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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nearly knows what it’s like to be the focus of negative attention. After all, her mother is a popular exotic dancer in town. Still, she’s figured out a way to stay under the radar...right up until the personal ads she’s obsessed with single her out with a challenge “Come find me”. The problem is, when she follows the clues she finds the dead bodies of her classmates. Now, the police think that she’s involved and the killer continues to taunt her from the pages of the newspaper. If she doesn’t figure out the killer’s end game, she could be his next victims.
I’m sure I have mentioned this no less than ten times on the blog, Nearly Gone was one of my most anticipated reads of 2014. It immediately grabbed me by the synopsis and I could not wait to finally get my hands on it.
Nearly was a fantastic main character. She was incredibly smart, and worked very hard to get there. She was very determined to get somewhere after high school and that was a very redeeming quality in her. The determination also helped her push through to try to figure out who was killing her classmates. Reece, the badass classmate was also a character I liked as well. No surprise here, he drives a motorcycle, he’s gritty, and has a dangerous story. I fall for this trope every time, and there was no exception here.
The mystery aspect was really well done. It was unbelievable at parts but it kept me hanging on to the very last page. I actually did not get up until I finished it from beginning to end! I loved that science was woven into every clue, and the killer played into the fact that Nearly was obsessed with reading the personal ads. It’s impossible to trust hardly any of the characters, I had no idea what was going on, who was guilty, who played a part… I was all of the place. I love that in a thriller, because that’s how I want to feel when I’m reading. Nearly is incredibly smart, but despite that, she doesn’t do some silly things however. That’s what made the story unbelievable at times, but it’s so attention grabbing, I didn’t think about it while I was reading it.
One of my favorite things about this story was that although Nearly lived in a trailer park her life didn’t have that stereotypical aspect of that is normally depicted. Often the parents are not around, abusive, drug addicts, etc… but that’s not the case for Nearly. Sure, her mother is a stripper, but it’s to provide the best life she can for Nearly after her father abandons them. She wasn’t the best mother ever, but she did what she could for Nearly, and it was obvious she loved her very much. I enjoyed that because the stereotype is not the way for everyone that has grown up in a trailer park but that’s what is normally portrayed in books.
I was pleasantly, pleasantly surprised with the ending and who the killer actually was. I expected to figure out this mystery long before the ending and I didn’t.. when it was revealed who it was, I definitely had a bit of a WTF moment. I was kept guessing the entire time, and Elle Cosimano does a great job of making you think the killer is EVERY character that Nearly encounters. Wow, I was shocked!
Elle Cosimano’s debut novel is sure to keep you guessing and I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a great YA thriller.
Nearly was a fantastic main character. She was incredibly smart, and worked very hard to get there. She was very determined to get somewhere after high school and that was a very redeeming quality in her. The determination also helped her push through to try to figure out who was killing her classmates. Reece, the badass classmate was also a character I liked as well. No surprise here, he drives a motorcycle, he’s gritty, and has a dangerous story. I fall for this trope every time, and there was no exception here.
The mystery aspect was really well done. It was unbelievable at parts but it kept me hanging on to the very last page. I actually did not get up until I finished it from beginning to end! I loved that science was woven into every clue, and the killer played into the fact that Nearly was obsessed with reading the personal ads. It’s impossible to trust hardly any of the characters, I had no idea what was going on, who was guilty, who played a part… I was all of the place. I love that in a thriller, because that’s how I want to feel when I’m reading. Nearly is incredibly smart, but despite that, she doesn’t do some silly things however. That’s what made the story unbelievable at times, but it’s so attention grabbing, I didn’t think about it while I was reading it.
One of my favorite things about this story was that although Nearly lived in a trailer park her life didn’t have that stereotypical aspect of that is normally depicted. Often the parents are not around, abusive, drug addicts, etc… but that’s not the case for Nearly. Sure, her mother is a stripper, but it’s to provide the best life she can for Nearly after her father abandons them. She wasn’t the best mother ever, but she did what she could for Nearly, and it was obvious she loved her very much. I enjoyed that because the stereotype is not the way for everyone that has grown up in a trailer park but that’s what is normally portrayed in books.
I was pleasantly, pleasantly surprised with the ending and who the killer actually was. I expected to figure out this mystery long before the ending and I didn’t.. when it was revealed who it was, I definitely had a bit of a WTF moment. I was kept guessing the entire time, and Elle Cosimano does a great job of making you think the killer is EVERY character that Nearly encounters. Wow, I was shocked!
Elle Cosimano’s debut novel is sure to keep you guessing and I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a great YA thriller.
More reviews at YA Book Queens!
3.5 Stars
I must warn you first that I am really into bad boys in young adult literature. I don't know why, but they thrill me. I suppose I liked Nearly Gone as much as I did because Nearly reminded me of myself in many ways. Firstly, I'm very competitive and serious when it comes to my grades. I constantly compete with the smartest kids in my class to set the learning curve (I fail most of the time, but I still try). Secondly, I love puzzles. They confuse the heck out of me, but I love them. Thirdly, Nearly likes bad boys. Yeah, I like bad boys as well.
The best thing about this novel is that I never guessed who the actual culprit was. I usually have a pretty good guess by the end of the novel, but by the end of Nearly Gone, I was completely lost because the person I thought was the culprit was completely and utterly innocent. I love mystery/thriller novels, therefore I was extremely glad that Nearly Gone actually made the reading experience enjoyable for me. I was literally on the edge of my seat while reading in the car.
The characters, in my opinion, were intriguing. Each one had a back story (except the thugs. I really had no idea where they were coming from, but then again, they're thugs) that held weight and wasn't just there. And the killer's motive made sense at the end. Sure, it was a bit warped, but it made sense, which is all I really care about.
For a debut novel, I think Nearly Gone surprised me in a good way. I found this at Costco today, so I bought it, and I honestly didn't expect to read it in one day. I've been in a reading slump lately, so to just pick up and book and polish it off like desert felt amazing. There were a few subjects not touched on like how Nearly could feel someone's emotions when she touched them (I wish this was elaborated on a bit more), but in the end I don't feel like I'm missing out on too much.
I really enjoyed the idea of narcs (Narcotics officer) being in this novel. After watching the movie Snitch, I've been interested in undercover criminals busting drug deals, so this book was perfect for me. I'm surprised to find myself waiting to reread this novel in the future since I don't usually reread. I honestly really enjoyed it.
To touch on Reece's stalker-like behavior a bit, it wasn't all that bad. In his defense, he was told to watch over Nearly. It was only when it wasn't a job for him anymore that it became a little creepy. He breaks into her locker to trifle through her stuff, forces her to kiss him in the hallway, and a few other things like that. Unsurprisingly, I still managed to liked Reece by the end of the novel. A lot. (Like I said, I have a thing for bad boys. So sue me. I'm a young teenager.)
In conclusion, Nearly Gone was an entertaining read, and it managed to keep my interest throughout the entire day, which books these days can't seem to do all that often. I bounce between books a lot, but Nearly Gone kept me from doing that. I can't wait to reread this book in the future. But I do warn you that if you're a person who isn't into bad boys and the justification of bad behavior due to hotness level, then this book isn't likely for you. But who knows? You still might enjoy it as much as I did!
3.5 Stars
I must warn you first that I am really into bad boys in young adult literature. I don't know why, but they thrill me. I suppose I liked Nearly Gone as much as I did because Nearly reminded me of myself in many ways. Firstly, I'm very competitive and serious when it comes to my grades. I constantly compete with the smartest kids in my class to set the learning curve (I fail most of the time, but I still try). Secondly, I love puzzles. They confuse the heck out of me, but I love them. Thirdly, Nearly likes bad boys. Yeah, I like bad boys as well.
The best thing about this novel is that I never guessed who the actual culprit was. I usually have a pretty good guess by the end of the novel, but by the end of Nearly Gone, I was completely lost because the person I thought was the culprit was completely and utterly innocent. I love mystery/thriller novels, therefore I was extremely glad that Nearly Gone actually made the reading experience enjoyable for me. I was literally on the edge of my seat while reading in the car.
The characters, in my opinion, were intriguing. Each one had a back story (except the thugs. I really had no idea where they were coming from, but then again, they're thugs) that held weight and wasn't just there. And the killer's motive made sense at the end. Sure, it was a bit warped, but it made sense, which is all I really care about.
For a debut novel, I think Nearly Gone surprised me in a good way. I found this at Costco today, so I bought it, and I honestly didn't expect to read it in one day. I've been in a reading slump lately, so to just pick up and book and polish it off like desert felt amazing. There were a few subjects not touched on like how Nearly could feel someone's emotions when she touched them (I wish this was elaborated on a bit more), but in the end I don't feel like I'm missing out on too much.
I really enjoyed the idea of narcs (Narcotics officer) being in this novel. After watching the movie Snitch, I've been interested in undercover criminals busting drug deals, so this book was perfect for me. I'm surprised to find myself waiting to reread this novel in the future since I don't usually reread. I honestly really enjoyed it.
To touch on Reece's stalker-like behavior a bit, it wasn't all that bad. In his defense, he was told to watch over Nearly. It was only when it wasn't a job for him anymore that it became a little creepy. He breaks into her locker to trifle through her stuff, forces her to kiss him in the hallway, and a few other things like that. Unsurprisingly, I still managed to liked Reece by the end of the novel. A lot. (Like I said, I have a thing for bad boys. So sue me. I'm a young teenager.)
In conclusion, Nearly Gone was an entertaining read, and it managed to keep my interest throughout the entire day, which books these days can't seem to do all that often. I bounce between books a lot, but Nearly Gone kept me from doing that. I can't wait to reread this book in the future. But I do warn you that if you're a person who isn't into bad boys and the justification of bad behavior due to hotness level, then this book isn't likely for you. But who knows? You still might enjoy it as much as I did!
If you just want my summary: “This first book nearly had my attention, so a second one likely won’t.”
———
For a debut novel, Nearly Gone wasn’t a bad read but there were some constant issues I had with it.
1. Grammar mistakes and awkward writing
2. Lack of side character depth
3. Lack of action from Nearly, the main character
4. Harmful Stereotypes on standards of beauty
5. Lack of reality factor
Past these things, overall this book wasn’t a bad way to spend about 7 hours but I think going in, you should be prepared for the following, and perhaps already knowing the bad you may see more good in the book’s narrative? Maybe, idk?
For grammar mistakes, almost every chapter had one and it was mostly just missing words.
For awkward writing, this book had a lot of sentences such as the follow:
“We walked through the doors and then he held the doors open, me standing behind him.”
More than once, there were sentences with repeated nouns that readers knew were being talked about because the author had indicated it to be so. That’s pretty simple. Direct readers attention to a shirt sleeve. Messy hair. A doorway. And we will look and pay attention to these things. No need to mention it over again, half a second later in the same sentence or phrase.
For these, I really wish the author had done a better job reading her whole book aloud before finalizing her edits— to physically hear the awkwardness in many examples from beginning to end.
For lack of depth in side characters and in Nearly— these went hand in hand.
All the characters basically sounded like versions of one another. For one of the victims that was later murdered, in a brief and earlier interaction with Nearly, she says something whiny and Nearly even points out that what she had said and the way she had said it was “out of character,” as if the author and Nearly herself almost knew, but wasn’t so aware to admit, that the characters were one dimensional. Instead of trying to give them more dimension, the author just reasoned let’s have Nearly call her behavior out as strange and out of character. UN characteristic. Let’s assign them skin color resembling foods and drinks (“coffee colored skin,” “milk and coffee skin”) or let’s assign them a disability like gambling and depression, a learning disability, or a physical disability like a broken leg, or a situational disability like poverty (ie. Ie. Nearly) and call it “personality.”
It doesn’t work like that though.
But side characters, perhaps we can get away with them being a little bit dryer. Like oatmeal, the grains all sort of look alike and taste the same, but they’re all their own separate grains. Okay, fine.
But the main character? Her being complacent throughout the story, reacting to the world around her and the events that push her this and that way, but having no actual drive herself? No real agency?
Yeah, that won’t do.
Besides one scene where she is on a car, gambling with her life to save Reese— the stereotypical bad boy with a motorcycle— that is the only scene where Nearly portrayed she owned some cohones. And even then she didn’t smash a window or break a side mirror. She just pitched a fit with empty threats. And that was the only real example of her enacting her own action and doing something. Every other event in the book happened TO her. And that got boring around page 200.
For point four and five, those are pretty self-explanatory.
Nearly was the “black sheep ugly duckling” nerd who would go through a Cinderella transformation. Brush off the dust, take off the glasses, and WOW — a bad trope!
Of course, she’s got to have cleavage beneath the sweater vest, a flat stomach despite eating an unhealthy amount of Twinkie’s, and when her glasses are off, she’s hot, but does anyone — and I want to specifically direct this to the author— wonder whether or not she can literally see? When I take off my glasses, I don’t magically become a super model. I actually cannot see figures three feet in front of me. So, please author, tell me, 99% of the book outside of that BAD transformation she has to go through to “fit in” at a club scene, in those more often moments is she just wearing fake glasses with the lens popped out cause she’s grunge and “dgaf”?
Or did you forget that people wear glasses simply because they have to? When I don’t have mine, MY EYES NO WORKY. I never would have survived a dark, low lit club scene or be able to look at my hot new transformation in the mirror, realizing that “wow the only thing between me and a sexy body and males flocking to me like animals was my glasses!!!!!”
Also Nearly being skeptical of one of the side characters just because she was attractive, had curves, and wore make up was a sorry excuse to not like someone. It showed more of Nearly’s shitty, one dimension character than the dressed up girl she was comparing herself to and degrading.
But back to my last point why I took issue with this book because I want to be done with this review, the lack of reality made it hard to get through. So, you say that a bunch of 16 year olds are waving around guns and knives and slicing people up in a cemetery? Despite it being expensive to own a gun? Despite them all for the most part being poor and riding the city bus? So they just all got on the bus at different times to then duke it out at the cemetery, that was open and had no security whatsoever???
One of the kids, at 15 years old was a drug dealer, and now rides a motorcycle to high school? He’s such a bad boy but he easily got drugged and dragged away by... the cheerleader?? Really??
And then: The HANDFUL of student deaths does not stop a chemistry final exam???? The fact that the book’s parents were not rioting louder than a pamphlet “keep up with your personal safety” that they sent out, just shows how the author did not realistically think that such amount of deaths, and deaths in very gruesome ways, were anything more than a plot point. And that’s just ... less of a story and more of an unrealistic agenda being listed out in a series of nonsensical events.
So in conclusion, for what it was and for how fast the book reads, I would not say it’s the worst experience. But because there are a lot of problems with the story and the literal writing of said story, I would say just skip this book and move onto maybe another that piques your interest.
I saw that there’s a sequel to this book, but I don’t think I’ll be keeping up with it.
This first book nearly had my attention, so a second one likely won’t.
———
For a debut novel, Nearly Gone wasn’t a bad read but there were some constant issues I had with it.
1. Grammar mistakes and awkward writing
2. Lack of side character depth
3. Lack of action from Nearly, the main character
4. Harmful Stereotypes on standards of beauty
5. Lack of reality factor
Past these things, overall this book wasn’t a bad way to spend about 7 hours but I think going in, you should be prepared for the following, and perhaps already knowing the bad you may see more good in the book’s narrative? Maybe, idk?
For grammar mistakes, almost every chapter had one and it was mostly just missing words.
For awkward writing, this book had a lot of sentences such as the follow:
“We walked through the doors and then he held the doors open, me standing behind him.”
More than once, there were sentences with repeated nouns that readers knew were being talked about because the author had indicated it to be so. That’s pretty simple. Direct readers attention to a shirt sleeve. Messy hair. A doorway. And we will look and pay attention to these things. No need to mention it over again, half a second later in the same sentence or phrase.
For these, I really wish the author had done a better job reading her whole book aloud before finalizing her edits— to physically hear the awkwardness in many examples from beginning to end.
For lack of depth in side characters and in Nearly— these went hand in hand.
All the characters basically sounded like versions of one another. For one of the victims that was later murdered, in a brief and earlier interaction with Nearly, she says something whiny and Nearly even points out that what she had said and the way she had said it was “out of character,” as if the author and Nearly herself almost knew, but wasn’t so aware to admit, that the characters were one dimensional. Instead of trying to give them more dimension, the author just reasoned let’s have Nearly call her behavior out as strange and out of character. UN characteristic. Let’s assign them skin color resembling foods and drinks (“coffee colored skin,” “milk and coffee skin”) or let’s assign them a disability like gambling and depression, a learning disability, or a physical disability like a broken leg, or a situational disability like poverty (ie. Ie. Nearly) and call it “personality.”
It doesn’t work like that though.
But side characters, perhaps we can get away with them being a little bit dryer. Like oatmeal, the grains all sort of look alike and taste the same, but they’re all their own separate grains. Okay, fine.
But the main character? Her being complacent throughout the story, reacting to the world around her and the events that push her this and that way, but having no actual drive herself? No real agency?
Yeah, that won’t do.
Besides one scene where she is on a car, gambling with her life to save Reese— the stereotypical bad boy with a motorcycle— that is the only scene where Nearly portrayed she owned some cohones. And even then she didn’t smash a window or break a side mirror. She just pitched a fit with empty threats. And that was the only real example of her enacting her own action and doing something. Every other event in the book happened TO her. And that got boring around page 200.
For point four and five, those are pretty self-explanatory.
Nearly was the “black sheep ugly duckling” nerd who would go through a Cinderella transformation. Brush off the dust, take off the glasses, and WOW — a bad trope!
Of course, she’s got to have cleavage beneath the sweater vest, a flat stomach despite eating an unhealthy amount of Twinkie’s, and when her glasses are off, she’s hot, but does anyone — and I want to specifically direct this to the author— wonder whether or not she can literally see? When I take off my glasses, I don’t magically become a super model. I actually cannot see figures three feet in front of me. So, please author, tell me, 99% of the book outside of that BAD transformation she has to go through to “fit in” at a club scene, in those more often moments is she just wearing fake glasses with the lens popped out cause she’s grunge and “dgaf”?
Or did you forget that people wear glasses simply because they have to? When I don’t have mine, MY EYES NO WORKY. I never would have survived a dark, low lit club scene or be able to look at my hot new transformation in the mirror, realizing that “wow the only thing between me and a sexy body and males flocking to me like animals was my glasses!!!!!”
Also Nearly being skeptical of one of the side characters just because she was attractive, had curves, and wore make up was a sorry excuse to not like someone. It showed more of Nearly’s shitty, one dimension character than the dressed up girl she was comparing herself to and degrading.
But back to my last point why I took issue with this book because I want to be done with this review, the lack of reality made it hard to get through. So, you say that a bunch of 16 year olds are waving around guns and knives and slicing people up in a cemetery? Despite it being expensive to own a gun? Despite them all for the most part being poor and riding the city bus? So they just all got on the bus at different times to then duke it out at the cemetery, that was open and had no security whatsoever???
One of the kids, at 15 years old was a drug dealer, and now rides a motorcycle to high school? He’s such a bad boy but he easily got drugged and dragged away by... the cheerleader?? Really??
And then: The HANDFUL of student deaths does not stop a chemistry final exam???? The fact that the book’s parents were not rioting louder than a pamphlet “keep up with your personal safety” that they sent out, just shows how the author did not realistically think that such amount of deaths, and deaths in very gruesome ways, were anything more than a plot point. And that’s just ... less of a story and more of an unrealistic agenda being listed out in a series of nonsensical events.
So in conclusion, for what it was and for how fast the book reads, I would not say it’s the worst experience. But because there are a lot of problems with the story and the literal writing of said story, I would say just skip this book and move onto maybe another that piques your interest.
I saw that there’s a sequel to this book, but I don’t think I’ll be keeping up with it.
This first book nearly had my attention, so a second one likely won’t.