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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
(( B E W A R E : there is only a spoiler in the third paragraph and most wont fully understand until they read the book so i’m not tagging it as spoilers!!!))
this book was pretty good at first but turned amazing about halfway through. there were a few slow parts at the beginning and another towards the end of the middle. other than those slow patches, i really enjoyed this.
after reading The Creeping and doing a little bit of research on this book, i had an idea of how the plot would turn out. with that said, all of my predictions were wrong 😂. if you ask me, both of the (major) plot twist in The Creeping and The Telling were equally outstanding. Sirowy was able to pull off both twists flawlessly and she left little to question
at first i was a bit confused when it came to Lana loving Ben but everything made sense and seemed. . . right. Sirowy didn’t make that part seemed forced, which i guess is the best way to write that?
the characters were thought out and there was some pretty good development with Lana and Caroline (and even Ben). for me, the core was a little hard to relate to but by the middle of the book i was (kind of) in love with them.
my only wish is another chapter at the end to tie up a few more things or to drag out the last chapter but i’m not mad about the ending.
overall, i really enjoyed this. i can’t really compare it to The Creeping because they were so different, yet very similar? if you were a fan of The Creeping, i definitely think you will enjoy this. if you haven’t read The Creeping but enjoyed this story / the way it was set up, i suggest you read it!!
this book was pretty good at first but turned amazing about halfway through. there were a few slow parts at the beginning and another towards the end of the middle. other than those slow patches, i really enjoyed this.
after reading The Creeping and doing a little bit of research on this book, i had an idea of how the plot would turn out. with that said, all of my predictions were wrong 😂. if you ask me, both of the (major) plot twist in The Creeping and The Telling were equally outstanding. Sirowy was able to pull off both twists flawlessly and she left little to question
at first i was a bit confused when it came to Lana loving Ben but everything made sense and seemed. . . right. Sirowy didn’t make that part seemed forced, which i guess is the best way to write that?
the characters were thought out and there was some pretty good development with Lana and Caroline (and even Ben). for me, the core was a little hard to relate to but by the middle of the book i was (kind of) in love with them.
my only wish is another chapter at the end to tie up a few more things or to drag out the last chapter but i’m not mad about the ending.
overall, i really enjoyed this. i can’t really compare it to The Creeping because they were so different, yet very similar? if you were a fan of The Creeping, i definitely think you will enjoy this. if you haven’t read The Creeping but enjoyed this story / the way it was set up, i suggest you read it!!
Neat. Tidy. Orderly executed. But that's all I can say about this.
Mainstream teen thriller(?)
Also, doesn't bring new things to the table.
Mainstream teen thriller(?)
Also, doesn't bring new things to the table.
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Lana spent her childhood hearing stories from her step-brother Ben. These stories fueled her summer on make-believe and adventure, always leaving Ben and Lana as the heroes defeating the villains. Then Ben is killed, causing Lana to be swallowed up in her grief, becoming a shadow of herself. While trying to pick up the crumbling pieces of her life, Lana and her friends discovers a body at the bottom of the Spring. The body ends up being that of Ben's ex girlfriend, Maggie causing Lana to instantly become a suspect when the connection is made by the police. Then the bodies begin piling up and Lana soon realizes that each brutal murder has a strange connection to the stories Ben used to tell.
I definitely enjoyed this A LOT more than The Creeping, which I really did not like. The writing style and flow improved so much from her first novel. From the beginning, I was intrigued with where the story was headed and how Ben's stories tied into the overall mystery. I liked how unreliable Lana was as a narrator and how she was questioning herself throughout the book as well. It made me second guess everything as well! One of my only complaints about the book would have to be the length. I feel as though many pages could have been cut out without taking away from the story. It seemed to drag on at points, making me loose interest. Although, the ending was so well done! I definitely did not have it all figured out like I though I did!
Lana spent her childhood hearing stories from her step-brother Ben. These stories fueled her summer on make-believe and adventure, always leaving Ben and Lana as the heroes defeating the villains. Then Ben is killed, causing Lana to be swallowed up in her grief, becoming a shadow of herself. While trying to pick up the crumbling pieces of her life, Lana and her friends discovers a body at the bottom of the Spring. The body ends up being that of Ben's ex girlfriend, Maggie causing Lana to instantly become a suspect when the connection is made by the police. Then the bodies begin piling up and Lana soon realizes that each brutal murder has a strange connection to the stories Ben used to tell.
I definitely enjoyed this A LOT more than The Creeping, which I really did not like. The writing style and flow improved so much from her first novel. From the beginning, I was intrigued with where the story was headed and how Ben's stories tied into the overall mystery. I liked how unreliable Lana was as a narrator and how she was questioning herself throughout the book as well. It made me second guess everything as well! One of my only complaints about the book would have to be the length. I feel as though many pages could have been cut out without taking away from the story. It seemed to drag on at points, making me loose interest. Although, the ending was so well done! I definitely did not have it all figured out like I though I did!
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.
I’m fully aware that this might be a simple case of “not the right reader for this book”. I usually enjoy a good YA novel, especially if it’s a mystery/thriller type, but this one just seemed to lack all the suspense and thrilling notion to propel me forward. Sure, it was an easy read and it did have some parts that gripped me; overall, this wasn’t a terrible book, it just wasn’t great. This story had a major “meh” factor for me.
On paper, this book sounded necessary. That blurb hooked me immediately and I couldn’t press the request button on NetGalley fast enough. I waited in agony for MONTHS to be approved, thinking they were just waiting for the archive date to pass where it would disappear off my pending list, but I got that blessed email (you know the one; don’t pretend you don’t have a brief fist pumping moment) and knew it was my time to shine. This was going to be one of my top YA books of the year! Unfortunately, I think I put too much expectation and pressure on this one, which caused the flat feeling to fall a little harder than it might have otherwise.
I think my major issue with this book was its predictability. The characters, the “mystery”, the whole plot really was just too expected. I’ve read other reviews that state this, so I won’t harp, but early on, you have that “I think it is so and so but it can’t be because it’s too early and there have to be some red herrings so thank God I KNOW IT’S NOT THIS PERSON” moment, but in the case of this book, it is that person. What a let down. There wasn’t much suspense revolving around who did it, which for a book that heavily leans on that factor to give it credibility, was a huge downfall for me. I also felt some of the fluff could have been cut; if they had ended up cutting a good 50-75 pages it would have sped up the pacing without taking away any necessary information. I wasn’t really a fan of any of the characters, so that was a bummer as well.
There isn’t much else I can say; I felt the author was talented in her writing style, she just could have made the mystery a little more difficult and given the characters a little more depth and humanity (yes, even YA novels need this). I don’t blame her for the extra padding in the story; I feel that’s a joint effort between the editors and author. She had me hooked just enough where I would likely check out her next piece to see if any of my issues were improved in the future.
*I received my copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thankful for the opportunity!
On paper, this book sounded necessary. That blurb hooked me immediately and I couldn’t press the request button on NetGalley fast enough. I waited in agony for MONTHS to be approved, thinking they were just waiting for the archive date to pass where it would disappear off my pending list, but I got that blessed email (you know the one; don’t pretend you don’t have a brief fist pumping moment) and knew it was my time to shine. This was going to be one of my top YA books of the year! Unfortunately, I think I put too much expectation and pressure on this one, which caused the flat feeling to fall a little harder than it might have otherwise.
I think my major issue with this book was its predictability. The characters, the “mystery”, the whole plot really was just too expected. I’ve read other reviews that state this, so I won’t harp, but early on, you have that “I think it is so and so but it can’t be because it’s too early and there have to be some red herrings so thank God I KNOW IT’S NOT THIS PERSON” moment, but in the case of this book, it is that person. What a let down. There wasn’t much suspense revolving around who did it, which for a book that heavily leans on that factor to give it credibility, was a huge downfall for me. I also felt some of the fluff could have been cut; if they had ended up cutting a good 50-75 pages it would have sped up the pacing without taking away any necessary information. I wasn’t really a fan of any of the characters, so that was a bummer as well.
There isn’t much else I can say; I felt the author was talented in her writing style, she just could have made the mystery a little more difficult and given the characters a little more depth and humanity (yes, even YA novels need this). I don’t blame her for the extra padding in the story; I feel that’s a joint effort between the editors and author. She had me hooked just enough where I would likely check out her next piece to see if any of my issues were improved in the future.
*I received my copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thankful for the opportunity!
I'm going to be honest with my review. I will point out the two good things about this book and then the negatives.
The good things were... 1. The eagle. 2. The ending.
Now for the bad.
1. POV: It slipped into first person and second person. It made it jarring.
2. Tenses: It slipped into past and present tense. Once again, jarring.
3. Characters: I didn't relate to any of them. To me; I didn't care for the main character, Lana, at all.
4. It should be a mystery, not a thriller.
5. I didn't appreciate how mental illnesses were portrayed. This is listed as YA, so you have the potential to influence young minds. "Schizzy Frizzy," did me in. I didn't think it was cute or cool. This negates everything we're striving to spread for mental health awareness. This book spreads more prejudices against the mental health community. Yes, it is fiction. But the message, it didn't work for me. I saw it in a negative light.
6. In some parts, it came off too "preachy."
7. Wonky sentences.
These are just my opinions. If you want to read this book, by all means, read it. I'm just one person with an opinion. You may love it, and that's cool too. Everyone has the right to their opinion.
The good things were... 1. The eagle. 2. The ending.
Now for the bad.
1. POV: It slipped into first person and second person. It made it jarring.
2. Tenses: It slipped into past and present tense. Once again, jarring.
3. Characters: I didn't relate to any of them. To me; I didn't care for the main character, Lana, at all.
4. It should be a mystery, not a thriller.
5. I didn't appreciate how mental illnesses were portrayed. This is listed as YA, so you have the potential to influence young minds. "Schizzy Frizzy," did me in. I didn't think it was cute or cool. This negates everything we're striving to spread for mental health awareness. This book spreads more prejudices against the mental health community. Yes, it is fiction. But the message, it didn't work for me. I saw it in a negative light.
6. In some parts, it came off too "preachy."
7. Wonky sentences.
These are just my opinions. If you want to read this book, by all means, read it. I'm just one person with an opinion. You may love it, and that's cool too. Everyone has the right to their opinion.
I received this arc from Netgalley, all opinions are honest!
This was alright. I guess this is mystery, thriller, dark contemporary which is different from what I've read besides R.L Stine because I don't read anything related to contemporary. The beginning is so slow though, be warned but the ending was shocking!
An in depth review will be posted shortly on my blog!
EDIT: IN DEPTH REVIEW ON BLOG
This was alright. I guess this is mystery, thriller, dark contemporary which is different from what I've read besides R.L Stine because I don't read anything related to contemporary. The beginning is so slow though, be warned but the ending was shocking!
An in depth review will be posted shortly on my blog!
EDIT: IN DEPTH REVIEW ON BLOG
Literally a retelling of Harper's Island with teenagers.
I like the way she writes ... kind of ethereal. This one was just icky. I liked the plot and the characters, until the whole stepbrother thing was revealed. Then they became instantly unsympathetic. Ick.
I was underprepared for how lovely this YA murder mystery is. I could not put it down! Like the best mysteries, it twists and turns, using the MC's perception and assumptions to draw the reader down false paths and impossible considerations.
This book pulls no punches- the MC's beloved step-brother was murdered two months before the narrative begins, and her mother committed suicide when she was only 4. Lana is introspective and dreamy, observing others rather than taking risks. Her depression is real and visceral, and her emotional decisions are so authentically teenaged (without being shallow and frustrating) that I had a really time stopping to go to bed. I didn't just want to figure out the mystery, I wanted to see where Lana went.
I was totally pleased by the ending- not just the resolution of the mystery, but the resolution of Lana's growth as a character. Everything in this book is messy and complicated and real- familial bonds, friendships, self-awareness. It's charming and slightly otherworldly and sad. And then there are frenetic moments of real danger (where, thankfully, the characters don't do idiotic heroic things, or withhold crucial information for no reason).
Overall, I recommend this book for fans of murder mystery (even if YA isn't your thing- this story is not juvenile), realistic characters, and atmospheric settings. Did I mention it takes place not only in Seattle, but in what appears to be a fictional take on one of my favorite islands by Seattle (Bainbridge)?
This book pulls no punches- the MC's beloved step-brother was murdered two months before the narrative begins, and her mother committed suicide when she was only 4. Lana is introspective and dreamy, observing others rather than taking risks. Her depression is real and visceral, and her emotional decisions are so authentically teenaged (without being shallow and frustrating) that I had a really time stopping to go to bed. I didn't just want to figure out the mystery, I wanted to see where Lana went.
I was totally pleased by the ending- not just the resolution of the mystery, but the resolution of Lana's growth as a character. Everything in this book is messy and complicated and real- familial bonds, friendships, self-awareness. It's charming and slightly otherworldly and sad. And then there are frenetic moments of real danger (where, thankfully, the characters don't do idiotic heroic things, or withhold crucial information for no reason).
Overall, I recommend this book for fans of murder mystery (even if YA isn't your thing- this story is not juvenile), realistic characters, and atmospheric settings. Did I mention it takes place not only in Seattle, but in what appears to be a fictional take on one of my favorite islands by Seattle (Bainbridge)?