know Elston had it in her to write a fully fleshed-out character; I have a very clear picture of each of the River Point Boys.
I really didn't like the way Elston wrote the adult characters. It turns me off when parents are written in a way that makes it obvious the author didn't want them to be part of the story but couldn't think of a plausible reason to completely leave them out. That, to me, is lazy. Kate's mom is present throughout but never really *there*. She's always taking a smoke break, stuck working late, and tossing her car keys at Kate so Kate can drive around and get caught spying on people. Mr. Stone, on the other hand, was very much a part of the story. And he was interesting and likeable until he did something that was out of character and clearly just meant to service the plot. Another turnoff.
Then there's the ending. The killer wasn't who I thought it was... but the reveal wasn't that exciting. But perhaps that's mostly because I just didn't care at that point and wanted to be done with the book so I could start a new one.
One thing I really liked about this book: dual perspective. Most of the story is told from Kate's point of view, but there are short sections told from the killer's perspective. It really added interest to the story and kept me reading even when I was feeling bored by Kate.
This book was an entertaining quick read, but I'm not rushing to recommend it to anyone.
That. Was. So. Good. Literally devoured this book in one evening. While I guessed and gasped at a few twists and turns along the way, I can honesty say I did not guess the correct... ending. :) hashtag spoiler free. The alternating POVs were so cool and the transcriptions with the MC’s added descriptions really made it that much more intriguing.
3.5
Nothing bad but nothing special.
Quick read, little slow in the beginning, but I enjoyed the ending.
Nothing bad but nothing special.
Quick read, little slow in the beginning, but I enjoyed the ending.