mousereads's Reviews (2.14k)

I honestly feel like at this point, I should know better than to pick up a thriller that links itself to things like Desperate Housewives or the Real Housewives. The mystery of this book was dilluted, repeatedly, by the inane. By the time we go to the resolution of the mystery, I found that I hardly cared at all. I found most of the character unbearable to read about, and their traumas and problems felt flat. I love trash television, and I love domestic thrillers, but this was so slow paced that I almost DNF'd 80% in, ready to accept that I actually didn't care "whodunit."

I have to give this book credit as a middle book in a trilogy, as those often really struggle with maintaining the character personalities and their core morals, but Owen manages to do that in this book. While the plot wasn't as tightly woven as the first book, our characters felt like coming home. They were just as clever, witty, and silly as they always have been. There are some themes around family being what you make of them as well, and I felt that was done incredibly well.
Of course, I have to mention the sex in this book, because often I hate when sex is suddenly brought up in a YA trilogy. Yet, the fumbling around, the sudden attraction, and the awkwardness of it felt so true to their age and their histories that I couldn't be mad about it. I feel many readers tend to forget these are teenagers, and it's their first time falling in love. This all lined up with the teen experience as I recall it. Did I find it a bit annoying after a while? Yes, but I'm also older than the intended audience, and I can recognize that.