Favorite by Karen McQuestion

by Karen McQuestion

Five years have passed since sixteen-year-old Angie Favorite's mother disappeared without a trace. Since that day, Angie has managed to go through the motions of everyday life--until the summer morning when she's abducted from a mall parking lot. Angie narrowly escapes, and her attacker is arrested, but he takes his life in jail before he can offer an explanation for his crime. When his mother contacts Angie, begging forgiveness on her son's behalf, the girl agrees to meet with her in hopes of finding answers to the seemingly random attack. But when she arrives at the family's massive estate, she is overcome by an unshakeable sense of foreboding...Part thriller, part coming-of-age tale, Favorite is an engrossing young adult novel in which nothing--and no one--is as it seems.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Chick Lit

Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2009

About the author

Karen McQuestion is an Amazon Charts bestselling author whose books have sold over three million copies. Some of her titles include The Moonlight Child, Dovetail, and A Limited Run.

Her publishing story has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and NPR. Additionally she appeared on ABC's World News Now and America This Morning.

Her website:www.karenmcquestion.com\

Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-M...

Reviews

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐
Genre ~ YA
Setting ~ unknown
Publication date ~ April 1, 2011
Page Count ~ 162 (27 chapters)
Audio length ~ 5 hours 17 minutes
Narrator ~ Tara Sands
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ missing parent, abduction, suicide reference, violence

*older read mini review*

Angie's mom is missing and her legal guardian is her grandma. Angie (16) is attacked and the guy is caught and then takes his own life in prison.

Overall, this is a super quick coming of age story that certainly has some suspenseful, yet implausible, moments. Perhaps this would appeal to a teenager looking to dip their toe into the darker, mystery genre.

Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Karen McQuestion's second novel, she originally was a very succesful self-published author and was given a deal by the Amazonencore programme. 'Favorite' is a short (just over 160 pages) novel aimed at the Young Adult market.

The premise for the story is great, the blurb is enticing and my expectations were high. I found it a very easy to read book, with a pretty straightforward plot line, but could have been much better developed. The story centres on Angie - a sixteen year old girl who is attacked randomly in the street. Angie's mother disappeared without a trace, five years ago, on Angie's 11th birthday and this has obviously affected her and her brother Jason very much.

So, there is a little background, then the attack and then Angie wakes up in hospital. We are gradually introduced to the other characters - brother Jason, wayward Dad and loving Grandma. Angie then receives a letter from her attacker's mother - and, quite strangly, she agrees to meet her.

From then on the story becomes pretty unbelieveable and the writing takes a turn for the worse. Angi and Jason are perfectly, perfect All-American kids who wander into the house of a perfectly weird All-American psycho - to be honest it reads much like the 'teen horror' films that were really popular in the late 80s.

Young adults will probably enjoy the story, but in my opinion there are far far better authors of YA literature out there.

[John Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read a few Karen McQuestion novels, I thought I knew what to expect. This was partially true, this being her second novel, it is easy to see how much her writing has improved over the years. Another tale of a young woman, Angie, coming of age and becoming a strong woman. What was unexpected for me was the 'Flowers in the Attic' angle, which kind of worked, but didn't really.

Ok read, 2.5 rounded up as it had it's moments and one can see a writer developing here.

[Andre · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was all over the place. The premise was enticing, which is why I started reading it in the first place. Unfortunately, I think the author was a little unsure of what she was trying to accomplish.

The protagonist of this first person narrative, Angel Favorite, is sixteen years old during the events of Favorite, and her language is consistent with someone of that age. Her thoughts, though, are more of what I'd expect from someone who is nine or ten. There is some mild cussing, so I don't think Stephanie McQuestion intended this novel to be read by anyone younger than a young adult. However, I do not see how any young adult would feel this book was at his/her level.

Angel's thoughts are so juvenile they give Favorite the feel of a children's book. Her choices are consistently wrong; they exhibit questionable judgment at best and stupidity at worst. And she's a goody-two shoes. The entire plot of this novel is driven by these qualities. It is far from the only example, but all the events of Favorite are set in motion because Angel leaves her wallet on the seat of her unlocked car while she attempts to walk back into the dry cleaners to tell them they gave her back too much change for her transaction.

I've never read any of McQuestion's other works; I do not know her style. I do know that I don't like that she set up clairvoyance as a gun on the table that was never really used. It is mentioned in the first sentence of the novel. It is presented to us in such a way that we are to believe it will be a big deal in Favorite. It doesn't play a part at all except in such a haphazard way. It is nothing more than a throw-in. In my opinion, that is poor writing. I was very disappointed by that.

As I said earlier, the premise is promising. There is a lot there from which a great story can be crafted. The final product, I'm sorry to say, failed for me on nearly every level. At least it wasn't boring.

[Brandon Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thriller

A fairly unique story with some weird and interesting twists. It moves along fairly quickly and while some of the characters don't get fleshed out as much as I feel they should it's still a decent story. More background would help improve it considerably.

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

Angel Favorite wakes up at the hospital, thinking about the day her mother disappeared and how she lost her mother, her father and her home within days.
The last thing she remembers is some strange man dragging her from the parking lot, telling her there's something she needs to see. Her attacker was arrested but as he committed suicide in his cell, she's left without any explanation.
But Mrs. Bittner, his mother, wants to apologize, telling her how mentally disabled Scott wasn't a bad person. She invites her to the family's massive estate but things become awkward when the old woman starts mentioning her mother, the castle becomes a trap and she discovers that the tower holds secrets...

This had me hooked from the beginning but especially when Angel meets Mrs. Wittner and plot picks up from there. But that's also when it started splitting into parts I liked and parts I didn't.
There is this strange feeling as soon as they step into the castle but Angel behaves poorly towards the woman, that just lost her son and wants to make up to her. Even though it later turned out to be right, it came from competely different thought than I had. Then again, Angel distrusting the old woman, the staff and everything else, feels natural because the strangeness was well transported.

It was a crisp journey through the teenage mind, which might explain some of her behaviour. But there's also the others behaving far from what I expected them to. Parts of this really made me angry. Like how can no one do anything about the crazy old lady keeping them hostage? That gives a ridiculous aftertaste to the dark, mysterious vibes.

But all in all, I did like the characters. The father, still waiting for his band to succeed but doing his best and the sweet grandma on her honeymoon cruise. But also Mike and even Mrs. Bittner, Hank and Trudy. All pretty simply drawn because it's a short, quick read but they make a good cast.

And when the secret is revealed and Angel discovers what's hidden in the tower the pieces fit and come together to a well made mystery. Especially the tragedy of poor Scoot, who always just wanted to help and meant well.

It could have been a great story, if told somewhat differently. But it's not bad and might have been even better, had I read it 10 years ago.

[Kitty Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

TITLE: "Favorite"
AUTHOR: Karen McQuestion
PUBLISHER: Amazon Encore
RATING: 5
AGES: 14+

REVIEW: This is an amazing story and one easily readable within a day. Angel Favorite's mother disappears when she is in the third grade, never to be seen again. The police soon give up the search and Laura Favorite is assumed dead. Suddenly Angel is attacked at 16 years of age only five years after her mother's disappearance and no one understands why. As accusations begin to fly and strange things start to happen, it leaves you wondering if this was simply a coincidence or could it have something to do with her mother's disappearance.

I was hooked from page one and could not put this book down. This is a dynamic YA mystery that will leave you breathless, the characters are very well developed, the plot heavily thought out and the writing is superb. Author Karen McQuestion is definitely one to watch and I intend to read more of her future and past work!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

(This review will be on my blog All the Ups and Downs soon.)

The synopsis to Favorite by Karen McQuestion sounded intriguing. I love thrillers, so this seemed like a good book to read. However, while it wasn't that bad, it wasn't that great either. It was just okay.

The plot to Favorite was interesting although it seemed a bit all over the place in some areas. Angie is attacked. The attacker's mother, Mrs. Bittner, calls and gets a hold of Angie to invite her over to apologize. Angie reluctantly goes, but she winds up stuck at the house. This is where the story goes from Angie being attacked to Angie trying to find out what happened to her mother to Angie trying to escape from Mrs. Bittner's house. The world building was believable for the most part until Angie finds medival weaponry such as battleaxes and what not. I thought that was a bit too convenient and a little weird that a house would just have this kind of weaponry lying around. I also found it strange that all of Angie's and her brother's friends would all be out and not wanting to help. They must have some selfish friends! I think the plot and world building were just a tad underdeveloped for my liking. There are a couple of plot twists, but they were fairly easy to figure out. The good thing is that all of my questions were answered, and there was no cliff hanger.

I did feel like most of the characters in Favorite were well written. I enjoyed the character of Angie, and I liked reading about what she was thinking at each moment. Her feelings felt genuine. I liked how protective Angie's brother Jason was. I even enjoyed Angie's and Jason's dad. I loved the rock star angle. Mrs. Bittner was definitely an intriguing character, and I always felt like there was something strange about her from the beginning. The character of Hank reminded me of Lurch from The Addams Family.

Even though the plot and world building were a little bit of a disappointment in Favorite, the pacing flowed very well. The book held my attention throughout.

Trigger warnings for Favorite include violence, mentions of suicide, drugging characters, and violence.

Overall, Favorite lacks a well developed world and plot. The idea is interesting, but it is sort of poorly executed. However, I would recommend Favorite by Karen McQuestion to those aged 13+ because the pacing is good, and the characters are interesting.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angie Favorite's mother disappeared from her life on her 11th birthday and for 5 years, Angie has been hoping and praying that her mother would someday return safe and alive, even though everyone else assummed she was dead. Angie and her brother, Jason, live with their grandmother while their father tours the country with his band. The book opens with Angie picking up her grandmother's dry cleaning. When she leaves she is approached by a strange man who grabs her and tells her he wants her to see something. Angie gets free from his grip and runs into nearby woods eventually falling and ending up in the hospital. When Angie wakes up she finds out that her attacker, Scott Bittner, has been arrested, but that does little to help her growing panic attacks. Shortly after her attack, she is contacted by Scott's mother. She wants to apologize for her son's actions and make it up somehow to Angie. From there the plot really picks up and Angie starts to realize that the Bittner's may have some tie ins with her mother's disappearance.

The plot pulls you in right away because the action starts immediately. While I was reading I could feel the building anxiety and plain creepyness and had a hard time putting the book down. There never was a good stopping point because it was all going so fast. Needless to say, this is a very quick read. The problem I have with the book is the characters are pretty flat. I know it is a YA novel but it would be nice to have a little more background on all of the characters especially the Bittner clan. I also think the book was tied up a little too neatly. I was left wondering about what had happened with some of the characters.

Favorite has good parts and bad but all in all it was a pretty good book. In my opinion, if the author can get me to start feeling the characters emotions then it is at least a 3 star. There are definitely much better crafted YA novels out there but this one was creepy and fast. 3 stars.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Favorite was a good novel, though better suited for a younger teen audience. This was my first venture into Karen’s work, and I was very eager to read Favorite after reading the description. This book was nothing like I was expecting at all, but in a good way. I was expecting a much lighter read, but what I got was a dark thrilling mystery that changes the entire life of a 16 year old girl forever.

Karen McQuestion has a particular way of writing that is crisp and fresh, and very into the teenage mind. The main character, Angie, had a way of thinking that was very young adult, which wasn’t always a good thing because it got her into a dangerous and sticky situation that could have cost her life.

The entire time I was reading Favorite, I had a pretty good sense of what was going to happen next. Karen created a brisk moving plot that never lagged and kept me wanting to know what happened next. Her writing style was crisp and refreshing not overly descriptive, but just descriptive enough to paint a clear picture.

None of the characters really stood out to me, but in general they were a good cast of characters. It was just such a quick read, only 170 pages, that I didn’t get too emotionally invested with them. I give this novel 3 out of 5 stars.

[Barbara Sissel · Rating 5 out of 5]

FAVORITE may be categorized as a young adult thriller, but I found myself pulled into the story that revolves around a number of richly layered themes involving love, loss, and the often-complicated bonds of non-traditional families. This impactful story finishes up with a twist you won’t see coming. I loved it from page one.

[a · Rating 2 out of 5]

still, i violated my rules and finished reading it. at least it was a quick read, with a good ending. it was kind of the reading equivalent of an afterschool special with a scary twist.

[Katherine Coble · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you write a book from the first-person perspective of a 16yo, at least try to sound like a 16yo.

[BookNerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so the story had me hooked and I didn't want to put the book down because I wanted to find out why it happened and what it was leading to. However, the last part of the book felt rushed to me and so much happened in the space of a few pages. I don't know if I liked that or if I would complain had there been another ending to the story. Also, the ending felt like I was watching a really bad movie scene.

3.5 stars

[Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite is a very, very short novel, but Karen McQuestion packs a lot into its 160 pages. The plot is interesting enough – missing mother, attacked daughter, creepy mother to the attacker being all sweet and ‘let’s get to know each other and I’ll do something to make the fact that my son attacked you and left you unconscious with a fractured skull all better’ – and Karen McQuestion knows how to ramp up the action.

The story starts off right with the attack and from there, the reader travels along with 16 year old Angel, Angie, Favorite as she muddles through what happened to her, how it relates to her mother’s disappearance five years ago, and why her attacker’s mother is so eager to make things up to her. Angie is a fun character to be around. Maybe fun isn’t the right word. She’s more…blunt and sarcastic. She doesn’t want to be around Mrs. Bittner, her attacker’s mother, and she’s not afraid to say so. Her thought process was, at times, a bit juvenile, but put in her situation, I could see myself acting the same.

Karen McQuestion drops a good deal of suspense and mystery into Angie’s story, layering years of unanswered questions into a seemingly cut and dry plotline. Most of the time, I thought I knew what was going to happen and who was responsible, but I was pleasantly surprised when I was dead wrong. I would have liked the secondary characters to be a bit more fleshed out, but they all still played their roles well. Some are caring and kind, others are total creepsters, and then there are a few who never really get the time to be anyone, but who Angie thinks they are.

If the story had been longer, more could have been done with the secondary characters, but Favorite is still well worth the read. If you’re looking for some mystery and suspense, with a nice dose of crazy, then this is the book for you.

[Catha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just stumbled upon this book on Amazon in the Kindle books section. Apparently that's where you can get McQuestion books. I bought it because it was only $1.99 and most people gave it multiple stars.

It is a very good, quick read. Not gonna lie, it even scared me a bit. I found it to be a page turner (or clicker in my case!). I am not sure I loved it enough for 4 stars, but definitely loved that I liked it a lot AND it was so inexpensive. I will definitely read another McQuestion novel.

[Stacia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the kind of book I probably would've enjoyed more if I was part of the target audience. It's definitely Y/A - an easy read but a bit simple and obvious I thought. It reminded me of something I would've written myself. I'd recommend it to someone about 15-20 years younger than my advanced age.

[Donna Fasano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent YA novel. It reminded me of Flowers In The Attic. Recommended!

[Hinterland Hallucinations · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating 2 3/4 stars.

This read more like a middle-grade novel. While I enjoyed it, the tension built expertly, I found the pacing really slow. Also the protagonist Angie (Angel) felt immature most of the time. While she was ingenious and had a never-say-die attitude that was admirable, I failed to connect with her.

You get a sense very early on in the novel that there is a twist coming. And maybe I wasn’t paying attention, but I did not guess the actual twist. I had many scenarios lolling around in my head, some close to the mark, but none with the exactness of how this book unfolds. Which was a pleasant surprise. I like being out-manoeuvred by a well written novel.

I was also wanting more complexity – the novel is very simple – in fact it felt a bit sparse… which considering its length is not a flattering attribute. But I can forgive that considering it was only Karen McQuestion’s second novel. I’ve really enjoyed her later releases and you can see how she had grown as an author. Persistence and practice really pay off.

I feel her writing style needed some embellishment – I wanted a richer painting of the surroundings, sights, smells, feelings. And I think that was why I did not connect with Angie and felt the pace was slow. With engaging prose, I would have whipped through this novel in a matter of hours.

The characters have single motivations and although you get a sense of how the past has shaped them, there was no growth from the events in the novel. It was great realistic fiction though.

I don’t think I would have purchased this other than filling in McQuestion’s back catalogue from becoming a fan after reading ‘From a Distant Star’ and adding The Edgewood collection to my Library and TBR list.

Some strong story-telling elements, but tone and pacing could be improved. A great effort for this wonderful little novel.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird and wonderful

This one keeps you on the edge of your seat, turning pages, reluctant to stop, so make sure, omce you start, that you have enough time to finish it.
There's not much to say that won't be a spoiler, but here goes.
The protagonist is a 16 uear old girl named Angel, Angie for short. On her 11th birthday, her mother disappeared. Many think she died, but Amgie is conv9nced she is still alive.
Angie's dad is a musician with a good band, and he composes as well. But he doesn't have custody, the kids' MGM has custody, which complicates things later on. The MGM is engaged and going onna cruise with her boyfriend.
Angie is attacked one day, bu a man who keeos trying to say he has to show her something, that sje needs to.come woth him, but, frghtened, she struggles and gets away. In her flight, she ends up rolling down a hill and is seriously injured. Her would-be captor is arrested.
After that, things happen quickly, one thing after another. Theybinvilve a woman who obviously lost her mind a long time ago, the woman's grandson who us worried about his grandmother's memtal status, Angie's brother Jacob, and the truth about the man who attacked her...and a very smart cat.
The tension builds. Good news is interspersed with bad. Angie goes from strength to strength.
For the rest, read the book. The author has wrotten a tale that would be a fantastic movie, YA fiction notwithstanding. I was actually surprised that this was classed as YA, but then, I remembered what I was reading at that age and it suddenly seemed that this was relatively tame.
This is a really, really great book.

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Favorite by Karen McQuestion is a thriller young adult novel in which no one and nothing is what it seems. On her 11th birthday, 16-year-old Angie Favorite’s mother disappeared without a trace. Five years later, Angie is abducted from a mall parking lot. She narrowly escapes and her attacker is arrested but takes his life in jail before he can answer for his crime. When Lillian, the attacker’s mother, contacts Angie, begging forgiveness on her son’s behalf and offers any help Angie may need. She agrees to meet Lillian. When she arrives at the woman’s massive estate, she can’t help feeling uneasy and unable to shake the feelings of foreboding. Something is not right and despite her urges and warnings, no one is listening to Angie. Can she finally figure out what’s wrong before it’s too late?
Favorite was an easy read, fast paced as the reader is taken on a journey with many twists and turns. I was able to finish the story in one day as I could not put it down. Every time I tried to find a good stopping point, something would happen to fuel my interest to find out what happens. I did not see the ending coming! There were hits and misses with the characters. I enjoyed Angie who acted and behaved as someone who has been through a traumatic event. Her family, despite being concerned for her when she was in the hospital, seemed to focus on their own desires as Angie raises her concerns. While I enjoyed the book, I feel the target audience of young adults may enjoy it more. I recommend Favorite.

Favorite is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.

[Tara Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

**This review is for the audiobook on Audible.**

Favorite by Karen McQuestion, narrated by Tara Sands is a mystery/suspense/YA audiobook told from the point-of-view of Angie Favorite, a teen who is still trying to come to terms with her mother's disappearance of five years. When Angie wakes up in the hospital after being attacked, we slowly learn what happened to her, the mother she misses dearly, and the people involved. As the story unfolds, listeners are taken through a series of events that will leave you questioning who you can trust.

This audiobook has an engaging storyline and the characters who are real and relatable. I'm a HS teacher, and I've added it to our classroom book recommendations board. Teens through adults looking for a semi-suspenseful mystery will enjoy listening to this ~5 hour, 20 minute audiobook. Themes include love, loss, and family relationships. It also has the potential to spark some discussions about mental illness.

The writing and narration are both great. The professional recording and editing of this audiobook made for an easy and enjoyable listen. I have already downloaded another book by this author, and I'm looking forward to starting it. I rate Favorite by Karen McQuestion, narrated by Tara Sands 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed it, and I think you will feel the same.

Thank you for reading my review. I hope it was helpful. Happy listening! :-)

[Phoebe S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the author for the copy of this book.

Favorite definitely does some things well, to be sure. I'd still recommend it to a friend. However, it ultimately didn't do all that much for me.

There are a few bright spots in the novel. Its treatment of a character with anxiety was fantastic, there was a fair amount of suspense in the second half, and the way the story ended subverted a few of my explanations.

By and large, though, this novel feels very run-of-the-mill. The characters seem to exist within tropes: absentminded professor, cool dad, plucky but hindered protagonist, and never seem to truly make those roles their own. The plot is relatively straightforward, and the main twists are easily seen coming. The villain has an interesting motive, but it feels kind of underexplored, which might be a good word for this book in general. There's a lot of potential, but it just doesn't seem like 162 pages was enough to go the distance.

Perhaps I'm being a little too harsh. If this was meant to be a middle-grade novel, I can easily see that. The plot is entertaining, if relatively no-frills. If you or someone you know is in middle or high school, I can see them enjoying this as a nice book to sit down with for a while.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this short novel, it's hard to figure just who the bad guy (s) are. Laura Favorite is the mother of Angie and Jason. Five years ago, she disappeared without a trace, on her way to work. Her husband, is a want-to-be musician, getting older and not making it big. He still has high hopes, and refuses to give up. The grandmother (Laura's mother) takes the children when Laura isn't found, and she spends her last dime on trying to find her daughter, all to no avail.

The three of them move into an apartment, when Grandma loses her house. The Dad continues touring and remains involved with his kids though they do not live with him.

Angie is almost kidnapped by an unknown man, one morning, who claims he wants to "show her something". Angie falls, gets hurt and escapes with the help of some nearby kids who see the whole thing. She ends up in the hospital, the man is arrested and it turns out he's the son of a wealthy woman in the area.

Things get strange when Angie is allowed to go home to recover and they learn more about the man who nearly abducted Angie. His mother calls Angie to apologize, and things start to rock and roll from that point on. Nothing is as it seems and just who can Angie and Jason trust?

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received a complimentary copy from the author via Goodreads giveaway. Thank you!

Favorite was a surprisingly short book. "Novella" would probably be the accurate term. On one hand, I think there was a premise that could have been turned into a longer, more complex mystery. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'd want to read a longer book written in this style.

One of the strengths of this novella is Angie's voice. She really sounds like a person who's recounting events that actually happened, thanks to the details and more pensive, realistic style (versus dramatic or contrived). Perhaps the story could have been positioned that way, with Angie telling the story as if it were a memoir. But Angie is fairly (and understandably) pessimistic throughout the book and keeps harping on the aftereffects of being attacked by Scott (feeling tired/sick, having trouble concentrating). I didn't really see her personality shine through enough to know if she or her tone could carry a longer novel.

The novel reads like a middle-grade novel, not much like a YA novel. This is partly because of the rather simplistic storyline and also because Angie and her cognitions "feel" young. I would expect a high schooler to have more sophisticated emotional processing and more complex reactions and ideas.

The plot is somewhat chilling, something like American Gothic or gothic horror, especially when you learn that Angie's mother Laura has been kept captive in a bedroom for 5 years, yet it's relatively tame and all right for preteen and early teen readers. I kept thinking of The Turn of the Screw as I read about Angie creeping around in the big house. I think some readers may find the book a great read, but I was looking for something a little more complex or sophisticated.

[Keri Sparks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery was pretty predictable. I knew Scott wasn't actually the culprit the moment he came on scene. Angie annoyed me. I realize she was a victim but she was dumb in all the places that seemed obvious and she was super quick to judge and blame and play the victim, and it got really irritating. Mrs. Bittner was blatantly possessive and crazy, and Angie over-reacted too quickly. And it made no sense her dumping Mike. Because of a name? She blamed a whole family because of one lady even though EVERYONE else were super nice and helpful.
The foreshadowing and clues were blatant. They practically hit the reader in the face, but the conclusion that Angie would come to didn't make sense and were obviously misleading.
My biggest complaint is really just Angie being so unlikeable as a character. Other than that, it was very well-written, and despite being predictable, it was still interesting and worth finishing.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mother who vanishes and her family is left with more questions than answers. An outsider because he's different than the others in town has only one true friend, the mother who vanishes. Years later, both families, the family of the vanishing woman, and the family of the outsider man come together, and that's when twists and turns of life begin. Do you ever wonder why certain things happen in life or what circumstances could be showing you something you need to see or need to feel in order to recover? Angie, Jason, their dad and grandma have been through a lot, but never in a million years did they ever think all of what they've been through would make a circle and tie together in the end.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angie Favorite is a high school girl whos mother disappeared 5 years earlier on her 11th birthday after dropping her off at school. Since her father is a musician and traveling she and her brother live with their Grandmother. Angie went to pick up a dress from the dry cleaners, doing so she was approached by a stranger who said he wanted to show her something . Frightened she ran into the woods while being chased and after a nasty fall she woke up in the hospital.

The person that accosted Angie is Scott Bittner whom was arrested. The Bittner family is creepy to say the least.

Such a riveting story that makes you not want to put the book down until you get to the end to find out what happened.

I highly recommend this book for young adults.

[Joy Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book

Just finished a suspenseful gem I couldn’t put down. If you love stories with mystery, emotional twists, and a touch of creepiness (without the gore), this one’s for you.

Five years ago, Jason and Angie Favorite’s mom vanished. No clues, no closure. Then a man named Scott Bittner shows up, claiming he wants to help—but a chaotic moment leads to his arrest for kidnapping Angie. Things only get stranger when Angie receives a letter from Scott’s mother, inviting her family to visit. Against her better judgment, Angie goes…and the unease begins. From creepy vibes to overnight tension, the Bittner house holds secrets that kept me flipping pages late into the night.

▪️Mild language
▪️ No sex scenes
▪️ Some violence, but nothing graphic

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite is Karen McQuestion’s second novel. Written in 2011, Favorite is very closely written similar to Karen’s newest novel The Moonlight Child. This young adult novel tells the story of Angie Favorite, her mothers disappearance and 5 years later Angie’s near abduction from a parking lot. While brilliantly written, this book is not for the faint of heart! Favorite covers difficult topics including trauma, abduction, missing persons, and suicide attempts. This thriller is fast paced, filled with family dynamics with twists and turns in each chapter. I really enjoyed this book. If you have read The Moonlight Child, I suggest you read Favorite as well.