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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Through the course of reading You’re Next by Kylie Schachte there were many times where I had to stop reading and search online to make sure that I was not reading a sequel. I had to do this often because everything from character introduction to plot development felt like I was missing key pieces typically learned in the first book in a series. Even the story feels like the next chapter in Flora’s life.
Flora appears to me like a half-developed character, wherein we were supposed to learn more about her during her first foray into playing detective – something to which Ms. Schacter often alludes. All of the characters frequently reference that previous detective work. In addition, Flora constantly worries about this new mystery being her last chance to prove herself. Except, we don’t get any details of that key experience in Flora’s life until more than halfway through this mystery. Hence, you experience the story much as you do reading a sequel without having read the first book; you attempt to derive knowledge of the characters and the event they mention through context clues.
The unfinished tone of You’re Next is disconcerting but not the only fault of the novel. Its premise is a bit too far-fetched for comfort. It is most similar to “Veronica Mars” except there is no dad but rather a grandfather with ties to the CIA and uses his connections to provide Flora with evidence to further her investigation. Also, there is no witty banter, and Flora’s list of friends consists of one person. Plus, Flora is barely sixteen in this story and comes with all sorts of mommy issues. Flora does have a little sister who just happens to be a computer whiz who can hack into any secure site she wants.
To add to the list of grievances is the plot itself. Teens in a secret club willing to kill others in order to keep their secret sounds good until you understand what type of secret they are keeping. Once you gain the full picture, you start questioning the mental state of the teens involved. I have a teen now; I spent the last eight years observing teens thanks to my older son. The types of behavior and attitudes mentioned throughout the novel are unlike any teen behavior or attitude I’ve met or observed. These teens are not believable characters. They neither sound nor act in an authentic manner.
You’re Next disappoints me. I’ve read several other debuts under James Patterson’s YA imprint and expected Ms. Schachte’s debut to be equally impressive. With a premise and characters I didn’t believe and a general overall feeling that I was missing something, it was anything but.
Flora appears to me like a half-developed character, wherein we were supposed to learn more about her during her first foray into playing detective – something to which Ms. Schacter often alludes. All of the characters frequently reference that previous detective work. In addition, Flora constantly worries about this new mystery being her last chance to prove herself. Except, we don’t get any details of that key experience in Flora’s life until more than halfway through this mystery. Hence, you experience the story much as you do reading a sequel without having read the first book; you attempt to derive knowledge of the characters and the event they mention through context clues.
The unfinished tone of You’re Next is disconcerting but not the only fault of the novel. Its premise is a bit too far-fetched for comfort. It is most similar to “Veronica Mars” except there is no dad but rather a grandfather with ties to the CIA and uses his connections to provide Flora with evidence to further her investigation. Also, there is no witty banter, and Flora’s list of friends consists of one person. Plus, Flora is barely sixteen in this story and comes with all sorts of mommy issues. Flora does have a little sister who just happens to be a computer whiz who can hack into any secure site she wants.
To add to the list of grievances is the plot itself. Teens in a secret club willing to kill others in order to keep their secret sounds good until you understand what type of secret they are keeping. Once you gain the full picture, you start questioning the mental state of the teens involved. I have a teen now; I spent the last eight years observing teens thanks to my older son. The types of behavior and attitudes mentioned throughout the novel are unlike any teen behavior or attitude I’ve met or observed. These teens are not believable characters. They neither sound nor act in an authentic manner.
You’re Next disappoints me. I’ve read several other debuts under James Patterson’s YA imprint and expected Ms. Schachte’s debut to be equally impressive. With a premise and characters I didn’t believe and a general overall feeling that I was missing something, it was anything but.
This is a tough one to review, because on the one hand if was fast paced, held my attention well, and had a diverse cast of characters doing interesting things, yet on the other we are left wondering why this book is 464 pages long, with an extremely unlikable main character, and a final chapter that did nothing but add an unnecessary dramatic flair and confusion. I'm not the target audience, so I think I'll leave it here, but the writing is quality and I would definitely give this author another try.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
Fast paced, fun read!
Flora Calhoun is a high school detective. The police are not always happy to hear from her or find her at crime scenes. When a close friend of hers is murdered she sets out to get justice. This book kept me guessing and had several twists and turns I did not see coming. Some of the situations are not realistic for 16-17 year olds, but overall I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#YoureNext #NetGalley
Flora Calhoun is a high school detective. The police are not always happy to hear from her or find her at crime scenes. When a close friend of hers is murdered she sets out to get justice. This book kept me guessing and had several twists and turns I did not see coming. Some of the situations are not realistic for 16-17 year olds, but overall I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#YoureNext #NetGalley
This one was a bit of a mixed bag...
On the positive side, the plot was interesting, fast-paced, and kept me engaged and guessing until the end.
However, this read like a second book in a series with an entire backstory that wasn't fleshed out enough, and really could have been a book on its own. On top of that, the main character was extremely unlikable. Flora was genuinely an awful daughter, sister, granddaughter, and friend. Last, what the heck was that ending?! Will there be another book? I hope so, because otherwise, what a crappy way to leave a reader hanging!
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Kidnapping, Medical trauma
Minor: Bullying, Vomit
Was this a secret sequel or something? Because I definitely feel like I missed a book about Flora's first case. This case was (apparently) foundational for her identity as a detective as well as the explanation for the reason most of her life is the way it is, and it's trickled throughout this book in a way that I found extremely displeasing. Like, the way so many characters react to each other is based on information that you maybe won't have at the time you're reading the interaction, and that really ruined the setup for me.
Aside from that, this was a pretty solid mystery. Flora is a pretty unlikable character. She's unlikable in a realistic way, though; I can see how she has no friends but Cass, and her reasoning behind the bad decisions she makes is definitely in line with the way she's characterized. I rarely buy the logic behind a smart character doing something stupid -- usually it seems like an out-of-character plot convenience -- but I bought it for Flora. The premise is not even remotely believable but it is very unique.
Aside from that, this was a pretty solid mystery. Flora is a pretty unlikable character. She's unlikable in a realistic way, though; I can see how she has no friends but Cass, and her reasoning behind the bad decisions she makes is definitely in line with the way she's characterized. I rarely buy the logic behind a smart character doing something stupid -- usually it seems like an out-of-character plot convenience -- but I bought it for Flora. The premise is not even remotely believable but it is very unique.
slow-paced
the last chapter was bad plus the book felt like it was a second book in a series
the ending... i don't even wanna talk about it
p.s this is m/f
rep: bisexual mc
tw: sapphic character dies (in the synopsis, not a spoiler), domestic abuse/violence
p.s this is m/f
rep: bisexual mc
tw: sapphic character dies (in the synopsis, not a spoiler), domestic abuse/violence