As the synopsis suggests, the novel falls under the YA stalker genre. I’m glad this book was brought to my attention as I rarely stumble upon books revolving around stalking – which, by the way, should never be taken lightly. In my opinion, stalking is the most difficult form of harassment to write about as it often appears to pale in comparison to the more, quote, intense, unquote, kinds of harassment (e.g. rape, sexual abuse). I think a significant number of people don’t take the issue of stalking as seriously as they should. Moreover, as stalking commonly happens from a distance (whereas things like rape and molestation involve a more direct approach), this particular theme is quite difficult to pull off because in order for it to be taken to heart, it has to be presented in a way that is both obvious and haunting while simultaneously keeping it realistic.

On the surface, the book mainly deals with the manner in which Sam is coping with being the new student in an unfamiliar high school and the development of her relationships with others. We are introduced to many characters – the most striking, in my opinion, being Wes.

As for the rest of the characters, I found Sam’s friends interesting. However, they depicted varying levels of shallowness. I particularly have mixed feelings about Clint. None of Sam’s friends, or the rest of the characters really, are as well-developed and as complex as Wes. Although the characterization in the novel was slightly off-putting, I really liked how the relationship between Sam and Wes played out! It was one of the things I greatly enjoyed reading about. I particularly liked how Wes instantaneously comforts Sam upon being informed of her stalker while the rest of the gang had speculations before fully going on board.

Speaking of the stalker, he is pretty much a shadow in the storyline. Rather than acting as the focal point of the story and piloting the plot, he is a rather ominous, lurking presence. His stalking Sam becomes a somewhat underlying theme throughout the book, only rearing its head occasionally but in incredibly bothersome ways. This, in turn, drives Sam into a state of anxiety and paranoia as she has no clue when his next move will be.

I don’t think Angell’s approach is a typical occurrence in YA stalker set-ups. In this regard, Heidi demonstrates great skill in portraying the kind of realistic stalking that keeps readers constantly looking over their shoulders while immersing themselves in Sam’s story.