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genieinanovel's Reviews (752)
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Let me start off by saying… I KNEW IT!!
I mean, I didn’t know who committed the murders in this book, but there were some suspicious people and I wasn’t surprised. However, I did know one little tidbit about one of the characters since the second book and I was pretty pleased to find that I was right. I mean, in a way, it’s also kind of obvious, but you also never know what an author is going to pull when a situation like that comes up.
Man, I hate not being able to be specific because of spoilers. Ugh.
In any case, this was a great conclusion to the Clue Mystery trilogy, starting off with a brand-new murder to rock the students and staff remaining at Blackbrook Academy. Unlike the other murders, there was no evidence of foul play, so the administration writes it off as a natural death. Of course, that’s not enough for some of the Murder Crew, especially Peacock, who’s had enough of death after being involved in a fatal car crash in which she was the only survivor.
Honestly, this is the first book series where I never found myself fully loving any characters. They’re all unreliable characters, which I think is what Peterfruend was going for. Out of the Murder Crew, I liked Peacock the best because of the way her chapters are written. It’s a direct look into her mind as her chapters are journal entries, and in this book her journal is now her investigative notebook, since she cannot play tennis with two broken legs and her arm in a brace. I definitely found myself more sympathetic to her in this book because she couldn’t do what she loved.
There are some minor subplots that don’t bode well with me – mainly a relationship between two of the characters – as they just feel a little forced, but I’ve thought that since the second book. But my opinion isn’t the same as everyone else; they might love the pairing. Or not. I don’t know.
Other than that, there was one thing I didn’t care for at the end, which was the alternate endings. It got annoying to reread the start of prom over and over and honestly, it just wasn’t needed. Especially because at that point it’s easy to figure out who was involved in the murders (as well as some other things). So that’s a star knocked off because needless alternate endings.
Again, this was otherwise a good ending to the trilogy, if a bit anticlimactic, that wraps up some of the mysteries that started from the first book.
I mean, I didn’t know who committed the murders in this book, but there were some suspicious people and I wasn’t surprised. However, I did know one little tidbit about one of the characters since the second book and I was pretty pleased to find that I was right. I mean, in a way, it’s also kind of obvious, but you also never know what an author is going to pull when a situation like that comes up.
Man, I hate not being able to be specific because of spoilers. Ugh.
In any case, this was a great conclusion to the Clue Mystery trilogy, starting off with a brand-new murder to rock the students and staff remaining at Blackbrook Academy. Unlike the other murders, there was no evidence of foul play, so the administration writes it off as a natural death. Of course, that’s not enough for some of the Murder Crew, especially Peacock, who’s had enough of death after being involved in a fatal car crash in which she was the only survivor.
Honestly, this is the first book series where I never found myself fully loving any characters. They’re all unreliable characters, which I think is what Peterfruend was going for. Out of the Murder Crew, I liked Peacock the best because of the way her chapters are written. It’s a direct look into her mind as her chapters are journal entries, and in this book her journal is now her investigative notebook, since she cannot play tennis with two broken legs and her arm in a brace. I definitely found myself more sympathetic to her in this book because she couldn’t do what she loved.
There are some minor subplots that don’t bode well with me – mainly a relationship between two of the characters – as they just feel a little forced, but I’ve thought that since the second book. But my opinion isn’t the same as everyone else; they might love the pairing. Or not. I don’t know.
Other than that, there was one thing I didn’t care for at the end, which was the alternate endings. It got annoying to reread the start of prom over and over and honestly, it just wasn’t needed. Especially because at that point it’s easy to figure out who was involved in the murders (as well as some other things). So that’s a star knocked off because needless alternate endings.
Again, this was otherwise a good ending to the trilogy, if a bit anticlimactic, that wraps up some of the mysteries that started from the first book.
I laughed, I cried, and I got annoyed.
There’s a lot of feelings with this book.
I’d leave it at that, but I do have more thoughts. I just needed to get those out first. It gave me various feels in good and bad ways. My annoyance was mainly with some of the characters’ decisions; not the book itself. Of course, that’s to be expected.
Let’s start with the premise of the book. I love it. And it was done so well. I mean, in the age of technology and constant contact, who would think to only meet up once a year with no contact in between? That’s insane! But that’s what Fallon and Ben do. They meet for the first time on November 9th – a day of bad memories for both of them – and since Fallon is leaving that night for New York, they agree to meet up on that date for the next five years to see where they stand as time goes on. They also give each other homework assignments – Fallon to branch out and go for her dreams, and Ben to write his novel.
So, Fallon and Ben. I thought they had good chemistry. The way Ben swoops into Fallon’s life was good for a laugh, and them keeping up the charade was even better. Their banter had me laugh out loud at times. It was witty, fun, and just made me love both characters. They never seemed to have an awkward moment when they were together. Obviously, what goes up must come down, so they did have a hiccup during their agreement. And it wasn’t one that I expected.
I loved Fallon’s development. She was very insecure about herself until Ben because of her scars from the fire she’d been caught in two years prior. After graduating high school, she decides to go to New York to try out for theater now that she no longer is a Hollywood actress. Her father thinks it’s a bad idea, but Fallon doesn’t care what he thinks, as her relationship with him is strained. As the years go on, and thanks to Ben, her confidence grows and she’s able to find a dream for herself and her life. The only thing she’s unsure of is if it includes Ben in her future.
Ben is adorable. He’s very excitable and such a guy at times. He’s got a troubled past that we don’t really learn the details about until the end, and it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. While I’m conflicted about that particular plot twist, it helps you understand why he was drawn to Fallon on that fated November 9th in the restaurant. There’s one decision he makes after Fallon leaves for New York again, telling him that he needs to be there for his family after an incident, that I just wanted to reach in and smack him around for.
“Whoever said the truth hurts was being an optimist. The truth is an excruciatingly painful son of a bitch.”
The annoyances of this book are what’s keeping me from rating the book five stars. Well, that and I’m still unsure of how I feel about that plot twist and ending. Like, I love how at that point the Ben chapters are told through his manuscript, but the content… it left me with mixed feelings. Aside from that though, Fallon’s use of bookworm terminology was a bit weird. It seemed forced, in a way, how she said those things. Then the way her and Ben kept referring to their first time as “being inside of me” or “being inside of her.” Like, who actually describes it like that? Multiple times? Maybe it’s just me, but that annoyed me quite a bit.
Overall, this was a good read. A real, angsty romance that, again, gave me various feels throughout the book. Not a bad choice for my first CoHo book.
There’s a lot of feelings with this book.
I’d leave it at that, but I do have more thoughts. I just needed to get those out first. It gave me various feels in good and bad ways. My annoyance was mainly with some of the characters’ decisions; not the book itself. Of course, that’s to be expected.
Let’s start with the premise of the book. I love it. And it was done so well. I mean, in the age of technology and constant contact, who would think to only meet up once a year with no contact in between? That’s insane! But that’s what Fallon and Ben do. They meet for the first time on November 9th – a day of bad memories for both of them – and since Fallon is leaving that night for New York, they agree to meet up on that date for the next five years to see where they stand as time goes on. They also give each other homework assignments – Fallon to branch out and go for her dreams, and Ben to write his novel.
So, Fallon and Ben. I thought they had good chemistry. The way Ben swoops into Fallon’s life was good for a laugh, and them keeping up the charade was even better. Their banter had me laugh out loud at times. It was witty, fun, and just made me love both characters. They never seemed to have an awkward moment when they were together. Obviously, what goes up must come down, so they did have a hiccup during their agreement. And it wasn’t one that I expected.
I loved Fallon’s development. She was very insecure about herself until Ben because of her scars from the fire she’d been caught in two years prior. After graduating high school, she decides to go to New York to try out for theater now that she no longer is a Hollywood actress. Her father thinks it’s a bad idea, but Fallon doesn’t care what he thinks, as her relationship with him is strained. As the years go on, and thanks to Ben, her confidence grows and she’s able to find a dream for herself and her life. The only thing she’s unsure of is if it includes Ben in her future.
Ben is adorable. He’s very excitable and such a guy at times. He’s got a troubled past that we don’t really learn the details about until the end, and it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. While I’m conflicted about that particular plot twist, it helps you understand why he was drawn to Fallon on that fated November 9th in the restaurant. There’s one decision he makes after Fallon leaves for New York again, telling him that he needs to be there for his family after an incident, that I just wanted to reach in and smack him around for.
“Whoever said the truth hurts was being an optimist. The truth is an excruciatingly painful son of a bitch.”
The annoyances of this book are what’s keeping me from rating the book five stars. Well, that and I’m still unsure of how I feel about that plot twist and ending. Like, I love how at that point the Ben chapters are told through his manuscript, but the content… it left me with mixed feelings. Aside from that though, Fallon’s use of bookworm terminology was a bit weird. It seemed forced, in a way, how she said those things. Then the way her and Ben kept referring to their first time as “being inside of me” or “being inside of her.” Like, who actually describes it like that? Multiple times? Maybe it’s just me, but that annoyed me quite a bit.
Overall, this was a good read. A real, angsty romance that, again, gave me various feels throughout the book. Not a bad choice for my first CoHo book.
When We Were Strangers is a roller-coaster of emotions for both the main character, Evie, and the reader. The same day her dad dies, Evie finds out that he had been planning to move out, if his packed suitcases are any indication. Covering it up as to not upset her mom any more than she is, Evie thinks she’s doing the right thing. But then she overhears her mom talking about her dad having had an affair with his young receptionist. Now Evie has no idea what to think or even how to process her grief.
Through Evie’s narration I felt like I could really feel her struggle with dealing with the grief and other emotions. I mean, not only is she grieving her dad and trying to process his affair, but then she also has to deal with her mom – who isn’t making any of this easier – and channel her anger when she realizes exactly who her dad was having an affair with. Evie makes decisions that surprise herself as she copes and learns how to process her emotions, which she does via a photography course.
The photography course plotline was a great way to have Evie get out and not spend her summer along and in misery. It got her away from her mother, who was falling apart for most of the story, and she got to meet a group of eccentric characters, including the cute and interesting Declan.
Because a summer romance is exactly what Evie needs right now, right?
Despite Evie wanting to protect her heart, she quickly finds herself falling for Declan and can’t help but want to spend time with him. I totally get her reluctance, not only because Declan was leaving at the end of summer anyway, but also due to the fact that she no longer trusts if romance really lasts.
Declan was adorable, plain and simple. I love his mixed Japanese and Irish nationality and how he was with his grandparents. He was just an easy-going guy and pushed Evie to do the right thing, without being a jerk about it. Then there was Evie’s best friend, Juana, who was a great addition to the story. She also pushed her bestie to do the right thing, but also understood Evie’s side of things and cared about how Evie’s interest in knowing more about Bree would affect both Evie and Evie’s mom.
Overall, this book goes through much more than I can really fit into a review. It deals with family, grief, relationships, forgiveness, and healing with a great cast of characters and a story that won’t be easily forgotten.
Through Evie’s narration I felt like I could really feel her struggle with dealing with the grief and other emotions. I mean, not only is she grieving her dad and trying to process his affair, but then she also has to deal with her mom – who isn’t making any of this easier – and channel her anger when she realizes exactly who her dad was having an affair with. Evie makes decisions that surprise herself as she copes and learns how to process her emotions, which she does via a photography course.
The photography course plotline was a great way to have Evie get out and not spend her summer along and in misery. It got her away from her mother, who was falling apart for most of the story, and she got to meet a group of eccentric characters, including the cute and interesting Declan.
Because a summer romance is exactly what Evie needs right now, right?
Despite Evie wanting to protect her heart, she quickly finds herself falling for Declan and can’t help but want to spend time with him. I totally get her reluctance, not only because Declan was leaving at the end of summer anyway, but also due to the fact that she no longer trusts if romance really lasts.
Declan was adorable, plain and simple. I love his mixed Japanese and Irish nationality and how he was with his grandparents. He was just an easy-going guy and pushed Evie to do the right thing, without being a jerk about it. Then there was Evie’s best friend, Juana, who was a great addition to the story. She also pushed her bestie to do the right thing, but also understood Evie’s side of things and cared about how Evie’s interest in knowing more about Bree would affect both Evie and Evie’s mom.
Overall, this book goes through much more than I can really fit into a review. It deals with family, grief, relationships, forgiveness, and healing with a great cast of characters and a story that won’t be easily forgotten.
This was a great, fast-paced novel for my first thriller book of the year. I’m a big fan of the protagonist waking up and not remembering what happened because that just adds to the mystery, especially in this one. Everyone thinks Andrea killed her father, left her mother within and inch of her life, and kidnapped her little brother. Only, Andrea has no recollection of what happened or where her little brother is.
But could she have done it?
“Me? Dangerous? I’m five foot three and afraid of turtles.”
All she knows is what she’s seeing on the news. Then she meets a boy her age, Nate, who works at the motel and he helps her try to figure out what happened. He brings out her naiveté about how things work in the real world – like with the cops, for instance. He talks her out of going to the police multiple times, as she’s the only suspect, saving her from being arrested and never figuring out who did this to her family. I really adored Nate and felt his genuineness of helping Andrea, despite only having just met her.
Throughout the book there are some secrets that come out about Andrea and her past, including some that she didn’t even know. And she learns she can’t even trust the people she was closest to; her own best friend is warned to stay away from her. Together, Andrea and Nate find some clues that give them some possible suspects of their own, but they need proof, and time is running out.
Despite some predictability near the end of the book and dropped plot points, this was a great read that pretty much kept me on my toes and wondering who would be behind the McNulty’s attack. A definite must-read for anyone who loves young-adult thriller!
Rating: 4.25/5 stars
But could she have done it?
“Me? Dangerous? I’m five foot three and afraid of turtles.”
All she knows is what she’s seeing on the news. Then she meets a boy her age, Nate, who works at the motel and he helps her try to figure out what happened. He brings out her naiveté about how things work in the real world – like with the cops, for instance. He talks her out of going to the police multiple times, as she’s the only suspect, saving her from being arrested and never figuring out who did this to her family. I really adored Nate and felt his genuineness of helping Andrea, despite only having just met her.
Throughout the book there are some secrets that come out about Andrea and her past, including some that she didn’t even know. And she learns she can’t even trust the people she was closest to; her own best friend is warned to stay away from her. Together, Andrea and Nate find some clues that give them some possible suspects of their own, but they need proof, and time is running out.
Despite some predictability near the end of the book and dropped plot points, this was a great read that pretty much kept me on my toes and wondering who would be behind the McNulty’s attack. A definite must-read for anyone who loves young-adult thriller!
Rating: 4.25/5 stars
