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A review by brunettegeekgirl
Blood on My Hands by Todd Strasser
4.0
The cover:
This is the UK cover, and for some reasons, I like it better than the US cover, probably because Wish You Were Dead’s, the previous book’s, UK cover is way prettier than the US one. Although, the US one makes more sense….
The storyline:
This story has less horror in it than the previous book but way more suspense. I was holding my breath all the time because I knew something bad was going to happen.
The mystery in this story was the number one thing that kept me reading, it was a great journey with Callie trying to figure out who killed Katherine and framed her. I’ve been thinking about the killer and the possibilities all the time while reading the book, and I’m sad to say, I totally didn’t expect the ending…!!
What I loved:
The writing style was very good, it is somehow different from the first book, but it only made the book better.
I was expecting it to be a sequel in story to Wish You Were Dead and was somehow shocked to find that it is a totally different story. I loved how the story was built from ground zero and developed its own surroundings and characters but it also happened in the same city, so this tiny detail didn’t change :).
The main protagonist, Callie, was very brave and smart too.
The story wasn’t boring despite its 51 chapters and I actually remember each one because they were short and weren’t long.
Two words: the ending!
My favorite chapter is 47!!
The twists and the ongoing cobwebs of weird events.
What I hated/didn’t like:
Hmm.. nothing really I can remember.
What I missed:
I wish there was a bit more horror in the story?! It lacked that compared to the first book and there weren’t any gore or horrifying descriptions or scenes (Call me crazy, but I love these and really liked them in the first one, it’s not like they’re too scary or disgusting, they just add this feel to the story).
The characters:
Callie is the protagonist. She’s been framed for a death she didn’t commit and she was courageous and strong while trying to prove her innocence.
Slade is Callie’s boyfriend. He really loves her and helps her thru the book, but at the end, you’ll find many unsettling truths about him.
Dakota is the one who’s been blamed by Callie in the book for killing Katherine and setting up Callie. She’s not totally innocent either.
Katherine, the dead girl, is basically the mean girl in the Soundview High school. She’s been manipulating a lot of students including Callie, Dakota and Mia.
Mia is another girl who happens to want to be in Katherine’s circle but ends up being kicked out by her. She becomes Callie’s friend.
Other characters worth mentioning are Callie’s parents and brother, Sebastian, who’s in jail for attacking their father and causing him permanent brain damage. Chief od police Jenkins who’s Dakota’s uncle and an old friend of Callie’s father.
Favorite quotes:
After all, two years ago my older brother, Sebastian, made national news by bludgeoning our father nearly to death with a two-by-four, leaving him brain damaged and mute and paralyzed from the neck down. What’s so hard to believe? Like brother, like sister, right? – Chapter 2.
The other thing is you can tell yourself you’re a charity case without really believing it. And then the day comes when you forget. And you think you really do belong. Because you want to so badly. – Chapter 3.
And why had she kept Dakota?
Maybe she was thinking like the Chinese general who said, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” --- Chapter 34.
Conclusion:
This was a really good read. I don’t have words to describe it, but if you love thriller and mystery books with twists, this is definitely one to check :).
This is the UK cover, and for some reasons, I like it better than the US cover, probably because Wish You Were Dead’s, the previous book’s, UK cover is way prettier than the US one. Although, the US one makes more sense….
The storyline:
This story has less horror in it than the previous book but way more suspense. I was holding my breath all the time because I knew something bad was going to happen.
The mystery in this story was the number one thing that kept me reading, it was a great journey with Callie trying to figure out who killed Katherine and framed her. I’ve been thinking about the killer and the possibilities all the time while reading the book, and I’m sad to say, I totally didn’t expect the ending…!!
What I loved:
The writing style was very good, it is somehow different from the first book, but it only made the book better.
I was expecting it to be a sequel in story to Wish You Were Dead and was somehow shocked to find that it is a totally different story. I loved how the story was built from ground zero and developed its own surroundings and characters but it also happened in the same city, so this tiny detail didn’t change :).
The main protagonist, Callie, was very brave and smart too.
The story wasn’t boring despite its 51 chapters and I actually remember each one because they were short and weren’t long.
Two words: the ending!
My favorite chapter is 47!!
The twists and the ongoing cobwebs of weird events.
What I hated/didn’t like:
Hmm.. nothing really I can remember.
What I missed:
I wish there was a bit more horror in the story?! It lacked that compared to the first book and there weren’t any gore or horrifying descriptions or scenes (Call me crazy, but I love these and really liked them in the first one, it’s not like they’re too scary or disgusting, they just add this feel to the story).
The characters:
Callie is the protagonist. She’s been framed for a death she didn’t commit and she was courageous and strong while trying to prove her innocence.
Slade is Callie’s boyfriend. He really loves her and helps her thru the book, but at the end, you’ll find many unsettling truths about him.
Dakota is the one who’s been blamed by Callie in the book for killing Katherine and setting up Callie. She’s not totally innocent either.
Katherine, the dead girl, is basically the mean girl in the Soundview High school. She’s been manipulating a lot of students including Callie, Dakota and Mia.
Mia is another girl who happens to want to be in Katherine’s circle but ends up being kicked out by her. She becomes Callie’s friend.
Other characters worth mentioning are Callie’s parents and brother, Sebastian, who’s in jail for attacking their father and causing him permanent brain damage. Chief od police Jenkins who’s Dakota’s uncle and an old friend of Callie’s father.
Favorite quotes:
After all, two years ago my older brother, Sebastian, made national news by bludgeoning our father nearly to death with a two-by-four, leaving him brain damaged and mute and paralyzed from the neck down. What’s so hard to believe? Like brother, like sister, right? – Chapter 2.
The other thing is you can tell yourself you’re a charity case without really believing it. And then the day comes when you forget. And you think you really do belong. Because you want to so badly. – Chapter 3.
And why had she kept Dakota?
Maybe she was thinking like the Chinese general who said, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” --- Chapter 34.
Conclusion:
This was a really good read. I don’t have words to describe it, but if you love thriller and mystery books with twists, this is definitely one to check :).