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The Amateurs #1
The Amateurs
I need some answers about my sister. Help…
Five years ago, high school senior Helena Kelly disappeared from her backyard in Dexby, Connecticut, never to be heard from again. Her family was left without any answers—without any idea who killed Helena, or why.
So when eighteen-year-old Seneca Frazier sees a desperate post on the Case Not Closed message board, she knows it’s time to change that. Helena’s high-profile disappearance is the one that originally got Seneca addicted to true crime. It’s the reason she’s a member of the site in the first place.
Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, she agrees to spend spring break in Connecticut working on the case with Maddy Wright, her best friend from Case Not Closed. However, the moment she steps off the train, things start to go wrong. Maddy’s nothing like she expected, and Helena’s sister, Aerin, doesn’t seem to want any help after all. Plus, Seneca has a secret of her own, one that could derail the investigation if she’s not careful.
Alongside Brett, another super-user from the site, they slowly begin to unravel the secrets Helena kept in the weeks before her disappearance. But the killer is watching…and determined to make sure the case stays cold.
Five years ago, high school senior Helena Kelly disappeared from her backyard in Dexby, Connecticut, never to be heard from again. Her family was left without any answers—without any idea who killed Helena, or why.
So when eighteen-year-old Seneca Frazier sees a desperate post on the Case Not Closed message board, she knows it’s time to change that. Helena’s high-profile disappearance is the one that originally got Seneca addicted to true crime. It’s the reason she’s a member of the site in the first place.
Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, she agrees to spend spring break in Connecticut working on the case with Maddy Wright, her best friend from Case Not Closed. However, the moment she steps off the train, things start to go wrong. Maddy’s nothing like she expected, and Helena’s sister, Aerin, doesn’t seem to want any help after all. Plus, Seneca has a secret of her own, one that could derail the investigation if she’s not careful.
Alongside Brett, another super-user from the site, they slowly begin to unravel the secrets Helena kept in the weeks before her disappearance. But the killer is watching…and determined to make sure the case stays cold.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2016
280 people are currently reading
10298 people want to read
About the author
Sara Shepard
130 books14.8k followersSara Shepard graduated from NYU and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. She has lived in New York City, Brooklyn, Tucson, Arizona, Philadelphia, and now lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Sara's Pretty Little Liars novels were inspired by her upbringing in Philadelphia's Main Line.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,012 reviews
August 13, 2018
Edit 4/7 - I am dropping my rating to 3 stars. I still feel the same about my enjoyment of the story, but I really feel like there are larger issues in the construction of the story that deserve more attention than JUST the fun I had while reading.
3.5 Stars! Truthfully, this really was not a great book but I had so much fun reading it and became so addicted that part of me can’t help but love it.
The biggest flaw in this novel is the writing. Not to be ironic, but the word I would use to describe it is actually “amateur.” The writing felt very juvenile, and not just regarding it’s intended audience, but in terms of complexity and skill. I had heard not-so-great things about Shepard’s writing from her other books, but I really expected more from a highly popularized, best-selling young adult author. Character descriptions were lazy and underdeveloped, the dialogue felt contrived, any scene related to romance was extremely cringe-worthy and it overall was just not very good. Truthfully, the storyline of the mystery was not all that well-put together, either. If writing style is very important to you as a reader, I cannot see you enjoying this book very much.
Normally, I would be ecstatic to see main characters from diverse backgrounds included in a mystery-thriller, a genre frequently lacking representation, but this element also faltered in The Amateurs. Our main character, Seneca, is described as being half-black mid way through the novel and another character is Korean, yet these labels are the only indication that these characters come from a diverse background. I obviously cannot speak for the representation of these populations, but to me, naming a character’s ethnicity once or twice but providing no other insight to that part of their identity is not proper representation. Every single character in this book read as being white, other than Madison (whom I was only able to remember was Korean because she responds to a very unnecessary racist comment.) I was very disappointed by the lack of development on what could have been a great addition to the story but I have to remain hopeful that this is better expressed in the sequel. Additionally, I didn't LOVE any of the characters. I would say I like Seneca the best because yay women who enjoy true crime, followed by Aerin and Madison, but Maddox frequently rubbed my the wrong way.
My final critique is what bothered me the least – the unrealistic drama. I am all for tension, suspense, crisis, etc. but I do have to note when character reactions become so over-dramatized that I’m frequently rolling my eyes, as if I am to meant believe this. Unrealism and ridiculous drama in YA is definitely not a deal breaker forme, but I do feel compelled to mention it when it occurs because of my personal annoyance.
With all that being said, I still had so much fun reading this book. I genuinely could not put it down and finished it within 2 days. Despite my annoyances, this story was addictive, intoxicating, and all I could think about during the days I was reading it. I can’t fully put why I enjoyed this book so much into words, but I just did! I probably place The Amateurs on my list of “Trashy YA Novels.” Not the best books in the world, have obvious flaws, but were able to completely take over my life because of how fun they were. I know this review contains way more critiques than compliments, but I can't accurately explain why I became so obsessed with this novel. Call it a guilty pleasure book, but I loved my time reading The Amateurs and am immediately diving into book two.
If you’re someone who can enjoy a cheesy, not-so-greatly written YA novel once and a while for a fun reading experience, I’d definitely recommend The Amateurs, but if you prefer to spend your reading time on more sophisticated, better-developed novels, this one might not be for you.
This book was sent to me for free by Freeform Books as a part of a paid YouTube campaign. I had no obligation to review this book as a part of this campaign and all opinions are my own.
3.5 Stars! Truthfully, this really was not a great book but I had so much fun reading it and became so addicted that part of me can’t help but love it.
The biggest flaw in this novel is the writing. Not to be ironic, but the word I would use to describe it is actually “amateur.” The writing felt very juvenile, and not just regarding it’s intended audience, but in terms of complexity and skill. I had heard not-so-great things about Shepard’s writing from her other books, but I really expected more from a highly popularized, best-selling young adult author. Character descriptions were lazy and underdeveloped, the dialogue felt contrived, any scene related to romance was extremely cringe-worthy and it overall was just not very good. Truthfully, the storyline of the mystery was not all that well-put together, either. If writing style is very important to you as a reader, I cannot see you enjoying this book very much.
Normally, I would be ecstatic to see main characters from diverse backgrounds included in a mystery-thriller, a genre frequently lacking representation, but this element also faltered in The Amateurs. Our main character, Seneca, is described as being half-black mid way through the novel and another character is Korean, yet these labels are the only indication that these characters come from a diverse background. I obviously cannot speak for the representation of these populations, but to me, naming a character’s ethnicity once or twice but providing no other insight to that part of their identity is not proper representation. Every single character in this book read as being white, other than Madison (whom I was only able to remember was Korean because she responds to a very unnecessary racist comment.) I was very disappointed by the lack of development on what could have been a great addition to the story but I have to remain hopeful that this is better expressed in the sequel. Additionally, I didn't LOVE any of the characters. I would say I like Seneca the best because yay women who enjoy true crime, followed by Aerin and Madison, but Maddox frequently rubbed my the wrong way.
My final critique is what bothered me the least – the unrealistic drama. I am all for tension, suspense, crisis, etc. but I do have to note when character reactions become so over-dramatized that I’m frequently rolling my eyes, as if I am to meant believe this. Unrealism and ridiculous drama in YA is definitely not a deal breaker forme, but I do feel compelled to mention it when it occurs because of my personal annoyance.
With all that being said, I still had so much fun reading this book. I genuinely could not put it down and finished it within 2 days. Despite my annoyances, this story was addictive, intoxicating, and all I could think about during the days I was reading it. I can’t fully put why I enjoyed this book so much into words, but I just did! I probably place The Amateurs on my list of “Trashy YA Novels.” Not the best books in the world, have obvious flaws, but were able to completely take over my life because of how fun they were. I know this review contains way more critiques than compliments, but I can't accurately explain why I became so obsessed with this novel. Call it a guilty pleasure book, but I loved my time reading The Amateurs and am immediately diving into book two.
If you’re someone who can enjoy a cheesy, not-so-greatly written YA novel once and a while for a fun reading experience, I’d definitely recommend The Amateurs, but if you prefer to spend your reading time on more sophisticated, better-developed novels, this one might not be for you.
This book was sent to me for free by Freeform Books as a part of a paid YouTube campaign. I had no obligation to review this book as a part of this campaign and all opinions are my own.
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July 30, 2018I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this book as I had low expectations. Albeit some of the characters are trash, but overlooking that this was a really enjoyable read. I went in expecting it to be predictable, but I was pretty taken aback by the direction of this story.
December 15, 2016
“A purse, maybe. I found a brown vinyl one at Goodwill a few days ago. It’s on my bed. Wanna grab it?”
Aerin was certain she’d heard her wrong. Helena’s room was off-limits. Maybe this was some kind of test? “O-okay.”
This is the last exchange the sisters had before Helena disappeared. She was seventeen, while Aerin was eleven. Now it has been five years and four months. Everyone seems to have forgotten about Helena except for Aerin. The case remains unsolved even with Helena's body being found a year ago. Aerin just wants to find out what happened to her older sister. Now sixteen, she reaches out to an online crime-solving forum, Case Not Closed (CNC), known for solving cases the police couldn't for help.
Enter Seneca who is addicted to CNC and obsessed with true crime. Aren't we all? Only no..Seneca has a deeper reason for her interest in cold cases. She's a college student and is probably the most intelligent of the characters. Unfortunately that doesn't exactly mean much when it comes to sleuthing... But we'll get back to that. Seneca's best friend on the forum, Maddy, invites her to come out for spring break and look into the Helena case together because Maddy happens to live in the same area. The thing is: everyone has secrets and things have a way of going wrong in Dexby from the start. Could someone be trying to keep the amateur detectives from solving this case?
I liked this well enough for the mystery aspect and premise. Ultimately I was let down for the lack of characterization making it impossible to connect with the characters. Though I appreciate the diversity. There were also way too many plot holes. Too many coincidences. And every time the characters got too caught up in teenage things it was frustrating because we have a mystery to solve here! I don't understand why the characters had to be so dumb, truly taking the title seriously because these guys were straight up amateurs when it came to solving crime. Too many stupid mistakes were made.
It's unfortunate we only got a limited view of the Case Not Closed forum. There was only Aerin's original post and a very brief chat on the site. I just feel this was an opportunity missed. We could have seen the characters interact more on the website, especially considering most of them had relationships through the community prior.
However, I did like the big twist at the end done in true Sara Shepard fashion.
May 2, 2017
I was sent a copy of this book by Freeform Books and they also sponsored my video review, which can be found on my channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU_a4...
I do not have a written review of this book because it is against Goodreads policy to post sponsored reviews here.
I do not have a written review of this book because it is against Goodreads policy to post sponsored reviews here.
December 11, 2016
BLOG REVIEW
https://passthefeels.wordpress.com/20...
Actual Rating: 4.25
Well, I think it's fair to say that Sara Shepard, aka. mystery/thriller/murder mystery goddess, has done it again with her latest novel, The Amateurs.
This novel was my most highly anticipated read of 2016, and I'm so glad it did not disappoint, even though I knew there was no chance it would.
It was crazy, exhilarating, and packed with mystery. It really got me being an investigator alongside our main clan of protagonists.
I love how this book was told from such an array of different characters, we really got to see how everything went down for everyone, and the ways in which they went about things. I found it so interesting to be able to assess each character as they were seen from their own points of view.
However, the characters did fall sort of flat-ish for me at times.
Usually, the characters are one of my favourite parts of (well any novel), but especially Shepard's books. Even more so, the friendships between her characters draw me in the most, and I feel this book didn't quite have that same feeling as her other series, say like Pretty Little Liars or The Lying Game.
But, I do think that is simply because it's the first instalment in a series, and I have absolutely no doubt that both the characters, and their friendships will only grow immensely from this novel forwards.
I also cannot wait to see more of the side characters in future instalments *cough* Thomas *Cough*.
The concept of this novel, and the 'Case Not Closed' situation, I found to be so entertaining, and it certainly kept me on my feet throughout the course of it.
I loved the nature of the book. It was just such an enjoyable read, whilst still making me nervous and skeptical of every corner I turned... oh, and every page too...
Shepard always imagines the best settings/scenery, and immerses the characters, as well as the reader, into her fictional world, and makes it feel a little less like fiction.
The ending made me simultaneously go crazy, and think "really, the only person I didn't suspect was found to be the murderer, seriously". AAAAND they also happened to be one of my favourite characters in the whole book!!
However, that made me love it even more. I don't quite know how but Shepard manages to fool me with every.single.new.story she comes out with. Seriously, my jaw always ends up on the floor.
I can't quite believe that we found out the murderer in the first book! (Unless theres some twist put on it and it isn't really who it is, but it is, but it isn't...) Yep, that would only make sense to Shepard's long-time reader fans.
It worked though! I am barely able to contain myself for the next book, I just need to see what happens to the squad (and to the murderer).
I cannot wait for the next instalment to come out in this crazy new series by my favourite author. I wonder if it'll be another 16 book series. I don't think I'd oppose.
Bring on more sleuthing, sneaking, and mystery, because no one does that better than Sara Shepard!
https://passthefeels.wordpress.com/20...
Actual Rating: 4.25
Well, I think it's fair to say that Sara Shepard, aka. mystery/thriller/murder mystery goddess, has done it again with her latest novel, The Amateurs.
This novel was my most highly anticipated read of 2016, and I'm so glad it did not disappoint, even though I knew there was no chance it would.
It was crazy, exhilarating, and packed with mystery. It really got me being an investigator alongside our main clan of protagonists.
I love how this book was told from such an array of different characters, we really got to see how everything went down for everyone, and the ways in which they went about things. I found it so interesting to be able to assess each character as they were seen from their own points of view.
However, the characters did fall sort of flat-ish for me at times.
Usually, the characters are one of my favourite parts of (well any novel), but especially Shepard's books. Even more so, the friendships between her characters draw me in the most, and I feel this book didn't quite have that same feeling as her other series, say like Pretty Little Liars or The Lying Game.
But, I do think that is simply because it's the first instalment in a series, and I have absolutely no doubt that both the characters, and their friendships will only grow immensely from this novel forwards.
I also cannot wait to see more of the side characters in future instalments *cough* Thomas *Cough*.
The concept of this novel, and the 'Case Not Closed' situation, I found to be so entertaining, and it certainly kept me on my feet throughout the course of it.
I loved the nature of the book. It was just such an enjoyable read, whilst still making me nervous and skeptical of every corner I turned... oh, and every page too...
Shepard always imagines the best settings/scenery, and immerses the characters, as well as the reader, into her fictional world, and makes it feel a little less like fiction.
The ending made me simultaneously go crazy, and think "really, the only person I didn't suspect was found to be the murderer, seriously". AAAAND they also happened to be one of my favourite characters in the whole book!!
However, that made me love it even more. I don't quite know how but Shepard manages to fool me with every.single.new.story she comes out with. Seriously, my jaw always ends up on the floor.
I can't quite believe that we found out the murderer in the first book! (Unless theres some twist put on it and it isn't really who it is, but it is, but it isn't...) Yep, that would only make sense to Shepard's long-time reader fans.
It worked though! I am barely able to contain myself for the next book, I just need to see what happens to the squad (and to the murderer).
I cannot wait for the next instalment to come out in this crazy new series by my favourite author. I wonder if it'll be another 16 book series. I don't think I'd oppose.
Bring on more sleuthing, sneaking, and mystery, because no one does that better than Sara Shepard!
January 14, 2023
Un libro de misterio con su toque mamarracho, pero sin terminar de explotar.
Este desde luego que no es el mejor libro de misterio juvenil que he leído, pero Shepard siempre consigue que sus historias sean entretenidas. Siendo la autora de la saga Pretty Little Liars, no se podía esperar menos de su estilo a la hora de narrar. Claro que –y como era de esperar– el balance entre la trama principal de misterio y las idas y venidas de sus protagonistas, con sus amoríos y peleas, no está muy bien llevado.
Admito que el final no lo veía venir. Hay varios giros interesantes, especialmente el último, que me ha sorprendido bastante. Aun y todo, no consigue hacer que el resto del libro compense por ser un poquito más lento de lo que me hubiera gustado.
The Amateurs es el inicio de una trilogía que continuaré y que no presenta nada innovador, pero que es entretenido de leer y te hace pasar un buen rato.
Este desde luego que no es el mejor libro de misterio juvenil que he leído, pero Shepard siempre consigue que sus historias sean entretenidas. Siendo la autora de la saga Pretty Little Liars, no se podía esperar menos de su estilo a la hora de narrar. Claro que –y como era de esperar– el balance entre la trama principal de misterio y las idas y venidas de sus protagonistas, con sus amoríos y peleas, no está muy bien llevado.
Admito que el final no lo veía venir. Hay varios giros interesantes, especialmente el último, que me ha sorprendido bastante. Aun y todo, no consigue hacer que el resto del libro compense por ser un poquito más lento de lo que me hubiera gustado.
The Amateurs es el inicio de una trilogía que continuaré y que no presenta nada innovador, pero que es entretenido de leer y te hace pasar un buen rato.
January 17, 2023
Eh, it was okay 🤷♀️🤷♀️ I definitely have conflicting thoughts on this- there were a lot of things I liked, but I can't ignore the things that bothered me throughout my time reading it. Definitely a mixed bag 🙃
The Amateurs follows Aerin Kelly, whose sister Helena disappeared 5 years ago- and whose body was found in the woods a year ago. Despite Helena's murderer never being found, the police have closed the case. Desperate to get justice for her sister, Aerin recruits amateur crime-solvers Seneca and Maddy, as well as damn fine detective Brett. The Amateurs set out to solve the case and as secrets begin to unravel and betrayals are uncovered, they are dying to know the truth- and it's getting dangerously close.
After reading quite a few fantasy books back-to-back, I picked up this murder mystery for a change of pace. And although it was decent, it also could've been a lot better...
Let's start with what I liked. For the most part, I did enjoy the mystery- it was fun to go along with the Amateurs as they solved it, and I thought it was decently paced. There were lots of different ways the mystery could've gone and I liked the twists and turns the story took. The book itself was extremely fast-paced and the writing style was really easy to read. I managed to read it in a day, it was that addictive. Also, the ending--- 🤯🤯🤯 I did NOT see that coming!! 🤭🤭
However, there were definitely some things that I did NOT like. Mainly, the characters- they were SO INSUFFERABLE!! 😤😤😤 I literally didn't like a single character; I found them all so irritating and infuriating, and so many of the things they did had me face-palming. Brett and Aerin irritated me the most, I just COULDN'T with those two 🙈🙈 Also, the unnecessary amount of romance and the constant mentions of sex and characters hooking up every second page- in a murder mystery? Really?? 🙄🙄 It just felt very out of place and unnecessary.
Overall, it was a decent time and I had an okay reading experience. I liked the actual mystery, but the characters irritated me to no end. I guess I would recommend it if you want a fast-paced mystery... but honestly there's so many others out there that are much better than this. So, yeah, it was okay 🤷♀️🤷♀️
~ 3 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mmmm. Very mixed feelings on this- hated the characters, but enjoyed the mystery. That ending tho- 🤯🤯🤯
RTC!
The Amateurs follows Aerin Kelly, whose sister Helena disappeared 5 years ago- and whose body was found in the woods a year ago. Despite Helena's murderer never being found, the police have closed the case. Desperate to get justice for her sister, Aerin recruits amateur crime-solvers Seneca and Maddy, as well as damn fine detective Brett. The Amateurs set out to solve the case and as secrets begin to unravel and betrayals are uncovered, they are dying to know the truth- and it's getting dangerously close.
After reading quite a few fantasy books back-to-back, I picked up this murder mystery for a change of pace. And although it was decent, it also could've been a lot better...
Let's start with what I liked. For the most part, I did enjoy the mystery- it was fun to go along with the Amateurs as they solved it, and I thought it was decently paced. There were lots of different ways the mystery could've gone and I liked the twists and turns the story took. The book itself was extremely fast-paced and the writing style was really easy to read. I managed to read it in a day, it was that addictive. Also, the ending--- 🤯🤯🤯 I did NOT see that coming!! 🤭🤭
However, there were definitely some things that I did NOT like. Mainly, the characters- they were SO INSUFFERABLE!! 😤😤😤 I literally didn't like a single character; I found them all so irritating and infuriating, and so many of the things they did had me face-palming. Brett and Aerin irritated me the most, I just COULDN'T with those two 🙈🙈 Also, the unnecessary amount of romance and the constant mentions of sex and characters hooking up every second page- in a murder mystery? Really?? 🙄🙄 It just felt very out of place and unnecessary.
Overall, it was a decent time and I had an okay reading experience. I liked the actual mystery, but the characters irritated me to no end. I guess I would recommend it if you want a fast-paced mystery... but honestly there's so many others out there that are much better than this. So, yeah, it was okay 🤷♀️🤷♀️
~ 3 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mmmm. Very mixed feelings on this- hated the characters, but enjoyed the mystery. That ending tho- 🤯🤯🤯
RTC!
October 5, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Bonnier Publishing and NetGalley.)
This was a YA mystery/crime story featuring a bunch of teens trying to solve a cold case.
The characters in this were all okay, although I didn’t really love any of them. Seneca was fairly smart, but easily offended, Maddy was a big surprise, Bret was a little obsessed with Aerin, and Aerin liked to flirt a lot. They did all seem invested in solving the case to an extent though.
The storyline in this was about Seneca, Maddy, Bret and Aerin coming together to try and solve the mystery of Aerin’s sister’s murder 5 years previously, after meeting on an online cold case site. They followed some leads, put together clues that the police had missed, and even developed ridiculous schemes to gain access to fancy parties where they could try to interrogate people. The whole thing just fell a little flat for me though, and none of the suspects really seemed all that likely to have committed the crime.
The ending to this gave us a big twist and really did make these guys look like amateurs. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next book.
6.5 out of 10
“She was never going to know the truth about Helena. What happened to her sister was going to remain a mystery – and a recurring nightmare – for the rest of her life.”
This was a YA mystery/crime story featuring a bunch of teens trying to solve a cold case.
The characters in this were all okay, although I didn’t really love any of them. Seneca was fairly smart, but easily offended, Maddy was a big surprise, Bret was a little obsessed with Aerin, and Aerin liked to flirt a lot. They did all seem invested in solving the case to an extent though.
The storyline in this was about Seneca, Maddy, Bret and Aerin coming together to try and solve the mystery of Aerin’s sister’s murder 5 years previously, after meeting on an online cold case site. They followed some leads, put together clues that the police had missed, and even developed ridiculous schemes to gain access to fancy parties where they could try to interrogate people. The whole thing just fell a little flat for me though, and none of the suspects really seemed all that likely to have committed the crime.
The ending to this gave us a big twist and really did make these guys look like amateurs. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next book.
6.5 out of 10
December 19, 2016
The Amateurs gave me all the nostalgic Pretty Little Liars feels and it was brilliant. Sara Shepard really knows how to keep you reading and I'll never get bored of the way her books totally play with my mind. Although this wasn't my favourite of Sara's books and didn't blow my mind as much as her previous books have done in the past, since I quite quickly predicted the outcome (perhaps because I've read so many of her previous books?) it didn't stop me from getting that 'oh.my.gosh.' feeling. I really enjoyed that the characters were slightly older than the characters in her other books, I thought it was a nice change to see a range of ages as some were college students and some where in high school and because of this the plot possibly felt a little more plausible? I though all of the characters and their different backgrounds and stories were really interesting and despite the large cast of 'main' characters, there was never a point where it was overwhelming or confusing who was who. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book in this series? trilogy? duology? Whatever it is, it's definitely captured my attention and I have a feeling the next book is going to be even crazier!!
December 22, 2016
DNF @ 30%
Nothing horrendous or quotable about The Amateurs - it's just boring. 30% and I hate every character. I don't feel connected to any character. I would rather they all get punched.
I was excited to this book and I'm not sure why. I enjoy a good mystery but the fact that nothing horrific or exciting had happened has left me drained. There is also a lot of weird elements like Maddy (a boy who's name is Maddox) is into his running coach and a bunch of over dramatic teenagers who are being followed.
The writing was immature as well and didn't allow me to truly delve in and enjoy the character or story.
I apologise if it gets better, but it's not for me.
Nothing horrendous or quotable about The Amateurs - it's just boring. 30% and I hate every character. I don't feel connected to any character. I would rather they all get punched.
I was excited to this book and I'm not sure why. I enjoy a good mystery but the fact that nothing horrific or exciting had happened has left me drained. There is also a lot of weird elements like Maddy (a boy who's name is Maddox) is into his running coach and a bunch of over dramatic teenagers who are being followed.
The writing was immature as well and didn't allow me to truly delve in and enjoy the character or story.
I apologise if it gets better, but it's not for me.
June 14, 2019
Okay wow this is definitely trash but I'm throwing it a bonus star because it actually caught me by surprise at the end there! How delightfully unexpected!
WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers
Plot: Five years ago, Aerin's sister, Helena, went missing. Her remains were found four years later, but her killer never was. Hers is one of many unsolved cases that are obsessed over by this weird online social network of amateur sleuths. Aerin reaches out to this group, and a bunch of them get together to solve the mystery.
Problem #1: The 'Case Not Closed' website apparently holds all kinds of miraculously available confidential information like case notes, crime scene photos and forensic reports. That sure is handy.
Problem #2: Seneca still gets all of her truly valuable information from Facebook.
Problem #3: And it's handy Seneca and her buddies are on the case because it seems the original law enforcement tasked with solving the crime were beyond incompetent. Alibis were never confirmed, leads never followed, searches never thorough. Everyone assumed Helena was killed the day she was taken and apparently zero alternatives were raised? Tbh I naturally assumed she ran away for "Secret Business" and then was murdered so it came as a surprise to me that this was a ground-breaking theory.
Problem #4: If we completely ignore the fact that the website has already been mentioned as having all the handy detective work available, it's totally okay because all you need to access the super secret police information is the right password. Thank goodness there's a really cute, totally naive, younger-than-the-others cop who has a thing for one of our leading ladies.
Problem #5: Drama queens. Some random blur behind a tinted window seems to be staring at you? (I'm super impressed you can tell that when you can't make out a face, by the way) Please make sure to scream loudly and run away in a panic. Someone's knocking at your door? Scream, call the cops. It's definitely someone trying to kill you. And it's okay that you're reacting completely irrationally for a normal person because, GASP! someone really IS trying to kill you! Like, OH EM GEE.
Problem #6: The writing is so trash. I was so confused by time of day and location because it jumped around so much and there was at least one glaring continuity error where the gang seemed to be both in a hospital AND in Maddox's room? But hey you will always know exactly what everyone is wearing and what brand of EVERYTHING is in every location. I don't even know what half this stuff is, honestly.
Problem #7: The messy relationship dynamics are just so cringe-worthy. Firstly, please focus, kids. Secondly, these hormones are RAGING. It made me feel awkward. Which is weird coz I was a totally awkward teen myself so you'd think I'd relate on some level. Weird.
Problem #8: I mean the whole crime-solving thing was just so terrible . They jump from one lead to another because every single thing they discover gives them exactly the right info they need with zero struggles. They lie a lot but they also stumble onto 'groundbreaking clues' that, honestly? this is where I refer back to the incompetent cops. But also HI. HI????! I mean that was the worst fkn clue ever and I'm so mad because that is just lazy writing. Plus I was so confused about the actual progression of the case because they are also busy trying to hook up in between and just ... if I were to describe this story I would describe it as a chain of safety pins. Only some of the safety pins are open and just hanging there and then others are just randomly hanging off other safety pins and then the whole thing is rusted and bent and really instead of trying to salvage it into something recognisable you should probably just throw the whole thing away before someone gets hurt.
As someone who managed to read The ENTIRE The Lying Game series you would think I would have been a little prepared for this hot mess. I was not. It was a billion times worse than I was expecting.
And yet. That ending got me. Can someone tell me how the rest of the series pans out so that I don't have to read it? Pretty please? Also I'm so curious as to whether there's an explanation or it's just another continuity error regarding this spoilery part:
This is the perfect example of a YA book that should probably not be read by non-YA readers. Because there's so much wrong with it that more seasoned readers are likely to just cringe the entire way through, like I did.
WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers
Plot: Five years ago, Aerin's sister, Helena, went missing. Her remains were found four years later, but her killer never was. Hers is one of many unsolved cases that are obsessed over by this weird online social network of amateur sleuths. Aerin reaches out to this group, and a bunch of them get together to solve the mystery.
Problem #1: The 'Case Not Closed' website apparently holds all kinds of miraculously available confidential information like case notes, crime scene photos and forensic reports. That sure is handy.
Problem #2: Seneca still gets all of her truly valuable information from Facebook.
Problem #3: And it's handy Seneca and her buddies are on the case because it seems the original law enforcement tasked with solving the crime were beyond incompetent. Alibis were never confirmed, leads never followed, searches never thorough. Everyone assumed Helena was killed the day she was taken and apparently zero alternatives were raised? Tbh I naturally assumed she ran away for "Secret Business" and then was murdered so it came as a surprise to me that this was a ground-breaking theory.
Problem #4: If we completely ignore the fact that the website has already been mentioned as having all the handy detective work available, it's totally okay because all you need to access the super secret police information is the right password. Thank goodness there's a really cute, totally naive, younger-than-the-others cop who has a thing for one of our leading ladies.
Problem #5: Drama queens. Some random blur behind a tinted window seems to be staring at you? (I'm super impressed you can tell that when you can't make out a face, by the way) Please make sure to scream loudly and run away in a panic. Someone's knocking at your door? Scream, call the cops. It's definitely someone trying to kill you. And it's okay that you're reacting completely irrationally for a normal person because, GASP! someone really IS trying to kill you! Like, OH EM GEE.
Problem #6: The writing is so trash. I was so confused by time of day and location because it jumped around so much and there was at least one glaring continuity error where the gang seemed to be both in a hospital AND in Maddox's room? But hey you will always know exactly what everyone is wearing and what brand of EVERYTHING is in every location. I don't even know what half this stuff is, honestly.
Problem #7: The messy relationship dynamics are just so cringe-worthy. Firstly, please focus, kids. Secondly, these hormones are RAGING. It made me feel awkward. Which is weird coz I was a totally awkward teen myself so you'd think I'd relate on some level. Weird.
Problem #8: I mean the whole crime-solving thing was just so terrible . They jump from one lead to another because every single thing they discover gives them exactly the right info they need with zero struggles. They lie a lot but they also stumble onto 'groundbreaking clues' that, honestly? this is where I refer back to the incompetent cops. But also HI. HI????! I mean that was the worst fkn clue ever and I'm so mad because that is just lazy writing. Plus I was so confused about the actual progression of the case because they are also busy trying to hook up in between and just ... if I were to describe this story I would describe it as a chain of safety pins. Only some of the safety pins are open and just hanging there and then others are just randomly hanging off other safety pins and then the whole thing is rusted and bent and really instead of trying to salvage it into something recognisable you should probably just throw the whole thing away before someone gets hurt.
As someone who managed to read The ENTIRE The Lying Game series you would think I would have been a little prepared for this hot mess. I was not. It was a billion times worse than I was expecting.
And yet. That ending got me. Can someone tell me how the rest of the series pans out so that I don't have to read it? Pretty please? Also I'm so curious as to whether there's an explanation or it's just another continuity error regarding this spoilery part:
This is the perfect example of a YA book that should probably not be read by non-YA readers. Because there's so much wrong with it that more seasoned readers are likely to just cringe the entire way through, like I did.
October 6, 2017
The Amateurs offers a highly contemporary spin on a group of teens coming together in the name of crime fighting when the members of an internet crime-solving forum, Case Not Closed (CNC), dedicated to investigating unsolved crimes unite to tackle one of the most high-profile cases of recent years: the disappearance and murder of wealthy, white and privately educated Helena Kelly from Dexby, Connecticut. At the time of her sister’s disappearance, eleven-year-old Aerin Kelly struggled to come to terms with her loss and on the anniversary of Helena’s decomposed remains being located she feels that she is the only one for whom the ache of the loss has never eased. In an effort to overcome the cycle of numbness and associated baggage that has become her life, five years and four months on from that fateful day, Aerin posts a plea for help on the website of amateur sleuths who focus on cold-cases. There is little detail of the background surrounding the forum and it’s supposed past successes in tackling crime and this felt like a missed opportunity. However, two of the most dedicated contributors decide to come together over their academic spring break and reassess the evidence.
College freshman, Seneca Frazier, is failing just about every class at the University of Maryland and has her own private reasons for her addiction to the Case Not Solved forum, largely stemming from her mothers unsolved murder. Hooked on the mixture of smart input and practical knowledge that is the mainstay of the forum she has become close to high school senior Maddox “Maddy” Wright. With Seneca’s life falling apart at the seams trying to move on from the horror of her mother’s death she feels that resolving the Helena Kelly case might bring her some peace of mind. Rocking up to meet Maddy who resides in the neighbouring town to the Kelly family, the inaugural meeting doesn’t bode well when Seneca realises that she has been corresponding with a boy and that Maddy is short for Maddox, and turns out to be serious eye candy! Likewise, Maddox has been expecting a owlish and studious college student, nothing like the street-smart and confident biracial, Seneca. Both are somewhat disconcerted when an offer to assist feisty Aerin Kelly sees her ridiculing the idea of a college student and her ex-nanny’s formerly geeky son, Maddox, offering their combined help. But with no other offers on the table, she is persuaded to throw her lot in with the pair and another online friend, Brett Grady, grandson of a fashion heiress whose murder has left him similarly untethered. When Seneca’s first night at the (not so) Restful Inn sees her take up the offer of staying at Maddox’s place, the team gains another member in Madison, the sprightly Asian step-sister of Maddox.
The ensuing ups and downs in the relationships within the posse of four and well-explored, from the initial distrust and suspicion to overcoming the tensions of growing attractions. The brains of the bunch is undoubtedly Seneca, who prior to arrival already has ideas and angles to investigate, however, the disappointment comes when the initial revelations are pretty quick to surface and arise from the unlikely prospect that the police might not have bothered to check alibis. Encoded messages through the use of skip codes in yearbook dedications make for a quirky start, but soon this tails off into asking the former parties involved the same questions and the answers being given up all too easily. However, with plenty of suspects and a fair few red herrings to pursue I had to see the novel run its full course, despite not being hugely intrigued. Sadly the mystery aspect is a severe let down and relies on the police failing to do any due diligence and the team being pointed towards clues which do nothing to stimulate the reader. Given that the story frequently flies off at a romantic tangent the clues are also pitifully few and far between. However, The Amateurs is worth reading purely in order to see Sara Shepard well and truly blindside the gang and end this first encounter with an excellent hook for lure her audience into another instalment.
One aspect that I did appreciate was Shepard’s narration, which combined multiple perspectives and offered a clearer insight into the individual characters own reasons for getting involved. Although I think each of the characters could have been pinned down better and were rather bland, disinteresting and one-dimensional, the awkwardness between them is a great depiction of the unease and insecurities that typify a group of young people, all from very different backgrounds and all harbouring their own secrets. Sadly I cannot say that I warmed to any of the lead characters or felt particularly concerned for their fate and given that the crime is a brutal one, the trivial partying, and teenage romances are of piffling little interest. If there was something that I wasn’t expecting in The Amateurs it was the extent to which the story would concern itself with the burgeoning relationships meaning that at times the flirting threatened to overshadow the serious matter of a murder. This class, culture and opulence of all the group was also given an unnecessarily large focus in the story and added nothing to the storyline.
Despite the characters in this novel ranging from sixteen to nineteen-years-old and the storyline being filled with ‘making out’, drinking and occasional mentions of weed and pills, the writing seems aimed at a younger audience which as a parent would concern me. I suspect this is a series which will continue with a huge emphasis on character development and although I saw this mystery listed as targeting an audience of twelve through to eighteen-years-old, I would be sceptical it would appeal to a post 16 readership. Given the huge amount of backstory which Sara Shepard managed to include it is often difficult to distinguish the more relevant details from the excess padding, and with the bunch easily distracted - parties, flirting, hormonal piques, it does feel like a somewhat haphazard journey which could have been easily one hundred pages shorter. All in all, The Amateurs is a so-so introduction to a group of amateur sleuths and I would find it difficult to recommend this to anyone over the age of 14.
College freshman, Seneca Frazier, is failing just about every class at the University of Maryland and has her own private reasons for her addiction to the Case Not Solved forum, largely stemming from her mothers unsolved murder. Hooked on the mixture of smart input and practical knowledge that is the mainstay of the forum she has become close to high school senior Maddox “Maddy” Wright. With Seneca’s life falling apart at the seams trying to move on from the horror of her mother’s death she feels that resolving the Helena Kelly case might bring her some peace of mind. Rocking up to meet Maddy who resides in the neighbouring town to the Kelly family, the inaugural meeting doesn’t bode well when Seneca realises that she has been corresponding with a boy and that Maddy is short for Maddox, and turns out to be serious eye candy! Likewise, Maddox has been expecting a owlish and studious college student, nothing like the street-smart and confident biracial, Seneca. Both are somewhat disconcerted when an offer to assist feisty Aerin Kelly sees her ridiculing the idea of a college student and her ex-nanny’s formerly geeky son, Maddox, offering their combined help. But with no other offers on the table, she is persuaded to throw her lot in with the pair and another online friend, Brett Grady, grandson of a fashion heiress whose murder has left him similarly untethered. When Seneca’s first night at the (not so) Restful Inn sees her take up the offer of staying at Maddox’s place, the team gains another member in Madison, the sprightly Asian step-sister of Maddox.
The ensuing ups and downs in the relationships within the posse of four and well-explored, from the initial distrust and suspicion to overcoming the tensions of growing attractions. The brains of the bunch is undoubtedly Seneca, who prior to arrival already has ideas and angles to investigate, however, the disappointment comes when the initial revelations are pretty quick to surface and arise from the unlikely prospect that the police might not have bothered to check alibis. Encoded messages through the use of skip codes in yearbook dedications make for a quirky start, but soon this tails off into asking the former parties involved the same questions and the answers being given up all too easily. However, with plenty of suspects and a fair few red herrings to pursue I had to see the novel run its full course, despite not being hugely intrigued. Sadly the mystery aspect is a severe let down and relies on the police failing to do any due diligence and the team being pointed towards clues which do nothing to stimulate the reader. Given that the story frequently flies off at a romantic tangent the clues are also pitifully few and far between. However, The Amateurs is worth reading purely in order to see Sara Shepard well and truly blindside the gang and end this first encounter with an excellent hook for lure her audience into another instalment.
One aspect that I did appreciate was Shepard’s narration, which combined multiple perspectives and offered a clearer insight into the individual characters own reasons for getting involved. Although I think each of the characters could have been pinned down better and were rather bland, disinteresting and one-dimensional, the awkwardness between them is a great depiction of the unease and insecurities that typify a group of young people, all from very different backgrounds and all harbouring their own secrets. Sadly I cannot say that I warmed to any of the lead characters or felt particularly concerned for their fate and given that the crime is a brutal one, the trivial partying, and teenage romances are of piffling little interest. If there was something that I wasn’t expecting in The Amateurs it was the extent to which the story would concern itself with the burgeoning relationships meaning that at times the flirting threatened to overshadow the serious matter of a murder. This class, culture and opulence of all the group was also given an unnecessarily large focus in the story and added nothing to the storyline.
Despite the characters in this novel ranging from sixteen to nineteen-years-old and the storyline being filled with ‘making out’, drinking and occasional mentions of weed and pills, the writing seems aimed at a younger audience which as a parent would concern me. I suspect this is a series which will continue with a huge emphasis on character development and although I saw this mystery listed as targeting an audience of twelve through to eighteen-years-old, I would be sceptical it would appeal to a post 16 readership. Given the huge amount of backstory which Sara Shepard managed to include it is often difficult to distinguish the more relevant details from the excess padding, and with the bunch easily distracted - parties, flirting, hormonal piques, it does feel like a somewhat haphazard journey which could have been easily one hundred pages shorter. All in all, The Amateurs is a so-so introduction to a group of amateur sleuths and I would find it difficult to recommend this to anyone over the age of 14.
February 6, 2017
so disappointed. not only was this unbearably boring, but the character Seneca threatens to out a gay man in one scene, so DNF'd for that. Outing people isn't a way of getting what you want, it's just being a c&*t.
November 2, 2016
The Amateurs was my first experience with a book by Sara Shepard, I know I know, I can hear half of you gasping in shock. But it is true. I have never read her work, but that is not to say I am unfamiliar with Pretty Little Liars. As some of you know, I happen to be the proud owner of a 16 yr old daughter. So I have caught snippets of the television series and discovered the books lying casually around the house.
So let me explain in a bit more detail why I was very excited to receive this book. My daughter is hardly a reader. The normal titles strewn about her floor are “required” reading for her Honors English course. Discovering leisure reads in her possession is a huge and thrilling deal for me. So when I began to see a pattern with Sara Shepard’s work, I knew there was something special here. And to seal the deal, landing an advanced copy of her newest book suddenly made me one of the “cool” kids in my daughter’s circle! So immediately, The Amateurs was prone for success without having even been read. Great start! So what happens next?
Complete review here.
So let me explain in a bit more detail why I was very excited to receive this book. My daughter is hardly a reader. The normal titles strewn about her floor are “required” reading for her Honors English course. Discovering leisure reads in her possession is a huge and thrilling deal for me. So when I began to see a pattern with Sara Shepard’s work, I knew there was something special here. And to seal the deal, landing an advanced copy of her newest book suddenly made me one of the “cool” kids in my daughter’s circle! So immediately, The Amateurs was prone for success without having even been read. Great start! So what happens next?
Complete review here.
May 2, 2017
Trigger warnings: murder, death of a sibling, death of a parent, death of a grandparent (They all happen prior to the beginning of the book, but investigating said murders is what brings the characters together, so they're discussed)
2.5 stars.
This is the first book that I've read by Sara Shepard. And based on this, I'm not *entirely* convinced I'd repeat the experience. But here's the thing: it definitely had the bones of a good, solid mystery once you waded through all the teen angst bullshit.
Really, the mystery side of things was decent. Teenage girl disappears, body is found years later. Sister is determined to find the murderer and turns to a cold cases chat room. And somehow, you end up with a group of high school/university aged kids investigating murders. I'm totally there for that side of things. (And given the fact that half the kids are in senior year and half are in university, I'm going with this being for a new adult audience...)
But.
There was so much of this book that just featured shitty writing. Every single character seems to be involved in a love triangle of some description. There's a lot of "I'VE TOTALLY MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT'S GOING ON BUT I'M GOING TO GET PISSY AND STORM OFF INTO THE NIGHT AND GIVE THE MURDERER A CHANCE TO ATTACK ME" stuff going on. Almost every time a character walks into a room, it's like "[Character] knocked on the door. She was wearing [insert description of clothes]". Like, EVERY TIME. And I honestly did not need to know what people were wearing that much of the time.
So this was looking like being a solid two star book - crappy writing, characters I didn't give a shit about, but if you looked past all of that? A reasonable mystery. But then the ending happened and I totally did not see it coming and I have to give Shepard a bonus half star because I did NOT see that coming at all.
Will I read the rest of the trilogy? Possibly. If we get it at work and I remember how annoyingly good that final twist was in this. But I might also just skim read the sequels while I'm processing them and call it good. We shall see.
2.5 stars.
This is the first book that I've read by Sara Shepard. And based on this, I'm not *entirely* convinced I'd repeat the experience. But here's the thing: it definitely had the bones of a good, solid mystery once you waded through all the teen angst bullshit.
Really, the mystery side of things was decent. Teenage girl disappears, body is found years later. Sister is determined to find the murderer and turns to a cold cases chat room. And somehow, you end up with a group of high school/university aged kids investigating murders. I'm totally there for that side of things. (And given the fact that half the kids are in senior year and half are in university, I'm going with this being for a new adult audience...)
But.
There was so much of this book that just featured shitty writing. Every single character seems to be involved in a love triangle of some description. There's a lot of "I'VE TOTALLY MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT'S GOING ON BUT I'M GOING TO GET PISSY AND STORM OFF INTO THE NIGHT AND GIVE THE MURDERER A CHANCE TO ATTACK ME" stuff going on. Almost every time a character walks into a room, it's like "[Character] knocked on the door. She was wearing [insert description of clothes]". Like, EVERY TIME. And I honestly did not need to know what people were wearing that much of the time.
So this was looking like being a solid two star book - crappy writing, characters I didn't give a shit about, but if you looked past all of that? A reasonable mystery. But then the ending happened and I totally did not see it coming and I have to give Shepard a bonus half star because I did NOT see that coming at all.
Will I read the rest of the trilogy? Possibly. If we get it at work and I remember how annoyingly good that final twist was in this. But I might also just skim read the sequels while I'm processing them and call it good. We shall see.
October 17, 2016
2.5 stars
The premise of this book is exactly the type of thing I love. I was so excited to get my hands on it and yet, I was quite disappointed.
The characters were okay. I felt like they were a little hard to get to know, but I took that as a side effect of the reason they were together. Sadly, it also meant I didn't really connect with any of them.
The plot was interesting, yet it lacked an intensity and spark I was hoping for. It didn't seem like a puzzle to me, everything came so easy. It was almost like these bored kids just needed something to do so they all decided to solve a murder before the black tie party.
The last 50 or so pages really picked up and had a great ending, but by then it was too little too late. I just wanted it to be finished. Overall, it was a good concept, but for some reason, I just couldn't relax into fully enjoying this book. I might read the next in the series, but I won't be clamoring for it.
**Huge thanks Hyperion and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**
The premise of this book is exactly the type of thing I love. I was so excited to get my hands on it and yet, I was quite disappointed.
The characters were okay. I felt like they were a little hard to get to know, but I took that as a side effect of the reason they were together. Sadly, it also meant I didn't really connect with any of them.
The plot was interesting, yet it lacked an intensity and spark I was hoping for. It didn't seem like a puzzle to me, everything came so easy. It was almost like these bored kids just needed something to do so they all decided to solve a murder before the black tie party.
The last 50 or so pages really picked up and had a great ending, but by then it was too little too late. I just wanted it to be finished. Overall, it was a good concept, but for some reason, I just couldn't relax into fully enjoying this book. I might read the next in the series, but I won't be clamoring for it.
**Huge thanks Hyperion and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**
February 27, 2020
It was like they were strangers. Maybe they were, again.
3.5 stars
I thought a cold-case site where amateurs gather to discuss/solve/obsess over unsolved crimes a really cool concept. Unfortunately, Case Not Closed isn’t incorporated much into the story - beyond the characters meeting through it, and then getting to just ONE of the clues later in the story.
The plot is sloppy, too. Hardly anything happens in the first half (I KNOW I say that a lot but some of the characters are literally doing nothing but roaming around and hiding in other people's cars at a party where they came on a MISSION. There is a total of 2 clues found before the halfway mark). As if the mystery-solving just started in the second half.
Despite all that, though, I still managed to enjoy it. I was hooked through the second half. I thought about the case, the clues so far, even when not reading the book. I like how technology plays such a part in solving the case, it’s interesting to see a mystery play out in that aspect. And I like how I’m actually invested in some of the characters – Shepard has worked on them quite a bit throughout the story.*
I like the red herrings, even though some of these suspects are obviously unconvincing, but the ending disappointed me. Who the “bad guy" turns out to be is someone I'd suspected all along. And this is coming from someone who doesn't read very many thrillers. Yes, the author creates situations which make us doubt they’re the killer, and yes, some characters WOULD make more sense if they were the killer- But that’s alright. Their storyline isn’t over yet, anyway. I would like to see more of that in the next one.
*But other than that, for now, I can only see myself continuing the series because I’d miss Seneca, and I suppose Maddox is alright, too.
3.5 stars
I thought a cold-case site where amateurs gather to discuss/solve/obsess over unsolved crimes a really cool concept. Unfortunately, Case Not Closed isn’t incorporated much into the story - beyond the characters meeting through it, and then getting to just ONE of the clues later in the story.
The plot is sloppy, too. Hardly anything happens in the first half (I KNOW I say that a lot but some of the characters are literally doing nothing but roaming around and hiding in other people's cars at a party where they came on a MISSION. There is a total of 2 clues found before the halfway mark). As if the mystery-solving just started in the second half.
Despite all that, though, I still managed to enjoy it. I was hooked through the second half. I thought about the case, the clues so far, even when not reading the book. I like how technology plays such a part in solving the case, it’s interesting to see a mystery play out in that aspect. And I like how I’m actually invested in some of the characters – Shepard has worked on them quite a bit throughout the story.*
I like the red herrings, even though some of these suspects are obviously unconvincing, but the ending disappointed me. Who the “bad guy" turns out to be is someone I'd suspected all along. And this is coming from someone who doesn't read very many thrillers. Yes, the author creates situations which make us doubt they’re the killer, and yes, some characters WOULD make more sense if they were the killer- But that’s alright. Their storyline isn’t over yet, anyway. I would like to see more of that in the next one.
*But other than that, for now, I can only see myself continuing the series because I’d miss Seneca, and I suppose Maddox is alright, too.
November 18, 2019
Not the authors best work. I’ll read the other two in the series but it’s lacking in what made pretty little liars and never have I ever so good
March 4, 2018
I bought myself The Amateurs as a gift about this time last year. Everything about the synopsis screamed that this would be a me sort of book. I expected that sharing a cast of like-minded characters would make for a fast-paced, unputdownable read but it turns out, not so much. Look, amateur detectives solving crimes that baffle the police is always going to be a hit or miss. It depends on how believable you can make the crime-solving feel and the random luck of these characters did not feel realistic in the slightest. Helena’s murder was definitely intriguing, yet there were too many happy coincidences for my liking. Chatty witnesses. Five-year-old phones with service. Public social media accounts. Convenient cop love interests. It was too much.
There were also elements that just did not work for me. For example, the fact that characters were unsure of when Helena was murdered completely confused me. Her body was found. Surely there was some sort of coroner report that stated her estimated time of death. How could there not be? Is this one of those things that are basic facts of the matter in crime shows and not the case in real life? I don’t know but it bothered me. A lot.
I was also frustrated by the foreshadowing, which I found a tad too obvious for my tastes. In particular,
What really ruined it all was the unlikable cast. All of the character - all of them - were underdeveloped. I didn’t care about any of them. They spent the majority of the story thinking about whether they should make out with X character or not. It was infuriating. Aerin and Seneca had potential but I felt like we barely got to know anything about them. Same with Maddison. She would randomly pop up at times but for the majority of the time, I forgot she was there. She felt like a last minute add-in. Maddy was by far the worst character, though. He had no redeeming qualities. I hated how Shepard made him believe that he was only worth knowing now that he had shed his ‘dorky kid’ image and grew into a good-looking jock Olympic wannabe without addressing it. Seneca knew him to be this funny nerdy guy but we never got to see that, not really, and it frustrated me to see him cling to this idea that his look defined his likeability, especially when it shaped his attitude toward women. Umm, he was all kinds of sexist? He literally thought that Seneca should be flattered by being in his presence because other girls would be envious of it. Umm, what.
While there was significantly less slut-shaming than I worried there would be - I cannot even recall a single scene, that God - all of the female characters, excluding Seneca, were variations of the rich girl/rich wife stereotype: vain, materialistic, giggly, boy-obsessed, 'feminine'. That was annoying. Also, there were some dodgy comments about race that made me pause. Brett makes this comment to Maddison:
Why.
The fact that this was meant to have internet friendship play an important role in the story was also lost on me with all the inconsistencies. Seneca and Maddy were best friends for a long time online before they meet but they only ever messaged each other, they never Skyped/FaceTimed/etc. I don’t know anyone with long-term online friendships who plan to meet each other and stay at one of their houses who has not spoken face-to-face before. I could have easily forgiven that though if it was not for the fact that Seneca did not know that Maddy was not a girl until they meet for the first time. How the heck do you communicate with someone for that long with asking for their pronouns or at the very least, accidentally dropping some sort of hint or presumptive pronoun or something that indicated otherwise!? If Seneca truly thought that Maddison was Maddy the whole time - and he never corrected her - that is some sort of accidental catfish thing right there and it made me so uncomfortable.
Overall? This book could have been so much more if I had liked any of the characters. I struggled with the coincidences in the mystery but I did find myself glued to my seat until I was finished. It was a page-turner. If there had been less of a focus on the unlikable characters and their make-out fantasies, I could have really gotten into this. Unfortunately, it tainted my enjoyment completely. I would still recommend this to PPL or Private fans.
There were also elements that just did not work for me. For example, the fact that characters were unsure of when Helena was murdered completely confused me. Her body was found. Surely there was some sort of coroner report that stated her estimated time of death. How could there not be? Is this one of those things that are basic facts of the matter in crime shows and not the case in real life? I don’t know but it bothered me. A lot.
I was also frustrated by the foreshadowing, which I found a tad too obvious for my tastes. In particular,
What really ruined it all was the unlikable cast. All of the character - all of them - were underdeveloped. I didn’t care about any of them. They spent the majority of the story thinking about whether they should make out with X character or not. It was infuriating. Aerin and Seneca had potential but I felt like we barely got to know anything about them. Same with Maddison. She would randomly pop up at times but for the majority of the time, I forgot she was there. She felt like a last minute add-in. Maddy was by far the worst character, though. He had no redeeming qualities. I hated how Shepard made him believe that he was only worth knowing now that he had shed his ‘dorky kid’ image and grew into a good-looking jock Olympic wannabe without addressing it. Seneca knew him to be this funny nerdy guy but we never got to see that, not really, and it frustrated me to see him cling to this idea that his look defined his likeability, especially when it shaped his attitude toward women. Umm, he was all kinds of sexist? He literally thought that Seneca should be flattered by being in his presence because other girls would be envious of it. Umm, what.
While there was significantly less slut-shaming than I worried there would be - I cannot even recall a single scene, that God - all of the female characters, excluding Seneca, were variations of the rich girl/rich wife stereotype: vain, materialistic, giggly, boy-obsessed, 'feminine'. That was annoying. Also, there were some dodgy comments about race that made me pause. Brett makes this comment to Maddison:
Brett stared at the Japanese girl in the gallery windows, then nudged Madison. "You talk to her."
"Why me?" Madison thumbed her chest.
"Don't Asian chicks stick together? You could say something to her in Chinese, maybe. Do some kung fu. We'd be in for sure."
"Brett!" Seneca chided, half teasing, half horrified.
Madison looked confused. "I'm Korean."
Why.
The fact that this was meant to have internet friendship play an important role in the story was also lost on me with all the inconsistencies. Seneca and Maddy were best friends for a long time online before they meet but they only ever messaged each other, they never Skyped/FaceTimed/etc. I don’t know anyone with long-term online friendships who plan to meet each other and stay at one of their houses who has not spoken face-to-face before. I could have easily forgiven that though if it was not for the fact that Seneca did not know that Maddy was not a girl until they meet for the first time. How the heck do you communicate with someone for that long with asking for their pronouns or at the very least, accidentally dropping some sort of hint or presumptive pronoun or something that indicated otherwise!? If Seneca truly thought that Maddison was Maddy the whole time - and he never corrected her - that is some sort of accidental catfish thing right there and it made me so uncomfortable.
Overall? This book could have been so much more if I had liked any of the characters. I struggled with the coincidences in the mystery but I did find myself glued to my seat until I was finished. It was a page-turner. If there had been less of a focus on the unlikable characters and their make-out fantasies, I could have really gotten into this. Unfortunately, it tainted my enjoyment completely. I would still recommend this to PPL or Private fans.
September 25, 2016
Review originally posted on Heart Full Of Books
I was really excited by the first couple of chapters of The Amateurs, because the concept was just so cool for a girl that wishes she was Nancy Drew. The main characters, Seneca and Maddy are both part of this online forum, Case Not Closed, that gives people access to information about unsolved, cold cases the police have given up on. Using contacts, members of the website are able to solve the unsolvable and play the detective. Another of the characters, Aerin, whose sister Helena goes missing in the flashback that opens the book, posts a plea for help on Helena’s case. Seneca and Maddy, previously only friends online, meet IRL to answer the plea. It sounds super great, right? Well, after I kept reading, I grew slowly more incredulous and…dissatisfied? Here’s why:
Objectification of female characters = NO.
The book is told in third person, and as you meet more characters, you get to go with them on their side adventures. For Maddy, I had a track side seat to his training sessions with his coach, Catherine, who has….big breasts? Yeah, sure, she’s an amazing runner with awards and all, but there was a lot more chest contact than eye contact.
Perpetuating the friend zone’s existence = NO.
Brett arrived on the scene and had an instant attraction to Aerin. (Again, she was a blonde with an above average bra size, so it was inevitable. (PSA: women have personalities, thank you.)) When we were with Brett, it was obvious he wanted to date her, but when we were with Aerin, it was obvious she just liked the fun of flirting with a guy with no commitment. No problems there. Until the final chapters, when Brett makes it seem like a crime that Aerin dates someone else instead, and feels she was leading him on.
He was not put in the friend zone, because no such thing exists. Girls don’t owe boys who flirt with them any favours, and Brett’s saltiness over Aerin’s unconscious decision to love someone else tainted my opinion of him irreversibly.
More suspects than Celaena Sardothien has love interests.
If, in a mystery novel, it’s declared that the killer is found with more than ten percent to go until the end, the verdict is 100% false. Throughout The Amateurs, the team just seemed to work through every person connected to Helena, claiming each of them to be guilty in turn until proven otherwise. It felt a little cluttered, especially when Catherine was pulled into it somehow, and then someone we never even suspected turned out to be involved too.
It felt very Sara Shepard, to give a chapter at the end that completely messed with everything you thought was true. It happened in The Perfectionists and it happened here. Whereas in The Perfectionists, I thought it was well pulled off, this had me like ???!?
It’s a risk to pull a plot twist that big, and for me, it didn’t slide. It would be like claiming that A, in Pretty Little Liars, didn’t exist all along and it was all a dream or something.
BUT, I did really like one element of the book…
Stereotypes avoided!
Madison, who happens to be my namesake, was probably my favourite character. The Korean stepsister of Maddy, she added diversity to the group but most importantly, insight. The stereotype she defied was ‘stoners-are-useless’. She alerted the group to the existence of an app that was crucial to determining the guilty party, she got them access to a big party in order to scope out suspects and she was fun to be around. To paraphrase Aerin, she was an unproblematic fave.
And while Brett wasn’t my favourite character, he defied that stereotype ‘all-boys-interested-in-fashion-are-gay’. I was so pleased with this one because it occurs so often. Brett’s grandmother was a fashion icon, and he was extremely good at picking out outfits for the girls but he was straight. Although I thought this book was definitely lacking LGBT+ rep, Brett would have been too obvious a pick, so I’m glad it was avoided.
Apparently, there’s going to be a sequel and I have no idea how that’s going to work, or whether I’ll read it. I think my rating of 2.5 stars, might be slightly generous, but I can’t forget that I initially enjoyed the concept, the camaraderie and the genre overall.
I was really excited by the first couple of chapters of The Amateurs, because the concept was just so cool for a girl that wishes she was Nancy Drew. The main characters, Seneca and Maddy are both part of this online forum, Case Not Closed, that gives people access to information about unsolved, cold cases the police have given up on. Using contacts, members of the website are able to solve the unsolvable and play the detective. Another of the characters, Aerin, whose sister Helena goes missing in the flashback that opens the book, posts a plea for help on Helena’s case. Seneca and Maddy, previously only friends online, meet IRL to answer the plea. It sounds super great, right? Well, after I kept reading, I grew slowly more incredulous and…dissatisfied? Here’s why:
Objectification of female characters = NO.
The book is told in third person, and as you meet more characters, you get to go with them on their side adventures. For Maddy, I had a track side seat to his training sessions with his coach, Catherine, who has….big breasts? Yeah, sure, she’s an amazing runner with awards and all, but there was a lot more chest contact than eye contact.
Perpetuating the friend zone’s existence = NO.
Brett arrived on the scene and had an instant attraction to Aerin. (Again, she was a blonde with an above average bra size, so it was inevitable. (PSA: women have personalities, thank you.)) When we were with Brett, it was obvious he wanted to date her, but when we were with Aerin, it was obvious she just liked the fun of flirting with a guy with no commitment. No problems there. Until the final chapters, when Brett makes it seem like a crime that Aerin dates someone else instead, and feels she was leading him on.
He was not put in the friend zone, because no such thing exists. Girls don’t owe boys who flirt with them any favours, and Brett’s saltiness over Aerin’s unconscious decision to love someone else tainted my opinion of him irreversibly.
More suspects than Celaena Sardothien has love interests.
If, in a mystery novel, it’s declared that the killer is found with more than ten percent to go until the end, the verdict is 100% false. Throughout The Amateurs, the team just seemed to work through every person connected to Helena, claiming each of them to be guilty in turn until proven otherwise. It felt a little cluttered, especially when Catherine was pulled into it somehow, and then someone we never even suspected turned out to be involved too.
It felt very Sara Shepard, to give a chapter at the end that completely messed with everything you thought was true. It happened in The Perfectionists and it happened here. Whereas in The Perfectionists, I thought it was well pulled off, this had me like ???!?
It’s a risk to pull a plot twist that big, and for me, it didn’t slide. It would be like claiming that A, in Pretty Little Liars, didn’t exist all along and it was all a dream or something.
BUT, I did really like one element of the book…
Stereotypes avoided!
Madison, who happens to be my namesake, was probably my favourite character. The Korean stepsister of Maddy, she added diversity to the group but most importantly, insight. The stereotype she defied was ‘stoners-are-useless’. She alerted the group to the existence of an app that was crucial to determining the guilty party, she got them access to a big party in order to scope out suspects and she was fun to be around. To paraphrase Aerin, she was an unproblematic fave.
And while Brett wasn’t my favourite character, he defied that stereotype ‘all-boys-interested-in-fashion-are-gay’. I was so pleased with this one because it occurs so often. Brett’s grandmother was a fashion icon, and he was extremely good at picking out outfits for the girls but he was straight. Although I thought this book was definitely lacking LGBT+ rep, Brett would have been too obvious a pick, so I’m glad it was avoided.
Apparently, there’s going to be a sequel and I have no idea how that’s going to work, or whether I’ll read it. I think my rating of 2.5 stars, might be slightly generous, but I can’t forget that I initially enjoyed the concept, the camaraderie and the genre overall.
October 23, 2016
I've never in my life given one star to a book. But I'm done with Sara Shepard. I've basically read everything else by her and have always been uncomfortable with the fact that there are always inappropriate adult-youth relationships, where adults unethically and illegally engage with youth and it's just accepted.
I DNF this one at 63%. The story itself was great but it matters not because the kid's coach threatens him into dating her. I can't.
I DNF this one at 63%. The story itself was great but it matters not because the kid's coach threatens him into dating her. I can't.
November 11, 2016
Oh my god, what an ending! I can't believe I never put everything together until the very end. I need book two NOWWWWW!
November 7, 2016
THE AMATEURS is an addictive young adult mystery about a group of teens who set out to solve a cold case that they all have special connections to. Sara Shepard’s books are like candy; I always find them completely enjoyable and hard to put down. I never finished the Pretty Little Liars series but I can definitely see how far the author has come.
THE AMATEURS was well set up, nothing seemed to be too rushed or too slow. The relationships, both platonic and romantic, developed naturally and easily. All of the characters had really interesting dynamics with each other and it was interesting to see how their individual personalities played off one another (and sometimes clashed).
The writing was descriptive without being tedious, and I found it very easy to read. One thing that did bother me was the pop culture references, although it is a totally personal preference. It actually brings me out of the book and story instead of immersing me into the world.
There were a lot of turns in this book, but only one development that I would consider a twist – and it was a big one. Totally unexpected, it was a real game changer, and I absolutely cannot wait to see where it takes the characters in the next book. In fact, it makes me want to reread this one all over again to see if I could have seen the clues earlier. I can’t say much more without spoiling, but it is definitely a cool twist.
All that said, my major issue with the book was that I thought it lacked clues about the perpetrator. With mysteries, I like to be able to form my own guesses from clues, even if I am being purposely misled, but I noticed that was absent here. The characters sort of came up with things and made connections out of nothing so it seemed impossible to be able to guess the “Who Did It.”
I would recommend THE AMATEURS to anyone who loves Sara Shepard’s other works, YA mysteries/crime stories, and even people that want to give the author another shot.
THE AMATEURS was well set up, nothing seemed to be too rushed or too slow. The relationships, both platonic and romantic, developed naturally and easily. All of the characters had really interesting dynamics with each other and it was interesting to see how their individual personalities played off one another (and sometimes clashed).
The writing was descriptive without being tedious, and I found it very easy to read. One thing that did bother me was the pop culture references, although it is a totally personal preference. It actually brings me out of the book and story instead of immersing me into the world.
There were a lot of turns in this book, but only one development that I would consider a twist – and it was a big one. Totally unexpected, it was a real game changer, and I absolutely cannot wait to see where it takes the characters in the next book. In fact, it makes me want to reread this one all over again to see if I could have seen the clues earlier. I can’t say much more without spoiling, but it is definitely a cool twist.
All that said, my major issue with the book was that I thought it lacked clues about the perpetrator. With mysteries, I like to be able to form my own guesses from clues, even if I am being purposely misled, but I noticed that was absent here. The characters sort of came up with things and made connections out of nothing so it seemed impossible to be able to guess the “Who Did It.”
I would recommend THE AMATEURS to anyone who loves Sara Shepard’s other works, YA mysteries/crime stories, and even people that want to give the author another shot.
October 5, 2016
MIIIIIIND BLOWN
Es entretenido pero flojo en algunos aspectos, como siento yo es costumbre en esta autora, sin embargo tiene un giro argumental que KJSKJSNCJKSNL WTF, no, no se puede creer. Increíblemente genial. Te deja con la boca abierta e hiperventilando de la genialidad y lo retorcido.
Espero que esta saga no sea eterna.
Es entretenido pero flojo en algunos aspectos, como siento yo es costumbre en esta autora, sin embargo tiene un giro argumental que KJSKJSNCJKSNL WTF, no, no se puede creer. Increíblemente genial. Te deja con la boca abierta e hiperventilando de la genialidad y lo retorcido.
Espero que esta saga no sea eterna.
Want to read
February 23, 2015Another Sara Shepard book ?! Man I love her, her stories are so addicting.
I'm sold !
I'm sold !
April 8, 2017
Mehr auf: http://xobooksheaven.wordpress.com/
Inhalt:
Die Wahrheit ist zum Sterben schön…
Aerin Kelly war elf, als ihre ältere Schwester Helena verschwand. Fünf Jahre später wird Helenas Leiche gefunden. Sechs Jahre später legt die Polizei den Fall zu den Akten, ohne einen Spur vom Mörder. Aerin macht sich auf eigene Faust auf die Suche. Über die Website Case Not Closed nimmt sie Kontakt zu zwei Teenagern auf, Seneca und Maddox, die ebenfalls Angehörige verloren haben. Gemeinsam versuchen sie, den Fall Helena zu lösen. Doch als ihre Nachforschungen voranschreiten, schwant ihnen, dass ihre Zusammenarbeit kein Zufall ist. Und dass etwas – oder jemand – alle drei Fälle verbindet …
Quelle: randomhouse.de
Meinung:
Vielen Dank an den Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar!
"Der Schnee fiel die ganze Nacht und hatte die Welt am Morgen verwandelt. Es war Kristallschnee, magischer Schnee, der eine perfekte, einheitliche Decke bildete, die alles unter sich verbarg."
Das Cover ist pink. Sehr pink. Normalerweise sprechen mich pinke Dinge nicht an, dieses Buch habe ich auch nur zweimal angeguckt, da es von Sara Shepard ist und ich ihre Lying Game - Reihe wirklich sehr gern mochte. Ich weiß nicht, was das Cover mit dem Inhalt zu tun haben soll, aber ok. Darauf sind noch drei Pralinen zu sehen, eine davon ist angebissen. Die Schrift ist blau und steht in starkem Kontrast zu dem Hintergrund, was mir aber wirklich sehr gut gefällt. Also an sich ist das Cover einfach, aber schön, passt trotzdem nicht wirklich zum Inhalt.
Wie auch schon in anderen Büchern der Autorin finde ich ihren Schreibstil wirklich toll. Sie schreibt ganz locker und leicht in einer sehr einfachen Sprache, somit wird man beim Lesen nicht durch unnötig lange oder verschachtelte Sätze gestört. Allerdings hat mir die Autorin hier zu viele Namen eingebaut, sodass ich öfter verwirrt war und nicht genau wusste, wer wer ist. Auch komische Zeitsprünge waren dabei, die mich öfter verwirrt haben, aber durch kurze Beschreibungen hat die Autorin dies immer wieder schnell gelöst und ich wusste, warum was gerade passiert.
Zu Beginn lernt man hier Seneca, Maddox, Aerin, Madison und Brett kennen. Diese Teenager wollen den ungeklärten Mordfall an Aerins Schwester Helena aufklären, getroffen haben sie sich über eine ONline Portal. Zuerst weigert sich Aerin ihnen zu helfen, doch mit der Zeit wachsen die Jugendlichen zusammen und folgen einer heißen Spur.
Ich weiß gar nicht, wie ich das Buch beschreiben soll, denn zuerst war ich einfach verwirrt. Es gab so viele Namen zu merken, so viele verschiedene Gesichter und bis zum Ende wusste ich gerade mal, wer die Hauptcharaktere waren, hier ist also sehr viel Information an mir vorbeigezogen und wäre ich nicht so sehr auf das Merken von Namen fixiert gewesen, hätte ich den Mordfall auch alleine lösen können.
Aber von vorne. Seneca fährt zu ihrer Onlinebekanntschaft Maddy und ist dann geschockt, dass Maddy ein Junge ist und nicht, wie der Name vermuten lässt, ein Mädchen. Hier gabs dann schon mal den ersten Krach, da sie nicht bei ihm bleiben wollte, obwohl er der gleiche Mensch ist. Doch wie dem Klappentext zu entnehmen ist, bleibt sie doch. Zusammen begeben sie sich auf die Suche nach Aerin und überreden sie bei der Lösung des Falls zu helfen. Zufällig ist auch noch Brett in der Stadt, der auch bei dem Onlineportal angemeldet ist und den Fall lösen möchte. Madison, Maddox aka Maddys Schwester, hilft auch, wobei sie allerdings meist im Hintergrund bleibt und nur schön aussieht.
Was mich zu meinem nächsten Punkt bringt. Mir ist aufgefallen, dass immer beschrieben wurde, wer gerade welche Klamotten trägt, so als würde das wichtig sein. Außerdem sind die Mädchen immer mit Kleidchen und High Heels durch die Gegend stolziert und ich frage mich, wie man in sowas einen Mordfall lösen möchte.
Der Klappentext verrät schon ziemlich viel, vor allem der letzte Satz gehört meiner Meinung nach gestrichen, da ich das ganze Buch über eine Verbindung der Mordfälle gewartet habe. DIese kam aber erst ganz am Ende, somit spoilert dieser Satz schon ziemlich viel und kann dem Leser helfen, selbst auf den Mörder zu kommen. Das Buch handelt hauptsächlich von Helena und die anderen Mordopfer wurden nur in Gesprächen kurz erwähnt, spielen in diesem Band aber keine größere Rolle.
Die Fremden, die mit der Zeit zu Freunden werden, machen sich also an die Lösung des Falls und stolpern von einem Verdächtigen zum anderen. Hierbei gibt es sehr viele Verdächtige und ich kann genau zwei aufzählen, da mit die Namen in Erinnerung geblieben sind, aber auch hier passierte alles viel zu schnell. Sie verdächtigen jemanden, reden mit dem und merken dann, dass er/sie es gar nicht war. Sara Shepard hat dieses Thema auch schon bei ihrer Lying Game Reihe verfolgt, mit dem Unterschied, dass es dort höchstens zwei VErdächtige pro Band gab, somit blieb die Spannung erhalten und als Leser konnte man sich die Leute auch merken. Hier allerdings war es klar, dass es keiner von diesen sein kann, da das Buch ja 380 Seiten hat.
Zwischendurch gab es dann auch immer wieder Ortssprünge, die mich sehr verwirrt haben. Zuerst sind sie an einer Spur dran und plötzlich ist es Abend und sie feiern eine Party. Wer feiert denn eine Party, wenn man mitten in den Ermittlungen steckt? Diese Szenen fand ich oft nervig und ich konnte nicht nachvollziehen, warum diese in dem Buch eingebaut wurden. Gegen Ende jedoch gab es immer mehr HInweise und es wurde spannend, die letzten 80 Seiten fand ich wirklich toll. Es wirkte so, als würden zuerst alle Personen aussortiert werden, die es nicht sein konnten, bevor dann der große Knall folgte, und bei diesem Buch meine ich richtig groß! Mit der Auflösung des Falls hätte ich so nie gerechnet und ich war wirklich geschockt, allerdings macht das Ende auch Lust auf mehr.
Doch auch in diesem Buch darf eine Liebesgeschichte nicht fehlen, hier gibts sogar mehrere. Die mit Maddox fand ich ziemlich komisch und ich musste auch oft die Augen verdrehen, die anderen jedoch waren ok, da dies auch eher nebensächliche Handlungsstränge waren und nicht in den Mittelpunkt gestellt wurden. DIes fand ich wirklich toll, denn wenn bei einem Jugendthriller eine Romanze im Vordergrund stehen würde, wäre das recht komisch. Alles in allem gab es dennoch Längen in dem Buch, wo ich dann keine Lust hatte weiterzulesen, aber auch spannende Momente waren zur Genüge drin, daher ist dies ein solides Buch, das allerdings noch ausbaufähig wäre.
Fazit:
Nicht das beste Buch von Sara Shepard, aber dennoch spannend, trotz Längen. Ich hoffe, dass der zweite Band besser wird und gebe dem Buch daher 3 von 5 Sterne.
Inhalt:
Die Wahrheit ist zum Sterben schön…
Aerin Kelly war elf, als ihre ältere Schwester Helena verschwand. Fünf Jahre später wird Helenas Leiche gefunden. Sechs Jahre später legt die Polizei den Fall zu den Akten, ohne einen Spur vom Mörder. Aerin macht sich auf eigene Faust auf die Suche. Über die Website Case Not Closed nimmt sie Kontakt zu zwei Teenagern auf, Seneca und Maddox, die ebenfalls Angehörige verloren haben. Gemeinsam versuchen sie, den Fall Helena zu lösen. Doch als ihre Nachforschungen voranschreiten, schwant ihnen, dass ihre Zusammenarbeit kein Zufall ist. Und dass etwas – oder jemand – alle drei Fälle verbindet …
Quelle: randomhouse.de
Meinung:
Vielen Dank an den Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar!
"Der Schnee fiel die ganze Nacht und hatte die Welt am Morgen verwandelt. Es war Kristallschnee, magischer Schnee, der eine perfekte, einheitliche Decke bildete, die alles unter sich verbarg."
Das Cover ist pink. Sehr pink. Normalerweise sprechen mich pinke Dinge nicht an, dieses Buch habe ich auch nur zweimal angeguckt, da es von Sara Shepard ist und ich ihre Lying Game - Reihe wirklich sehr gern mochte. Ich weiß nicht, was das Cover mit dem Inhalt zu tun haben soll, aber ok. Darauf sind noch drei Pralinen zu sehen, eine davon ist angebissen. Die Schrift ist blau und steht in starkem Kontrast zu dem Hintergrund, was mir aber wirklich sehr gut gefällt. Also an sich ist das Cover einfach, aber schön, passt trotzdem nicht wirklich zum Inhalt.
Wie auch schon in anderen Büchern der Autorin finde ich ihren Schreibstil wirklich toll. Sie schreibt ganz locker und leicht in einer sehr einfachen Sprache, somit wird man beim Lesen nicht durch unnötig lange oder verschachtelte Sätze gestört. Allerdings hat mir die Autorin hier zu viele Namen eingebaut, sodass ich öfter verwirrt war und nicht genau wusste, wer wer ist. Auch komische Zeitsprünge waren dabei, die mich öfter verwirrt haben, aber durch kurze Beschreibungen hat die Autorin dies immer wieder schnell gelöst und ich wusste, warum was gerade passiert.
Zu Beginn lernt man hier Seneca, Maddox, Aerin, Madison und Brett kennen. Diese Teenager wollen den ungeklärten Mordfall an Aerins Schwester Helena aufklären, getroffen haben sie sich über eine ONline Portal. Zuerst weigert sich Aerin ihnen zu helfen, doch mit der Zeit wachsen die Jugendlichen zusammen und folgen einer heißen Spur.
Ich weiß gar nicht, wie ich das Buch beschreiben soll, denn zuerst war ich einfach verwirrt. Es gab so viele Namen zu merken, so viele verschiedene Gesichter und bis zum Ende wusste ich gerade mal, wer die Hauptcharaktere waren, hier ist also sehr viel Information an mir vorbeigezogen und wäre ich nicht so sehr auf das Merken von Namen fixiert gewesen, hätte ich den Mordfall auch alleine lösen können.
Aber von vorne. Seneca fährt zu ihrer Onlinebekanntschaft Maddy und ist dann geschockt, dass Maddy ein Junge ist und nicht, wie der Name vermuten lässt, ein Mädchen. Hier gabs dann schon mal den ersten Krach, da sie nicht bei ihm bleiben wollte, obwohl er der gleiche Mensch ist. Doch wie dem Klappentext zu entnehmen ist, bleibt sie doch. Zusammen begeben sie sich auf die Suche nach Aerin und überreden sie bei der Lösung des Falls zu helfen. Zufällig ist auch noch Brett in der Stadt, der auch bei dem Onlineportal angemeldet ist und den Fall lösen möchte. Madison, Maddox aka Maddys Schwester, hilft auch, wobei sie allerdings meist im Hintergrund bleibt und nur schön aussieht.
Was mich zu meinem nächsten Punkt bringt. Mir ist aufgefallen, dass immer beschrieben wurde, wer gerade welche Klamotten trägt, so als würde das wichtig sein. Außerdem sind die Mädchen immer mit Kleidchen und High Heels durch die Gegend stolziert und ich frage mich, wie man in sowas einen Mordfall lösen möchte.
Der Klappentext verrät schon ziemlich viel, vor allem der letzte Satz gehört meiner Meinung nach gestrichen, da ich das ganze Buch über eine Verbindung der Mordfälle gewartet habe. DIese kam aber erst ganz am Ende, somit spoilert dieser Satz schon ziemlich viel und kann dem Leser helfen, selbst auf den Mörder zu kommen. Das Buch handelt hauptsächlich von Helena und die anderen Mordopfer wurden nur in Gesprächen kurz erwähnt, spielen in diesem Band aber keine größere Rolle.
Die Fremden, die mit der Zeit zu Freunden werden, machen sich also an die Lösung des Falls und stolpern von einem Verdächtigen zum anderen. Hierbei gibt es sehr viele Verdächtige und ich kann genau zwei aufzählen, da mit die Namen in Erinnerung geblieben sind, aber auch hier passierte alles viel zu schnell. Sie verdächtigen jemanden, reden mit dem und merken dann, dass er/sie es gar nicht war. Sara Shepard hat dieses Thema auch schon bei ihrer Lying Game Reihe verfolgt, mit dem Unterschied, dass es dort höchstens zwei VErdächtige pro Band gab, somit blieb die Spannung erhalten und als Leser konnte man sich die Leute auch merken. Hier allerdings war es klar, dass es keiner von diesen sein kann, da das Buch ja 380 Seiten hat.
Zwischendurch gab es dann auch immer wieder Ortssprünge, die mich sehr verwirrt haben. Zuerst sind sie an einer Spur dran und plötzlich ist es Abend und sie feiern eine Party. Wer feiert denn eine Party, wenn man mitten in den Ermittlungen steckt? Diese Szenen fand ich oft nervig und ich konnte nicht nachvollziehen, warum diese in dem Buch eingebaut wurden. Gegen Ende jedoch gab es immer mehr HInweise und es wurde spannend, die letzten 80 Seiten fand ich wirklich toll. Es wirkte so, als würden zuerst alle Personen aussortiert werden, die es nicht sein konnten, bevor dann der große Knall folgte, und bei diesem Buch meine ich richtig groß! Mit der Auflösung des Falls hätte ich so nie gerechnet und ich war wirklich geschockt, allerdings macht das Ende auch Lust auf mehr.
Doch auch in diesem Buch darf eine Liebesgeschichte nicht fehlen, hier gibts sogar mehrere. Die mit Maddox fand ich ziemlich komisch und ich musste auch oft die Augen verdrehen, die anderen jedoch waren ok, da dies auch eher nebensächliche Handlungsstränge waren und nicht in den Mittelpunkt gestellt wurden. DIes fand ich wirklich toll, denn wenn bei einem Jugendthriller eine Romanze im Vordergrund stehen würde, wäre das recht komisch. Alles in allem gab es dennoch Längen in dem Buch, wo ich dann keine Lust hatte weiterzulesen, aber auch spannende Momente waren zur Genüge drin, daher ist dies ein solides Buch, das allerdings noch ausbaufähig wäre.
Fazit:
Nicht das beste Buch von Sara Shepard, aber dennoch spannend, trotz Längen. Ich hoffe, dass der zweite Band besser wird und gebe dem Buch daher 3 von 5 Sterne.
January 29, 2020
This book really surpassed my expectations. I love a good thriller and expected this one to be more of a typical slightly fluffy YA read with a predictable storyline. I could not have been more wrong! It is cute and has the typical romance themes but the twists through the book, in particular the ending, were not something I had predicted at all!
My initial thoughts from reading the blurb of this book was that the characters, self made detectives who solve unsolved cases via the “case not closed” site would be adults that did this in their spare time. Instead, the book very quickly introduces these characters as young adults and teenagers. This was a really intriguing angle and one that I feel let down the book at times with unrealistic scenarios and undeveloped character personalities. However my reasoning for my 4 star review remains that the story gripped me despite that from beginning to end and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.
My initial thoughts from reading the blurb of this book was that the characters, self made detectives who solve unsolved cases via the “case not closed” site would be adults that did this in their spare time. Instead, the book very quickly introduces these characters as young adults and teenagers. This was a really intriguing angle and one that I feel let down the book at times with unrealistic scenarios and undeveloped character personalities. However my reasoning for my 4 star review remains that the story gripped me despite that from beginning to end and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.
June 22, 2017
Die Wendung am Ende hat mich wirklich total überrascht. Bin gespannt, wie es weitergeht :)
February 24, 2018
This was a fun mystery. I always enjoy books by Sara Shepard.
March 5, 2020
Full Review on The Candid Cover
4.5 Stars
The Amateurs was my first Sara Shepard, and after reading it, I definitely feel like I should read more! This murder mystery tells the story of four teens that meet online and contains a strong main character. The way the book is written is so mysterious and really makes the reader suspect everyone. This eerie book is the perfect read for the fall season!
It’s been a while since I’ve read a murder mystery novel, and The Amateurs was the perfect book to get me back into the genre. I loved how all the characters are basically strangers that met on an online case solving forum. This was a nice original touch, setting the book apart from the basic murder mysteries. What I also really enjoyed was the fact that the identity of the killer is actually a big surprise. One of my biggest annoyances in books is predictability, so I was thrilled with the ending that I never saw coming.
Seneca is such a fierce main character. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and isn’t afraid to go snooping. The way her style is described makes her seem so trendy and strong, and I really admired it. Seneca can also be deceptive and is a good actress, making her the perfect person to search for clues.
I loved the way The Amateurs is written! The story is told in multiple perspectives, which I always love, and really gives a lot of insight into each character’s life. There is so much backstory that is revealed pretty slowly, throwing the plot in an entirely new direction every time. Sara Shepard really makes the reader question everyone as a potential suspect!
The Amateurs is a murder mystery that features four teens that met online on a case solving forum. I loved the main character’s strength and the way the backstory is slowly revealed. After that mind-blowing ending, I feel like I should reread the book and look for the hints myself!
4.5 Stars
The Amateurs was my first Sara Shepard, and after reading it, I definitely feel like I should read more! This murder mystery tells the story of four teens that meet online and contains a strong main character. The way the book is written is so mysterious and really makes the reader suspect everyone. This eerie book is the perfect read for the fall season!
It’s been a while since I’ve read a murder mystery novel, and The Amateurs was the perfect book to get me back into the genre. I loved how all the characters are basically strangers that met on an online case solving forum. This was a nice original touch, setting the book apart from the basic murder mysteries. What I also really enjoyed was the fact that the identity of the killer is actually a big surprise. One of my biggest annoyances in books is predictability, so I was thrilled with the ending that I never saw coming.
Seneca is such a fierce main character. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and isn’t afraid to go snooping. The way her style is described makes her seem so trendy and strong, and I really admired it. Seneca can also be deceptive and is a good actress, making her the perfect person to search for clues.
I loved the way The Amateurs is written! The story is told in multiple perspectives, which I always love, and really gives a lot of insight into each character’s life. There is so much backstory that is revealed pretty slowly, throwing the plot in an entirely new direction every time. Sara Shepard really makes the reader question everyone as a potential suspect!
The Amateurs is a murder mystery that features four teens that met online on a case solving forum. I loved the main character’s strength and the way the backstory is slowly revealed. After that mind-blowing ending, I feel like I should reread the book and look for the hints myself!
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