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A review by bridgetembooks
Dead Fine by Emma Smith
5.0
Every single time I finish one of Emma Smith's books I am reminded of why I fell in love with this author in the first place. Dead Fine, the latest edition to the ELU (Emma Literary Universe, a phrase that I came up with thank you very much), is no exception. It's the natural progression of Emma's writing. It really pushes the boundaries of the YA genre and as unnerving and at some points downright disturbing as this book could be I just could not put it down. I started reading Dead Fine on a Saturday night and finished reading it on Sunday afternoon, probably setting a record for myself as the fastest I have ever finished a book.
This book is probably the darkest that I've read from Emma. It deals with themes much more mature than Midnight Sherbet and even Guided and it really took me for a ride. This book is a sweaty, shuddering, blood-streaked highlight of Emma's writing abilities, taking the things I loved about her other works and making something that I ADORED.
This book delved into deeper themes than Emma's other books, asking questions and forcing the reader to think about concepts such as first love, emotional manipulation and what actions justify a violent and brutal retaliation. Emma shows you two characters who seem so in love with each other and then perfectly and masterfully tear them apart, showcasing how terrible for each other both of them really were, putting on display the flaws of not knowing about your relationship. Not knowing the person you're with and not knowing anything else.
This book also did a fantastic job of showcasing female friendships with both Lilz's friendship with Loz (who I adore so much), to her developing relationship with Zoe (who I might adore even more). We get to see Lilz blossom with Zoe taking her away from her life with Owen and forcing her to come face to face with the realization that there is more to life than her first love- really showing Lilz that she's stagnant and could be doing so much more. (Also the scene when Loz showed up at Dizzy's party made me want to call my best friends and tell them how much I love them).
To conclude, Dead Fine is... probably Emma's best book. While the cotton candy skies and aquarium dates of Midnight Sherbet made my stone-cold heart oh so happy I think this is what this author is best at. Messy teens in messy situations, teenage relationships and all the drama and emotions that come along with it. Blood, murder and artful explorations of guilt, secrets and despite it all trying to make it out fine... dead fine.
This book is probably the darkest that I've read from Emma. It deals with themes much more mature than Midnight Sherbet and even Guided and it really took me for a ride. This book is a sweaty, shuddering, blood-streaked highlight of Emma's writing abilities, taking the things I loved about her other works and making something that I ADORED.
This book delved into deeper themes than Emma's other books, asking questions and forcing the reader to think about concepts such as first love, emotional manipulation and what actions justify a violent and brutal retaliation. Emma shows you two characters who seem so in love with each other and then perfectly and masterfully tear them apart, showcasing how terrible for each other both of them really were, putting on display the flaws of not knowing about your relationship. Not knowing the person you're with and not knowing anything else.
This book also did a fantastic job of showcasing female friendships with both Lilz's friendship with Loz (who I adore so much), to her developing relationship with Zoe (who I might adore even more). We get to see Lilz blossom with Zoe taking her away from her life with Owen and forcing her to come face to face with the realization that there is more to life than her first love- really showing Lilz that she's stagnant and could be doing so much more. (Also the scene when Loz showed up at Dizzy's party made me want to call my best friends and tell them how much I love them).
To conclude, Dead Fine is... probably Emma's best book. While the cotton candy skies and aquarium dates of Midnight Sherbet made my stone-cold heart oh so happy I think this is what this author is best at. Messy teens in messy situations, teenage relationships and all the drama and emotions that come along with it. Blood, murder and artful explorations of guilt, secrets and despite it all trying to make it out fine... dead fine.