Review:
I would be lying if I said that the first thing to pop into my head when I read the summary of this book was Pretty Little Liars.
Texts from an unknown sender. threats, commands, secrets, etc. This book gives off that vibe.
The writing style of this book only gives us the perspective of the main character, Piper, which makes the mystery all the more mysterious. What I like about the mystery is the fact that you’re always guessing. It’s difficult to figure out who’s behind everything, and even when you know, you don’t. There are twists and turns and plenty of heart-pounding moments. I loved the way the book was structured, too, because it never felt like it was boring.
It doesn’t hurt also that Piper is a really interesting protagonist; she’s not a Mary Sue. She doesn’t wait for the other shoe to drop, she looks for the shoe and tries to keep it from falling. Piper’s only flaw and it is pretty understandable, is that she was incredibly judgmental of the ‘popular’ crowd. Thankfully, Piper evolved and learned throughout the story that her assumptions were wrong.
The romance is low-key here, but incredibly sweet. It was kind of instal-love at first, just because we never really see how the love interest came to like Piper, but I forgive it because the love interest is so adorable! He was really supportive of Piper and I really liked how he challenged her to change for the better.
Overall, Natalie D. Richards once again constructed a highly believable mystery/suspense with a likable main character and an adorable romance. My verdict? Don’t miss out! 🙂
“I don’t think you’ve got a terrible person in you.”
“I think we all do. If you scratch the surface.”
Playlist:
Natalie D. Richards sent me a special playlist with a song that represents each character from the novel!
By character:
- Hadley: In the Waiting Line by Zero 7
- Connor: Gold by Sir Sly
- Tacey: Royals by Lorde
- Manny: Out of the Black by Royal Blood
- Jackson: Talk Dirty by Jason Derulo
- Tate: The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars
- Nick: Am I Wrong by Nico & Vinz
- Piper: Up in Flames by Ruelle
** Aimee had a song, too: Shake it Off by Taylor Swift, but unfortunately Taylor Swift doesn’t have any of her songs on Spotify, where I had created the playlist.
Here’s a specific playlist I made with different songs that reminded me of the book in one way or another.
- Criminal by Fiona Apple: Save me from/ These evil deeds/ Before I get them done/ I know tomorrow brings/ The consequence at hand.
- Break the Cycle by You + Me: Too many missing pieces/ That’s always been your reason/ To justify/ How you feel inside
- Secret by The Pierces: Why when do our darkest deeds do we tell?/ They burn in our brains, become a living hell/ Because everybody tells/ Everybody tells
- No One’s Here to Sleep by Naughty Boy & Bastille: What goes on behind these doors/ I’ll keep mine and you keep yours/ We all have our secrets, we all have our secrets
- Sick Little Games by All Time Low: We’re all part of the same, sick little games,/ And I need a get-away (get away)/ I’m wasting my days, I throw them away,/ Losing it all on these sick little games.
- Please Just Take These Photos From My Hands by Snow Patrol: Please just take these photos from my hands.
- Shelter by Birdy: Can I be, was I there/ Felt so crystal in the air/ I still want to drown whenever you leave/ Please teach me gently on how to breathe
- Au Revoir by OneRepublic: Let’s play a game/ Where all of the lives we lead can change/ Let’s play a game/ Where nothing that we can see, the same
- Dreaming Out Loud by We Are the In Crowd: It’s like I’ve seen everything/ But I can’t remember when/ Took more pictures than memories/ I wonder if I was ever there at all
- Glory and Gore by Lorde: You could try and take us (oh-oh)/ But we’re the gladiators (Oh! Oh!)/ Everyone a rager (oh-oh)/ But secretly they’re saviors
I’m not all that good at making playlists because my taste in music isn’t that extense. However I like the songs in this playlist just because they all tie into the book one way or another. Enjoy! 🙂
Win (1) finished copy of Gone Too Far, a copy of Six Months Later and some swag (US Only)
I’m so glad the main character isn’t a ditz! Having only one point of view really creates more of a mystery than books that have multiple points of view. I’m glad the romance doesn’t take center stage, it tends to overshadow or push aside the actual plot. Nice review 🙂
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I was so relieved that the character wasn’t a ditz, too. Most mystery books always have that one stupid character, thank goodness it’s not the case here. Thanks, Rachel!
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Thanks so much for your lovely review! And I adore your playlist! I have a few playlists for my books, and the Lorde song is on one of the others. And, man, Criminal just couldn’t be more perfect! Really cool — thank you! 🙂
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I love Criminal! When I first thought of creating the playlist, that was the first song that came to mind! 🙂
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