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bear_reads_books's review against another edition
4.0
You could totally get drunk if you take a shot every time marshmallows are mentioned in this book.
It was alright, I liked the first one better. Maybe the characters were just as unlikeable and the story only slightly satisfying in the last one too and I just don't remember. Eh. Still not the worst YA I've read. I still like this author.
It was alright, I liked the first one better. Maybe the characters were just as unlikeable and the story only slightly satisfying in the last one too and I just don't remember. Eh. Still not the worst YA I've read. I still like this author.
booklovinalicia's review against another edition
3.0
I give this book 3 stars. It did suck me in at first and seemed to really be going somewhere. Then it turned predictable and boring. Just because I didn't exactly love it, doesn't mean other readers won't. It's a fast, easy read so if you like YA thrillers with major teen drama then give it a try!
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for allowing me to read and review this egalley.
Read my full review on this and other books on my blog at www.booklovinalicia.blogspot.com
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for allowing me to read and review this egalley.
Read my full review on this and other books on my blog at www.booklovinalicia.blogspot.com
brokenchell's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book a lot and at moments couldn't put it down. However the inner monologue of Lana got long and boring at times. I feel so much more could have been happening in the present and so much more of Ben summed up in fewer words. I'm not entirely happy with the ending. While for me a mystery fan, I had deduced the killer mid story, I was expecting a more final and dramatic Parker saves the day kind of ending. Do not take any of this wrong it is a really good book and totally worth the read. Just maybe with more pee and drink breaks during Lana's Ben babble. I look forward to more books by Alexandra Sirowy!!!
xiren_xerophyte's review against another edition
4.0
The mystery was rather predictable and the suspense only caught hold of me once, but I really did love the dynamic between Lana and Ben. All their memories together were beautifully picturesque and really had me feeling like I was there too. I would have ended up doing the opposite of what she did at the conclusion though..
libreroaming's review against another edition
4.0
Lana McBrook's life has been separated into a before and after. Before her step-brother, Ben, was brutally murdered by a man covered in blood. After her months of grieving and trying to move on once the group of popular kids invite her into their confidence for the summer. But when Ben's old girlfriend was found dead in the local spring, the same girl Lana suspects may have led Ben to his death, things grow more complicated.
As far as mysteries go, most people would be able to tell the twist coming very early on. What "The Telling" does remarkably is paint interpersonal relationships and the subtle reassessment Lana has of each person throughout the novel. Lana and Ben's relationship is intense and almost surreal in their fierce devotion to each other, stronger than blood and built on years worth of children's make believe. But there's also the subtle interplay of female friendships Lana has with her tried and true best friend, Willa, compared to the glowing approbation of Becca's popularity, or Carolynn's cruel comments that peel back a nuanced look at conflicting loyalties. The popular boys, Duncan, Rusty, and Josh, get less development, but each observation is careful and fits neatly in as a jigsaw puzzle piece. If the novel were just about the shifting dynamics of the main group, it would have succeeded admirably as each motivation for teenage slights, bravado, or quiet agreement would have been sussed out.
In comparison, the larger murder story is a little fantastical. The usual tropes of an incompetent/disbelieving police force are in place, escalating gruesome crime scenes, and teenagers having to take the law into their own hands. Again, most people wanting to be wowed by some Christie-like revelation might be disappointed, but for readers who have an interest in psychological revelations with the catalyst backdrop of murder and mayhem, "The Telling" is worth listening to.
As far as mysteries go, most people would be able to tell the twist coming very early on. What "The Telling" does remarkably is paint interpersonal relationships and the subtle reassessment Lana has of each person throughout the novel. Lana and Ben's relationship is intense and almost surreal in their fierce devotion to each other, stronger than blood and built on years worth of children's make believe. But there's also the subtle interplay of female friendships Lana has with her tried and true best friend, Willa, compared to the glowing approbation of Becca's popularity, or Carolynn's cruel comments that peel back a nuanced look at conflicting loyalties. The popular boys, Duncan, Rusty, and Josh, get less development, but each observation is careful and fits neatly in as a jigsaw puzzle piece. If the novel were just about the shifting dynamics of the main group, it would have succeeded admirably as each motivation for teenage slights, bravado, or quiet agreement would have been sussed out.
In comparison, the larger murder story is a little fantastical. The usual tropes of an incompetent/disbelieving police force are in place, escalating gruesome crime scenes, and teenagers having to take the law into their own hands. Again, most people wanting to be wowed by some Christie-like revelation might be disappointed, but for readers who have an interest in psychological revelations with the catalyst backdrop of murder and mayhem, "The Telling" is worth listening to.
smittenforfiction's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this book as my Five Star Prediction read for Contemporaryathon. Sadly, I was greatly disappointed.
"For the girls who are sharks, and those who are kittens, and those who are heroes, and those who are villains."
The Telling is about a teen named Lana becoming a different person after she witnesses her stepbrother's murder. Before his murder she was a quiet "kitten", worried about what other's thought of her, spending most of her time with her close friend Willa. After his murder she's becoming a more confident "shark", hanging out with the popular group of friends known as "the core": Josh, Carolyn, Rusty, Duncan, and Becca.
My favourite characters are Lana's stepbrother Ben, a good guy who couldn't stand living on rich Gant Island after volunteering in Guatemala, and Lana's best friend Willa, studious, cool-minded, and not impressed by "the core".
I liked the paranormal aspect of Ben's stories coming to life. It was a page-turner, but only because I guessed who the killer was really early on, and wanted to find out if I was right (hoping that I was wrong so I could be surprised).
I didn't feel connected to any of the characters, and wasn't upset when any of them were in danger. Detective Sweeny and Wood are flat, uninteresting, one-dimensional, typical good cop/bad cop.
It's disappointing that we never get to meet "Skitzy-Fitzy", even though he's mentioned multiple times.
I was really confused when the parents let Detective Sweeny and Wood interview Lana, Willa, and "the core" without a parent or lawyer in the room. The detectives told Lana details about Maggie's death during the interview which I think should have been kept private. It felt extremely unbelievable that a detective would be giving a suspect that much information about a possible homicide.
The Telling felt like a cheesy horror novel with stereotypical characters that lack real emotion. Pardon the pun, but The Telling did just that - too much "telling", not enough "showing".
Even though I didn't like it, a lot of my friends on Goodreads did. So don't take my word for it! I recommend The Telling to readers who are into YA horror/mystery stories.
"For the girls who are sharks, and those who are kittens, and those who are heroes, and those who are villains."
The Telling is about a teen named Lana becoming a different person after she witnesses her stepbrother's murder. Before his murder she was a quiet "kitten", worried about what other's thought of her, spending most of her time with her close friend Willa. After his murder she's becoming a more confident "shark", hanging out with the popular group of friends known as "the core": Josh, Carolyn, Rusty, Duncan, and Becca.
My favourite characters are Lana's stepbrother Ben, a good guy who couldn't stand living on rich Gant Island after volunteering in Guatemala, and Lana's best friend Willa, studious, cool-minded, and not impressed by "the core".
I liked the paranormal aspect of Ben's stories coming to life. It was a page-turner, but only because I guessed who the killer was really early on, and wanted to find out if I was right (hoping that I was wrong so I could be surprised).
I didn't feel connected to any of the characters, and wasn't upset when any of them were in danger. Detective Sweeny and Wood are flat, uninteresting, one-dimensional, typical good cop/bad cop.
It's disappointing that we never get to meet "Skitzy-Fitzy", even though he's mentioned multiple times.
I was really confused when the parents let Detective Sweeny and Wood interview Lana, Willa, and "the core" without a parent or lawyer in the room. The detectives told Lana details about Maggie's death during the interview which I think should have been kept private. It felt extremely unbelievable that a detective would be giving a suspect that much information about a possible homicide.
The Telling felt like a cheesy horror novel with stereotypical characters that lack real emotion. Pardon the pun, but The Telling did just that - too much "telling", not enough "showing".
Even though I didn't like it, a lot of my friends on Goodreads did. So don't take my word for it! I recommend The Telling to readers who are into YA horror/mystery stories.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
"Adults reach a certain age and they forget tasting the salt of make-believe oceans."
This is a wonderfully spooky story about a gory death of a beloved step-brother and the ripple effect this has in one girl's life. But when there is another murder, everyone wants to know what's happening.
The clues were near impossible to decipher. I just had to roll along with the group and try to glean details. Could it be Josh? Duncan? Rusty? Carolynn? So many options. It wasn't until the final few chapters that everything is revealed that I realized what I'd missed all along. All the little mini clues left around that I'd never grabbed. Probably because Lana hadn't either.
Wonderful storytelling and a world I was completely enveloped by. I just wish we'd gotten a few more details about Ben's stories. But this wasn't about his story but about
This is a wonderfully spooky story about a gory death of a beloved step-brother and the ripple effect this has in one girl's life. But when there is another murder, everyone wants to know what's happening.
The clues were near impossible to decipher. I just had to roll along with the group and try to glean details. Could it be Josh? Duncan? Rusty? Carolynn? So many options. It wasn't until the final few chapters that everything is revealed that I realized what I'd missed all along. All the little mini clues left around that I'd never grabbed. Probably because Lana hadn't either.
Wonderful storytelling and a world I was completely enveloped by. I just wish we'd gotten a few more details about Ben's stories. But this wasn't about his story but about
Spoiler
heroes vs villains and the very gray line that separates them.lololauren23's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't finish it. As much as I tried and wanted to get through this book, it simply had no pushing factor. I didn't care about the characters, I forgot what was going on half the time, yadda, yadda, yadda. Interesting concept, but not my style.
kitsunebi_reads's review against another edition
3.0
The Telling picks up Lana's story in "the after". The time following her downward spiral into grief after the death of her step-brother Ben. It has a quick start that immediately pulls you in. Then somewhere it kinda looses it. I didn't find that creepy undertone so prevalent in Sirowy's previous novel aptly named "The Creeping". This book spent a lot of time developing Lana and The Core's back stories. so much time that I began to get tired of it. The petty, bitchy, whiny lives of these teens. Then it gets worse, it became predictable to the point that I struggled to finish it. That aside. I still love Alexandra Sirowy's first book "The Creeping" and look very much forward to her next book.