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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
2/5 stars
DNF bail @ chapter 14
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. That in no way affects my opinion of the book.
When I first heard the premise for this book I was excited. As an amateur tarot reader I was eager to see how the author portrayed it in the book. I was sorely disappointed. Within the first chapter its used as a cheap trick with mounds of scepticism from the main protagonist, so this is already not the supernatural thriller I thought it would be.
It all goes downhill from there. Every character we meet is a cliche, right down to the good cop bad cop trope in chapter 10 (it took me a while to get through the chapter, I had to keep putting it down to cringe).
The main protagonist reads like a 14 year old rather than the 18 year old she is meant to be, she's a pathological liar yet her friend still likes her, and she's horrible to her mother. I just couldn't read her any more.
I wouldn't recommend this book to older readers, however if you don't mind highschool stereotypes you may enjoy it.
DNF bail @ chapter 14
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. That in no way affects my opinion of the book.
When I first heard the premise for this book I was excited. As an amateur tarot reader I was eager to see how the author portrayed it in the book. I was sorely disappointed. Within the first chapter its used as a cheap trick with mounds of scepticism from the main protagonist, so this is already not the supernatural thriller I thought it would be.
It all goes downhill from there. Every character we meet is a cliche, right down to the good cop bad cop trope in chapter 10 (it took me a while to get through the chapter, I had to keep putting it down to cringe).
The main protagonist reads like a 14 year old rather than the 18 year old she is meant to be, she's a pathological liar yet her friend still likes her, and she's horrible to her mother. I just couldn't read her any more.
I wouldn't recommend this book to older readers, however if you don't mind highschool stereotypes you may enjoy it.
THAT TWIST THOUGH! I'll be honest, it took me a little while to get into this book, but after 70 or so pages I couldn't put it down.
The twist was so unexpected - I actually gasped out loud and I rarely do that when reading books. This book was really well written; fast paced and interesting so that you want to keep turning the pages.
I go back and forth about how I feel about Candi/Skye/Cate. At first she was likeable, then you learn her secret and you question her character, despite understanding why she did what she did, and then the rest of the story is her going backwards and forwards between someone you like and someone you don't. But despite everything she does, you can kind of see WHY she makes these decisions - or I can, anyway.
This was an ideal book for me - exciting, fast-paced and wrapped up well. All in all, it was fantastic.
The twist was so unexpected - I actually gasped out loud and I rarely do that when reading books. This book was really well written; fast paced and interesting so that you want to keep turning the pages.
I go back and forth about how I feel about Candi/Skye/Cate. At first she was likeable, then you learn her secret and you question her character, despite understanding why she did what she did, and then the rest of the story is her going backwards and forwards between someone you like and someone you don't. But despite everything she does, you can kind of see WHY she makes these decisions - or I can, anyway.
This was an ideal book for me - exciting, fast-paced and wrapped up well. All in all, it was fantastic.
NON-SPOILER BOOK REVIEW OF : The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook
I also posted my review of this book in my book blog : thereadingdove.wordpress.com
“Once people had the bright light on you, they started to notice the cracks and imperfections. It was better to stay in the shadows – safer” – Eileen Cook, The Hanging Girl
Do you believe in fortune tellers or Tarot card readers? If yes, then you have to read this book. I would like to thank NETGALLEY & HMH Book Group for approving my request and for sending an E-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The first time I saw this on NETGALLEY, I didn’t hesitate to check it out because; 1. The book cover is so gorgeous and it gives me some mystery/thriller vibes, 2. It’s an Eileen Cook book y’all! She’s the author of WITH MALICE (I haven’t read the book yet but I’ve heard so many great things about it ever since I saw it in one of my fave booktuber’s vid. So I definitely want to check it out). 3. I’m into YA Mystery nowadays y’all.
Skye Thorne; she’s a fake psychic and she’s been doing tarot card readings just for fun. She and her best friend Drew are getting ready for college and they’ve been planning to go to New York together. But the problem is that Skye haven’t saved up for New York. Then one day the most popular girl in their school went missing. Skye had visions about the missing girl named Paige the daughter of the judge. But those visions were fake too, but it actually lead to where do the missing girl went. Things get messed up and Skye was now involved in a crime investigation.
So our main protagonist Skye Thorne, she’s cunning and wise when it comes to her fake psychic business. She’s struggling with her plans for college because she doesn’t have the money. She was also having trouble with her Mother who thinks that their family had the talent for psychic stuffs. She tried so hard to achieve her plans with her best friend to go to New York but she risked herself by doing it. Then we have Paige the missing girl, she also have her own POV in the book where she narrates her situation as a hostage. I find her character smart and cunning, but I feel pity for her. Because in her POV she described her life as a popular girl, she can have whatever she wants because her family was rich but she can’t have her father’s love. Then Drew the ever supportive best friend of Skye.
The story has so many plot twists and I was so thrilled that I can’t stop reading it. The story involves murder and as a reader you’re excited to know who the killer is. At this point I was a bit disappointed when the real murderer was revealed. I was expecting something more exciting and thrilling unveiling of the real murderer in the story. Somehow I find it predictable at the end when the murderer was finally revealed. But I really like the plot and its thrilling plot twists. The pacing of the book was good & fast, also the ending was ok but It felt flat for me. There are little amount of violence in the book where one of the characters harmed herself/was harmed. There’s a presence of LGBT in the story. There is no romance in this book and it was ok for me even though I’m a big fan YA books with a small or big amount of romance. This book teaches us to deal with problems that we risked ourselves in; it also teaches us to accept and understand the people around us for who they are. All in all, I really did enjoy reading this book even tho I was a little bit disappointed with it. I really enjoyed every thrilling part of the story and I still highly recommend this to everyone who loves YA Mystery books.
My rating for this book is
🌟🌟🌟🌟 3.9/5 stars
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING MY REVIEW
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU HAVE ANXIETY BECAUSE IT FUCKED ME UP AND I HAD A BIG RELAPSE BECAUSE OF THE PROTAGONISTS ANXIETY. This is in no way advertised, no TWs in the synopsis which is really disappointing. (Also the ending was not good imo)
I received a free copy of this book through Readers First in return for an honest review.
I've been reading more and more thrillers recently and when I saw that this book had stuff to do with a fake psychic, I was intrigued. I like reading about that sort of thing even with supernatural powers involved so it was interesting to read a pure thriller about one.
What I Liked
- The twists
-The characters
-The writing
What I Didn't Like
-I wasn't so sure about how justice wasn't truly served in the end
-I would have liked more details on what exactly happened to Paige in the end
Overall
Though I'm not sure how to phrase my thoughts on this book, I really enjoyed it. It was a quick and easy read and it has plenty of action to keep you going. There's a lot of twists, including one in the last few pages that made me go what the fuck.
This is definitely a book to look out for.
I've been reading more and more thrillers recently and when I saw that this book had stuff to do with a fake psychic, I was intrigued. I like reading about that sort of thing even with supernatural powers involved so it was interesting to read a pure thriller about one.
What I Liked
- The twists
-The characters
-The writing
What I Didn't Like
-I wasn't so sure about how justice wasn't truly served in the end
-I would have liked more details on what exactly happened to Paige in the end
Overall
Though I'm not sure how to phrase my thoughts on this book, I really enjoyed it. It was a quick and easy read and it has plenty of action to keep you going. There's a lot of twists, including one in the last few pages that made me go what the fuck.
This is definitely a book to look out for.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I was gifted this book via Netgalley.
I have been very interested in crime-like stories lately and was pretty pumped when I was approved to read this novel because it sounded similar to the tv show Psych's version of a psychic. I am always happy to read about another Shawn Spencer! This story starts out with teen psychic Skye Thorn giving someone a tarot card read. Skye is a very easy perspective to read from and I really liked her voice. She comes from a single parent home and her mom is kind of one of those spaced out moms who wants to be friends rather than a parent to their child. The story continues where Paige Bonnet has gone missing. Paige is the daughter of a judge who wants to run for Senate and a popular girl in the school that Skye never really spoke to.
I enjoyed the storyline very much, but I had problems with how characters were introduced and it seemed like they would get fleshed out, but it never actually happened. Some characters were more insignificant and didn't add anything to the story so it was confusing to get random bits of detail about people who weren't really part of the story. I was surprised by the twists and really liked them, but then the ending was very odd to me. I don't really understand why Skye chose to continue her future with the person she did. Overall, the plot was great (minus the ending), the characters were meh, and there were bits and pieces I had issues with throughout the story...like the random pop culture references that were out of place and talking about washboard abs even though there was literally no romance in the book.
I was gifted this book via Netgalley.
I have been very interested in crime-like stories lately and was pretty pumped when I was approved to read this novel because it sounded similar to the tv show Psych's version of a psychic. I am always happy to read about another Shawn Spencer! This story starts out with teen psychic Skye Thorn giving someone a tarot card read. Skye is a very easy perspective to read from and I really liked her voice. She comes from a single parent home and her mom is kind of one of those spaced out moms who wants to be friends rather than a parent to their child. The story continues where Paige Bonnet has gone missing. Paige is the daughter of a judge who wants to run for Senate and a popular girl in the school that Skye never really spoke to.
I enjoyed the storyline very much, but I had problems with how characters were introduced and it seemed like they would get fleshed out, but it never actually happened. Some characters were more insignificant and didn't add anything to the story so it was confusing to get random bits of detail about people who weren't really part of the story. I was surprised by the twists and really liked them, but then the ending was very odd to me. I don't really understand why Skye chose to continue her future with the person she did. Overall, the plot was great (minus the ending), the characters were meh, and there were bits and pieces I had issues with throughout the story...like the random pop culture references that were out of place and talking about washboard abs even though there was literally no romance in the book.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“The Hanging Girl” by Eileen Cook - ⭐⭐⭐
“The sound of the cards whispering as they touched was oddly soothing.” p.g 301
Summary:
Skye Thorn reads tarot cards for her fellow students; unbeknownst to them, she isn’t reading their cards but the students themselves. Although, when a popular girl goes missing, Skye finds herself assisting the police in their search by using her “gifts”. This time, Skye doesn’t need to study body language or her cards, for she has insider knowledge. Thinking it as an easy gain, Skye isn’t prepared for what happens next and everything starts spiralling out of control.
⚠️POSSIBLE SPOILERS⚠️
Thoughts:
Skye is a skeptic but she uses her cards so she can get money to move to New York with her best friend, Drew. Unfortunately, she doesn’t earn enough from her job and the cards to have saved a decent amount to move with Drew, so when she is offered a chance to work with a mysterious person called Pluto, she takes the chance. All she has to do is pretend to have visions about the missing girl, Paige, and feed it to the police.
Skye herself was a character who didn’t have the best morals, but is desperate and wants to leave the life she has. She uses everyone around her, manipulates them into believing her story and essentially gets in too deep. She isn’t really a character you would get behind, but one you follow to see how much worse her situation can get and if she can get out of it. She, to me, felt like a solid character, with flaws and aspirations.
The twists in this book did catch me off guard, however, I did guess the one at the end. The ending of this book however felt it went against Skye. The main motive behind the story and everything happening, was so she could get money to go and live with Drew. Something else happens instead which, to me, was a let down and as mentioned goes against what Skye wanted.
Besides that, this is a story I haven’t seen done before, and I would recommend it to thriller readers.
“The sound of the cards whispering as they touched was oddly soothing.” p.g 301
Summary:
Skye Thorn reads tarot cards for her fellow students; unbeknownst to them, she isn’t reading their cards but the students themselves. Although, when a popular girl goes missing, Skye finds herself assisting the police in their search by using her “gifts”. This time, Skye doesn’t need to study body language or her cards, for she has insider knowledge. Thinking it as an easy gain, Skye isn’t prepared for what happens next and everything starts spiralling out of control.
⚠️POSSIBLE SPOILERS⚠️
Thoughts:
Skye is a skeptic but she uses her cards so she can get money to move to New York with her best friend, Drew. Unfortunately, she doesn’t earn enough from her job and the cards to have saved a decent amount to move with Drew, so when she is offered a chance to work with a mysterious person called Pluto, she takes the chance. All she has to do is pretend to have visions about the missing girl, Paige, and feed it to the police.
Skye herself was a character who didn’t have the best morals, but is desperate and wants to leave the life she has. She uses everyone around her, manipulates them into believing her story and essentially gets in too deep. She isn’t really a character you would get behind, but one you follow to see how much worse her situation can get and if she can get out of it. She, to me, felt like a solid character, with flaws and aspirations.
The twists in this book did catch me off guard, however, I did guess the one at the end. The ending of this book however felt it went against Skye. The main motive behind the story and everything happening, was so she could get money to go and live with Drew. Something else happens instead which, to me, was a let down and as mentioned goes against what Skye wanted.
Besides that, this is a story I haven’t seen done before, and I would recommend it to thriller readers.
Firstly, 5 stars brilliant, will read again and would freely recommend to family/friends.
The Cover - (I said this in my sneak pick review but I shall reiterate) Eye catching cover. Very eerie. I will read/buy anything with tarot cards on it. The woods that make up the background (It's only clear what it is on up close inspection but that might just be my eyesight) are a great nod to some important locations later in the novel. The fact the card is being held in place by rusty nails, sinister indeed!
The Characters -
The main character Skye is sarcastic and cynical, right on point for how I was as a teenage girl, completely over everyone and their cliche cheerleader lives! (weren't we all?). Struggling to fit in with the crowd dealing with money troubles and way too much responsibility she makes some, shall we say, questionable choices. You get the sense she really didn't mean for anything to go the way it did and she was as well intentioned as she could be given what she was in cahoots about.
The kidnapped girl ? B***h ! Spoiled little rich girl with daddy issues. Clearly well written had me scrunching up my nose at her with every sentence.
The best friend Drew, was actually somewhat of a let down, was not in it as much as it seemed she was going to be. Regretably as she was the main LGBTQ and POC rep in this. (Hope I'm not confusing two characters there). She flit in and out of Skye's life seemingly doing not much other than demanding to be told things and having some very unrealistic expectations. Uou would think she would know Skye's situation since they've been BFFs since like third grade.
The Plot- (as spoiler free as I can manage) We have a kidnapping, a fake psychic, some things that are not what they seem, shady ex boyfriends and blackmail. Yes. All of this. Then to top of the plot point sundae we have TWISTS APPLENTY. Oooooh I did not see any of those coming, great mystery writer here people! Misleads and red herrings whilst still giving you clues that when revealed you're like "oh yeah. Duh, how did I not piece that together?" ... Well because I am not Benedict Cumberbatch and no one gave me a script. I was suspecting just about everyone and rooting for no one! Morally ambiguous ending here you should all know that going in.
No faults found by this reader, have a go at it yourself. I am aware that there are some "triggering" things in here that might appear to be glossed over or not addressed well enough but there are only so many pages people and a writer can only do so much.
This is just my opinion which was in no way influenced by anything but my brain, please respect my opnion and I shall respect yours.
The Cover - (I said this in my sneak pick review but I shall reiterate) Eye catching cover. Very eerie. I will read/buy anything with tarot cards on it. The woods that make up the background (It's only clear what it is on up close inspection but that might just be my eyesight) are a great nod to some important locations later in the novel. The fact the card is being held in place by rusty nails, sinister indeed!
The Characters -
The main character Skye is sarcastic and cynical, right on point for how I was as a teenage girl, completely over everyone and their cliche cheerleader lives! (weren't we all?). Struggling to fit in with the crowd dealing with money troubles and way too much responsibility she makes some, shall we say, questionable choices. You get the sense she really didn't mean for anything to go the way it did and she was as well intentioned as she could be given what she was in cahoots about.
The kidnapped girl ? B***h ! Spoiled little rich girl with daddy issues. Clearly well written had me scrunching up my nose at her with every sentence.
The best friend Drew, was actually somewhat of a let down, was not in it as much as it seemed she was going to be. Regretably as she was the main LGBTQ and POC rep in this. (Hope I'm not confusing two characters there). She flit in and out of Skye's life seemingly doing not much other than demanding to be told things and having some very unrealistic expectations. Uou would think she would know Skye's situation since they've been BFFs since like third grade.
The Plot- (as spoiler free as I can manage) We have a kidnapping, a fake psychic, some things that are not what they seem, shady ex boyfriends and blackmail. Yes. All of this. Then to top of the plot point sundae we have TWISTS APPLENTY. Oooooh I did not see any of those coming, great mystery writer here people! Misleads and red herrings whilst still giving you clues that when revealed you're like "oh yeah. Duh, how did I not piece that together?" ... Well because I am not Benedict Cumberbatch and no one gave me a script. I was suspecting just about everyone and rooting for no one! Morally ambiguous ending here you should all know that going in.
No faults found by this reader, have a go at it yourself. I am aware that there are some "triggering" things in here that might appear to be glossed over or not addressed well enough but there are only so many pages people and a writer can only do so much.
This is just my opinion which was in no way influenced by anything but my brain, please respect my opnion and I shall respect yours.
Skye is a Senior in high school who is just trying to be a normal girl living a normal life with plans to go to New York City after graduation. Her mother insists that their family comes from a long line of spiritualism. Skye does has a knack for reading Tarot cards...this leads her into unwanted problems.
This story deals with a great deal of deceit and the consequences that happen when you get caught.
I felt like the ending of this story was rushed and unbelievable. It had a great buildup...then just fell flat.
I went into this story expecting talk of Tarot and spiritualism of exploring the supernatural world...that is not this book. If my expectations weren’t so off on this book it would have been more enjoyable.
This story deals with a great deal of deceit and the consequences that happen when you get caught.
I felt like the ending of this story was rushed and unbelievable. It had a great buildup...then just fell flat.
I went into this story expecting talk of Tarot and spiritualism of exploring the supernatural world...that is not this book. If my expectations weren’t so off on this book it would have been more enjoyable.