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What We Saw at Night #2
What We Lost in the Dark
Allie Kim’s fatal allergy to sunlight, XP, still confines her to the night. Now that she’s lost her best friend Juliet to an apparent suicide, the night has never felt darker—even with Rob at her side.
Allie knows why Juliet killed herself: to escape the clutches of Garrett Tabor, whom the trio saw committing an unspeakable crime. Garrett is untouchable; The Tabors founded the world-famous XP clinic that keeps Allie and Rob alive and their small Minnesota town on the map.
Allie can’t rest until Garrett is brought to justice. But her obsession jeopardizes everything she holds dear. Not even Parkour can distract her; nothing reminds her more that Juliet is gone. When Rob introduces Allie to the wildly dangerous sport of nighttime deep diving, Allie assumes he’s only trying to derail her investigation... until they uncover the horror terrible secret Garrett Tabor has hidden under Lake Superior.
Allie knows why Juliet killed herself: to escape the clutches of Garrett Tabor, whom the trio saw committing an unspeakable crime. Garrett is untouchable; The Tabors founded the world-famous XP clinic that keeps Allie and Rob alive and their small Minnesota town on the map.
Allie can’t rest until Garrett is brought to justice. But her obsession jeopardizes everything she holds dear. Not even Parkour can distract her; nothing reminds her more that Juliet is gone. When Rob introduces Allie to the wildly dangerous sport of nighttime deep diving, Allie assumes he’s only trying to derail her investigation... until they uncover the horror terrible secret Garrett Tabor has hidden under Lake Superior.
203 pages, Hardcover
First published December 17, 2013
23 people are currently reading
1229 people want to read
About the author
Jacquelyn Mitchard
80 books1,229 followersJacquelyn Mitchard’s first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was named by USA Today as one of the ten most influential books of the past 25 years – second only to the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (but second by a long shot, it must be said.)
The Deep End of the Ocean was chosen as the first novel in the book club made famous by the TV host Oprah Winfrey, and transformed into a feature film produced by and starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
Most of Mitchard’s novels have been greater or lesser bestsellers – and include The Most Wanted, A Theory of Relativity, Twelve Times Blessed, The Breakdown Lane, The Good Son, and Cage of Stars. Critics have praised them for their authentic humanity and command of story. Readers identify because they see reflected, in her characters – however extreme their circumstances – emotions they already understand.
Mitchard also has written four novels for young adults.
The first, Now You See Her, from HarperTeen, is the story of a pampered, driven young actress who fakes her own abduction.
All We Know of Heaven told the story of lifetime best friends Bridget and Maureen, who are just sixteen when a fatal crash on an icy road and a poignant case of mistaken identity divide their small Minnesota town forever.
The Midnight Twins was the first in a trilogy of teen mysteries about identical twin sisters born on New Year’s Eve – one a minute before and a minute after midnight – Meredith and Mallory Brynn learn on the night they turn thirteen that their psychic abilities will force them to intervene in dire events, although one twin can see only the future and one can see only the past. The Midnight Twins is in development as a TV series by Kaleidoscope Entertainment.
Mitchard's newest novel for adult, A Very Inconvenient Scandal, out in November 2023 from Mira/HarperCollins, is the story of an acclaimed young underwater photographer whose famed marine biologist father shatters their family by marrying her best friend., a woman 35 years his junior.
At the local coffee shop, Mitchard is best-known as the mother of Rob, Dan, Marty, Francie, Mia, Will and Atticus , as the grandma of Hank and Diana and the wife of handsome Chris Brent.
Her favorite color is periwinkle blue; her favorite holiday is Halloween; her favorite flower is freesia; her favorite word is "smite," and her second favorite is "Massachusetts"; her lucky number is 119 (anyone who can guess where that comes from wins free first editions of her novels for life). She lives in her favorite place on earth, Cape Cod, summering in a villa on the Amalfi Coast. (Guess which part of that sentence is fiction.)
Her essays have appeared in publications including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune Magazine and Reader's Digest, and are widely anthologized and used in school curricula. She has taught in MFA programs in Vermont, Ohio, and Massachusetts, and is part of the faculty at the Summer Writers Institute at Yale University. She is a member of the Tall Poppies Writers and has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Ragdale Foundation.
Her pet peeves are known authors and editors who cannot and will not learn the difference between “lie” and “lay” and family signs pluralized with apostrophes.
She would love to appear on just ONE episode of any incarnation of ‘Law and Order,’ as has everyone else in America. She still is willing to play the role of a murder victim – except one found by earth-moving equipment in a landfill – though she would do that in a pinch.
Mitchard would like to have a swimming pool, because, although she lives near the ocean, she is afraid of the dark water and hates sand. She would love to have a clawfoot tub, or any tub.
She believes that stories are the ways that human beings make sense of life and that our stories will save us.
The Deep End of the Ocean was chosen as the first novel in the book club made famous by the TV host Oprah Winfrey, and transformed into a feature film produced by and starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
Most of Mitchard’s novels have been greater or lesser bestsellers – and include The Most Wanted, A Theory of Relativity, Twelve Times Blessed, The Breakdown Lane, The Good Son, and Cage of Stars. Critics have praised them for their authentic humanity and command of story. Readers identify because they see reflected, in her characters – however extreme their circumstances – emotions they already understand.
Mitchard also has written four novels for young adults.
The first, Now You See Her, from HarperTeen, is the story of a pampered, driven young actress who fakes her own abduction.
All We Know of Heaven told the story of lifetime best friends Bridget and Maureen, who are just sixteen when a fatal crash on an icy road and a poignant case of mistaken identity divide their small Minnesota town forever.
The Midnight Twins was the first in a trilogy of teen mysteries about identical twin sisters born on New Year’s Eve – one a minute before and a minute after midnight – Meredith and Mallory Brynn learn on the night they turn thirteen that their psychic abilities will force them to intervene in dire events, although one twin can see only the future and one can see only the past. The Midnight Twins is in development as a TV series by Kaleidoscope Entertainment.
Mitchard's newest novel for adult, A Very Inconvenient Scandal, out in November 2023 from Mira/HarperCollins, is the story of an acclaimed young underwater photographer whose famed marine biologist father shatters their family by marrying her best friend., a woman 35 years his junior.
At the local coffee shop, Mitchard is best-known as the mother of Rob, Dan, Marty, Francie, Mia, Will and Atticus , as the grandma of Hank and Diana and the wife of handsome Chris Brent.
Her favorite color is periwinkle blue; her favorite holiday is Halloween; her favorite flower is freesia; her favorite word is "smite," and her second favorite is "Massachusetts"; her lucky number is 119 (anyone who can guess where that comes from wins free first editions of her novels for life). She lives in her favorite place on earth, Cape Cod, summering in a villa on the Amalfi Coast. (Guess which part of that sentence is fiction.)
Her essays have appeared in publications including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune Magazine and Reader's Digest, and are widely anthologized and used in school curricula. She has taught in MFA programs in Vermont, Ohio, and Massachusetts, and is part of the faculty at the Summer Writers Institute at Yale University. She is a member of the Tall Poppies Writers and has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Ragdale Foundation.
Her pet peeves are known authors and editors who cannot and will not learn the difference between “lie” and “lay” and family signs pluralized with apostrophes.
She would love to appear on just ONE episode of any incarnation of ‘Law and Order,’ as has everyone else in America. She still is willing to play the role of a murder victim – except one found by earth-moving equipment in a landfill – though she would do that in a pinch.
Mitchard would like to have a swimming pool, because, although she lives near the ocean, she is afraid of the dark water and hates sand. She would love to have a clawfoot tub, or any tub.
She believes that stories are the ways that human beings make sense of life and that our stories will save us.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
January 30, 2014
This was even more poorly written, edited, and proofread than the first one. There were whole passages that I had to read two or three times just to figure out what was happening and who was involved. The final showdown felt somehow both rushed and way too dragged out all at the same time, and the twists almost seemed like they were there more for the shock factor than because they made sense. I guess I'm glad I read it to find out what happened and get some closure, but I just didn't feel as close to the characters in this second book and didn't buy into some of their feelings and decisions. Teen readers who like mysteries and suspense would probably still enjoy reading this since the mystery is there: what does Garrett really do to the girls he kills? Is Juliet really dead? Will Allie and Rob be together? But, quite frankly, by the end of the book I didn't much care and was just relieved to be done.
February 20, 2024
WHAT WE LOST IN THE DARK
Jacquelyn Mitchard
Meh! Didn't know anything about it when I picked it up at the library, but I liked the cover and the title, so into the basket it went.
Story is dramatic, characters are glib, plot is ok, entertaining it was. I wonder how parents can allow their children to run around doing all this stuff at night. I realize that these characters are older kids, but the chatter was that they had been doing this all their life. Did the parents watch them swim across a lake at night? Wonder how that worked.
3 stars
Happy Reading!
Jacquelyn Mitchard
Meh! Didn't know anything about it when I picked it up at the library, but I liked the cover and the title, so into the basket it went.
Story is dramatic, characters are glib, plot is ok, entertaining it was. I wonder how parents can allow their children to run around doing all this stuff at night. I realize that these characters are older kids, but the chatter was that they had been doing this all their life. Did the parents watch them swim across a lake at night? Wonder how that worked.
3 stars
Happy Reading!
April 20, 2014
I thought that the characters in this acted stupidly and that it felt a little thrown together at the end. I was however, massively curious about the end so I flew through it.
November 6, 2013
Jacquelyn Mitchard's sequel to "What We Saw at Night", "What We Lost in the Dark" continues the story of Allie Kim who has a fatal allergy to sunlight known as XP. In this story we find out why Juliet killed herself & the intrigue of Garrett Tabor continues. As someone who did not read the prequel, I actually found the story honestly rather well written albeit I know there are plot points that definitely would've helped. The plot moves along at a brisk enough pace to keep the story interesting & the drama full fledged which includes Allie's romance with Rob & his tragic death at the end. Overall a well written book that has me looking for the prequel to fill in the blanks of a book I'll likely revisit again.
December 22, 2013
Having read What We Saw at Night, I definitely wanted to read Mitchard's next book.
This book did not read, for me, like the first. It was a roller coaster ride; moments that took to long to get in or out of (picture the long climb to the top of the coaster) and then some really quick falls, plowing through what could have been a suspenseful moment at the speed of sound.
Would I recommend What We Lost in the Dark? Yes, but with a cautionary, "It will move you through the rest of the story, but it won't rock your world. Enjoy."
This book did not read, for me, like the first. It was a roller coaster ride; moments that took to long to get in or out of (picture the long climb to the top of the coaster) and then some really quick falls, plowing through what could have been a suspenseful moment at the speed of sound.
Would I recommend What We Lost in the Dark? Yes, but with a cautionary, "It will move you through the rest of the story, but it won't rock your world. Enjoy."
March 3, 2020
This one is written so weirdly! Allie and Rob feel like completely different people. Allie herself reads like she's 30 years old, calling people "honey" left and right when she didn't do that once in the first book. I don't understand why this book feels like it has a completely different author than the first, but the fact is is that's what it seems like.
July 25, 2017
I read this book not knowing it was a sequel, I'm not going to read the first book.
April 5, 2021
At first i couldn’t get into the book and a little more than halfway through it started getting interesting.
June 5, 2021
So good! I’m glad I’d read the first book prior, though, “What We Saw in the Dark.”
December 19, 2021
This book tends to be kinda hated but I don’t vibe with that I will defend this series against all criticism you have my sacred vow
October 26, 2019
Found this one on my school library bookshelves and decided to try it out however after reading it is it definitely more YA and for a high school crowd—and it was not a favorite of mine for a couple of reasons..okay so the story takes place in beautiful Minnesota with the backdrop of the awesome and majestic Lake Superior-the 3rd largest lake in the world and a terrifyingly deep natural wonder that fascinates and rightfully scares our protagonist Allie and the book begins with descriptions and observations that really set the mood of this atmospheric story as you then learn about her best friend who is thought to have been murdered and lost in Lake Superior forever. Allie, her boyfriend and her missing best friend Juliet all suffer from a life-threatening and sad disease called XP or Xeroderma Pigmentosum which is an allergy to sunlight—they can only go out at night and if not they are burned so they homeschool and of all things engage in the most risky sports and activities they can find. The trio love to climb as high as they can, do Parkour and after Juliet dies Allie and her boyfriend Rob decide to free dive into Lake Superior just for fun. Oh yeah and the person suspected of raping and killing Juliet walks free and even talks to Allie on occasion in these awkward stilted conversations that make no sense but he is the son of two powerful researchers who fund and treat XP patients in their world class facility. Alright so with the mystery of Juliet, the thrill of freediving and then the creepiness of Garrett Tabor the assumed murderer/rapist they decide to go looking for proof and then the story goes flat for me, it weaved in and out of Allie’s snarky and rude personality to Rob and her mom, tangents on being scared and Minnesota history, near death moments and lots of other things like her adoptive sister’s name and yea as I type it I again lose interest. So aside from the material I also felt the main character was too old for our middle school library as her and Rob spend the night and even discuss marriage, they cuss and rebel and umm too much for middle school says this librarian LOL..And it wasn’t that good, it showed promise in the writing but a lot of the characters were annoying and mean..Will try another by her though, this one was just meh..
June 27, 2023
I didn't realize this was the second in a series. I might have rated it higher had I read the first book also. To me, this seemed a jumble of two stories, and neither was told well. I have loved some of Mitchard's books, but even the writing in this one didn't meet my expectations.
April 17, 2024
The title made me hopeful and the story had such potential at first. Ending was, disappointing. I loved hearing a story set so close to home, its fun to hear about MN and mentioning places like Duluth and Lake Superior. But I didn't care for this book much.
March 14, 2017
While it wasn't the best book of all time, I really loved this story. The wrap up to book one and the resolutions,I thought, were a great story.
May 6, 2017
Another case of "I only finished the book because I had to know what the resolution was". And honestly. There wasn't much.
November 20, 2018
The two books could easily have been combined as one. This one went on and on and on and should have ended much sooner. I don't know why I didn't just give up.
March 3, 2019
I started this book in the early afternoon almost as soon as I finished the first book. I could hardly put it down. Finished it just after supper and cried.
Read
July 20, 2019I loves the first book and thought this was an excellent, satisfying sequel
March 14, 2017
It was interesting enough that I cared to see how it ended, but I was pretty bored most of the way there. Also, the ending felt super rushed and not at all well put together. Juliet was somehow alive, but I don't even understand what happened and it seemed like a last minute decision. Rob died, which was foreshadowed a bit before it happened, but still seemed hastily thrown in. Garrett Tabor was caught by Rob in like two seconds, making the entire book seem pointless. It was almost like she got sick of writing fifty pages from the end. 2/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2017
easy read
January 11, 2016
What We Lost in the Dark is darker even than What We Saw at Night! Not only because the main characters are living with XP (xeroderma pigmentosa, an inability to be in sunlight), but also in mood and setting.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this duology to teens. They've got so many cool, unique features to them! First, there's the fact that everything takes place at night due to the main characters' condition. What teen wouldn't want to have free reign of their town all night long, largely unsupervised? Then the teens go and do cool extreme sports. In What We Saw at Night they train in and participate in parkour; in What We Lost in the Dark they try out extreme free diving. (And I mean extreme: they go free diving in Lake Superior in December. At night. No way would I be up for that!)
This book opens a few weeks after Juliet's death. Allie and Rob are, of course, grieving her loss. Allie is acting out; Rob is retreating within himself. They're still dating. Ordinarily, I'd be a little prude-ish about how much time the teens are spending together unsupervised, but by this book they're both only weeks from being 18, and Allie has begun college. Teens without XP would be moving out to go to college, unsupervised, at this point anyway. But still, there's heavy allusion to some extracurricular bedroom activities occasionally (no details), so recommend to younger teens with caution.
At one point while reading What We Lost in the Dark I turned to hubby and said, "this book is so freaking compelling and interesting and page-turnerish... and yet it's all because of a series of very bad decision making by a teen!" (Yes, I make up words in excitement when talking books. Hubby is quite understanding of this.) Usually I hate books where the whole plot is built upon a teen (or teens) making bad decisions. For whatever reason, I loved it in this book. I couldn't put it down! Maybe because I knew that there was a "safety net" of parents who cared just out of view in the wings? (Side note: Allie's mom, Jackie, might just be my fave character in the book. She's everything I hope to be in a mom.)
So Allie is unable to let go of the mysterious phone messages that she received from "Juliet" after she had disappeared. She's sent those on to an FBI contact. She's also determined to keep investigating Garrett Tabor on her own. (Bad decision #1....) And because Allie's quite a determined little dynamo (she's a redhead), she's convinced Rob to help her as well. I won't give away any spoilers, but I will tell you that it gets pretty intensely scary pretty quickly. Allie is already feeling like Garrett is out to get her; then he catches her trying to investigate him further. I'd be a nervous wreck! But Allie? She's still working a part-time internship and trying out free diving and working her own independent investigation. The action never lets up. This is a book I'd recommend maybe carving out a little time for, especially toward the end: you'll need to know what happens next!
For some reason, I was under the impression that this was a trilogy, so I was a bit surprised at how clear the ending was. But then I did a little research, and it turns out this is only a duology. I'll miss Allie and her friends in Iron Cove! But on the flip side, you can also know that this isn't another YA trilogy. I highly recommend this duology!
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this duology to teens. They've got so many cool, unique features to them! First, there's the fact that everything takes place at night due to the main characters' condition. What teen wouldn't want to have free reign of their town all night long, largely unsupervised? Then the teens go and do cool extreme sports. In What We Saw at Night they train in and participate in parkour; in What We Lost in the Dark they try out extreme free diving. (And I mean extreme: they go free diving in Lake Superior in December. At night. No way would I be up for that!)
This book opens a few weeks after Juliet's death. Allie and Rob are, of course, grieving her loss. Allie is acting out; Rob is retreating within himself. They're still dating. Ordinarily, I'd be a little prude-ish about how much time the teens are spending together unsupervised, but by this book they're both only weeks from being 18, and Allie has begun college. Teens without XP would be moving out to go to college, unsupervised, at this point anyway. But still, there's heavy allusion to some extracurricular bedroom activities occasionally (no details), so recommend to younger teens with caution.
At one point while reading What We Lost in the Dark I turned to hubby and said, "this book is so freaking compelling and interesting and page-turnerish... and yet it's all because of a series of very bad decision making by a teen!" (Yes, I make up words in excitement when talking books. Hubby is quite understanding of this.) Usually I hate books where the whole plot is built upon a teen (or teens) making bad decisions. For whatever reason, I loved it in this book. I couldn't put it down! Maybe because I knew that there was a "safety net" of parents who cared just out of view in the wings? (Side note: Allie's mom, Jackie, might just be my fave character in the book. She's everything I hope to be in a mom.)
So Allie is unable to let go of the mysterious phone messages that she received from "Juliet" after she had disappeared. She's sent those on to an FBI contact. She's also determined to keep investigating Garrett Tabor on her own. (Bad decision #1....) And because Allie's quite a determined little dynamo (she's a redhead), she's convinced Rob to help her as well. I won't give away any spoilers, but I will tell you that it gets pretty intensely scary pretty quickly. Allie is already feeling like Garrett is out to get her; then he catches her trying to investigate him further. I'd be a nervous wreck! But Allie? She's still working a part-time internship and trying out free diving and working her own independent investigation. The action never lets up. This is a book I'd recommend maybe carving out a little time for, especially toward the end: you'll need to know what happens next!
For some reason, I was under the impression that this was a trilogy, so I was a bit surprised at how clear the ending was. But then I did a little research, and it turns out this is only a duology. I'll miss Allie and her friends in Iron Cove! But on the flip side, you can also know that this isn't another YA trilogy. I highly recommend this duology!
June 22, 2016
This book was a little strange, for me. The story was continued from the previous book, but the author spent so much time recapping that the book probably could've been half as long. I think these books would've worked a lot better as a single, longer book.
The story itself felt a little all over the place. It seemed to jump from event to event with little down time, making the whole thing feel really rushed even though it was supposed to take place over the course of a month or more. I hated the ending. Rob's horrific death was so unnecessary, especially as you learn about the actual events of that night. It felt like the author just wanted to make everyone more miserable (including the reader).
It IRKED me to no end how NO ONE listens to Allie. Literally no one is trying to help this girl who is scared out of her mind about a man she is forced to sometimes interact with at work. Like, what the fuck. These adults are seriously messed up. "Oh, she's just GRIEVING! That causes irrational fear and paranoia in EVERYONE." Uhm. No. She has proof that he's stalking her and being a total creep but the adults in her life are so dismissive that she doesn't even feel safe going to them. And don't even get me started on Bonnie. She's supposed to be working on investigating Gary, but she doesn't think it's pertinent to KEEP A THREATENED TEENAGE GIRL SAFE by dropping her some clues. I was SO DONE by the end of this book.
All that being said, I like Allie as a character. I think she does so crazy stuff (like going out on the lake at night, alone) but she feels forced to by the people around her and their absolute disbelief in her. She stands up as the only person using their damn brain in this whole book (besides Gary). I think it was nice that Juliet gets to come back in the end, but really, I could've done without. It all felt like the author was just trying to thrill us. I wasn't thrilled.
Overall, I thought the first book was better written, I liked the mystery story line, and I think the whole book felt like it was slapped together in about a week. Yikes. Don't think I'll really be recommending this one to anyone.
The story itself felt a little all over the place. It seemed to jump from event to event with little down time, making the whole thing feel really rushed even though it was supposed to take place over the course of a month or more. I hated the ending. Rob's horrific death was so unnecessary, especially as you learn about the actual events of that night. It felt like the author just wanted to make everyone more miserable (including the reader).
It IRKED me to no end how NO ONE listens to Allie. Literally no one is trying to help this girl who is scared out of her mind about a man she is forced to sometimes interact with at work. Like, what the fuck. These adults are seriously messed up. "Oh, she's just GRIEVING! That causes irrational fear and paranoia in EVERYONE." Uhm. No. She has proof that he's stalking her and being a total creep but the adults in her life are so dismissive that she doesn't even feel safe going to them. And don't even get me started on Bonnie. She's supposed to be working on investigating Gary, but she doesn't think it's pertinent to KEEP A THREATENED TEENAGE GIRL SAFE by dropping her some clues. I was SO DONE by the end of this book.
All that being said, I like Allie as a character. I think she does so crazy stuff (like going out on the lake at night, alone) but she feels forced to by the people around her and their absolute disbelief in her. She stands up as the only person using their damn brain in this whole book (besides Gary). I think it was nice that Juliet gets to come back in the end, but really, I could've done without. It all felt like the author was just trying to thrill us. I wasn't thrilled.
Overall, I thought the first book was better written, I liked the mystery story line, and I think the whole book felt like it was slapped together in about a week. Yikes. Don't think I'll really be recommending this one to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2017
A Minnesota town famous for its research in XP (xeroderma pigmentosum) attracts families with children who have the diagnosis. Three teenagers (the tres amigos) uncover a local man from a famous family whom they believe to be a serial killer. Through their doubts and fears, they oscillate. Given the prognosis of their diagnosis, they tend toward the extreme in terms of risk taking and behavior. I learned about sports that I had not even heard of. I also learned about Lake Superior - who knew it was bigger than the state of Maine? (Geography is so not my strength that it was fun to share these random facts with my family.) I also learned about XP. Being a medical social worker with a history in genetics this too was very interesting to me. This is also an incredibly sad book. The author's pace at revealing information at times bothered me, because I felt like the author assumed the reader knew things that either (A) I hadn't caught in earlier pages, or (2) the author hadn't explained well or (III) the reference was a foreshadowing of explanation to come. Obviously this latter comment didn't bother me very much, as I really enjoyed this high YA novel.
October 12, 2013
Not bad as a sequel to What We Saw in the Dark and - even better(for me) - not set in a dystopia!
Juliet's death hasn't unhinged Allie, but it has driven a wedge between her and Rob because she's obsessed with trapping Garrett Tabor into either confessing or giving himself away. The emphasis on the XP and how Allie, Juliet and Rob couldn't go out during the day is lessened here (thankfully) as is their parkouring adventures. Instead we get deep diving, which of course leads to major clues and discoveries. There were moments when the action was a little over the top, dropping this from a solid four-star to a three.
Having said that, this series (guessing here, as the ending is final enough that it could be the end but there is enough of an opening that could also lead to another book) is one that I can see appealing to teens needing something more that romance and less than future worlds.
ARC provided by publisher.
Juliet's death hasn't unhinged Allie, but it has driven a wedge between her and Rob because she's obsessed with trapping Garrett Tabor into either confessing or giving himself away. The emphasis on the XP and how Allie, Juliet and Rob couldn't go out during the day is lessened here (thankfully) as is their parkouring adventures. Instead we get deep diving, which of course leads to major clues and discoveries. There were moments when the action was a little over the top, dropping this from a solid four-star to a three.
Having said that, this series (guessing here, as the ending is final enough that it could be the end but there is enough of an opening that could also lead to another book) is one that I can see appealing to teens needing something more that romance and less than future worlds.
ARC provided by publisher.
November 15, 2015
This is the sequel to the young adult book “What We Saw at Night” about three teens with an incurable illness, XP, a condition where they can’t be exposed to sunlight. In the first book we followed them as they went out at night practicing their Parkour skills and how they discovered things that were not at they should be in their small community. In this installment, the hero Allie, desperate for information on her best friend’s suicide, embarks on a campaign to uncover the truth. Along the way she and boyfriend Rob, who also suffers from a more severe form of XP, take up free diving. On one such dive, she discovers the bodies of missing girls so she is off in search of what really happened to Juliet. There are twists and turns as Allie searches for proof of a serial killer at work making this a quick and fun read. However, there are numerous grammatical errors that detract from the story. No copy editor available?
December 21, 2015
my review of this book is only 3 stars, i was rather confused that on page 121 allie mentioned that angela was an excellent skier, having been taught by juliet, and then about page 182 or so, mentioned that angela couldn't be any worse at skiing implying that angela couldn't ski very well. she also mentioned that juliet was buried 3 months prior, but nicola had died a year and a half ago (and also that nicolas mom was dead when she appeared to have survived in the first book), and at one point mentioned that they had gone through a a year and a half since everything started, i was under the impression it was that long since the first book took place in summer and the second in winter. i don't know if this was just poorly written or i'm being too fussy. aside from those issues, i actually enjoyed the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2015
This book continues right where "What We Saw at Night" ended. Allie wants avenge her friend's death and catch her killer, who continues to keep an eye on Allie and Rob. Allie is doing community service hours in the morgue, where she befriends the medical examiner and learns to few things to help her in her investigation. Rob has Allie learn deep water diving, which helps her discover a startling secret that just may cost her her life. There are a couple of twists toward the end, one I liked and one I didn't, but if I was a female teen I probably would have enjoyed more, that's why I give the book only three stars compared to first books four star rating.
May 28, 2014
I had to read this because the first in the series had a huge cliffhanger. This story's totally unrealistic so be prepared to suspend disbelief (more so than in most novels). Mitchard ending is too similar to John Green's ending to The Fault in Our Stars, but this book didn't do it as well as Green's. I still think the drama, teen angst, love story, and action make for an appealing (and fast) read. Based on the ending of this book, I don't expect Mitchard will write more in the series, and if she does, I won't read them because the story has been told and needs no more explanation. I really liked the first book in this series.
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