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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
I made it through book 4 of this series, and couldn't do it anymore. The overall plot of the book isn't terrible, but the writing is, at best, mediocre YA quality. That, combined with uncomfortable stereotypes of of the characters, and a weird obsession with weight issues, I just couldn't do it.
A bit predictable, but I can forgive that because it kept me on edge and creeped me out.
For an easy summer read, this book was perfect. It's not complicated and does weave a pretty exciting story. I would definitely recommend this and will be reading the second book in the series.
Elizabeth Gardner (Lizzy) is the one that got away... from a perverted kidnapper/killer when she was 17. Fourteen years later, it seems that the bad guy is back.
Lizzy is now a P.I. and works with teens to teach them how to avoid being abducted. Her personal life is a bit of a shambles, since she has never fully recovered from her earlier experience. Enter FBI Special Agent Jared Shayne, who was her boyfriend at the time she was abducted, and is now working on ending the criminal career of 'The Spiderman'.
I found this book to be a page turner as the story of the bad guy is revealed, and as Lizzy works through her personal issues. Mostly a suspense book, but enough 'romance' in there to satisfy.
Not sure how the series will go, but will put #2 (Dead Weight) in my want-to-read list.
Lizzy is now a P.I. and works with teens to teach them how to avoid being abducted. Her personal life is a bit of a shambles, since she has never fully recovered from her earlier experience. Enter FBI Special Agent Jared Shayne, who was her boyfriend at the time she was abducted, and is now working on ending the criminal career of 'The Spiderman'.
I found this book to be a page turner as the story of the bad guy is revealed, and as Lizzy works through her personal issues. Mostly a suspense book, but enough 'romance' in there to satisfy.
Not sure how the series will go, but will put #2 (Dead Weight) in my want-to-read list.
Fast pace with enough mystery and suspense to keep me guessing. I enjoyed it. Also, Hayley's a badass.
Totally creepy. It was a good read though...very suspenseful.
This is definitely not my genre. I quite enjoyed it because I would normally avoid anything similar. Hayley was a great character. It was a good change but won't be rushing to read more of the same.
I was first introduced to T.R. Ragan through her latest series featuring Jessie Cole, which to be honest from the start I was blown away by her writing style and character development. That inspired me to go back and check out some of her previous work, what better to start with than the infamous Lizzy Gardner series.
So... I've rated this book a 4, because I believe that if I had started with this series that that is how I would have rated it. Now, having read her latest, the start of the Jessie Cole series, there are some things I am disappointed in. For starters, I have to be honest and say that I'm disappointed to see the staring character is once again a P.I., now... this is going to forever sway my feelings towards the Jessie Cole series. Secondly, I noticed some repeated "scenes" or "scenarios" however you want to look at it. Material that was only slightly altered from this novel into the latest [b:Deadly Recall|35999483|Deadly Recall (Jessie Cole, #2)|T.R. Ragan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1514671039s/35999483.jpg|57564694]. For example, the P.I. assistant walks in to find a man gagged and bound naked on a bed with a camera on a tripod nearby. This can be found in both novels. The circumstances leading up to and following this in both novels is of course different, but nevertheless, this still stuck out in my mind.
One thing that really irritated me about this novel... aside from the mentioned above, and this would have bothered me had I read this series prior to starting the Jessie Cole series, is the name given to the antagonist... Spiderman. I just could not get behind this name, and it just makes me cringe and not for the reasons it should. It's just too easy to associate that name with the Marvel superhero, rather than the villain that he's supposed to be. As for his character, I was okay with how he was portrayed. I didn't mind that his choice in torturing his victims was by using their greatest fear, though I would like to have seen this explored a bit more. There wasn't as much depth given to this as I believe their could have been.
I enjoyed Hayley's character and her snarky attitude. She's a kid that's been dealt a bad hand and decides that putting herself in harms way could be the answer to solving everyone's problems. Which is typical behavior for someone who has a poor opinion of themselves after living a life that has been less than desirable. In the face of it all, she finds an inner strength to hang on, she sees Lizzy as a inspiration and knows that if Lizzy can survive, so can she.
I'm going to continue on with the series and hopefully I'll fall in love with this series just as others have. So far... I'm on fence as I'm feeling an overwhelming sense of deja vu.
So... I've rated this book a 4, because I believe that if I had started with this series that that is how I would have rated it. Now, having read her latest, the start of the Jessie Cole series, there are some things I am disappointed in. For starters, I have to be honest and say that I'm disappointed to see the staring character is once again a P.I., now... this is going to forever sway my feelings towards the Jessie Cole series. Secondly, I noticed some repeated "scenes" or "scenarios" however you want to look at it. Material that was only slightly altered from this novel into the latest [b:Deadly Recall|35999483|Deadly Recall (Jessie Cole, #2)|T.R. Ragan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1514671039s/35999483.jpg|57564694]. For example, the P.I. assistant walks in to find a man gagged and bound naked on a bed with a camera on a tripod nearby. This can be found in both novels. The circumstances leading up to and following this in both novels is of course different, but nevertheless, this still stuck out in my mind.
One thing that really irritated me about this novel... aside from the mentioned above, and this would have bothered me had I read this series prior to starting the Jessie Cole series, is the name given to the antagonist... Spiderman. I just could not get behind this name, and it just makes me cringe and not for the reasons it should. It's just too easy to associate that name with the Marvel superhero, rather than the villain that he's supposed to be. As for his character, I was okay with how he was portrayed. I didn't mind that his choice in torturing his victims was by using their greatest fear, though I would like to have seen this explored a bit more. There wasn't as much depth given to this as I believe their could have been.
I enjoyed Hayley's character and her snarky attitude. She's a kid that's been dealt a bad hand and decides that putting herself in harms way could be the answer to solving everyone's problems. Which is typical behavior for someone who has a poor opinion of themselves after living a life that has been less than desirable. In the face of it all, she finds an inner strength to hang on, she sees Lizzy as a inspiration and knows that if Lizzy can survive, so can she.
I'm going to continue on with the series and hopefully I'll fall in love with this series just as others have. So far... I'm on fence as I'm feeling an overwhelming sense of deja vu.
Sassy, creepy and edge of my seat
This story kept my heart pounding, but gave me some comic relief, too. I will be reading the next Lizzy Gardner book!
This story kept my heart pounding, but gave me some comic relief, too. I will be reading the next Lizzy Gardner book!