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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
3.5 stars, rounded down for the length of time it took the protagonist to realize something seriously suspicious is up with her new 'friends' - even when they speak in beatnik or flapper slang.
The protagonist, a girl from a troubled family (neglectful, addict mother) with a douchebag crappy-band-member ex-boyfriend, wakes up in the cold river on a mountain near town after a party with no memory of how she got there. She soon encounters a bunch of weird teens & kids in the nearby ghost town, but really wants to get back to town, find out what happened to her, and get back at whoever ditched her up there. She muddles along for a few chapters, getting unexpected reaction in town, but once things kick off, there is a good suspenseful mystery of tying to find out what happened to her on the night she can't remember.
The story is kind of an ode to the people (especially girls) who go missing and aren't missed, or have bad things happen to them that society shrugs off, because of victim-blaming and "a girl like *that*" attitudes. There are a few shortcomings - most of the other kids from the hill are rather flat characters, including the loopy twins who I just found annoying; it took too long for our girl to figure out something was up with the hill-kids and with herself; and I would have liked more from her mom & brothers by the end.
Recommended for readers who enjoy suspenseful mysteries and stories of revenge or comeuppance.
Content warnings: teen drinking to excess, drug use, drugging people without their knowledge, mention of and rare glimpses of sex (nothing graphic, but someone walks in on a couple and you know what was happening), revenge-p0rn, victim-blaming; addict parent, neglectful parent, murder
The protagonist, a girl from a troubled family (neglectful, addict mother) with a douchebag crappy-band-member ex-boyfriend, wakes up in the cold river on a mountain near town after a party with no memory of how she got there. She soon encounters a bunch of weird teens & kids in the nearby ghost town, but really wants to get back to town, find out what happened to her, and get back at whoever ditched her up there. She muddles along for a few chapters, getting unexpected reaction in town, but once things kick off, there is a good suspenseful mystery of tying to find out what happened to her on the night she can't remember.
The story is kind of an ode to the people (especially girls) who go missing and aren't missed, or have bad things happen to them that society shrugs off, because of victim-blaming and "a girl like *that*" attitudes. There are a few shortcomings - most of the other kids from the hill are rather flat characters, including the loopy twins who I just found annoying; it took too long for our girl to figure out something was up with the hill-kids and with herself; and I would have liked more from her mom & brothers by the end.
Recommended for readers who enjoy suspenseful mysteries and stories of revenge or comeuppance.
Content warnings: teen drinking to excess, drug use, drugging people without their knowledge, mention of and rare glimpses of sex (nothing graphic, but someone walks in on a couple and you know what was happening), revenge-p0rn, victim-blaming; addict parent, neglectful parent, murder
Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy!
This was one of my anticipated reads for the year, and it did not disappoint!
Crowley has such a beautiful way with words, and has created a wonderfully dark world within our own. Annie Lane is a feisty main character that you just have to root for with her style, attitude, and her determination for revenge. She's not taking no for an answer and is the final girl we were all waiting for.
This is a dark, wild ride with everything you could ever need; humour, romance, revenge, and spooks galore.
THE book for Halloween!
This was one of my anticipated reads for the year, and it did not disappoint!
Crowley has such a beautiful way with words, and has created a wonderfully dark world within our own. Annie Lane is a feisty main character that you just have to root for with her style, attitude, and her determination for revenge. She's not taking no for an answer and is the final girl we were all waiting for.
This is a dark, wild ride with everything you could ever need; humour, romance, revenge, and spooks galore.
THE book for Halloween!
2.5 stars. I'd have probably really loved this book when I was a teenager. Overall, a quick, fun YA horror revenge read but it's not getting a higher rating because wow- some serious plot holes and glaringly half-baked ideas here. There was a serious lack of world-building here that was frustrating, and I almost gave up when I was half way through the book and she still didn't realize she was dead. Other gripes include the strangely forced "historic" slang, particularly the dialogue between Annabel and Sam. But, was this some fun, popcorn revenge horror? Yes. Did it deliver some cool moments? Yes. I particularly enjoyed Annabel driving Gun's car into the river and leaving him there to maybe escape. The final scene with Grady didn't feel nearly as satisfying. I'd probably recommend this to YA readers looking for a short and cheeky Halloween read, but there are much better crafted titles in this genre out there. See: The Weight of Blood by Tiffany Jackson.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I struggle with how to rate this one. I loved the twist on the less than perfect victim story, but I wish we knew more about everyone! We didn’t get enough back story to understand why Annabel was so hated, other than having bad taste in guys. We didn’t learn nearly enough about the other ghosts and their stories, especially since the axe murder story was a red herring about Sam’s intentions. Annabel has zero interest in learning about her new friends. There is also no explanation for the completely random use of historical slang phrases, which took me out of the story every time they were used. But the resolution with Maura was lovely, and the unbridled rage needed for the final showdown was gratifying.