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Bea Catcher Chronicles #1
Sketchy
Bea's life has been a mess ever since she got kicked out of private school and sent to rehab. Now clean, Bea is starting over at Packard High School, in a city shaken from two assaults on young women. The latest victim, Willa Pressman-the one who survived-doesn't remember a thing. But Bea has a disturbing new "skill": she can see-and then draw-images from other people's minds. And when she looks at Willa, Bea is shocked by what she sketches. Bea might be the only one who knows Willa's secrets-and who can take down the killer before he strikes again.
238 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2013
39 people are currently reading
2125 people want to read
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April 29, 2013
Olivia Samms Bares It All! Check out my blog for my interview with the person behind Sketchy. Such an honest, fun woman! Get a chance to know her HERE!
I am giving away a copy of this book on the blog. Join now and get a chance to win!
An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for a thoughtful and honest review. This, in no way, influenced my opinion re: this book.
A few words first: this book is made up of pure, utter amazeballs. And awesomesauce. Damn, son.
When I first read the synopsis of this book, I felt this fire and craving within my heart commanding me to read it as soon as I can. I mean, dude - an ability that allows you to draw the images from other people's minds?! Holy hell, sign me up, s'il vous plaît! I was interested in interviewing Olivia Samms, the author of this lovely novel, and she generously gave me an ARC of this. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. You can pretty much tell that I quickly dove in and devoured this baby in 3 sittings (it could've been finished in one if only there were no distractions >.<). Ladies and gentlemen, I fell in love with it hook, line, and sinker.
Bea, the main character, is not only full of spunk, she's also fun to read
Bea is a girl who used to be someone a lot of us would want to get away from - an alcoholic, a drug addict, an intense party-goer... pretty much someone who could've gotten into the Bad Girls Club effortlessly. But after certain circumstances, she's changed - for the better. For three months now, she's been clean - nada in her system, but her past comes with a lot of unfortunate and unwanted consequences. She's shunned by her peers - her ex-best friend included -, her parents become a bit cautious and wary when it comes to her, temptations come to seduce her every now and then, and worse, she suddenly has this ability to draw the truth from other people. What's a girl to do, right?
Truth be told, I love how the heroine was portrayed. While it may be true that she has a lot of flaws and things to be ashamed of, it was her courage and determination to make a change that made her so endearing. We see her struggle not only with herself, but with other people, too, and it was a journey that I found myself fascinated with. While the high school drama involved may have been quite unrealistic (but then again, I've never seen anything like that in schools where I live), it was still a pleasure to read a girl that has a lot of spunk while at the same time going "Eff you, biatches" to those who dare insult and gossip about her. I was there with her all the way through thick and thin, cheering, "Go, Bea!" You may find her doing questionable things (which aren't really what they are further in the storyline!), but you appreciate the things she does out of good intentions, and this, I believe, makes her such a wonderful heroine. Right now, I am definitely looking forward to how more her character will grow in the succeeding books.
The ability Bea unlocked is pretty sweet, too!
As I previously stated before, Bea's newfound power is hella cool. It's something I'd definitely love to have myself! This skill of hers gave the book an intriguing and thrilling touch, where we become enthralled into an exciting mystery whodunit episode. Girls are disappearing and then found dead, and it would seem that Bea holds the key to solving the missing piece of the puzzle. The book is filled with a lot of fun twists and turns, with a nicely done written escalation and build-up of events.
Parents are present!
I remember ranting sometime ago that there's this trend in YA fiction where parents are oftentimes absent. They're either not there because they're dead, alcoholics (and therefore too high up there to even bother with the kid), workaholics (and therefore has no time to interact with kids), or are out of town because of business matters or, heck, because they're on a honeymoon trip. I assumed two things: a.) there are no parents present because it gives the main character an excuse to do whatever they want conveniently; and b.) the writers are too lazy and/or are trying to avoid to write child-parent relationships. Which makes me a sad potato, because in my opinion, making a great storyline while also incorporating such an important factor present in the teen's life is an indicator of an awesome writer.
And once again, truth be told, I wasn't expecting to see any parent-child relationship once more here, so imagine my very pleasant surprise when I saw there was one - and Ms. Olivia Samms wrote it very, very well. I think this is what I appreciated the most in the storyline - a mother and father's love for their children that knows no boundaries, their acceptance of what their child used to be and an eagerness to see what they will become in the future, their desire to protect you from all that is harmful, their yearning to give you the best in life - these are the things that I definitely love reading about, because honestly, such messages are not oftentimes seen in real life AND in YA fiction nowadays. So, yes, bravo, Ms. Olivia Samms! :)
The romance at the end was so... <3 <3 <3
Don't you just love a romance where you don't need to say "I love you" to let the other person know you do? That a gesture here and there like an eye contact, a brush of the hand, and a knowing smile will simply say it for you? Ever found yourself looking for a romance that isn't there, and then BAM! the ending gives you one that totally makes your heart fly to the clouds with the butterflies? I won't spoil you what it is, but it's definitely something I *am* super looking forward to. Please bring the next book already!
There's one setback, though...
I only regret that there weren't enough internal narration. While it was already good, I wanted to know more of Bea's thoughts. I also regret it wasn't longer, because it could've been dragged out a little more, resulting to a 'rushed' feeling. It was still very, very good, though! Here's to me hoping more surprises, and longer books will be waiting for us! ^.~
All in all, this is a book to keep an eye on come April 30. You definitely won't want to miss this riveting and thrilling episode of a teenager whose newfound power allows her to finally not only make a difference in her life, but in the lives of other people as well.
I am giving away a copy of this book on the blog. Join now and get a chance to win!
An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for a thoughtful and honest review. This, in no way, influenced my opinion re: this book.
A few words first: this book is made up of pure, utter amazeballs. And awesomesauce. Damn, son.
When I first read the synopsis of this book, I felt this fire and craving within my heart commanding me to read it as soon as I can. I mean, dude - an ability that allows you to draw the images from other people's minds?! Holy hell, sign me up, s'il vous plaît! I was interested in interviewing Olivia Samms, the author of this lovely novel, and she generously gave me an ARC of this. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. You can pretty much tell that I quickly dove in and devoured this baby in 3 sittings (it could've been finished in one if only there were no distractions >.<). Ladies and gentlemen, I fell in love with it hook, line, and sinker.
Bea, the main character, is not only full of spunk, she's also fun to read
Bea is a girl who used to be someone a lot of us would want to get away from - an alcoholic, a drug addict, an intense party-goer... pretty much someone who could've gotten into the Bad Girls Club effortlessly. But after certain circumstances, she's changed - for the better. For three months now, she's been clean - nada in her system, but her past comes with a lot of unfortunate and unwanted consequences. She's shunned by her peers - her ex-best friend included -, her parents become a bit cautious and wary when it comes to her, temptations come to seduce her every now and then, and worse, she suddenly has this ability to draw the truth from other people. What's a girl to do, right?
Truth be told, I love how the heroine was portrayed. While it may be true that she has a lot of flaws and things to be ashamed of, it was her courage and determination to make a change that made her so endearing. We see her struggle not only with herself, but with other people, too, and it was a journey that I found myself fascinated with. While the high school drama involved may have been quite unrealistic (but then again, I've never seen anything like that in schools where I live), it was still a pleasure to read a girl that has a lot of spunk while at the same time going "Eff you, biatches" to those who dare insult and gossip about her. I was there with her all the way through thick and thin, cheering, "Go, Bea!" You may find her doing questionable things (which aren't really what they are further in the storyline!), but you appreciate the things she does out of good intentions, and this, I believe, makes her such a wonderful heroine. Right now, I am definitely looking forward to how more her character will grow in the succeeding books.
The ability Bea unlocked is pretty sweet, too!
As I previously stated before, Bea's newfound power is hella cool. It's something I'd definitely love to have myself! This skill of hers gave the book an intriguing and thrilling touch, where we become enthralled into an exciting mystery whodunit episode. Girls are disappearing and then found dead, and it would seem that Bea holds the key to solving the missing piece of the puzzle. The book is filled with a lot of fun twists and turns, with a nicely done written escalation and build-up of events.
Parents are present!
I remember ranting sometime ago that there's this trend in YA fiction where parents are oftentimes absent. They're either not there because they're dead, alcoholics (and therefore too high up there to even bother with the kid), workaholics (and therefore has no time to interact with kids), or are out of town because of business matters or, heck, because they're on a honeymoon trip. I assumed two things: a.) there are no parents present because it gives the main character an excuse to do whatever they want conveniently; and b.) the writers are too lazy and/or are trying to avoid to write child-parent relationships. Which makes me a sad potato, because in my opinion, making a great storyline while also incorporating such an important factor present in the teen's life is an indicator of an awesome writer.
And once again, truth be told, I wasn't expecting to see any parent-child relationship once more here, so imagine my very pleasant surprise when I saw there was one - and Ms. Olivia Samms wrote it very, very well. I think this is what I appreciated the most in the storyline - a mother and father's love for their children that knows no boundaries, their acceptance of what their child used to be and an eagerness to see what they will become in the future, their desire to protect you from all that is harmful, their yearning to give you the best in life - these are the things that I definitely love reading about, because honestly, such messages are not oftentimes seen in real life AND in YA fiction nowadays. So, yes, bravo, Ms. Olivia Samms! :)
The romance at the end was so... <3 <3 <3
Don't you just love a romance where you don't need to say "I love you" to let the other person know you do? That a gesture here and there like an eye contact, a brush of the hand, and a knowing smile will simply say it for you? Ever found yourself looking for a romance that isn't there, and then BAM! the ending gives you one that totally makes your heart fly to the clouds with the butterflies? I won't spoil you what it is, but it's definitely something I *am* super looking forward to. Please bring the next book already!
There's one setback, though...
I only regret that there weren't enough internal narration. While it was already good, I wanted to know more of Bea's thoughts. I also regret it wasn't longer, because it could've been dragged out a little more, resulting to a 'rushed' feeling. It was still very, very good, though! Here's to me hoping more surprises, and longer books will be waiting for us! ^.~
All in all, this is a book to keep an eye on come April 30. You definitely won't want to miss this riveting and thrilling episode of a teenager whose newfound power allows her to finally not only make a difference in her life, but in the lives of other people as well.
June 13, 2013
I don’t know why but I just couldn’t put this book down. It was not the perfect novel, but I think the humanness of the novel was what drew me in. This book approached people as they really are when faced with life, flawed. Every character was flawed and in that sense they were perfect. Samms in her first book captured what life is really like, what family is like, and what humans are like. No character in this novel overcame their challenges without trouble. Bea struggled with her obstacle of addiction and Willa struggled with facing the true. Bea was a character realistic and yet fantastical. She was the hero who had a kryptonite, addiction. I think what makes her so interesting is somehow Samms made Bea live, live like non-fiction people. Bea’s family is another wonderful example of how Samms perfectly infused humanness into the story. Raw but real, Bea’s family is one that argues, cries, and struggles but is loving and caring. This was a family that I could see existing in real life. Altogether, the mystery played more of a backdrop to the characters. I can’t wait for the sequel and hopefully more of Samms’ wonderfully real characters.
August 31, 2016
Instrukcja rysowania portretu psychologicznego mordercy.
Czyli zapraszam na recenzję książki "Szkic"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTrf8...
May 15, 2013
Three and a half stars: An engaging dark YA thriller.
Exasperated, Bea waits for the urine stick to turn color and reveal to her weary mother that she is indeed still clean and sober after three months. Bea just recently returned home after a stint in rehab. She is picking up the pieces and reentering her life. However, she is not attending her former all girls school, instead she is enrolled at the local public high school. Bea knows that her bushy chia type hair and reputation will leave her on the outside of the popular social circles. No matter, she meets up again with Chris, a former acquaintance, and the two strike up a solid friendship. Just when Bea thinks her life will be normal, her strange artistic talent rears its head. Bea can inexplicably draw what is in other people's thoughts. Once she captures and draws a face from Willa's mind, Bea knows she must do something. Willa, the popular Quenn Bee, was recently raped and left for dead. Bea is convinced that her drawing is the face of a killer, but who is going to believe her especially since she is a former drug user?
What I Liked:
*I was pleased to find that I enjoyed Bea's character. Granted, Bea is no angel. She is a recovering substance abuser and she is unrefined, snarky and rebellious. Even though she is rough around the edges and lacks polish, she is a lot of fun. I liked her funny commentary and I appreciated her courage and strength as she fought to overcome her addiction. Add her in her unique artistic talent and you have an entertaining and memorable character. Not to mention her chia pet hair and penchant for thrift shop clothes. Bea is one of those characters that will stick with me as I very much enjoyed her voice.
*I appreciated that the author is not afraid to tackle some very tough subject matter. There is no glossing over the dark stuff in this one. There are plenty of references to drug use, and it is very revealing as far as the depths that one can sink and the tough road one must follow on the way back. I appreciated going on the journey with Bea and seeing how she had to fight every single day to stay clean and sober. This is a good reminder of the dangers of drugs. I loved the way the author pointed out in the book that drug users can and do come from all types of life. Don't get caught up in the stereotypes for drug uses because a substance abuser can be anyone, even the popular, smart kids. While the drug use and recovery are an important part of the story, they are not the main focus, so don't shy away from this thinking is a book about the dangers of drugs, it is much more than that.
*This book has an intriguing little mystery. Bea inadvertently finds herself caught up in a murder mystery once she accesses and draws the face of the rapist from Willa's thoughts. Girls are going missing and being murdered and Bea is the only one with a solid lead. I loved the suspense and the thrill as the mystery takes control of the plot.
*I loved that this book is a quick entertaining read with a focus on something other than your typical high school romance and such. This is an entertaining thriller with a heroine fighting to overcome substance abuse who has a special talent that helps track down a killer. If you are looking for a romance be warned there is not a romance in this one. I personally liked that this book did not have any romance. It is nice every once in awhile to not have a romance.
*I liked that there are a few drawings sprinkled throughout the book.
*I was pleased that this book came to a nice conclusion and that was not a cliffhanger!
And The Not So Much;
*While I loved Chris, I was a bit disappointed that his character was stereotypical. Chris fast becomes Bea's best friend. He is gay and he fits into that mold we see far too often in the YA genre. He is a girl's best friend, he is a bit flamboyant, he likes fashion and shopping, he is in the closet when it comes to his family, and he is everything you have come to know in the typical YA gay boy. How I wanted his character to move beyond that stereotype and be something different. I am tired of the gay boys being the girl's best friend and fellow shopping partner.
*There was a niggling thread that was left undone. There is a brief flashback in the book when Bea remembers a time when her father, a former artist, wanted to draw picture of Bea and her mother when Bea was little. For whatever reason, he crumpled the paper and refused to draw after that point. When Bea questions him, he doesn't answer and I was left wondering why did he stop drawing? Does he also possess some kind of talent like Bea?
*I completely enjoyed the fast and thrilling plot, but the ending with Bea and the showdown with the killer felt a little off. It was perhaps just me, but I thought the book kind of fell of course and I didn't like how that final confrontation played out. Basically, I was not expecting Bea to end up in that position. I thought perhaps she would utilize her new connection at the police department or Chris, especially when she grapples for the hand print drawing.
*Even though this book is labeled YA it is for mature readers only. There are several serious subjects in this one such as drug use, sex, rape and murder. It is definitely a darker read and is best suited for the older teens.
Sketchy was a quick and entertaining YA thriller. It does have some dark content so it is best suited for older readers. It features a likable main character who is overcoming substance abuse. I enjoyed the story and the characters and I would definitely like to read the next installment.
Favorite Quotations:
"Rule number three: stay away from the dudes in the shop class. They all have woodies!"
"Name-calling is worse than a broken bone----it can't be set in a cast and healed in six weeks. I would know. It hurts!"
Posted @Rainy Day Ramblings.
June 14, 2013
Pros:
I appreciate good stalker murder mysteries. If you were wondering, this is not a reflection of my other pastimes.
Finally, a mixed–race heroine that puts an emphasis on her being mixed race. I've been waiting for that to happen.
And a gay supporting character. I've been reading about overly perfect straight white people for far too long.
I think the mind-reading/drawing skill is very original. Points for that.
I don't know if I should be happy or sad that the main character's name is Beatrice. At least it's not a Lily, Sara, Katie, Haley, or any other stereotypical name you could come up with.
Cons:
Are there any books where the recovered addict DOESN'T fall in love with their recovery group? It seems whenever I read about that situation, the character goes from hating the tackiness to reveling in its cheesiness in 3.5 seconds. Is that realistic?
I wish the book was a bit longer and more detailed. The reason I didn't like it more was because the other didn't seem to go into as much detail as I would have liked, and didn't fully succeed in meshing her past with the present. Plus, Agatha happens and she doesn't seem to focus on it at all. Not very fluid.
I appreciate good stalker murder mysteries. If you were wondering, this is not a reflection of my other pastimes.
Finally, a mixed–race heroine that puts an emphasis on her being mixed race. I've been waiting for that to happen.
And a gay supporting character. I've been reading about overly perfect straight white people for far too long.
I think the mind-reading/drawing skill is very original. Points for that.
I don't know if I should be happy or sad that the main character's name is Beatrice. At least it's not a Lily, Sara, Katie, Haley, or any other stereotypical name you could come up with.
Cons:
Are there any books where the recovered addict DOESN'T fall in love with their recovery group? It seems whenever I read about that situation, the character goes from hating the tackiness to reveling in its cheesiness in 3.5 seconds. Is that realistic?
I wish the book was a bit longer and more detailed. The reason I didn't like it more was because the other didn't seem to go into as much detail as I would have liked, and didn't fully succeed in meshing her past with the present. Plus, Agatha happens and she doesn't seem to focus on it at all. Not very fluid.
November 1, 2016
(1.5)
August 12, 2014
So I got this book from a giveaway on Goodreads. I have had it for a few weeks and really kept putting it off because I was unsure about it.
The cover description made me feel like there was going to be a lot going on, and the book just isn’t that thick so I was worried about how the author was going to cover all the topics. So last night I picked this book up and read it cover to cover in four hours. It wasn’t really the fact that I needed to finish because it was just that good but I knew if I sat it down without finishing it I might not pick it up again. Really the book is fine, the story is kind of catchy but it just doesn’t sink its hooks in you like a suspense novel is supposed to.
I also just had tons of questions when I finished.
Why did Bea have to have the power?
Why did Bea have to be a recovering drug addict?
Why does Bea even care about helping Willa solve the case?
Why did Bea have to be in high school?
Those questions just made me not like the novel very much. It was a lot going on and I just felt like the story could have been told without a lot of the angles that were added, they weren’t very relevant at all and didn’t add to the overall outcome of the story.
The book is in the POV of our main character Bea; she is fresh out of rehab and only 3 months sober. Ever since she has cleaned up she has developed the power to draw the truth out of people literally. (Nice play on words) She is in a new school and there is also a killer/rapist on the loose. When she encounters the latest victim, a cheerleader that has survived her attack, she sees glimpses of the killer in the girls mind and now after seeing him she is on a hunt to find the killer no matter what the cost.
Okay so let’s go over some of my questions in lengthier detail.
Why did Bea have to have the power?
So Bea has suddenly started realizing that she has this power to draw thoughts from people’s minds. She just gets flashes and then she is forced to draw, this gives her headaches and she passes out a few times from it. Okay so my biggest problem is I just don’t think that she needed the power to solve this case. She draws this guy because of something she sees in Willa’s mind but it’s not like she couldn’t have drawn the same person from the description that Willa gives her verbally. (Plus the cops straight out tell her that they would have been able to use a sketch artist to draw the killer but Willa will not admit to remembering anything) It’s just a matter of her connecting with Willa in the first place, but that could have been made possible in tons of other ways that would have made more sense than Bea having this Power. There is just not really any reason that she needs this power, it kind of takes away from the overall story because it’s just not described in enough detail or use significantly enough to truly be valuable to the readers. For me I hope that she uses this so called power more in the sequel otherwise it’s just seems like it is something the author used to get people to buy the book.
Why did Bea have to be a recovering drug addict?
So just like the power I just find this to be so irrelevant and really under developed characterization. We are supposed to believe that Bea just got out of rehab and is having a difficult time being sober. I don’t see it that way at all; she doesn’t seem to struggle with the drugs at all. She is a compulsive liar that is true but as for a drug addict she doesn’t act like any drug addict I have ever met. Plus again this just doesn’t do anything for the storyline. If maybe she would have met the killer at a meeting then started talking to him then ba-bam he would have drawn her into his craziness nearly killing her that would have made her becoming a recovering addict more relevant but really it does nothing. It just gives her parents a good reason not to trust her. But really do parents need a reason to not trust a seventeen-year-old? If this would have been tied in better and more developed it may have been okay but really I just don’t see how it related to the story.
Why does Bea even care about helping Willa?
Willa is a bitch! And really she is just pathetic; she needed to learn how to help herself. I don’t feel bad for Willa and that is again just a writing issue, I feel like if this had been written differently I would have cared about Willa but it just didn’t work. Also I feel like if something had happened to Bea personally it would have made more sense that she was so obsessed with finding the killer. I know that supposedly she feels like she could have stop the whole thing because of something that had happened when she was tripping out but I just feel like if the killer had been a bigger threat to her throughout the whole novel it would have created some suspense. I just wish Willa would have been likable because then I would have seen why Bea wanted to help her.
Why do Bea and the girls being attacked have to be in high school?
Okay so I get that this is probably because of the whole parental thing. But it just makes so much more sense for this to be set up in the college. My whole point is full of spoilers, plus don’t hit to read on unless you’re okay with knowing who the killer is because I am going to rant about it.
Those were my main thoughts while reading but there was a lot more. I just found for a story that should have been suspenseful this book was rather dry. I guess the biggest thing that was a kill joy for me was that there isn’t really a love story, come on I need a love story to be interested. Over all for the whole book in general I wish there would have been more detail, I think that everything that bothered me about the book was just because it wasn’t explained enough for me to think it was relevant to the overall storyline.
I hope that the next book will be a little bit longer and The Power that Bea has will be described to a great extent so I actually believe that it is worth something to the story. However this book wasn’t horrible and is a really fast read; so I guess if you like giving new authors a try maybe you want to read this book.
The cover description made me feel like there was going to be a lot going on, and the book just isn’t that thick so I was worried about how the author was going to cover all the topics. So last night I picked this book up and read it cover to cover in four hours. It wasn’t really the fact that I needed to finish because it was just that good but I knew if I sat it down without finishing it I might not pick it up again. Really the book is fine, the story is kind of catchy but it just doesn’t sink its hooks in you like a suspense novel is supposed to.
I also just had tons of questions when I finished.
Why did Bea have to have the power?
Why did Bea have to be a recovering drug addict?
Why does Bea even care about helping Willa solve the case?
Why did Bea have to be in high school?
Those questions just made me not like the novel very much. It was a lot going on and I just felt like the story could have been told without a lot of the angles that were added, they weren’t very relevant at all and didn’t add to the overall outcome of the story.
The book is in the POV of our main character Bea; she is fresh out of rehab and only 3 months sober. Ever since she has cleaned up she has developed the power to draw the truth out of people literally. (Nice play on words) She is in a new school and there is also a killer/rapist on the loose. When she encounters the latest victim, a cheerleader that has survived her attack, she sees glimpses of the killer in the girls mind and now after seeing him she is on a hunt to find the killer no matter what the cost.
Okay so let’s go over some of my questions in lengthier detail.
Why did Bea have to have the power?
So Bea has suddenly started realizing that she has this power to draw thoughts from people’s minds. She just gets flashes and then she is forced to draw, this gives her headaches and she passes out a few times from it. Okay so my biggest problem is I just don’t think that she needed the power to solve this case. She draws this guy because of something she sees in Willa’s mind but it’s not like she couldn’t have drawn the same person from the description that Willa gives her verbally. (Plus the cops straight out tell her that they would have been able to use a sketch artist to draw the killer but Willa will not admit to remembering anything) It’s just a matter of her connecting with Willa in the first place, but that could have been made possible in tons of other ways that would have made more sense than Bea having this Power. There is just not really any reason that she needs this power, it kind of takes away from the overall story because it’s just not described in enough detail or use significantly enough to truly be valuable to the readers. For me I hope that she uses this so called power more in the sequel otherwise it’s just seems like it is something the author used to get people to buy the book.
Why did Bea have to be a recovering drug addict?
So just like the power I just find this to be so irrelevant and really under developed characterization. We are supposed to believe that Bea just got out of rehab and is having a difficult time being sober. I don’t see it that way at all; she doesn’t seem to struggle with the drugs at all. She is a compulsive liar that is true but as for a drug addict she doesn’t act like any drug addict I have ever met. Plus again this just doesn’t do anything for the storyline. If maybe she would have met the killer at a meeting then started talking to him then ba-bam he would have drawn her into his craziness nearly killing her that would have made her becoming a recovering addict more relevant but really it does nothing. It just gives her parents a good reason not to trust her. But really do parents need a reason to not trust a seventeen-year-old? If this would have been tied in better and more developed it may have been okay but really I just don’t see how it related to the story.
Why does Bea even care about helping Willa?
Willa is a bitch! And really she is just pathetic; she needed to learn how to help herself. I don’t feel bad for Willa and that is again just a writing issue, I feel like if this had been written differently I would have cared about Willa but it just didn’t work. Also I feel like if something had happened to Bea personally it would have made more sense that she was so obsessed with finding the killer. I know that supposedly she feels like she could have stop the whole thing because of something that had happened when she was tripping out but I just feel like if the killer had been a bigger threat to her throughout the whole novel it would have created some suspense. I just wish Willa would have been likable because then I would have seen why Bea wanted to help her.
Why do Bea and the girls being attacked have to be in high school?
Okay so I get that this is probably because of the whole parental thing. But it just makes so much more sense for this to be set up in the college. My whole point is full of spoilers, plus don’t hit to read on unless you’re okay with knowing who the killer is because I am going to rant about it.
Those were my main thoughts while reading but there was a lot more. I just found for a story that should have been suspenseful this book was rather dry. I guess the biggest thing that was a kill joy for me was that there isn’t really a love story, come on I need a love story to be interested. Over all for the whole book in general I wish there would have been more detail, I think that everything that bothered me about the book was just because it wasn’t explained enough for me to think it was relevant to the overall storyline.
I hope that the next book will be a little bit longer and The Power that Bea has will be described to a great extent so I actually believe that it is worth something to the story. However this book wasn’t horrible and is a really fast read; so I guess if you like giving new authors a try maybe you want to read this book.
March 18, 2013
See this review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!
3.5 stars - Sketchy by Olivia Samms didn't quite knock it out of the park for me, but I did think it was a promising beginning. Bea was a likeable character and Ms. Samms' writing drew you into her world and made you care about the people in it. I look forward to more of Bea's adventures and watching her develop her gift.
Beatrice "Bea" Washington is a recovering addict, teenager, and artist. She is trying to restart her life after a stint in rehab, but is having a hard time fitting in at home and at her new school. She has always been an accomplished artist, but now that her head is clear, she has developed the ability to draw what people are thinking. When a serial killer begins abducting local girls, Bea finds herself drawn into the investigation when she draws the killer's face from the mind of his only surviving victim, Willa. With Willa unwilling to identify him, Bea must find a way to bring the killer to justice on her own.
I really liked Bea's character. She was funny, with a very distinctive voice. She was strong, but had her faults and struggles like everyone else. She could get a little whiny sometimes, especially at times when her parents questioned her about any recent drug use, but it did fit in with her being a teenager. I thought her gift was unique, as I don't think I have seen that idea used in a book before. Bea had a very well-developed and interesting background and I can't wait to see how she continues to develop and learns to live with her addictions.
The supporting characters in this book were pretty fab. Bea's artist parents were kooky and dysfunctional, but you could see the love and concern they have for one another. I absolutely loved her best friend, Chris. He was fantastic and just oh so funny. There is one scene in Bea's bedroom that is just beyond hilarious. I hope we get even more of him in the next book. The only character I didn't really buy was the detective. He was very nice and understanding of Bea, but he is just too much older than her for even a hint of romance to not feel icky.
The plot was interesting, if a bit predictable, and very quickly paced. I liked seeing Bea's attempts to adapt to her new life intermixed with the mystery aspects. The killer's identity was pretty easy to figure out, but his motivation behind the murders was a high point of the story. I liked how Ms. Samms was able to incorporate multiple art disciplines throughout the novel in a way that felt very organic. I also enjoyed seeing aspects of Bea's previous life and how she feel into drugs and alcohol. Many parts of thei story were very dark and concerned some adult situations. Because of this, I think this novel is best suited for an older YA crowd.
Sketchy had some really great elements and a nice, clean writing style. It was a solid beginning to this new series and I am looking forward to more adventures in the Bea Catcher Chronicles. (Cute series name, right?!)
Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Children's Publishing for providing an ARC copy of this book!
3.5 stars - Sketchy by Olivia Samms didn't quite knock it out of the park for me, but I did think it was a promising beginning. Bea was a likeable character and Ms. Samms' writing drew you into her world and made you care about the people in it. I look forward to more of Bea's adventures and watching her develop her gift.
Beatrice "Bea" Washington is a recovering addict, teenager, and artist. She is trying to restart her life after a stint in rehab, but is having a hard time fitting in at home and at her new school. She has always been an accomplished artist, but now that her head is clear, she has developed the ability to draw what people are thinking. When a serial killer begins abducting local girls, Bea finds herself drawn into the investigation when she draws the killer's face from the mind of his only surviving victim, Willa. With Willa unwilling to identify him, Bea must find a way to bring the killer to justice on her own.
I really liked Bea's character. She was funny, with a very distinctive voice. She was strong, but had her faults and struggles like everyone else. She could get a little whiny sometimes, especially at times when her parents questioned her about any recent drug use, but it did fit in with her being a teenager. I thought her gift was unique, as I don't think I have seen that idea used in a book before. Bea had a very well-developed and interesting background and I can't wait to see how she continues to develop and learns to live with her addictions.
The supporting characters in this book were pretty fab. Bea's artist parents were kooky and dysfunctional, but you could see the love and concern they have for one another. I absolutely loved her best friend, Chris. He was fantastic and just oh so funny. There is one scene in Bea's bedroom that is just beyond hilarious. I hope we get even more of him in the next book. The only character I didn't really buy was the detective. He was very nice and understanding of Bea, but he is just too much older than her for even a hint of romance to not feel icky.
The plot was interesting, if a bit predictable, and very quickly paced. I liked seeing Bea's attempts to adapt to her new life intermixed with the mystery aspects. The killer's identity was pretty easy to figure out, but his motivation behind the murders was a high point of the story. I liked how Ms. Samms was able to incorporate multiple art disciplines throughout the novel in a way that felt very organic. I also enjoyed seeing aspects of Bea's previous life and how she feel into drugs and alcohol. Many parts of thei story were very dark and concerned some adult situations. Because of this, I think this novel is best suited for an older YA crowd.
Sketchy had some really great elements and a nice, clean writing style. It was a solid beginning to this new series and I am looking forward to more adventures in the Bea Catcher Chronicles. (Cute series name, right?!)
Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Children's Publishing for providing an ARC copy of this book!
April 27, 2013
Sketchy by Olivia Samms is a winner! Finally, in a sea of awkward teen heroines, Bea stands out! Samms got it right when she imagined lead character, Bea, creating a truly unique girl. Bea is not your typical cookie cutter misfit. She is unapologetic but not glorified, flawed and saddled with a distinct voice, which maintains a consistent dialogue. Her reaction and actions clearly fit with the set up situations and behaviors. She's smart, chaotic, and a mess of sorts, but nothing is so over the top to make it unbelievable and by doing so, I believe a wide audience will be able to easily connect with the character. The support characters are also individually depicted and provide just enough for the mind to create a sharp image.
Sketchy is a prefect example of how character development enriches plot. It simply adds a dimension that elevates a good story to a great story. This one stuck with me because of the care obviously taken to maintain the honest tone, stay true to character development and the attention to detail. If a writer was to ask my advice on how to construct a misfit teen character that doesn't fall into the cliche culture we are being buried beneath, I would refer them to this particular book. The delineations are not huge, but just enough to separate it from the masses and own the originality.
Thematically and relevancy, the plot is multi-layered and takes on several topics/concerns without being overwhelming. Issues of drug abuse, recovery, and even rape are important elements, but they are delivered in a way that is neither too graphic or shocking. Using this approach does not diminish the seriousness, but rather approaches the subjects through a different form. I felt the heart of the issues, while at the same time being able to digest without shredding my sensitivities to abuse and rape.
Sketchy is a prefect example of how character development enriches plot. It simply adds a dimension that elevates a good story to a great story. This one stuck with me because of the care obviously taken to maintain the honest tone, stay true to character development and the attention to detail. If a writer was to ask my advice on how to construct a misfit teen character that doesn't fall into the cliche culture we are being buried beneath, I would refer them to this particular book. The delineations are not huge, but just enough to separate it from the masses and own the originality.
Thematically and relevancy, the plot is multi-layered and takes on several topics/concerns without being overwhelming. Issues of drug abuse, recovery, and even rape are important elements, but they are delivered in a way that is neither too graphic or shocking. Using this approach does not diminish the seriousness, but rather approaches the subjects through a different form. I felt the heart of the issues, while at the same time being able to digest without shredding my sensitivities to abuse and rape.
May 7, 2013
Really glad that this is the first book in a series, because I like it so much!
Bea is a former druggie who has an unusual problem: when she listens to someone while sketching, she is able to uncover their secrets in an illustrated form. Right now she is trying to fit into a new high school at the same time she and others from her high school are reeling from a series of rapes and a murder. Bea is able to see a lot if what happened, but not everyone appreciates her help.
Bea's family seems realistic: they are dealing with a child who just got out of rehab and they are suspicious of her actions. They love her and they want to keep her healthy.
There are enough threads that are still loose to make this a great series.
Not a good book for immature young adult readers...there is rape, a homosexual character, drug use and lots of language that may be inappropriate. This is the kind of book that I would have loved when I was in 8th grade. Any teacher who want to share this story should know her readers' maturity levels.
Bea is a former druggie who has an unusual problem: when she listens to someone while sketching, she is able to uncover their secrets in an illustrated form. Right now she is trying to fit into a new high school at the same time she and others from her high school are reeling from a series of rapes and a murder. Bea is able to see a lot if what happened, but not everyone appreciates her help.
Bea's family seems realistic: they are dealing with a child who just got out of rehab and they are suspicious of her actions. They love her and they want to keep her healthy.
There are enough threads that are still loose to make this a great series.
Not a good book for immature young adult readers...there is rape, a homosexual character, drug use and lots of language that may be inappropriate. This is the kind of book that I would have loved when I was in 8th grade. Any teacher who want to share this story should know her readers' maturity levels.
May 8, 2014
Oh my goodness. I did not want to put this book down when I was reading it today. It's that good. It's almost like a drug, which is quite ironic because Bea is a recovering addict and alcoholic.
Anyways, Sketchy could definitely be a standalone novel, but it's not. It is a part of the Bea Catcher series. I can only hope that Samms next novel(s) in this series are just as great.
Bea has a gift. She can see what people are thinking, but only when she is drawing. This gift at first makes people think that she's insane and still using, but she finds ways to convince people that she is telling the truth. Eventually the thoughts she sees help redeem her bad reputation, and she is able to save the day.
I could totally see ABC Family or The CW adapting this into a television series. It's totally written that way. I would watch it.
Per regulation, I must state that I won this book through the Goodreads First Reads/Giveaway program.
Anyways, Sketchy could definitely be a standalone novel, but it's not. It is a part of the Bea Catcher series. I can only hope that Samms next novel(s) in this series are just as great.
Bea has a gift. She can see what people are thinking, but only when she is drawing. This gift at first makes people think that she's insane and still using, but she finds ways to convince people that she is telling the truth. Eventually the thoughts she sees help redeem her bad reputation, and she is able to save the day.
I could totally see ABC Family or The CW adapting this into a television series. It's totally written that way. I would watch it.
Per regulation, I must state that I won this book through the Goodreads First Reads/Giveaway program.
April 25, 2014
4/24/2014
The pros:
- Bea isn't a standard female, YA protagonist. She was a serious druggie, has a black father and an Italian mother, and she isn't a virgin. And, so far, she's not cowed by anything. She does what she wants.
- Bea's fashion sense. There's sometimes just a little too much reminding how retro her clothes are, but I love the fact that they're retro and mismatched and kinda crazy.
- The plot. Her power? So far, so cool.
- The mystery. I love a good mystery, and rape and murder as a backdrop to a story about a girl coming into her powers is being very well handled. The author and the characters aren't just brushing off what's going on as nothing, and the characters aren't unaffected by the tragedy.
The cons (these may become subject to change as the story goes, but currently this outnumbers the pros list):
- Gay best friend already. Let's be clear—I have nothing against gay best friends. When done right, they're usually my favorite characters. But a lot of YA?NA authors I've read recently feel the need to stick a gay "BFF" in with the heroine. I don't know if that's to try and stop too much masculinity from overshadowing the heroine (which is stupid), because gay guys are fun to write (not a great reason, but understandable), or because authors think a guy and girl can't be friends and straight without eventually having to jump each other (also stupid, but even that route would be more interesting in my opinion), but either way I'd like to see that handled differently. (Except for Just One Day, in which I think the gay friend was masterfully handled, ie his gayness was not the driving feature of his character)
- Bea is crazy judgmental. She got off-her-face trashed, went to rehab, kicked out of her private school, but she hasn't had a single positive reaction to the sight of anyone. The people in AA with her? Unkempt losers. The kids at her school? Stereotypical douchebags. Her parents? Too overprotective/concerned/strict. Well, Bea, you aren't exactly golden yourself so far, so tone it down.
- The "teen" language in this. It feels a little too much like someone writing how they think high schoolers think and talk and it's a bit much. The high school itself is a "penitentiary" from the day she walks in, with cafeteria food that's unrecognizable in it's current state, and with tables of nicely segregated tables of "jocks, bros, stoners, pretty girls, nerds, and loners" that save her a nice empty table by the trash cans at which to eat alone while they all judge her for having been in rehab. Doesn't happen in real life. Then there's the way they treat gay Chris, kicking his backpack and calling him a "limp-wrist homo" and no one cares or steps in to stop it. This, by the way, from a jock (obviously) who, like the rest of his teammates does bleacher runs during lunch hour while chanting "hut hut hut". Also doesn't happen. People at my equally large high school were totally and completely chill with gay classmates. (One year our one male cheerleader (and super nice but definitely gay) was homecoming king. Fred Phelps protested our school for it. THE WHOLE STUDENT BODY TURNED OUT TO PROTEST THEM IN RETURN. No exceptions based on cliques. Anyone at that school would have stopped anyone from being a blatant homophobe to his face.) Since this whole book is centered around high schoolers, it's getting to be too much.
- And I'm also pretty sure that all the instant judgment upon hearing Bea went to rehab is unrealistic. Some judgment from some people? Oh yeah. Definitely. Everyone in school calling her "the druggie" (like she's the only one there whose done anything like that), everyone at a school of two thousand kids knowing about her stint in rehab, and the parents of her old best friend blacking her out of photographs AT THEIR DAUGHTER'S FUNERAL SLIDESHOW just because she got schwasted and hospitalized? I don't think so.
Considering my second "con" point, that all probably sounds highly judgmental of me. But I'm getting hung up on that while reading, and I had to say it. The book is by no means bad, however, and I am definitely going to finish.
Still 4/24/2014, but finished.
So not my favorite. I think I just had higher hopes for the depth of the characters and for the use of Bea's power and everything. And I'm sure that's explored further in the sequel(s), and honestly I do think I'm going to read those. So that's something, because while I may force myself to finish a bad book rarely will I chase down what comes next if it was truly terrible.
However, the cons still outweigh the pros. Let's go in reverse order this time, shall we?
The cons:
- The ease with which Bea convinced Willa to go try and identify the killer. Willa had be ADAMANT that she knew nothing, that she would mess Bea up if Bea ever told anything she did know something, and that speaking out would ruin her completely. And while I definitely, definitely, like that she chose to go and to speak up and to use the knowledge she had to try and stop this guy from being able to hurt another girl, Bea got her to give it a go without meeting a lot of resistance.
-
- Bea's family dynamic made no sense to me. I truly thought her parents were headed for a separation given the first half of the book, but then they one-eightied and totally had their acts together by the end, laughing and being lovely and not fighting. And while both felt fairly genuine, they didn't go together.
The pros:
- Maria. Loved her.
- Chris. So yeah, I'm tired of the gay best friend, but I loved Chris and thought he was probably the strongest character in the book.
- The pacing. This mystery did not drag on and on and on, which was spectacular because it wasn't something that could have without serious consequences. It was all quick and on-point and kept you on your toes wanting to read more, but everything was still handled carefully and cleanly and given the content of the book that's saying a lot in favor of it.
- Bea's character development. I might not have thought there was a ton of character depth to be had, but I definitely think the characters developed as the book went on. Bea got much much much more tolerable, less judgmental, more determined and focused. Willa got a little stronger. Chris became more of a person than a stereotype, Bea's parents actually had some issues dealing with a rehabilitated daughter... So while I continued to have issue with a lot of the assumptions/stereotypes the book caved to (the pervy principal, the jackass jocks [I am not trying for alliteration], the stuck-up cheerleaders, the cop who won't even listen to a seventeen-year-old because he's the po-lice and knows best), many of those became okay because there was development.
The... I don't knows:
- Sergeant Daniels. I definitely liked him. And I even like the idea of he and Bea; I think that could be awesome. But I could not get a grip on his age, so while I was picturing him at about 30, he was (I think) supposed to be much, much younger. Maybe 24 tops. And I didn't get that, not only because he didn't act young and fresh out of the police academy, but because he was often the one giving orders and he would have had to rise fast in the ranks to pull that off and still be young enough to like a high schooler and have it be chill.
(Note that I am someone who really likes books like student-teacher romances and oddly large age gaps, but THIS didn't feel like it was supposed to be that kind of book so that's why I couldn't make it work in my head.)
(I received a free copy of this book in the Goodreads First Reads giveaway)
The pros:
- Bea isn't a standard female, YA protagonist. She was a serious druggie, has a black father and an Italian mother, and she isn't a virgin. And, so far, she's not cowed by anything. She does what she wants.
- Bea's fashion sense. There's sometimes just a little too much reminding how retro her clothes are, but I love the fact that they're retro and mismatched and kinda crazy.
- The plot. Her power? So far, so cool.
- The mystery. I love a good mystery, and rape and murder as a backdrop to a story about a girl coming into her powers is being very well handled. The author and the characters aren't just brushing off what's going on as nothing, and the characters aren't unaffected by the tragedy.
The cons (these may become subject to change as the story goes, but currently this outnumbers the pros list):
- Gay best friend already. Let's be clear—I have nothing against gay best friends. When done right, they're usually my favorite characters. But a lot of YA?NA authors I've read recently feel the need to stick a gay "BFF" in with the heroine. I don't know if that's to try and stop too much masculinity from overshadowing the heroine (which is stupid), because gay guys are fun to write (not a great reason, but understandable), or because authors think a guy and girl can't be friends and straight without eventually having to jump each other (also stupid, but even that route would be more interesting in my opinion), but either way I'd like to see that handled differently. (Except for Just One Day, in which I think the gay friend was masterfully handled, ie his gayness was not the driving feature of his character)
- Bea is crazy judgmental. She got off-her-face trashed, went to rehab, kicked out of her private school, but she hasn't had a single positive reaction to the sight of anyone. The people in AA with her? Unkempt losers. The kids at her school? Stereotypical douchebags. Her parents? Too overprotective/concerned/strict. Well, Bea, you aren't exactly golden yourself so far, so tone it down.
- The "teen" language in this. It feels a little too much like someone writing how they think high schoolers think and talk and it's a bit much. The high school itself is a "penitentiary" from the day she walks in, with cafeteria food that's unrecognizable in it's current state, and with tables of nicely segregated tables of "jocks, bros, stoners, pretty girls, nerds, and loners" that save her a nice empty table by the trash cans at which to eat alone while they all judge her for having been in rehab. Doesn't happen in real life. Then there's the way they treat gay Chris, kicking his backpack and calling him a "limp-wrist homo" and no one cares or steps in to stop it. This, by the way, from a jock (obviously) who, like the rest of his teammates does bleacher runs during lunch hour while chanting "hut hut hut". Also doesn't happen. People at my equally large high school were totally and completely chill with gay classmates. (One year our one male cheerleader (and super nice but definitely gay) was homecoming king. Fred Phelps protested our school for it. THE WHOLE STUDENT BODY TURNED OUT TO PROTEST THEM IN RETURN. No exceptions based on cliques. Anyone at that school would have stopped anyone from being a blatant homophobe to his face.) Since this whole book is centered around high schoolers, it's getting to be too much.
- And I'm also pretty sure that all the instant judgment upon hearing Bea went to rehab is unrealistic. Some judgment from some people? Oh yeah. Definitely. Everyone in school calling her "the druggie" (like she's the only one there whose done anything like that), everyone at a school of two thousand kids knowing about her stint in rehab, and the parents of her old best friend blacking her out of photographs AT THEIR DAUGHTER'S FUNERAL SLIDESHOW just because she got schwasted and hospitalized? I don't think so.
Considering my second "con" point, that all probably sounds highly judgmental of me. But I'm getting hung up on that while reading, and I had to say it. The book is by no means bad, however, and I am definitely going to finish.
Still 4/24/2014, but finished.
So not my favorite. I think I just had higher hopes for the depth of the characters and for the use of Bea's power and everything. And I'm sure that's explored further in the sequel(s), and honestly I do think I'm going to read those. So that's something, because while I may force myself to finish a bad book rarely will I chase down what comes next if it was truly terrible.
However, the cons still outweigh the pros. Let's go in reverse order this time, shall we?
The cons:
- The ease with which Bea convinced Willa to go try and identify the killer. Willa had be ADAMANT that she knew nothing, that she would mess Bea up if Bea ever told anything she did know something, and that speaking out would ruin her completely. And while I definitely, definitely, like that she chose to go and to speak up and to use the knowledge she had to try and stop this guy from being able to hurt another girl, Bea got her to give it a go without meeting a lot of resistance.
-
- Bea's family dynamic made no sense to me. I truly thought her parents were headed for a separation given the first half of the book, but then they one-eightied and totally had their acts together by the end, laughing and being lovely and not fighting. And while both felt fairly genuine, they didn't go together.
The pros:
- Maria. Loved her.
- Chris. So yeah, I'm tired of the gay best friend, but I loved Chris and thought he was probably the strongest character in the book.
- The pacing. This mystery did not drag on and on and on, which was spectacular because it wasn't something that could have without serious consequences. It was all quick and on-point and kept you on your toes wanting to read more, but everything was still handled carefully and cleanly and given the content of the book that's saying a lot in favor of it.
- Bea's character development. I might not have thought there was a ton of character depth to be had, but I definitely think the characters developed as the book went on. Bea got much much much more tolerable, less judgmental, more determined and focused. Willa got a little stronger. Chris became more of a person than a stereotype, Bea's parents actually had some issues dealing with a rehabilitated daughter... So while I continued to have issue with a lot of the assumptions/stereotypes the book caved to (the pervy principal, the jackass jocks [I am not trying for alliteration], the stuck-up cheerleaders, the cop who won't even listen to a seventeen-year-old because he's the po-lice and knows best), many of those became okay because there was development.
The... I don't knows:
- Sergeant Daniels. I definitely liked him. And I even like the idea of he and Bea; I think that could be awesome. But I could not get a grip on his age, so while I was picturing him at about 30, he was (I think) supposed to be much, much younger. Maybe 24 tops. And I didn't get that, not only because he didn't act young and fresh out of the police academy, but because he was often the one giving orders and he would have had to rise fast in the ranks to pull that off and still be young enough to like a high schooler and have it be chill.
(Note that I am someone who really likes books like student-teacher romances and oddly large age gaps, but THIS didn't feel like it was supposed to be that kind of book so that's why I couldn't make it work in my head.)
(I received a free copy of this book in the Goodreads First Reads giveaway)
February 9, 2021
After months of NOT being allowed in the library due to covid curfews they are open again to the library.
I had to reign myself in not to take a hundred books home. OF course the cover is what caught my eye, but the summary put in my take home pile.
Bea is a very flawed teenager who is recovering from being a drug addict. While in rehab she realizes she has an unique talent. Without realizing it, she can draw what people are thinking in their heads.
She decides to ignore the drawing keep her head down and be the dutiful daughter not a druggie everyone is expecting to relapse.
Only problem is girls are being kidnapped raped and murdered in her town, and she comes across the victim and sees the attack in her head and sketches a perfect picture of attacker. Only problem is the victim refuses to trust let alone believe Bea and her strange ability.
Throughout the story, We feel Bea's pain as she fights relapse daily sometime hourly. We feel her anguish that her parents have no trust for her. Even the police department and school officials won't listen to her about the killer.
This was a quick read and as Bea gets Willa to confront her attacker it becomes a non stop read to an explosive ending. Even the motive for the killers/rapes felt right for the background of the suspect.
It doesn't get 5 stars from me because of a pet peeve of mine about females acting reckless.
I had to reign myself in not to take a hundred books home. OF course the cover is what caught my eye, but the summary put in my take home pile.
Bea is a very flawed teenager who is recovering from being a drug addict. While in rehab she realizes she has an unique talent. Without realizing it, she can draw what people are thinking in their heads.
She decides to ignore the drawing keep her head down and be the dutiful daughter not a druggie everyone is expecting to relapse.
Only problem is girls are being kidnapped raped and murdered in her town, and she comes across the victim and sees the attack in her head and sketches a perfect picture of attacker. Only problem is the victim refuses to trust let alone believe Bea and her strange ability.
Throughout the story, We feel Bea's pain as she fights relapse daily sometime hourly. We feel her anguish that her parents have no trust for her. Even the police department and school officials won't listen to her about the killer.
This was a quick read and as Bea gets Willa to confront her attacker it becomes a non stop read to an explosive ending. Even the motive for the killers/rapes felt right for the background of the suspect.
It doesn't get 5 stars from me because of a pet peeve of mine about females acting reckless.
March 19, 2015
Here’s a long overdue review. I’m so sorry for putting if off this long. I’m gonna get in and get out really fast for this. Short and to the point, maybe.
Things I liked:
o1. Bea’s ability.
- I thought her drawing out the truth from people was really neat, new, and rather original. Her manic thoughts as this need overcomes her and as she goes through this process is fascinating to read and the number one hook to this book. I think this is what will make people keep reading onwards in the narrative.
o2. Dealing with darker themes.
- Things such as alcohol addiction, drugs, teenage pregnancy, rape, murder, are all included in here. But I thought the focus on how Bea and her family deals with her alcohol and drug addiction was strong. Bea’s constant struggle to deal with her desire to have something that’s so bad for and her parents’ constant worry, anger, desperation, and fear are all palpable, emotional, and realistic.
o3. The fast and quick pace.
- Reading through this book is a breeze. The chapters are short, actively further the plot without too much filler, and are usually packed with an interesting tidbit of information, action scene, or character/emotional development either with others or their own self-growth. It helps that the actual length of this book is short as well.
o4. The attempt at diversity.
- I appreciated that the author tried for diversity with having a mixed main character and a best friend who is gay. He does come off a being a token character but I’m happy that she at least gave him a halfway sort of life in the context of the story with his own personality. Down sides are that these are pretty much the only characters in this world that get much showtime.
Things I didn’t like:
o1. The heavy emphasis on the “dark” themes.
- Okay, sure I commend the book for tackling some difficult subjects but, yet, at the same time I feel it was quite overdone. So much of the darker aspects of the story: drug dealing, addiction, murder, rape, sex, pregnancy, etc felt overdone and forced. Like the author was trying hard to make the book more distinct and edgy from other books that the end result felt more forced than anything.
- Yeah, sure, I do not doubt the fact that these issues do occur in real life but in such a short novel, there was just too much of it. Girls doing crack in the school bus while in middle school, having their own drug dealers and what not, and using sexual advances to get what they want just did not work cohesively with the story. It was very distracting to the core plot. Not to mention the whole tone that this story is written is probably better suited for a character who is in college versus her senior year in high school.
- Also, the constant use of foul, crude, and crass language bothered me quite a bit at times. It felt more there for shock and reaction and not very natural in the context of conversation.
o2. Trope-y elements.
- Okay, I’m tired of the “perfect, beautiful, but bitchy” popular girl as the ones who get the shit end of the stick in books. Could we do away with this overly used method to use as a marker of distinguishment (is that even a word?) between our normal, average, but yet somehow special main characters? I do not like the comparison it creates and creates a subtle antagonistic and competitive viewpoint in both the readers and characters. We do not need to continue this portrayal.
- The female-hate. Bea is an angry person, I get it, but it wouldn’t hurt to help her foster positive relationships with other females of her age. I don’t know why it’s so popular nowadays to shun friendships of her own gender and focus mainly on the other.
o3. The unconvincing romance.
- For the majority of the book, Bea has no real romantic interests pursuing her, (okay there was that one guy but he’s a bad seed which is made very obvious) and all of a sudden she has one. I’m sorry but the ending hints of the pairing for the next book is just not gonna do it for me. Sure he was very nice, patient, and supportive of her but really. There isn’t many scenes of them together to establish much of a connection or personality. Not too mention the many other OBVIOUS variables that aren’t even alluded to (age gap, imbalanced positions of status and power, his previous background relationship that have a constant and pressing effect on any relationship he has in the present and future).
Okay maybe this wasn’t so short of a review but these are my thoughts. Some very good ideas and concepts in here that I think could’ve been developed from a different angle for better execution but this is a decent enough effort. I quite love Bea’s ability though, I think it’s really neat. There are some good scenes later on that kept me glued to the pages.
Very late but better late than never.
I want to thank Goodreads’s First Reads program for sending me the book. I would never have heard of or read this book without them.
Things I liked:
o1. Bea’s ability.
- I thought her drawing out the truth from people was really neat, new, and rather original. Her manic thoughts as this need overcomes her and as she goes through this process is fascinating to read and the number one hook to this book. I think this is what will make people keep reading onwards in the narrative.
o2. Dealing with darker themes.
- Things such as alcohol addiction, drugs, teenage pregnancy, rape, murder, are all included in here. But I thought the focus on how Bea and her family deals with her alcohol and drug addiction was strong. Bea’s constant struggle to deal with her desire to have something that’s so bad for and her parents’ constant worry, anger, desperation, and fear are all palpable, emotional, and realistic.
o3. The fast and quick pace.
- Reading through this book is a breeze. The chapters are short, actively further the plot without too much filler, and are usually packed with an interesting tidbit of information, action scene, or character/emotional development either with others or their own self-growth. It helps that the actual length of this book is short as well.
o4. The attempt at diversity.
- I appreciated that the author tried for diversity with having a mixed main character and a best friend who is gay. He does come off a being a token character but I’m happy that she at least gave him a halfway sort of life in the context of the story with his own personality. Down sides are that these are pretty much the only characters in this world that get much showtime.
Things I didn’t like:
o1. The heavy emphasis on the “dark” themes.
- Okay, sure I commend the book for tackling some difficult subjects but, yet, at the same time I feel it was quite overdone. So much of the darker aspects of the story: drug dealing, addiction, murder, rape, sex, pregnancy, etc felt overdone and forced. Like the author was trying hard to make the book more distinct and edgy from other books that the end result felt more forced than anything.
- Yeah, sure, I do not doubt the fact that these issues do occur in real life but in such a short novel, there was just too much of it. Girls doing crack in the school bus while in middle school, having their own drug dealers and what not, and using sexual advances to get what they want just did not work cohesively with the story. It was very distracting to the core plot. Not to mention the whole tone that this story is written is probably better suited for a character who is in college versus her senior year in high school.
- Also, the constant use of foul, crude, and crass language bothered me quite a bit at times. It felt more there for shock and reaction and not very natural in the context of conversation.
o2. Trope-y elements.
- Okay, I’m tired of the “perfect, beautiful, but bitchy” popular girl as the ones who get the shit end of the stick in books. Could we do away with this overly used method to use as a marker of distinguishment (is that even a word?) between our normal, average, but yet somehow special main characters? I do not like the comparison it creates and creates a subtle antagonistic and competitive viewpoint in both the readers and characters. We do not need to continue this portrayal.
- The female-hate. Bea is an angry person, I get it, but it wouldn’t hurt to help her foster positive relationships with other females of her age. I don’t know why it’s so popular nowadays to shun friendships of her own gender and focus mainly on the other.
o3. The unconvincing romance.
- For the majority of the book, Bea has no real romantic interests pursuing her, (okay there was that one guy but he’s a bad seed which is made very obvious) and all of a sudden she has one. I’m sorry but the ending hints of the pairing for the next book is just not gonna do it for me. Sure he was very nice, patient, and supportive of her but really. There isn’t many scenes of them together to establish much of a connection or personality. Not too mention the many other OBVIOUS variables that aren’t even alluded to (age gap, imbalanced positions of status and power, his previous background relationship that have a constant and pressing effect on any relationship he has in the present and future).
Okay maybe this wasn’t so short of a review but these are my thoughts. Some very good ideas and concepts in here that I think could’ve been developed from a different angle for better execution but this is a decent enough effort. I quite love Bea’s ability though, I think it’s really neat. There are some good scenes later on that kept me glued to the pages.
Very late but better late than never.
I want to thank Goodreads’s First Reads program for sending me the book. I would never have heard of or read this book without them.
April 28, 2013
Sketchy should have been a thrilling and exciting read, with dynamic characters and a unique supernatural twist on a protagonist with powers. Unfortunately, extremely poor characterization and weak plot development destroyed any chance Sketchy had at engaging me as a reader.
With a plot that contained rape, murder and drug/alcohol addiction, to say that Sketchy was ambitious in scope is an understatement – and I think that is why it failed. With it’s large focus on numerous topics, Sketchy was unable to properly give each subject the appropriate care and attention it deserved, in order to make it feel authentic. Bea was confusing as a recovering addict, as it seemed like the only reason she wasn’t using was because she had gotten caught once and didn’t want to get sent back to rehab. It rarely felt like her struggle with using was something that affected her daily, even though she often commented on how it was a struggle each day not to fall back on old habits. Rape was something that was almost made a mockery of, with one scene in particular making me put the book down in disgust. Being attacked, Bea plays like she’s enjoying it, in order to distract her assailant from noticing that she’s reaching for a knife. I was never made to feel like she was in genuine danger of being raped – or killed – because I was so caught up on her ridiculous reaction to the situation.
I might have been better able to understand Bea’s motivations, or empathize with her struggles as a recovering addict, if I had better understood her as a protagonist. Unfortunately, her characterization in Sketchy was so poorly done that certain character traits that we’re told are pivotal to her being are completely at odds with her behaviour. For example, we’re told on several occasions that Bea’s style is retro and thrifty, that she’s a misfit who wears lots of vintage items purchased from her local thrift shop. So why are her descriptions name-dropping designer brands like they’re going out of style? (Emphasis mine).
But, despite all of my criticisms, I did enjoy Sketchy’s potential, if that makes any sense. The idea of drawing the truth out of someone was really interesting, though it would have been nice to get some more details on what it felt like for Bea when she was compelled by the need to draw the truth. I also really enjoyed watching Bea battle some demons in order to help Willa, though Willa was another character who was a complete enigma.
Were Samms to sit down and flesh out her characters a little more, if she were to show the reader her characters’ motivations versus telling the reader why they did things the way they did, I think Sketchy could easily have been a 3-star read for me; it did have a certain draw to it that made it (at times) a page-turner. Unfortunately, the execution of this potential filled idea fell flat.
With a plot that contained rape, murder and drug/alcohol addiction, to say that Sketchy was ambitious in scope is an understatement – and I think that is why it failed. With it’s large focus on numerous topics, Sketchy was unable to properly give each subject the appropriate care and attention it deserved, in order to make it feel authentic. Bea was confusing as a recovering addict, as it seemed like the only reason she wasn’t using was because she had gotten caught once and didn’t want to get sent back to rehab. It rarely felt like her struggle with using was something that affected her daily, even though she often commented on how it was a struggle each day not to fall back on old habits. Rape was something that was almost made a mockery of, with one scene in particular making me put the book down in disgust. Being attacked, Bea plays like she’s enjoying it, in order to distract her assailant from noticing that she’s reaching for a knife. I was never made to feel like she was in genuine danger of being raped – or killed – because I was so caught up on her ridiculous reaction to the situation.
He pulls at my jeans, and I look over his right shoulder and see the keys on the floor near my left foot.If it hadn’t been within the last few pages of the book, I would have DNF’d it right there.
I hook the heel of my boot around the ring and slowly bend my knee, dragging the keys up the left side of my body, cradling [name's] legs, and fake a sexy sigh.
[...] “That’s more like it,” he moans. “You might as well enjoy it.”
“I know. You’re right. Here, let me help you with my pants,” I whisper.
I might have been better able to understand Bea’s motivations, or empathize with her struggles as a recovering addict, if I had better understood her as a protagonist. Unfortunately, her characterization in Sketchy was so poorly done that certain character traits that we’re told are pivotal to her being are completely at odds with her behaviour. For example, we’re told on several occasions that Bea’s style is retro and thrifty, that she’s a misfit who wears lots of vintage items purchased from her local thrift shop. So why are her descriptions name-dropping designer brands like they’re going out of style? (Emphasis mine).
I put on a large fleece sweatshirt, a pair of jeans, a drab ecru down parka with a hood, and my UGG boots.What thrift store is she shopping at that carries UGG, Coach and Dior? Another big detractor from Bea’s characterization in Sketchy was the abundance of dialogue infiltrating every scene. Very little was said about how Bea was feeling, what anyone looked like or how those around her were reacting, during any conversation; everything read flat, and straight to the point.
I lock my bedroom door, strap on a green leather Coach backpack, and walk over to the window.
[...] thank goodness for the ugly Isotoner leather gloves I found tucked in the pockets of the parka.
Willa digs around [Bea's bag] and finds a pair of oversized, round Dior shades.
“How typical. They hate me already, and I haven’t even done anything yet. It’s my hair.”And it goes on. Nothing to indicate how Bea feels about this conversation. Nothing to indicate what tone of voice Chris is using – is he being sarcastic? Energetic? Empathetic? I’m not even going to get into how Chris was characterized – think of every stereotypical portrayal of any gay boy in high school, and you’ve got Chris down to a T.
“Your hair is fierce, Bea! Rule number two: don’t speak to the cheerleaders unless you are spoken to first.”
“Excuse me?”
“They’re harmless. Besides, they’re in mourning.”
“What do they have to be sad about?”
“Oh my god! You didn’t hear about the rape?” Chris whispers.
But, despite all of my criticisms, I did enjoy Sketchy’s potential, if that makes any sense. The idea of drawing the truth out of someone was really interesting, though it would have been nice to get some more details on what it felt like for Bea when she was compelled by the need to draw the truth. I also really enjoyed watching Bea battle some demons in order to help Willa, though Willa was another character who was a complete enigma.
Were Samms to sit down and flesh out her characters a little more, if she were to show the reader her characters’ motivations versus telling the reader why they did things the way they did, I think Sketchy could easily have been a 3-star read for me; it did have a certain draw to it that made it (at times) a page-turner. Unfortunately, the execution of this potential filled idea fell flat.
January 10, 2013
Sketchy. Ok so I don’t like the name. It sounds like a name that’s been made up when they couldn’t think of anything else. It also sounds a bit shady ‘so and so is a bit sketchy’. But the art work on the proposed cover was good and the synopsis looks good too….
Sketchy is about Bea, a 17 year old (I think- I can’t remember her age being mentioned, but I presumed she was about 17) ex-addict, who has been kicked out of her last private school for being a druggie, gone to rehab and is now being thrown into a state school to complete her education. She’s clean, she’s sober and everything is a little weird. Bea’s an artist, from a family of artists, and since she got clean she’s discovered a spooky talent, she draws what is foremost in someone’s mind, if you’re thinking of a banana, she’ll draw a banana but only if that’s what you REALLY want, if you want a big mac, but are settling for a banana, she’ll draw the big mac (can you tell I’m on a diet here…..). Bea’s not sure what to make of it, so she does what every good teenager should do, and ignores it.
The new school isn’t as bad as she was expecting, she’s found an old friend, Chris from art camp and they soon become inseparable. But then Bea hears about a girl in the ‘it crowd’, Willa, how she was raped and beaten and left for dead a few weeks before, Bea ends up drawing the one thing she doesn’t want to draw, Willa’s rapist. But Willa has a secret to hide and won’t let Bea share the picture with the police, so it’s up to Bea to find him, to prove he’s guilty and to do it all sober.
Sketchy was NOT what I was expecting. It’s DARK, and I mean DARK. Drugs, sex, drink, murder, rape – it’s all there, and it’s not hidden away, its right there smacking you in the face. The book is all the better for it, the story’s good, Bea’s talent could have been pretty damn corny, but its handled well and her reaction to it is good too, she’s not suddenly trying to save the world wearing a cape because she’s got some talent with a pen, she’s normal. There are a fair few twists and although the reader guesses who the killer/rapist is before Bea does, it doesn’t ruin the suspense at all.
I loved Bea and her struggle to stay sober, it was a realistic account of what it’s like (or it’s how I’d imagine it – it’s how I feel about missing chocolate), and her parents are fantastic, I’m sure there is more to her dad and why he gave up drawing, and I’m guessing that will come in the later books, but what I loved was that they were normal, they shouted, they worried, they checked up on her. They were a proper family, which you rarely see in YA fiction.
I know some will have an issue with the book because of its adult content, but it’s not glamourizing the use of drugs, its painting the true, horrible picture of them, and I praise Samm’s for taking that task on.
There really weren’t many negatives, Chris annoyed me a bit – not even the gay thing which was a little forced, but more his annoying need to say Bea in nearly every sentence, we know who he’s talking to, he doesn’t need to address her every single time! Then there were the pictures. WHY oh WHY did we put the pictures in, it ruined the magic and is the single reason it’s a four star not a five. I know what a bee looks like, I also know what a small child looks like, and hands too, I do not need them drawn for me. As for drawing the killer, it ruined my imagined picture of him, I’d say take the pictures out and leave it up to your reader to create the world, not illustrate it for them.
eGalley kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Sketchy is about Bea, a 17 year old (I think- I can’t remember her age being mentioned, but I presumed she was about 17) ex-addict, who has been kicked out of her last private school for being a druggie, gone to rehab and is now being thrown into a state school to complete her education. She’s clean, she’s sober and everything is a little weird. Bea’s an artist, from a family of artists, and since she got clean she’s discovered a spooky talent, she draws what is foremost in someone’s mind, if you’re thinking of a banana, she’ll draw a banana but only if that’s what you REALLY want, if you want a big mac, but are settling for a banana, she’ll draw the big mac (can you tell I’m on a diet here…..). Bea’s not sure what to make of it, so she does what every good teenager should do, and ignores it.
The new school isn’t as bad as she was expecting, she’s found an old friend, Chris from art camp and they soon become inseparable. But then Bea hears about a girl in the ‘it crowd’, Willa, how she was raped and beaten and left for dead a few weeks before, Bea ends up drawing the one thing she doesn’t want to draw, Willa’s rapist. But Willa has a secret to hide and won’t let Bea share the picture with the police, so it’s up to Bea to find him, to prove he’s guilty and to do it all sober.
Sketchy was NOT what I was expecting. It’s DARK, and I mean DARK. Drugs, sex, drink, murder, rape – it’s all there, and it’s not hidden away, its right there smacking you in the face. The book is all the better for it, the story’s good, Bea’s talent could have been pretty damn corny, but its handled well and her reaction to it is good too, she’s not suddenly trying to save the world wearing a cape because she’s got some talent with a pen, she’s normal. There are a fair few twists and although the reader guesses who the killer/rapist is before Bea does, it doesn’t ruin the suspense at all.
I loved Bea and her struggle to stay sober, it was a realistic account of what it’s like (or it’s how I’d imagine it – it’s how I feel about missing chocolate), and her parents are fantastic, I’m sure there is more to her dad and why he gave up drawing, and I’m guessing that will come in the later books, but what I loved was that they were normal, they shouted, they worried, they checked up on her. They were a proper family, which you rarely see in YA fiction.
I know some will have an issue with the book because of its adult content, but it’s not glamourizing the use of drugs, its painting the true, horrible picture of them, and I praise Samm’s for taking that task on.
There really weren’t many negatives, Chris annoyed me a bit – not even the gay thing which was a little forced, but more his annoying need to say Bea in nearly every sentence, we know who he’s talking to, he doesn’t need to address her every single time! Then there were the pictures. WHY oh WHY did we put the pictures in, it ruined the magic and is the single reason it’s a four star not a five. I know what a bee looks like, I also know what a small child looks like, and hands too, I do not need them drawn for me. As for drawing the killer, it ruined my imagined picture of him, I’d say take the pictures out and leave it up to your reader to create the world, not illustrate it for them.
eGalley kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
May 3, 2013
Review originally posted at Step Into Fiction
This book is dark, the content that is talked about is definitely tough subjects for a lot of people (drug/alcohol addiction, rape, murder) but if you can get passed that, it's a great read. The characters are very realistic and people you wished you had in high school. The ability to be able to sketch what a person is thinking is pretty insane but absolutely comes in handy.
The book starts off pretty intense. Two boys sneak away from school to smoke a joint and stumble upon a girl from their school, Willa, who was missing and she's in bad shape. We find out later she was raped and left for dead - very lucky to be alive. Then we meet Bea, who has been clean for three months and counting. She's just getting out of rehab and relocating schools since she was kicked out of her last school.
Ever since Bea got clean she's been able to see things but only when she draws. Her first time realizing something was weird with her was when she was in rehab and drawing her roommate; something changed and she automatically started drawing a small fetus inside the womb and that's when she knew her roommate was pregnant. The follow day, it was confirmed. Talk about creepy, right?
But when trying to find a rapist / murderer, this gift comes in handy. But it also puts her in a lot of danger; danger she doesn't realize.
I adore her friendship with Chris, who is someone she met previously at a summer camp. He's a lot like her yet they're not carbon copies of each other. He makes her feel at home in a place that's completely new to her; he's there for her during a time that is extremely hard. Helping her each and every day to make sure she stays sober.
This is another one of those books not filled with romance and I'm definitely thankful for that. It wouldn't fit, with a story as dark as this. Now I'm not saying there isn't anything I'm just saying it's not one of the main focuses on the story and I'm grateful for that. However, there's two guys and I'm not sure if it's going to be a love triangle or not. We have her ex-boyfriend, Marcus who was also her drug dealer and then we have the mysterious, older Sergeant Daniels. (I must also note I cracked up when I found out his first name. I will not spoil it because it will ruin the humor of it all)
While I can't say I enjoyed this story, per say, because of it's content I can say I appreciated the story and how it was told. It's definitely a tough subject to not only talk about but for someone to write about it and it was done in a way that seems realistic and kind (not exactly the word I'm going for but it's late). This is a first in a series and I am hooked enough to want to read more. I especially want to see where her friendship with Sergeant Daniels is going to go and how she will use her gift in the next book.
Thank you to Amazon Children's Publishing for sending me a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.
This book is dark, the content that is talked about is definitely tough subjects for a lot of people (drug/alcohol addiction, rape, murder) but if you can get passed that, it's a great read. The characters are very realistic and people you wished you had in high school. The ability to be able to sketch what a person is thinking is pretty insane but absolutely comes in handy.
The book starts off pretty intense. Two boys sneak away from school to smoke a joint and stumble upon a girl from their school, Willa, who was missing and she's in bad shape. We find out later she was raped and left for dead - very lucky to be alive. Then we meet Bea, who has been clean for three months and counting. She's just getting out of rehab and relocating schools since she was kicked out of her last school.
Ever since Bea got clean she's been able to see things but only when she draws. Her first time realizing something was weird with her was when she was in rehab and drawing her roommate; something changed and she automatically started drawing a small fetus inside the womb and that's when she knew her roommate was pregnant. The follow day, it was confirmed. Talk about creepy, right?
But when trying to find a rapist / murderer, this gift comes in handy. But it also puts her in a lot of danger; danger she doesn't realize.
I adore her friendship with Chris, who is someone she met previously at a summer camp. He's a lot like her yet they're not carbon copies of each other. He makes her feel at home in a place that's completely new to her; he's there for her during a time that is extremely hard. Helping her each and every day to make sure she stays sober.
This is another one of those books not filled with romance and I'm definitely thankful for that. It wouldn't fit, with a story as dark as this. Now I'm not saying there isn't anything I'm just saying it's not one of the main focuses on the story and I'm grateful for that. However, there's two guys and I'm not sure if it's going to be a love triangle or not. We have her ex-boyfriend, Marcus who was also her drug dealer and then we have the mysterious, older Sergeant Daniels. (I must also note I cracked up when I found out his first name. I will not spoil it because it will ruin the humor of it all)
While I can't say I enjoyed this story, per say, because of it's content I can say I appreciated the story and how it was told. It's definitely a tough subject to not only talk about but for someone to write about it and it was done in a way that seems realistic and kind (not exactly the word I'm going for but it's late). This is a first in a series and I am hooked enough to want to read more. I especially want to see where her friendship with Sergeant Daniels is going to go and how she will use her gift in the next book.
Thank you to Amazon Children's Publishing for sending me a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 22, 2013
We haven't had a good YA mystery series (IMHO) since Peter Abrahams Echo Falls series. Too bad because it's a part of the YA genre that has plenty of readers waiting to be fed a good teen sleuth and some teen-relevant plot twists. I think the wait may be over. Sketchy is edgy, grabbing and pretty real, especially in terms of the addiction/recovery aspect.
Bea Washington is a mess on her way to getting life in some semblance of order. Kicked out of an elite private school after a spectacular drug and alcohol-fueled crash and burn night that landed her in rehab, she's in what we call the white knuckle stage of recovery where every day, sometimes every minute is like sitting on razor blades coated with jalapeno sauce. Her parents, who have their own secrets and issues, don't trust her, her best friend from the private school doesn't either because being in recovery scares the crap out of your old druggie friends.
Recovering people in the early stages (heck off and on forever, for that matter) aren't pretty. They're profane, emotional basket cases and edgy as hell. After all, they're facing something that's cunning, baffling and powerful and has infinite patience. Olivia Samms gets Bea perfectly in terms of these early recover dynamics. She's defiant and scared, wanting comfort, but not trusting anyone, hopeful the program works, but cynical while listening to other people share. In short, she's the real deal and a character that teens who are struggling with substance abuse, or have friends who are, will easily relate to.
Her new and only friend, Chris, is out at school, but not at home. He's the perfect foil for Bea, someone who shares her artistic flair and is ostracized at school. The way their friendship develops and the dialogue between them is cool, funny and will remind teens of the kids they instinctively trust.
Girls are getting raped and a couple have been killed. Bea has developed an uncanny ability to sketch what others are thinking, seeing, feeling when she's near them and that pulls her into the hunt to find the person who attacked uber-popular Willa. Bea shows Willa the sketch that's uncannily close to her attacker, but Willa wants nothing to do with Bea because admitting that the sketch is accurate will mean she'll risk exposing her own secrets and that's too high a price for her to pay, at least until things start careening toward a wild climax.
Add in one of the more interesting and unusual romantic possibilities between Bea and the detective investigating the crimes and you have something very promising and interesting for subsequent books.
This is as much about the struggle with honesty and guilt as it is about who dunnit and that, plus a cast of very interesting players, makes this a very good first book. Frankly, it has Edgar nominee written all over it.
Bea Washington is a mess on her way to getting life in some semblance of order. Kicked out of an elite private school after a spectacular drug and alcohol-fueled crash and burn night that landed her in rehab, she's in what we call the white knuckle stage of recovery where every day, sometimes every minute is like sitting on razor blades coated with jalapeno sauce. Her parents, who have their own secrets and issues, don't trust her, her best friend from the private school doesn't either because being in recovery scares the crap out of your old druggie friends.
Recovering people in the early stages (heck off and on forever, for that matter) aren't pretty. They're profane, emotional basket cases and edgy as hell. After all, they're facing something that's cunning, baffling and powerful and has infinite patience. Olivia Samms gets Bea perfectly in terms of these early recover dynamics. She's defiant and scared, wanting comfort, but not trusting anyone, hopeful the program works, but cynical while listening to other people share. In short, she's the real deal and a character that teens who are struggling with substance abuse, or have friends who are, will easily relate to.
Her new and only friend, Chris, is out at school, but not at home. He's the perfect foil for Bea, someone who shares her artistic flair and is ostracized at school. The way their friendship develops and the dialogue between them is cool, funny and will remind teens of the kids they instinctively trust.
Girls are getting raped and a couple have been killed. Bea has developed an uncanny ability to sketch what others are thinking, seeing, feeling when she's near them and that pulls her into the hunt to find the person who attacked uber-popular Willa. Bea shows Willa the sketch that's uncannily close to her attacker, but Willa wants nothing to do with Bea because admitting that the sketch is accurate will mean she'll risk exposing her own secrets and that's too high a price for her to pay, at least until things start careening toward a wild climax.
Add in one of the more interesting and unusual romantic possibilities between Bea and the detective investigating the crimes and you have something very promising and interesting for subsequent books.
This is as much about the struggle with honesty and guilt as it is about who dunnit and that, plus a cast of very interesting players, makes this a very good first book. Frankly, it has Edgar nominee written all over it.
October 20, 2013
Warning spoilers ahead!!
I devoured this book! From the opening right up until the very end my attention was held. Not once did I get bored, and when I had to take breaks I could not wait to get back to it.
Bea, is a recovering addict. She's been clean for 3 months. It's a daily struggle for her, anyone who's had any form of addiction knows what it is like themselves.
"So you don't use anymore?" she asks.
I take a deep inhale. "No, haven't for three months."
She pauses,"Nothing? Not even weed?"
"Nothing." I exhale.
"Is it hard?"
"Hard?" I laugh." "You ever try to stop a semi truch coming at you full speed? Like every day? Every hour? Every minute?
Yeah, it's hard, but better then where I was, I guess."
I can't even imagine going to rehab at the age of 17. It's her time spent there that she discovers her special ability. She's a talented artist, a gift she has received from both her parents. But she just doesn't draw people, when she talks to someone or looks at them when sketching she can draw the truth out of them as she calls it. An image comes to her, something picked out of the subjects brain, something they are thinking about at that moment. How or why she has this ability, she doesn't really know and at first she thought it was something related to her being in rehab and starting to get clean.
But then it starts to happen again. And who she draws shocks her and brings her back to a place she really doesn't want to be.
Girls are going missing, being raped and dying. Bea hopes that through her ability she can help find and catch the guy. But who's going to believe a former drug addict? So far everyone is quick to judge her without giving her a chance, with the exception of Chris a guy she met at art camp a few months before getting clean. And lucky for her it's his school that starts to go to.
Okay so I REALLY really liked this book! It was what I needed to read right now, pretty much everything I was looking for in story at this moment in time. Mystery, suspense, a little bit of paranormal, touching on addictions (a subject that I've currently been in the mood to be reading about.) The characters were great, I love Bea and Chris is a hoot and half, just fabulous. The writing was great, the story was fast moving, and it kept me guessing the whole time.
Rating: 4.5 stars
So why not the full 5 stars?
Well there are some unanswered questions I have, like why did her dad just mysteriously stop drawing one day? Did he see the same things that Bea does and not like what he saw and get freaked by it?
Will I be reading the next book in the series, Snitch?
Darn tootin!!
I devoured this book! From the opening right up until the very end my attention was held. Not once did I get bored, and when I had to take breaks I could not wait to get back to it.
Bea, is a recovering addict. She's been clean for 3 months. It's a daily struggle for her, anyone who's had any form of addiction knows what it is like themselves.
"So you don't use anymore?" she asks.
I take a deep inhale. "No, haven't for three months."
She pauses,"Nothing? Not even weed?"
"Nothing." I exhale.
"Is it hard?"
"Hard?" I laugh." "You ever try to stop a semi truch coming at you full speed? Like every day? Every hour? Every minute?
Yeah, it's hard, but better then where I was, I guess."
I can't even imagine going to rehab at the age of 17. It's her time spent there that she discovers her special ability. She's a talented artist, a gift she has received from both her parents. But she just doesn't draw people, when she talks to someone or looks at them when sketching she can draw the truth out of them as she calls it. An image comes to her, something picked out of the subjects brain, something they are thinking about at that moment. How or why she has this ability, she doesn't really know and at first she thought it was something related to her being in rehab and starting to get clean.
But then it starts to happen again. And who she draws shocks her and brings her back to a place she really doesn't want to be.
Girls are going missing, being raped and dying. Bea hopes that through her ability she can help find and catch the guy. But who's going to believe a former drug addict? So far everyone is quick to judge her without giving her a chance, with the exception of Chris a guy she met at art camp a few months before getting clean. And lucky for her it's his school that starts to go to.
Okay so I REALLY really liked this book! It was what I needed to read right now, pretty much everything I was looking for in story at this moment in time. Mystery, suspense, a little bit of paranormal, touching on addictions (a subject that I've currently been in the mood to be reading about.) The characters were great, I love Bea and Chris is a hoot and half, just fabulous. The writing was great, the story was fast moving, and it kept me guessing the whole time.
Rating: 4.5 stars
So why not the full 5 stars?
Well there are some unanswered questions I have, like why did her dad just mysteriously stop drawing one day? Did he see the same things that Bea does and not like what he saw and get freaked by it?
Will I be reading the next book in the series, Snitch?
Darn tootin!!
May 22, 2013
Olivia Samms' debut novel is an interesting blend of paranormal, mystery, and contemporary issue novels. Bea Washington is an addict who has been clean for a little more than three months. She's trying to regain her balance after getting out of rehab and starting over in a public school. But she has a secret ability - when she sketches, she can draw images from peoples' minds. There's a serial rapist murderer on a spree, and local cheerleader Willa Pressman survived. Bea quickly realizes Willa knows more than she's telling police.
SKETCHY has a dynamic premise and interesting characters. Bea got hooked on drugs pretty young, and it's hard for her to stay clean. The temptation is pretty constant. But she is resisting. Throwing herself into the mystery helps her have something to focus on. There's also a great deal of personal guilt driving her to find the perpetrator. Bea is well aware of many of her faults and mistakes, but she doesn't let them define her. And sometimes she is blind to them - she's a teenager, perfect self awareness would be unreal. Most hilariously, she wonders why her parents don't trust her again after three whole months of sobriety.
The side characters are well done too. Willa must have a reason for not telling the truth, so there's a mystery to unravel there. And Bea reconnects with an old friend from art camp, Chris. He listens to Bea and helps out, but he's got his own goals too. He's a photographer who has her model for him in return. There are also two police detectives who keep running into Bea, one of whom is much more willing to listen to her when she tells them things she couldn't possibly know.
The mystery isn't the strongest aspect of SKETCHY. I guessed who the killer was pretty easily. But there are some nice touches. I enjoyed how involved the cops were. Bea can't just solve the case through mystical means. Evidence is needed to arrest people and take them to trial. Finding out who the killer is is important, but so is proving it. (But Bea could make things easier on herself by making more of an effort to be civil to the cops. At least the one that doesn't flirt with her.)
I think SKETCHY is a brilliant start to a series. The characters are flawed people, but they have many good qualities. There's also some interesting social dynamics at play. (For instance, Bea is biracial. Her father is black and her mother is white.) Plus, SKETCHY ends with a massive hook for the next book in the Bea Catcher Chronicles. Be warned, SKETCHY is upper YA - if the drug addiction, rape, and murder didn't give it away.
SKETCHY has a dynamic premise and interesting characters. Bea got hooked on drugs pretty young, and it's hard for her to stay clean. The temptation is pretty constant. But she is resisting. Throwing herself into the mystery helps her have something to focus on. There's also a great deal of personal guilt driving her to find the perpetrator. Bea is well aware of many of her faults and mistakes, but she doesn't let them define her. And sometimes she is blind to them - she's a teenager, perfect self awareness would be unreal. Most hilariously, she wonders why her parents don't trust her again after three whole months of sobriety.
The side characters are well done too. Willa must have a reason for not telling the truth, so there's a mystery to unravel there. And Bea reconnects with an old friend from art camp, Chris. He listens to Bea and helps out, but he's got his own goals too. He's a photographer who has her model for him in return. There are also two police detectives who keep running into Bea, one of whom is much more willing to listen to her when she tells them things she couldn't possibly know.
The mystery isn't the strongest aspect of SKETCHY. I guessed who the killer was pretty easily. But there are some nice touches. I enjoyed how involved the cops were. Bea can't just solve the case through mystical means. Evidence is needed to arrest people and take them to trial. Finding out who the killer is is important, but so is proving it. (But Bea could make things easier on herself by making more of an effort to be civil to the cops. At least the one that doesn't flirt with her.)
I think SKETCHY is a brilliant start to a series. The characters are flawed people, but they have many good qualities. There's also some interesting social dynamics at play. (For instance, Bea is biracial. Her father is black and her mother is white.) Plus, SKETCHY ends with a massive hook for the next book in the Bea Catcher Chronicles. Be warned, SKETCHY is upper YA - if the drug addiction, rape, and murder didn't give it away.
April 16, 2014
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway and was provided a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book earned a solid 3.5 to 3.75 for me. It was fun, engaging, and inventive. I really loved the concept of Bea having the power to draw people based on imprints she gets from other people's minds. I think this was just enough of a twist to set this story apart from other YA mystery books. I also especially liked the diversity of the cast, from a pretty, preppy cheerleader, to a biracial addict in recovery, to an openly gay sidekick.
Of course, this book was not without its faults. I thought the world and storyline was believable and engaging in general. However, as I read this book I kept asking myself WHY Bea was so suddenly able to draw from people's thoughts and HOW it worked. She didn't draw everything from people's minds, just the convenient things. Did her thoughts, desires, etc. have any impact, or should we just believe that it was a coincidence that just about everything she draws comes in handy to the storyline? Also, Bea wasn't always able to draw like this, but only after getting sober. Honestly, this was probably the most unrealistic part for me, because this seems like an ability that would always have been present, she just might have been too high to really buy into it. I would have believed it more if Bea would have mentioned it happening one or two times before and when she just brushed it off as being high and hallucinating.
I think my favorite part about this book (besides the fact that I always wanted to read more after putting it down) was the realistic picture of teens. So many YA books offer an idealized version, or what adults WANT young adults to be like. They are all brave, beautiful, and strong. Not in Sketchy. Everyone is screwed up in their own way, whether it be drug addition, having to hide one's identity from those you love, or simply dealing with the difficulties of everyday life. Samms did not glorify Bea's home life, but made it a welcoming and loving place that I could see myself stepping into in my own town. She also did not make Bea perfect, with only a few little flaws or quirks. She put it all out there: the addition, the vanity, and the self-hatred most teens feel (I mean, how many times did Bea complain about her hair?).
I will be purchasing the second book in this series and plan on lending the book to my fellow YA lover friends. It was a quick and easy read, and I would recommend it.
This book earned a solid 3.5 to 3.75 for me. It was fun, engaging, and inventive. I really loved the concept of Bea having the power to draw people based on imprints she gets from other people's minds. I think this was just enough of a twist to set this story apart from other YA mystery books. I also especially liked the diversity of the cast, from a pretty, preppy cheerleader, to a biracial addict in recovery, to an openly gay sidekick.
Of course, this book was not without its faults. I thought the world and storyline was believable and engaging in general. However, as I read this book I kept asking myself WHY Bea was so suddenly able to draw from people's thoughts and HOW it worked. She didn't draw everything from people's minds, just the convenient things. Did her thoughts, desires, etc. have any impact, or should we just believe that it was a coincidence that just about everything she draws comes in handy to the storyline? Also, Bea wasn't always able to draw like this, but only after getting sober. Honestly, this was probably the most unrealistic part for me, because this seems like an ability that would always have been present, she just might have been too high to really buy into it. I would have believed it more if Bea would have mentioned it happening one or two times before and when she just brushed it off as being high and hallucinating.
I think my favorite part about this book (besides the fact that I always wanted to read more after putting it down) was the realistic picture of teens. So many YA books offer an idealized version, or what adults WANT young adults to be like. They are all brave, beautiful, and strong. Not in Sketchy. Everyone is screwed up in their own way, whether it be drug addition, having to hide one's identity from those you love, or simply dealing with the difficulties of everyday life. Samms did not glorify Bea's home life, but made it a welcoming and loving place that I could see myself stepping into in my own town. She also did not make Bea perfect, with only a few little flaws or quirks. She put it all out there: the addition, the vanity, and the self-hatred most teens feel (I mean, how many times did Bea complain about her hair?).
I will be purchasing the second book in this series and plan on lending the book to my fellow YA lover friends. It was a quick and easy read, and I would recommend it.
April 30, 2013
Provided by Netgalley.
Bea’s life has been a mess ever since she got kicked out of private school and sent to rehab. Now clean, Bea is starting over at Packard High School, in a city shaken from two assaults on young women. The latest victim, Willa Pressman survived but doesn’t remember a thing.
Born into a family of artist's, Bea has always sketched. But something changed after she became clean. And with this new gift, Bea can visualize images images from other people’s minds. Turning these images into sketches. After a run in with Willa, Bea is shocked at what she draws. Will her gift lead to catching the killer?
"Sketchy is a fresh, imaginative, and honest story that's almost impossible to put down: a page-burner that artfully combines suspense and the supernatural." –James Patterson
Sketchy does not feel like a new and refreshing novel. It felt like I had already read the book before I even got the chance to. Bea's gift is a take on psychometry. She can, 'draw the truth out of people'. Throughout the novel, there are actual sketches. But there are so few that they really detract from the book and feel like a gimic.
Honestly, after seeing the blurb from James Patterson, I should have stayed away. Sketchy comes off feeling extremely contrived. The plot was really predictable and very easy to figure out. The characterization didn't draw me in. With an abundance of dialogue you don't get a chance to create a connection with any of the characters.
For me, the only part of the book that felt genuine was the gritty world and the relationship between Bea and her parents. They were there for Bea and supported her throughout her rehab and afterward. The scene was a dark one filled with drugs, sex, rape and murder. I would not suggest this for the younger crowd.
Unfortunately, Sketchy just didn't work for me. The characters were overly frustrating and not very likable. The mystery of the killer is spoiled far too early with the clues that are given. If it weren't for the dark scene this is set in, I would think this is for a more juvenile crowd. However, the mature nature makes that an unsuitable categorization. The title makes me believe this will be apart of a series. I will not be reading any further.
Bea’s life has been a mess ever since she got kicked out of private school and sent to rehab. Now clean, Bea is starting over at Packard High School, in a city shaken from two assaults on young women. The latest victim, Willa Pressman survived but doesn’t remember a thing.
Born into a family of artist's, Bea has always sketched. But something changed after she became clean. And with this new gift, Bea can visualize images images from other people’s minds. Turning these images into sketches. After a run in with Willa, Bea is shocked at what she draws. Will her gift lead to catching the killer?
"Sketchy is a fresh, imaginative, and honest story that's almost impossible to put down: a page-burner that artfully combines suspense and the supernatural." –James Patterson
Sketchy does not feel like a new and refreshing novel. It felt like I had already read the book before I even got the chance to. Bea's gift is a take on psychometry. She can, 'draw the truth out of people'. Throughout the novel, there are actual sketches. But there are so few that they really detract from the book and feel like a gimic.
Honestly, after seeing the blurb from James Patterson, I should have stayed away. Sketchy comes off feeling extremely contrived. The plot was really predictable and very easy to figure out. The characterization didn't draw me in. With an abundance of dialogue you don't get a chance to create a connection with any of the characters.
For me, the only part of the book that felt genuine was the gritty world and the relationship between Bea and her parents. They were there for Bea and supported her throughout her rehab and afterward. The scene was a dark one filled with drugs, sex, rape and murder. I would not suggest this for the younger crowd.
Unfortunately, Sketchy just didn't work for me. The characters were overly frustrating and not very likable. The mystery of the killer is spoiled far too early with the clues that are given. If it weren't for the dark scene this is set in, I would think this is for a more juvenile crowd. However, the mature nature makes that an unsuitable categorization. The title makes me believe this will be apart of a series. I will not be reading any further.
April 20, 2014
I received Sketchy recently through a Goodreads' giveaway.
While I have enjoyed things with "powers" more so in movies and not really in books, I certainly liked this one and the unique set of skills that Beatrice Washington possesses. Sketchy is an interesting, sometimes dark, otherwise amusing novel. The main character, Bea, is a flawed and recently-suffering seventeen-year-old. She is three months sober, and has just gotten out of rehab for alcohol and drug addiction. Not only does she have to navigate a new school with a clean life, Bea has recently discovered a strange thing: she can "draw" the truth out of people.
Bea's ability allows her to draw whatever is on someone's mind, someone she herself is concentrating on. For instance, when she's talking to her best friend Chris, she may end up sketching his crush, the person Chris was thinking about at the time. Though it could be a silly or weird skill, Bea quickly discovers its usefulness. A crime has recently occurred in her community; a girl from her school was raped and left for dead, but has survived. If Bea can get the girl to trust her, it's possible that Bea can help find and stop the man who committed this atrocity. So essentially, this is a crime novel with a twist.
Bea is a quirky, fun main character. She's the daughter of a pair of artists, and she loves retro clothing. Upon arriving at her new high school fresh out of rehab, she luckily comes across and befriends an acquaintance from a past art camp. Chris is a great addition to the story, and the two have a wonderful friendship. The sergeant from the police station is also intriguing, and I would certainly be interested in seeing if his character expands in importance in future books of this series.
All in all, the story line was intriguing, with some great fun, frustration, and mystery thrown in. It was a quick and worthwhile read, and I know that I'll be picking up its sequel sometime in the future.
While I have enjoyed things with "powers" more so in movies and not really in books, I certainly liked this one and the unique set of skills that Beatrice Washington possesses. Sketchy is an interesting, sometimes dark, otherwise amusing novel. The main character, Bea, is a flawed and recently-suffering seventeen-year-old. She is three months sober, and has just gotten out of rehab for alcohol and drug addiction. Not only does she have to navigate a new school with a clean life, Bea has recently discovered a strange thing: she can "draw" the truth out of people.
Bea's ability allows her to draw whatever is on someone's mind, someone she herself is concentrating on. For instance, when she's talking to her best friend Chris, she may end up sketching his crush, the person Chris was thinking about at the time. Though it could be a silly or weird skill, Bea quickly discovers its usefulness. A crime has recently occurred in her community; a girl from her school was raped and left for dead, but has survived. If Bea can get the girl to trust her, it's possible that Bea can help find and stop the man who committed this atrocity. So essentially, this is a crime novel with a twist.
Bea is a quirky, fun main character. She's the daughter of a pair of artists, and she loves retro clothing. Upon arriving at her new high school fresh out of rehab, she luckily comes across and befriends an acquaintance from a past art camp. Chris is a great addition to the story, and the two have a wonderful friendship. The sergeant from the police station is also intriguing, and I would certainly be interested in seeing if his character expands in importance in future books of this series.
All in all, the story line was intriguing, with some great fun, frustration, and mystery thrown in. It was a quick and worthwhile read, and I know that I'll be picking up its sequel sometime in the future.
March 27, 2013
Sketchy by Olivia Sammsgrips the reader from the start with her stark writing style of the aftermath of a brutal rape victim's discovery, from that point on, she had me.
Bea Washington has just finished a three month rehab program for drug addiction and is now starting a new high school. Ask her how long she’s been clean and she can tell you right to the minute, and it’s a struggle for her. Something happened to Bea when she got “clean,” her natural ability as an artist was enhanced with the ability to “see” into a person’s mind and sketch the images she sees. When Bea looks into the eyes of a girl who has been brutally raped and beaten, but claims to have no memory of the attacker’s face, she finds the truth, and draws the face of this monster. Of course, because she is a known “druggie” she cannot convince the police or anyone to listen to her until she takes drastic measures. Willa, the victim, has a dark secret she wants to keep and Bea’s meddling will bring it to light. Is Bea strong enough to bring the attacker to justice without falling back into her addictions? How can she convince everyone she knows who is responsible? What about Willa’s secret?
Olivia Samms has done a wonderful job building a true picture of how brutal life in high school can be when you are an outcast and what an uphill battle it is regaining the trust of those you have let down. Bea’s character was well fleshed out and very realistic, emotionally. Her quirky “only” friend, another school misfit, brought balance to the dark theme of this story. A worthwhile read, for sure!
This ARC edition was provided by NetGalley and Amazon Children's Publishing in exchange for my honest review. Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Bea Washington has just finished a three month rehab program for drug addiction and is now starting a new high school. Ask her how long she’s been clean and she can tell you right to the minute, and it’s a struggle for her. Something happened to Bea when she got “clean,” her natural ability as an artist was enhanced with the ability to “see” into a person’s mind and sketch the images she sees. When Bea looks into the eyes of a girl who has been brutally raped and beaten, but claims to have no memory of the attacker’s face, she finds the truth, and draws the face of this monster. Of course, because she is a known “druggie” she cannot convince the police or anyone to listen to her until she takes drastic measures. Willa, the victim, has a dark secret she wants to keep and Bea’s meddling will bring it to light. Is Bea strong enough to bring the attacker to justice without falling back into her addictions? How can she convince everyone she knows who is responsible? What about Willa’s secret?
Olivia Samms has done a wonderful job building a true picture of how brutal life in high school can be when you are an outcast and what an uphill battle it is regaining the trust of those you have let down. Bea’s character was well fleshed out and very realistic, emotionally. Her quirky “only” friend, another school misfit, brought balance to the dark theme of this story. A worthwhile read, for sure!
This ARC edition was provided by NetGalley and Amazon Children's Publishing in exchange for my honest review. Publication Date: April 30, 2013
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May 31, 2013Far from the worst thing I've read, and was in the mood for an undemanding and carry-you-along read last night. But, while the premise was quite fun, there were way too many little sillinesses along the way that should have been taken care of. Those, and the cliched relationships, and the endless descriptions of Bea's "edgy" outfits, left me far too cranky to give any kind of pass to the romantic interest. I'll put this behind a spoiler just in case, but I'm not recommending this one to friends here, so I don't think you should worry too much about spoiling.
August 12, 2016
4.5 for this one. So I've been wanting to read this, since I first read the synopsis and wow I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner. Like with most books lately. So this was, dark, like dark dark. And I couldn't stop reading.
I even stayed up late to read this and would have read more but alas had to sleep. You have Bea who has got out of rehab and has been sober for 3 months and counting, which are for each chapter.
And she has quite the talent: drawing, and finds that she can draw what others are thinking, drawing the truth of them if you will. All the while, starting a new school, has her old friend Chris, who I freaking adore btw, dude was so sweet and supportive of Bea. And her other old friend, well ex, Marcus.
And a series of rapes happening around town and one of the victims even survives but when Bea tries to help, let's say there's more going on than our MC thinks. The suspense and the MC Bea was what I loved about this.
Yeah there's moments I facepalmed, a lot and times where I cheered on Bea. As for the reveal, does it make sense, that I kind of knew who it was and at the same time I didn't until later on? Weird I know but still. I wish this was a little longer though. Very good start. Very good start to a new series.
I even stayed up late to read this and would have read more but alas had to sleep. You have Bea who has got out of rehab and has been sober for 3 months and counting, which are for each chapter.
And she has quite the talent: drawing, and finds that she can draw what others are thinking, drawing the truth of them if you will. All the while, starting a new school, has her old friend Chris, who I freaking adore btw, dude was so sweet and supportive of Bea. And her other old friend, well ex, Marcus.
And a series of rapes happening around town and one of the victims even survives but when Bea tries to help, let's say there's more going on than our MC thinks. The suspense and the MC Bea was what I loved about this.
Yeah there's moments I facepalmed, a lot and times where I cheered on Bea. As for the reveal, does it make sense, that I kind of knew who it was and at the same time I didn't until later on? Weird I know but still. I wish this was a little longer though. Very good start. Very good start to a new series.
April 2, 2014
3.5 stars is more like it. I received this book as First Read Give Away and it wasn't totally what I expected. I didn't realize that is a YA book seemed to be geared towards females, but I also was surprised that I enjoyed it. As I began, I thought I wasn't going to be able to finish it, but it is a page turner and it moves along very quickly. I enjoyed the fast paced writing. I wish there was a little more detail and exploration of Bea's "power" but the "power" itself was pretty cool and not complicated. My biggest complaint with the novel was the dialogue. Some of it was very corny (but I think that's just because it wasn't written for my demographic, I'm not knocking the author's writing style or ability to write).
**Minor Spoiler**
My main complaint, that isn't just a result of it not being geared towards me, is just the idea that our main character Bea is smarter the local police department. Several of the characters were extremely unbelievable (the LT at the department, Bea's parents at times). I did enjoy he feel good story of Bea and how she seems to have really helped herself and someone else though.
Recommendation: Definitely worth a read. It's quick, simple and entertaining enough.
**Minor Spoiler**
My main complaint, that isn't just a result of it not being geared towards me, is just the idea that our main character Bea is smarter the local police department. Several of the characters were extremely unbelievable (the LT at the department, Bea's parents at times). I did enjoy he feel good story of Bea and how she seems to have really helped herself and someone else though.
Recommendation: Definitely worth a read. It's quick, simple and entertaining enough.
August 29, 2015
This was a pretty unique read. It's not often that you read about about a teen addicted to drugs that's not...fluffy and works out perfectly and is painted all rainbow sunshine. Also, what a cool ability. Being able to see what people are picturing in their mind and draw it perfectly.
I had a couple hang ups though.
First of all, the dialogue through the entire book is very awkward and stilted. Bea says the name of whoever she's talking to in almost every single sentence. "Chris, don't you love these boots?" "You're right, Chris, they're awful." Like, we know who you are speaking to. Enough.
Second, there's some really weird, creepy, flirty relationship between Bea and one of the cops helping her solve the case. I have no idea why that was deemed necessary whatsoever, especially since this book is about teen girls being raped by an older man. How, when that is so obviously the crime occurring, did the author think a relationship between a cop who is old enough to have a child and an ex wife, and a seventeen year old drug addict was appropriate? Seriously? What the fuck?
I'll read the next book in hopes that she cleans up her dialogue and that she realized what a fucked up idea that was.
I had a couple hang ups though.
First of all, the dialogue through the entire book is very awkward and stilted. Bea says the name of whoever she's talking to in almost every single sentence. "Chris, don't you love these boots?" "You're right, Chris, they're awful." Like, we know who you are speaking to. Enough.
Second, there's some really weird, creepy, flirty relationship between Bea and one of the cops helping her solve the case. I have no idea why that was deemed necessary whatsoever, especially since this book is about teen girls being raped by an older man. How, when that is so obviously the crime occurring, did the author think a relationship between a cop who is old enough to have a child and an ex wife, and a seventeen year old drug addict was appropriate? Seriously? What the fuck?
I'll read the next book in hopes that she cleans up her dialogue and that she realized what a fucked up idea that was.
July 23, 2013
Wow. I loved this book!
From the start I was hooked, I just couldn't put it down. It starts off with Bea, who just got out of rehab having to start her first day of school at a new one, after being kicked out of private school. Which is where Bea meets Willa, who was a raped victim. Although she remembers who raped her, she refuses to out them because she's scared. She feels its her fault & doesn't want her parents, friends, teachers to know. So she pretends that she can't remember who done it to her. But when she tells Bea everything Bea was able to use her gift, drawing out what people think, to draw exactly what he looks like. Which scares Willa causing her to spread bad rumors around campus about Bea who just wants to help.
All in all this book was a great quick read (I read it in one day...maybe 5-6 hours?) I would recommend this to others who love reading mystery/paranormal books.
I look forward to reading more books by Olivia
From the start I was hooked, I just couldn't put it down. It starts off with Bea, who just got out of rehab having to start her first day of school at a new one, after being kicked out of private school. Which is where Bea meets Willa, who was a raped victim. Although she remembers who raped her, she refuses to out them because she's scared. She feels its her fault & doesn't want her parents, friends, teachers to know. So she pretends that she can't remember who done it to her. But when she tells Bea everything Bea was able to use her gift, drawing out what people think, to draw exactly what he looks like. Which scares Willa causing her to spread bad rumors around campus about Bea who just wants to help.
All in all this book was a great quick read (I read it in one day...maybe 5-6 hours?) I would recommend this to others who love reading mystery/paranormal books.
I look forward to reading more books by Olivia
April 11, 2014
First and foremost, I want to say thank you for choosing me as a winner in a giveaway & giving me an opportunity to read & review it! :)
I absolutely loved this book! I read it in between my busy schedule in 2 days, I couldn't put it down! The gift that Bea Washington has is intriguing, I wish it was incorporated into the story more. That is the most negative I can get with this book...was that I wanted more! haha! But I see there is a 2nd book in the series & I MUST read it! Well written, the main character had a great personality, little drama intertwined in there.
If you like mystery & thriller books, pick this one up! Loved it & can't wait to read #2!
I absolutely loved this book! I read it in between my busy schedule in 2 days, I couldn't put it down! The gift that Bea Washington has is intriguing, I wish it was incorporated into the story more. That is the most negative I can get with this book...was that I wanted more! haha! But I see there is a 2nd book in the series & I MUST read it! Well written, the main character had a great personality, little drama intertwined in there.
If you like mystery & thriller books, pick this one up! Loved it & can't wait to read #2!
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