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trisha_thomas's review against another edition
2.0
a pretty good read that was a little creepy and spooky
but maybe I just don't spook easily
my biggest frustration was with the main character. I just found her annoying. Her "fudge pops" saying made me cringe, every time. And she seemed to get angry and fly off the handle at random things - I guess I didn't understand her.
but maybe I just don't spook easily
my biggest frustration was with the main character. I just found her annoying. Her "fudge pops" saying made me cringe, every time. And she seemed to get angry and fly off the handle at random things - I guess I didn't understand her.
catastra's review against another edition
1.0
To be fair, this book is aimed at a teen audience. I was fine with that, because the ghost aspect of the story really intrigued me. But the more I read, the more the book devolved into annoying teenage angst and I had to stop reading halfway through. Mattie is not a likable character. None of the characters are likable. For a novel meant to be about ghosts, it doesn't spend NEARLY enough time focused on that subject.
Cool concept, poorly developed and unlikable characters. Probably only interesting if you're a teenager or into the immature teen angst.
Cool concept, poorly developed and unlikable characters. Probably only interesting if you're a teenager or into the immature teen angst.
haley_j_casey's review against another edition
3.0
The pros:
Officer Dan. Yep. Love him.
Mattie's attitude. I love sarcasm, and (while I think some things could have been done differently/less explained) Mattie had a lot of it. Apryl Baker never started making her soft, didn't start out with her being sweet and turning sarcastic or vice versa; Mattie's character developed as the story went, but her personality stayed true and she was a very fun protagonist.
Mattie starts out with a boyfriend, but what I really liked was that as we learned more about Mattie so did Jake. And that complicated their relationship. It made things complex.
The relationship between Dan and Mattie. It stayed on the edge between friendship and relationship, their banter was perfect, and the fact that they still have room to grow made any scene between the two of them the best part of the book.
The cons:
The relationship between Dan and Mattie. Yes, they were fun, and yes, they had excellent banter, but it felt like Baker couldn't decide on just what age to treat Dan. Technically he's 20, and a cop, and still in college, but sometimes he seemed much older than Mattie, and sometimes he was like a high school student. And I know that college students can totally be like that, but he didn't stay consistent enough for me. It was distracting, even though I liked his character.
Every boy in the book was in love with Mattie. She was hot and could take care of herself and was mysterious, but seriously, every guy spent the whole book hitting on her.
And she couldn't make up her mind. She's in love with Jake in the beginning, then she's trying to figure out how she feels about Dan (more than once), and then she gets Mason's phone number and thinks he's so super cute, then, all of a sudden at the end, she's IN LOVE with Eric. And that one seriously through me and kind of ruined the end of the book. WAY too sudden, unreal, and Baker spent the whole book building Dan up just to throw in this guy at the last second that Mattie is way too attached to, way too quickly... It didn't fit with the way the rest of the book had been going.
Overall:
Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm a big fan of scary stuff (horror movies, nighttime in general, getting good and truly spooked). So this book was fun: ghosts, murderers, mystery, oh my. And while the mystery was good and the ending was a surprise, there were things that were done well and then things that took away from the rest of it. Mattie's attitude was great, but the fact that the author told us more than once how sarcastic Mattie considered herself and explained the fact took away from it because it felt to me as the reader like the author thought I had to be told what sarcasm was. I loved Dan and Mattie's relationship, then then a dozen other guys jumped in and took away some of the depth. I wish it had all been more consistent, but it was still a fun read with a great protagonist and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the sequel.
2.75 stars
Officer Dan. Yep. Love him.
Mattie's attitude. I love sarcasm, and (while I think some things could have been done differently/less explained) Mattie had a lot of it. Apryl Baker never started making her soft, didn't start out with her being sweet and turning sarcastic or vice versa; Mattie's character developed as the story went, but her personality stayed true and she was a very fun protagonist.
Mattie starts out with a boyfriend, but what I really liked was that as we learned more about Mattie so did Jake. And that complicated
Spoiler
and ruinedThe relationship between Dan and Mattie. It stayed on the edge between friendship and relationship, their banter was perfect, and the fact that they still have room to grow made any scene between the two of them the best part of the book.
The cons:
The relationship between Dan and Mattie. Yes, they were fun, and yes, they had excellent banter, but it felt like Baker couldn't decide on just what age to treat Dan. Technically he's 20, and a cop, and still in college, but sometimes he seemed much older than Mattie, and sometimes he was like a high school student. And I know that college students can totally be like that, but he didn't stay consistent enough for me. It was distracting, even though I liked his character.
Every boy in the book was in love with Mattie. She was hot and could take care of herself and was mysterious, but seriously, every guy spent the whole book hitting on her.
And she couldn't make up her mind. She's in love with Jake in the beginning, then she's trying to figure out how she feels about Dan (more than once), and then she gets Mason's phone number and thinks he's so super cute, then, all of a sudden at the end, she's IN LOVE with Eric.
Spoiler
The ghost. The ghost who attacked her, who she knew for a day during which she was being tortured, the guy she didn't actually know in real life, all of a sudden, she's just freaking in love with him.Overall:
Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm a big fan of scary stuff (horror movies, nighttime in general, getting good and truly spooked). So this book was fun: ghosts, murderers, mystery, oh my. And while the mystery was good and the ending was a surprise, there were things that were done well and then things that took away from the rest of it. Mattie's attitude was great, but the fact that the author told us more than once how sarcastic Mattie considered herself and explained the fact took away from it because it felt to me as the reader like the author thought I had to be told what sarcasm was. I loved Dan and Mattie's relationship, then then a dozen other guys jumped in and took away some of the depth. I wish it had all been more consistent, but it was still a fun read with a great protagonist and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the sequel.
2.75 stars
caffeinatedmix's review against another edition
1.0
200 notes of frustration later, here's my first one-star on GR.
jpach2001's review
adventurous
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bklounge's review against another edition
4.0
Great suspense and terror in this book. The only thing I didn't like was how many different "crushes" the main character developed.
beautifully_broken's review
3.0
Let me start by saying I love this book, I really do but every time I read it the mistakes jump out and get on my ever loving nerves.
1. How many times can Mattie say I'm fearless in the same sentence as I'm terrified or scared seriously its okay to have fears but its annoying to claim you don't as you whine about being afraid.
2. Again with the I don't while I do writing. Jesus Mattie says I don't cry over and over again while doing just that. I don't care that she cries and if she was pepping herself up with no need to cry speeches or this is so stupid to cry over but to just blatantly state I don't cry and I never cry its redundant and annoying when you did the same damn thing 5 pages ago.
3. This is seriously my biggest issue, without it the book is easily a 4-4.5 stars but the editing. Oh my god the editing. The more times I read it the less I believe it was ever edited. There dozens of missing words which makes reading smoothly at times difficult but the biggest error is the time line. At one point toward the end of the book Mattie states that a boarding house closed its doors 15 years ago, not 2 pages later she states she knows the layout because she lived there for a short time. Um unless Mattie is no less than 22 years old (newsflash she's 16 years old) this is completely impossible. Seriously this is a pivotal part in the book how did they miss this. How on earth did any of the people who are involved with the publishing of this book miss any of the glaring issues but a giant plot issue. How? just How?
Again I admit I love the book and will continue to torture myself whenever I wish to read it. It's dark and twisty and unlike any other horror book I have read, I just wish it was executed as well as the story line deserved.
1. How many times can Mattie say I'm fearless in the same sentence as I'm terrified or scared seriously its okay to have fears but its annoying to claim you don't as you whine about being afraid.
2. Again with the I don't while I do writing. Jesus Mattie says I don't cry over and over again while doing just that. I don't care that she cries and if she was pepping herself up with no need to cry speeches or this is so stupid to cry over but to just blatantly state I don't cry and I never cry its redundant and annoying when you did the same damn thing 5 pages ago.
3. This is seriously my biggest issue, without it the book is easily a 4-4.5 stars but the editing. Oh my god the editing. The more times I read it the less I believe it was ever edited. There dozens of missing words which makes reading smoothly at times difficult but the biggest error is the time line. At one point toward the end of the book Mattie states that a boarding house closed its doors 15 years ago, not 2 pages later she states she knows the layout because she lived there for a short time. Um unless Mattie is no less than 22 years old (newsflash she's 16 years old) this is completely impossible. Seriously this is a pivotal part in the book how did they miss this. How on earth did any of the people who are involved with the publishing of this book miss any of the glaring issues but a giant plot issue. How? just How?
Again I admit I love the book and will continue to torture myself whenever I wish to read it. It's dark and twisty and unlike any other horror book I have read, I just wish it was executed as well as the story line deserved.
brandylw's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fun read, and pretty quick. I started it at about 11:30 pm and ended at 2:15 am.
I won't have spoilers here, just know that this is a great YA read and everyone who likes a little supernatural horror to their YA should read it.
Not quite Shades of London, but close enough. I put Maureen Johnson in a pedestal, though.
Read this one. I'm about to start the second book now.
I won't have spoilers here, just know that this is a great YA read and everyone who likes a little supernatural horror to their YA should read it.
Not quite Shades of London, but close enough. I put Maureen Johnson in a pedestal, though.
Read this one. I'm about to start the second book now.