Scan barcode
A review by ruthelibrarian
If It Bleeds: A Nicole Charles Mystery by Linda L. Richards
2.0
"If It Bleeds" by Linda Richards is quite sort and is a book for reluctant readers. Due to this, I will be reviewing this book more as a short story.
Our story begins with Nicole Charles, a society journalist, discovering the dead body of an artist she was supposed to meet, named Steve Marsh. Nicole, always wanting to be a 'real' journalist, takes this as her chance to write something of substance rather than parties, art, and society articles. On her journey, she is met with derision by her editor and co-workers as she tries to investigate the case. Ultimately, she does succeed after doing some leg work interviewing the various people in the life of Steve Marsh.
The writing is great, easy to follow, and easy to read. Any teen attempting to read this will have an easy enough time following the story. My one issue with this book is that the main character is 27 years old and far removed from the audience. While this is not a deal breaker, most YA books published for teens have a teenage main character for a reason. It is much easier to get into the character's shoes if you are able to identify with them. There are elements of the story which a teen can definitely fit into, such as feeling like an outsider or like you aren't 'good enough,' but ultimately, I think only very mature teens may be into reading this title past the first couple chapters.
Otherwise, I would strongly recommend this for reluctant readers of the adult age.
Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Great
Recommended: Optional*
Level: High School
*Depends on your need for reluctant reader books.
Our story begins with Nicole Charles, a society journalist, discovering the dead body of an artist she was supposed to meet, named Steve Marsh. Nicole, always wanting to be a 'real' journalist, takes this as her chance to write something of substance rather than parties, art, and society articles. On her journey, she is met with derision by her editor and co-workers as she tries to investigate the case. Ultimately, she does succeed after doing some leg work interviewing the various people in the life of Steve Marsh.
The writing is great, easy to follow, and easy to read. Any teen attempting to read this will have an easy enough time following the story. My one issue with this book is that the main character is 27 years old and far removed from the audience. While this is not a deal breaker, most YA books published for teens have a teenage main character for a reason. It is much easier to get into the character's shoes if you are able to identify with them. There are elements of the story which a teen can definitely fit into, such as feeling like an outsider or like you aren't 'good enough,' but ultimately, I think only very mature teens may be into reading this title past the first couple chapters.
Otherwise, I would strongly recommend this for reluctant readers of the adult age.
Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Great
Recommended: Optional*
Level: High School
*Depends on your need for reluctant reader books.