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Girl Last Seen
Lauren DeSanto's best friend and bandmate goes missing and she's the prime suspect. Lauren must unravel her friend's tangled life to uncover the truth and clear her own name. Kadence Mulligan's star was rising. She and her best friend, Lauren DeSanto, watched their songs go viral on YouTube, then she launched a solo career when a nasty throat infection paralyzed Lauren's vocal chords. Everyone knows Lauren and Kadence had a major falling-out over Kady's boyfriend. But Lauren knows how deceptive Kadence could be sometimes. And nobody believes Lauren when she claims she had nothing to do with the disappearance. Or the blood evidence… As the town and local media condemns Lauren, she realizes the only way to clear her name is to discover the truth herself. Lauren slowly unravels the twisted life of Kadence Mulligan and sees that there was more to her than she ever knew. But will she realize she's unknowingly playing a part in an elaborate game to cover up a crime before it's too late?
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2016
35 people are currently reading
2565 people want to read
About the author
Heather Anastasiu
8 books668 followersHeather Anastasiu grew up in Texas and recently moved to Minneapolis with her family. When she's not busy getting lost exploring the new city, she spends most days writing at a café or daydreaming about getting a new tattoo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
March 2, 2021
2021 - Wow, Kadence was such a backstabbing, manipulating, self-obsessed bitch! How can anyone be like that? To completely throw people under the bus just for her own selfish gain?! 😠
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Albert Whitman & Company and NetGalley.)
This was an interesting YA contemporary story, with a bit of a twist at the end.
I liked Lauren and I thought that the way her best friend treated her was awful. As if it wasn’t bad enough that she couldn’t sing any more, she didn’t really need her best friend to constantly complain about it as if ishe was doing it on purpose just to annoy her!
The storyline in this was mainly about the mystery over what had happened to Kady, and who had caused her to disappear. There were a number of possible villains, and we were kept guessing for a long time as to who had a hand in Kady’s disappearance, and whether she was alive or dead.
We got a little bit of romance, which was quite sweet, but this was a little overshadowed by the possibility that Lauren’s crush could have killed Kady!
The ending to this was pretty good, and although I guessed the twists, I still enjoyed it.
7 out of 10
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Albert Whitman & Company and NetGalley.)
“Just heard Kadence Mulligan is missing??? One guess who’s behind it. Payback’s a bitch, Lauren.”
This was an interesting YA contemporary story, with a bit of a twist at the end.
I liked Lauren and I thought that the way her best friend treated her was awful. As if it wasn’t bad enough that she couldn’t sing any more, she didn’t really need her best friend to constantly complain about it as if ishe was doing it on purpose just to annoy her!
The storyline in this was mainly about the mystery over what had happened to Kady, and who had caused her to disappear. There were a number of possible villains, and we were kept guessing for a long time as to who had a hand in Kady’s disappearance, and whether she was alive or dead.
We got a little bit of romance, which was quite sweet, but this was a little overshadowed by the possibility that Lauren’s crush could have killed Kady!
The ending to this was pretty good, and although I guessed the twists, I still enjoyed it.
7 out of 10
January 30, 2016
Girl Last Seen is a fast read, highly engaging and a page turner, one of the better of the plethora of "girl" books there are around that follow a similar theme - in this case because it had its own peculiar rythym which may be a lot to do with the music vibe running through the narrative.
A You Tube Sensation leads to reality show "stardom" and then inevitably to two friends being ripped apart, both having differing attitudes and ambitions. That is it in a nutshell, with a mystery thrown in for good measure when one of the two girls concerned disappears.
Multiple viewpoints tell the tale - as Lauren loses her voice and possibly her singing future and discovers her partner in music Kady may not be quite the friend she has seemed over the years. Cue Kady disappearing and Lauren left under suspicion. The story twists and turns its way to an intriguing solution and overall I enjoyed this very much indeed.
There are some good characters in this - the changing dynamics in the relationships are well drawn and the mystery element is well written and not glaringly obvious which I like. Several themes are in the mix here - family pressure, peer pressure and the difficulties of being in the public eye and therefore expected of.
It leads to a quick engaging read that I would recommend to anyone who loves this type of mystery come drama. Grip Lit I think is the new term because of course we NEED a new term now, in this case YA Grip Lit and a good version at that.
Happy Reading Folks!
A You Tube Sensation leads to reality show "stardom" and then inevitably to two friends being ripped apart, both having differing attitudes and ambitions. That is it in a nutshell, with a mystery thrown in for good measure when one of the two girls concerned disappears.
Multiple viewpoints tell the tale - as Lauren loses her voice and possibly her singing future and discovers her partner in music Kady may not be quite the friend she has seemed over the years. Cue Kady disappearing and Lauren left under suspicion. The story twists and turns its way to an intriguing solution and overall I enjoyed this very much indeed.
There are some good characters in this - the changing dynamics in the relationships are well drawn and the mystery element is well written and not glaringly obvious which I like. Several themes are in the mix here - family pressure, peer pressure and the difficulties of being in the public eye and therefore expected of.
It leads to a quick engaging read that I would recommend to anyone who loves this type of mystery come drama. Grip Lit I think is the new term because of course we NEED a new term now, in this case YA Grip Lit and a good version at that.
Happy Reading Folks!
January 29, 2016
I really liked the premise of this and I was eager to get to it.
I liked Lauren right away. She's talented and has that sort of taken away from her. It was interesting seeing how she dealt with everything. Even with the weird situation, she remained likable. We also got a POV from Jude and then two other POVs in the form of a police interview and "found" videos. At first it was a bit annoying having it all switch around, but help set up the tension and made me second guess everything.
There were some great twists, surprising revelations, and an aspect of the ending I definitely didn't see coming. If you read this book, do not skip to the end first.
**Huge thanks to AW Teen and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I liked Lauren right away. She's talented and has that sort of taken away from her. It was interesting seeing how she dealt with everything. Even with the weird situation, she remained likable. We also got a POV from Jude and then two other POVs in the form of a police interview and "found" videos. At first it was a bit annoying having it all switch around, but help set up the tension and made me second guess everything.
There were some great twists, surprising revelations, and an aspect of the ending I definitely didn't see coming. If you read this book, do not skip to the end first.
**Huge thanks to AW Teen and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
January 20, 2016
(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)
All the characters annoyed me at one point or another, so I can't say I liked any of them.
I found the pacing in this one to be slow, and the book just dragged for me unfortunately. The last 15% or so was alright, but everything up until that point bored me.
Overall, Okay start and okay end, but everything in the middle dragged.
All the characters annoyed me at one point or another, so I can't say I liked any of them.
I found the pacing in this one to be slow, and the book just dragged for me unfortunately. The last 15% or so was alright, but everything up until that point bored me.
Overall, Okay start and okay end, but everything in the middle dragged.
February 6, 2016
A girl goes missing. No one has heard from her for days. The list of suspects is short. Until you start learning about Kadence. Then the list of suspects grows and grows. You even want to add yourself to the list because you know if you were one of the people that she wronged, you would have killed her yourself.
About three quarters of the way through the book, your wanting to give an award to whoever did it. This girl was just bad, I mean evil. Before the end, you figure it out. However, the ending, definitely throws you for a loop.
This is being promoted as a YA book, but as an adult, I very much enjoyed it. There a lot of plot twists and little things that happen that you don't really see as anything until the very end. Because you can't see all the little strings being pulled, it's not really one that keeps you up all night. However, the explanations at the end will definitely send shivers down your spine. And these are teenagers!!! That's the scariest part of all.
I highly recommend this book. I am still creeped out by some of these characters and what they did and I finished the book hours ago. This one will haunt you a long, long time.
Huge thanks to AW Teen for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. Write this one down - GIRL LAST SEEN!!!
About three quarters of the way through the book, your wanting to give an award to whoever did it. This girl was just bad, I mean evil. Before the end, you figure it out. However, the ending, definitely throws you for a loop.
This is being promoted as a YA book, but as an adult, I very much enjoyed it. There a lot of plot twists and little things that happen that you don't really see as anything until the very end. Because you can't see all the little strings being pulled, it's not really one that keeps you up all night. However, the explanations at the end will definitely send shivers down your spine. And these are teenagers!!! That's the scariest part of all.
I highly recommend this book. I am still creeped out by some of these characters and what they did and I finished the book hours ago. This one will haunt you a long, long time.
Huge thanks to AW Teen for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. Write this one down - GIRL LAST SEEN!!!
February 17, 2016
Addictive! Twists and turns, liars, stalkers--what's not to like? It's Gone Girl for the younger set. I recommend for teens and older who enjoy mysteries, suspense, and plot twists.
March 8, 2016
• Find my reviews here: Literary Meanderings
- - -
Synopsis: Kadence Mulligan played to a packed house of her fans Friday night.
Saturday morning she was gone.
The songs Kadence wrote and sang with her best friend, Lauren DeSanto, made them both online sensations. But when Lauren lost her voice, Kady couldn’t wait to go solo. It’s no secret the two had a major falling-out and were barely speaking to her. Lauren kept to herself, scribbling song lyrics, while Kady’s stardom was rising steadily…until she went missing.
Yet Lauren was one of the last people to see Kady the night she disappeared.
The only person who seems to believe that Lauren is innocent is Jude Williams, former outcast turned gorgeous bad boy, but he has reasons of his own for wanting to get back at Kady. Still, he’s Lauren’s only ally, and together they look back on their complicated friendship with Kady as they search for answers. But are they both really looking for the truth? Or is one of them playing an elaborate game to cover up a crime?
- - -
Let's jump right into this! I've read books by both of these authors, but obviously not written together. It was the same deal; I liked them but I didn't love them. Same goes for Girl Last Seen.
I am slightly on the fence, but one leg is over onto the "liked" side. lol
Here's what I enjoyed about the book! ONE: I enjoyed that the authors truly brought this into the contemporary. Lauren and Kady are a YouTube sensation (with Kady being in the spotlight of course) and that fits so much into the now! I think they wrote it extremely well. When Kady and Laurens YouTuve views plateau, Kady is upset by this. She thinks she needs to do something new to make the views go up again, so she does. Lauren, on the other hand, is out of commission. She has throat damage after a particularly bad bout of food poisoning-slash-throat infection. Sounds legit, right? I definitely dig the idea and I think the authors pulled it off very well and very realistically!
TWO: The romance. I actually loved the romance between Lauren and Jude. Jude is someone Lauren was friends with back when she was a child, but he ended up being the ugly kid and Kady pushed into the picture and sort of kicked Jude out of it. So, Jude left town for some time, etc. Came back. Now he's smokin' hot and has a bad-boy attitude to match. Love that. Love the realness of it all. Side note: bullying is another issue these ladies took on. They really laid it all out; raw. Yet another thing they did perfectly! Moving on... the romance. Yes! YES. When Lauren and Jude reunite as friends, things become heated pretty quickly and it is fantastically done. Sexy, but not too much so. Sweet, but not tooth-achey. Jude isn't the perfect guy either, and this is also something I adore. He's flawed; deeply so. He has this plan for revenge and Lauren was/is not exempt from it, but things get blurred and things shift, etc. It's just amazing.
THREE: The mystery. This is a very big aspect of this book. Kady plays a show at the coffee shop where Lauren works and goes missing right after this. Lauren becomes a suspect and so does Jude. The clues are laid out extremely well, and this mystery will definitely throw you for a loop! I think the authors did a really nice job of telling the story from multiple POVs so that we could see these clues in different lights. I think what looks suspicious to one person may look different to someone else. These authors really thought it out well, and that shows.
This brings me to my dislikes, which mainly lie in the end of the book.
It is impossible not to put spoilers here. I have to in order to tell you why I only gave the book 3.5 instead of 4 or even 5. SO ... SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!
Read at your own risk!
Okay, so the end of the book. Total cop-out. First of all, Kady isn't really dead or missing at all. She staged the entire thing because she is completely freaking insane. This part is fine; I actually enjoyed it. I think the authors really painted this girl in a crazy light and it looked real. Love it. BUT, it's what comes after Kady is discovered that I don't like... Her boyfriend, Mason, is one POV of this book. He's completely devoted to Kady; like puppy-dog devoted. It's gross. lol Anyway, he is there when Kady is discovered. Things go down, blah blah. Then Kady and Mason are alone. Kady talks mad crap and makes Mason feel like complete shit; their relationship was a game and didn't mean anything to her. So, Mason makes a snap decision to kill her. Yes, kill. Not only is THIS a cop-out, but the way he does it is also a cop-out and sort of cheesy and lame. I won't spoil that little tid-bit (even though I spoiled other things, but hey... I did warn you).
END SPOILERS
So, all in all, this book was really great! The ending wasn't my bag, but up to that point, it was great! The mystery is really spot-on and keeps you guessing. The romance is sweet and sexy, but not to the point that you want to vomit. The book is very in-tune with present day situations and such. I enjoyed the multiple POV storytelling as it gives the reader a change to see things from all angles. The characters are very well built and very much multi-dimension. I definitely recommend this book for those who enjoy a good YA mystery/thriller with a bit of romance and a twisty plot!
- - -
Book source: From the publisher for review
Publisher: AW Teen/Albert Whitman & Company
• For more of my reviews, check out my blog!
• You can also find them via my YouTube channel here!
March 4, 2016
While Girl Last Seen was fast-paced and readable to the point of being a one-sitting read, the big 'twist' reveal felt like a cop-out and the latter half of the story was a descent into insanity: a rape subplot, poisoning, Jude's super creepy stalking. As much as I wanted to enjoy this one, I'm sad to say it just wasn't for me.
For the full review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
For the full review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
December 27, 2016
Kadence and Lauren used to be best friends. They also formed a duo together and were a big success on YouTube. Unfortunately Lauren can't sing anymore due to an infection that affected her vocal cords. Kadence went solo and left her friend behind. Music wasn't the only reason they aren't hanging out any longer though. They had a fight about Kadence's boyfriend. Many things went wrong between them and now Lauren is working in a coffee shop while Kadence is becoming a star on her own.
When Kadence disappears people assume Lauren's got something to do with it. All of a sudden she's no longer the talented YouTube star, but a girl who can't be trusted. She's a suspect in a strange case. Where is Kadence and what happened to her? Lauren has to find out the truth so she can clear her name, but evidence piles against her. Help comes from an unexpected source, Jude, the best friend she had before Kadence took his place. Can she trust him to actually help her just like that and can he trust her?
Girl Last Seen is a gripping read about two girls who have a complicated history together. They used to be a big hit on YouTube, but when Lauren loses her voice everything changes between them. They both have an opinion about the situation and the reader doesn't know who to trust. That was the best part of the book for me. I liked that the truth is being revealed bit by bit, clue by clue. It was like following a trace and that was fun, even though most of the topics are really serious.
I loved the easy flow and the different voices. They're all equally strong and interesting. The ending is fantastic and surprising. I think this book is absolutely fantastic. I enjoyed how the main characters all changed at some point, how they can reinvent themselves because they either want to or have to. I loved this book from the first sentence. It starts with a song, which is a strong and original opening. If you're looking for an amazing, fast-paced and thrilling YA story, get this book immediately. I'm one hundred percent sure you're going to love it.
When Kadence disappears people assume Lauren's got something to do with it. All of a sudden she's no longer the talented YouTube star, but a girl who can't be trusted. She's a suspect in a strange case. Where is Kadence and what happened to her? Lauren has to find out the truth so she can clear her name, but evidence piles against her. Help comes from an unexpected source, Jude, the best friend she had before Kadence took his place. Can she trust him to actually help her just like that and can he trust her?
Girl Last Seen is a gripping read about two girls who have a complicated history together. They used to be a big hit on YouTube, but when Lauren loses her voice everything changes between them. They both have an opinion about the situation and the reader doesn't know who to trust. That was the best part of the book for me. I liked that the truth is being revealed bit by bit, clue by clue. It was like following a trace and that was fun, even though most of the topics are really serious.
I loved the easy flow and the different voices. They're all equally strong and interesting. The ending is fantastic and surprising. I think this book is absolutely fantastic. I enjoyed how the main characters all changed at some point, how they can reinvent themselves because they either want to or have to. I loved this book from the first sentence. It starts with a song, which is a strong and original opening. If you're looking for an amazing, fast-paced and thrilling YA story, get this book immediately. I'm one hundred percent sure you're going to love it.
October 8, 2017
This was an entertaining and quick read! There were loads of good twists & turns and the story was very well written!!
I highly recommend this for those who love intriguing teen fiction and/or mysteries!
I highly recommend this for those who love intriguing teen fiction and/or mysteries!
May 28, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book, but it could be slow at times. I think that the theme is hope in this book because Kadence was a very popular person on youtube and she suddenly goes missing. Everyone hopes that she will be found and they knew that she was also struggling with personal issues. There is some evidence, and one thing leads to another, or sometimes the evidence can make it more confusing.
November 25, 2015
Grade: B
When internet sensation Cadence Mulligan goes missing her former singing partner and best friend Lauren DeSanto becomes a prime suspect. Also on the sheriff's radar, Jude, Lauren's former best friend and the target of bullying by Cady and Mason, Cadence's boyfriend who happens to have kissed Lauren the day before her disappearance. When Lauren and Jude team up to investigate what happened, Lauren learns who her "friend" really is...or was.
GIRL LAST SEEN unfolds from Mason's, Lauren's and Jude's points of view, as well as transcripts from YouTube videos from Cadence. Filled with twists and turns I scrolled through my kindle in one sitting, eager to see which, if any, of my theories panned out. I guessed one part of the mystery 1/3 through the story, although I was never quite sure and the final disposition shocked me, though made perfect sense.
Because I was never quite sure of the reliability of the narrators, I wasn't sure who I could trust, what was an accurate description of another character, who were victim(s), who were perp(s). Jude and Lauren were the most complex characters, Mason the most likable.
Heather Anastasiu and Anne Greenwood Brown held my interest from beginning to end. LAST GIRL SEEN will appear to teens interested in books about friendship, frenemies, mysteries, pop stars, music, YouTube and reality shows.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
When internet sensation Cadence Mulligan goes missing her former singing partner and best friend Lauren DeSanto becomes a prime suspect. Also on the sheriff's radar, Jude, Lauren's former best friend and the target of bullying by Cady and Mason, Cadence's boyfriend who happens to have kissed Lauren the day before her disappearance. When Lauren and Jude team up to investigate what happened, Lauren learns who her "friend" really is...or was.
GIRL LAST SEEN unfolds from Mason's, Lauren's and Jude's points of view, as well as transcripts from YouTube videos from Cadence. Filled with twists and turns I scrolled through my kindle in one sitting, eager to see which, if any, of my theories panned out. I guessed one part of the mystery 1/3 through the story, although I was never quite sure and the final disposition shocked me, though made perfect sense.
Because I was never quite sure of the reliability of the narrators, I wasn't sure who I could trust, what was an accurate description of another character, who were victim(s), who were perp(s). Jude and Lauren were the most complex characters, Mason the most likable.
Heather Anastasiu and Anne Greenwood Brown held my interest from beginning to end. LAST GIRL SEEN will appear to teens interested in books about friendship, frenemies, mysteries, pop stars, music, YouTube and reality shows.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
July 6, 2016
Kadence Mulligan and Lauren DeSanto are musical YouTube sensations. While Kadence loves the spotlight, Lauren is the brains and heart of the duo: writing soulful lyrics and haunting melodies. When Lauren falls ill and loses her voice for an indefinite amount of time, Kadence sees this as an opportunity to go solo. This along with some major boy-drama causes the two to have a falling out. This does not bode well for Lauren since she was the last person to see Kadence before she went missing.
Now it seems the only person at school who is convinced of Lauren's innocence is her former best friend who has a terrible secret of his own to hide, along with some rather disturbing writing and behavior that he must explain to the investigators of Kadence's missing person case.
Girl Last Seen is one of those books that I went into without any expectations. I hadn't heard of the authors before and I tend not to read a lot of mystery -- not because I dislike the genre, but because I don't come across that much of it in YA. So I started reading it rather slowly. I'd read a few pages and then put it down, read a few more pages and put it down... until I got to about the halfway point and then I couldn't put it down -- the wheels and cogs in my brain were turning at lightning speed because I was trying to figure out what happened to Kadence and who was responsible.
Read my entire review on my blog.
Now it seems the only person at school who is convinced of Lauren's innocence is her former best friend who has a terrible secret of his own to hide, along with some rather disturbing writing and behavior that he must explain to the investigators of Kadence's missing person case.
Girl Last Seen is one of those books that I went into without any expectations. I hadn't heard of the authors before and I tend not to read a lot of mystery -- not because I dislike the genre, but because I don't come across that much of it in YA. So I started reading it rather slowly. I'd read a few pages and then put it down, read a few more pages and put it down... until I got to about the halfway point and then I couldn't put it down -- the wheels and cogs in my brain were turning at lightning speed because I was trying to figure out what happened to Kadence and who was responsible.
Read my entire review on my blog.
May 10, 2016
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and AW Teen in exchange for an honest review.
WOW. As I read the last chapters of Heather Anastasiu's and Anne Greenwood Brown's Girl Last Seen, that was the only thing going through my mind. This book was full of plot twists and surprises, and it had me on the edge of my seat. I'm a big fan of thriller/suspense novels, and when I heard about this book, I was interested. Though it wasn't as good as similar books I've read, I enjoyed Girl Last Seen.
The plot is centered around the disappearance of Kadence Mulligan. Kadence and her friend, Lauren, posted popular cover videos on YouTube, but after Lauren came down with a throat infection and couldn't sing, Kadence went solo. After Kadence's disappearance, people pointed fingers at Lauren as well as Jude, her childhood friend-turned-love interest. As the novel moves on, more is revealed about these characters, to the point where you aren't sure who to trust. I found many of them to be unreliable, but as much as I like unreliable characters, I didn't get attached to any of the characters in Girl Last Seen. Some of the plotlines were a bit confusing, but the suspense itself was well written. If you like mysteries, thrills, and shocking endings, then this book is for you.
WOW. As I read the last chapters of Heather Anastasiu's and Anne Greenwood Brown's Girl Last Seen, that was the only thing going through my mind. This book was full of plot twists and surprises, and it had me on the edge of my seat. I'm a big fan of thriller/suspense novels, and when I heard about this book, I was interested. Though it wasn't as good as similar books I've read, I enjoyed Girl Last Seen.
The plot is centered around the disappearance of Kadence Mulligan. Kadence and her friend, Lauren, posted popular cover videos on YouTube, but after Lauren came down with a throat infection and couldn't sing, Kadence went solo. After Kadence's disappearance, people pointed fingers at Lauren as well as Jude, her childhood friend-turned-love interest. As the novel moves on, more is revealed about these characters, to the point where you aren't sure who to trust. I found many of them to be unreliable, but as much as I like unreliable characters, I didn't get attached to any of the characters in Girl Last Seen. Some of the plotlines were a bit confusing, but the suspense itself was well written. If you like mysteries, thrills, and shocking endings, then this book is for you.
February 15, 2016
*3 and a half stars *
a pretty solid book. I admit while reading this, I didn't particularly like any of the characters. Especially not Kady. But through the mystery and such it was interesting to see where the story was going. Ending was a little strange, yet oddly satisfying.
I received an advanced copy of this from NetGalley.com and the publisher.
a pretty solid book. I admit while reading this, I didn't particularly like any of the characters. Especially not Kady. But through the mystery and such it was interesting to see where the story was going. Ending was a little strange, yet oddly satisfying.
I received an advanced copy of this from NetGalley.com and the publisher.
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March 18, 2016DNF at 50%
When I'm looking for a page-turner, I am ready to sacrifice quality writing and character depth for something that hooks me and keeps me going. About halfway through I lost a lot of steam in the forward movement in the story and found myself stuck with lackluster characters.
When I'm looking for a page-turner, I am ready to sacrifice quality writing and character depth for something that hooks me and keeps me going. About halfway through I lost a lot of steam in the forward movement in the story and found myself stuck with lackluster characters.
December 7, 2016
Really probably a 4.5 I thought I knew, then I didn't, then I did... I did get some elements right others totally missed. A good look at a narcissistic manipulator.
March 22, 2018
Girl Last Seen Review
Book Rating: 1.5 stars out of 5.
Story Line: 1 star out of 5. What the heck was this garbage? Even Kill the Boy Band was better than this. At first the book was very engaging. It slowly started getting more and more downhill as I read on. I didn't expect to rate the book this low...as I said I was enjoying it in the beginning. Kadence and Lauren had started making music videos together. They had popular videos, but later Lauren got sick and lost her voice. Kadence wanted to be a solo artist until Lauren recovered. Kadence was preforming a show at Lauren's job. Kadence went missing after that show. Lauren was the last one to see her leave that day. People believed that Lauren had murdered her. They were saying horrible things about her online as well as in person.
Before she had gone missing Kadence and Lauren had a fight. It was over Kadence's boyfriend, Mason. Mason and Lauren had made out at F.U. Fort. (Basically it was a hang out place.) (If that was me I would have fought Lauren too.)
Later in the book Lauren's ex-best friend, Nathan, who renamed himself to Jude...wanted to help clear her name. Jude also wanted to get revenge on Kadence and Lauren. They had made him out to be a monster and a stalker. He was being bullied so bad by other people that he had to move away. Jude and Lauren find out a lot of things along the way. (I will probably describe a lot more of the book in character's section. I just hated so much about this book it's impossible just to fit it in this one section.) Later Jude is arrested because they believe he is the cause of Kadence's disappearance. He was released because they didn't have enough evidence against him. Closer to the end of the book Jude had found Kadence's laptop at F.U. Point. He shows Lauren the videos that Kadence has made. Lauren then thinks she knows where Kadence is. She drives herself over to the warehouse she thinks she is. Jude tells her that he poisoned her with rotten chicken. That is the reason that she lost her voice. She then runs away and calls Mason. They find Kadence and she is disguised as a homeless person. She was hiding to help their videos gain more views. Lauren and her fight again. Lauren was going to stab her, but Jude talked her out of it. Lauren and Jude leave. Mason offers her a ride home. At the end Kadence dies because of her peanut allergy.
Characters that I liked;
Jude- I felt really bad for Jude. He had to go through so much because of Lauren and Kadence. He didn't deserve what happened to him. He was bullied because of what they said about him. It was really bad. He was the realest character in the book too. I really could feel his pain, his loneliness, and all the rage that was built up inside of him. I was surprised that he was willing to even help Lauren. He actually still had feelings for her. He was a good person. He deserved so much better than Lauren. While I did love him what he did to Lauren was wrong. I know it was the anger that made him do what he did. He really didn't expect the consequences. He felt remorse. Even if he didn't I still think I would have liked him. I was able to connect with him. Connecting with a character for me is really important.
Mason- I liked Mason as well. He was stricken over Kadence's disappearance. He also felt bad for kissing Lauren. He was also used by Kadence. He didn't understand why she would do a lot of the things she did. (I will explain it later when I get to Kadence. She is under character's I didn't like.) I connected with him as well. I loved his relationship with his little sisters as well. It was sweet. What he did at the ending of the book disturbed me a bit...he was the cause of Kadence's death. She did deserve it though...
Characters I didn't like;
Lauren- She was an annoying character. Yes, she didn't do anything wrong, but I still don't like her. She let her best friend get bullied because of new friend she had made. She let Kadence interfere in her life a lot. She was even starting to become like Kadence. She didn't have to do what she did to Jude. She could have defended him instead of talking crap about him. She also couldn't stop Kadence from influencing her and doing horrible things to people. I didn't sympathize with her at all. She was a piece of work. Her and Kadence both.
Kadence- She caused so many issues with other people it was ridiculous. She let one of her friend's get beat half t0 death because of his dad. Kadence had told his father that something was wrong with the television in the basement. When his dad went to the basement he found his son kissing another dude in the basement. His dad did not take that well at all. He grabbed him away and beat him. Why did she let that happen? She could have stopped him. Then she let another girl basically get raped so that her and Lauren could be the top stars in the school. She was a really evil person. I was glad that she got what she got at the end. I hated her so much. I am still angry with her. I wish she didn't exist in the book at all. This book would have been so much better without her character at all. She also intentionally let herself go missing. Like who does that? Ugh....I hate this girl so much.
Although I hated this book I like some of the quotes inside of it. I have 3 favorite quotes.
Favorite Quotes: "Life is short, my darlings. Reach for the stars before they burn out!" (Kadence did say this, but I really liked it a lot although I didn't like her.)
"I'm riding on a feeling that I didn't want to bear."
"The darkness in you calls to the darkness in me."
Writing Style: 2 stars out of 5. The writing was simplistic and beautiful, but the book was dreadful...I couldn't stand it. If the characters weren't the way they were I probably would have liked it a lot better. I needed to get this book out of my hands quickly. (I always find myself finishing books I hate faster than books I love. I guess because I want to get it out of my hands as fast as possible. Sometimes I do the same thing for books I love as well...I guess it depends on my mood.)
Book Rating: 1.5 stars out of 5.
Story Line: 1 star out of 5. What the heck was this garbage? Even Kill the Boy Band was better than this. At first the book was very engaging. It slowly started getting more and more downhill as I read on. I didn't expect to rate the book this low...as I said I was enjoying it in the beginning. Kadence and Lauren had started making music videos together. They had popular videos, but later Lauren got sick and lost her voice. Kadence wanted to be a solo artist until Lauren recovered. Kadence was preforming a show at Lauren's job. Kadence went missing after that show. Lauren was the last one to see her leave that day. People believed that Lauren had murdered her. They were saying horrible things about her online as well as in person.
Before she had gone missing Kadence and Lauren had a fight. It was over Kadence's boyfriend, Mason. Mason and Lauren had made out at F.U. Fort. (Basically it was a hang out place.) (If that was me I would have fought Lauren too.)
Later in the book Lauren's ex-best friend, Nathan, who renamed himself to Jude...wanted to help clear her name. Jude also wanted to get revenge on Kadence and Lauren. They had made him out to be a monster and a stalker. He was being bullied so bad by other people that he had to move away. Jude and Lauren find out a lot of things along the way. (I will probably describe a lot more of the book in character's section. I just hated so much about this book it's impossible just to fit it in this one section.) Later Jude is arrested because they believe he is the cause of Kadence's disappearance. He was released because they didn't have enough evidence against him. Closer to the end of the book Jude had found Kadence's laptop at F.U. Point. He shows Lauren the videos that Kadence has made. Lauren then thinks she knows where Kadence is. She drives herself over to the warehouse she thinks she is. Jude tells her that he poisoned her with rotten chicken. That is the reason that she lost her voice. She then runs away and calls Mason. They find Kadence and she is disguised as a homeless person. She was hiding to help their videos gain more views. Lauren and her fight again. Lauren was going to stab her, but Jude talked her out of it. Lauren and Jude leave. Mason offers her a ride home. At the end Kadence dies because of her peanut allergy.
Characters that I liked;
Jude- I felt really bad for Jude. He had to go through so much because of Lauren and Kadence. He didn't deserve what happened to him. He was bullied because of what they said about him. It was really bad. He was the realest character in the book too. I really could feel his pain, his loneliness, and all the rage that was built up inside of him. I was surprised that he was willing to even help Lauren. He actually still had feelings for her. He was a good person. He deserved so much better than Lauren. While I did love him what he did to Lauren was wrong. I know it was the anger that made him do what he did. He really didn't expect the consequences. He felt remorse. Even if he didn't I still think I would have liked him. I was able to connect with him. Connecting with a character for me is really important.
Mason- I liked Mason as well. He was stricken over Kadence's disappearance. He also felt bad for kissing Lauren. He was also used by Kadence. He didn't understand why she would do a lot of the things she did. (I will explain it later when I get to Kadence. She is under character's I didn't like.) I connected with him as well. I loved his relationship with his little sisters as well. It was sweet. What he did at the ending of the book disturbed me a bit...he was the cause of Kadence's death. She did deserve it though...
Characters I didn't like;
Lauren- She was an annoying character. Yes, she didn't do anything wrong, but I still don't like her. She let her best friend get bullied because of new friend she had made. She let Kadence interfere in her life a lot. She was even starting to become like Kadence. She didn't have to do what she did to Jude. She could have defended him instead of talking crap about him. She also couldn't stop Kadence from influencing her and doing horrible things to people. I didn't sympathize with her at all. She was a piece of work. Her and Kadence both.
Kadence- She caused so many issues with other people it was ridiculous. She let one of her friend's get beat half t0 death because of his dad. Kadence had told his father that something was wrong with the television in the basement. When his dad went to the basement he found his son kissing another dude in the basement. His dad did not take that well at all. He grabbed him away and beat him. Why did she let that happen? She could have stopped him. Then she let another girl basically get raped so that her and Lauren could be the top stars in the school. She was a really evil person. I was glad that she got what she got at the end. I hated her so much. I am still angry with her. I wish she didn't exist in the book at all. This book would have been so much better without her character at all. She also intentionally let herself go missing. Like who does that? Ugh....I hate this girl so much.
Although I hated this book I like some of the quotes inside of it. I have 3 favorite quotes.
Favorite Quotes: "Life is short, my darlings. Reach for the stars before they burn out!" (Kadence did say this, but I really liked it a lot although I didn't like her.)
"I'm riding on a feeling that I didn't want to bear."
"The darkness in you calls to the darkness in me."
Writing Style: 2 stars out of 5. The writing was simplistic and beautiful, but the book was dreadful...I couldn't stand it. If the characters weren't the way they were I probably would have liked it a lot better. I needed to get this book out of my hands quickly. (I always find myself finishing books I hate faster than books I love. I guess because I want to get it out of my hands as fast as possible. Sometimes I do the same thing for books I love as well...I guess it depends on my mood.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 26, 2024This review was originally posted on Bookish Things & More Review
This book completely surprised me. At first I was kind of meh about it because I didn't care for any of the characters. They all have an ugliness in them, and it bugged me. But Girl Last Seen also deals with issues I think we should all pay attention to. Bullying is a big thing in this book. Some of these kids had their lives ruined, or even moving, because of the actions that certain people made. And I think it's also safe to say that just because your friend is a complete a-hole doesn't mean you should follow along with them. There's also possible redemption. We all make mistakes, but we shouldn't let them define who we are in the future. Growing up does happen.
The plot kept me hooked. I loved the mystery and intrigue. Kady's disappearance rocks the community in her small town. She's a beloved internet star, and everyone thinks she can do no harm. But Jude and Lauren know better than anyone that isn't true, and both have motive. You don't really know who you can trust throughout the book. Is Mason, Kady's boyfriend, capable of kidnapping her? Or does her friend, and the boy they humiliated, have something to do with her being gone?
I also loved the fact that just because you portray yourself a certain way on the interwebs doesn't mean that's how things really are. We get a big dose of this throughout the book.
All in all it was a 3.5 star book for me. Not because of the story because like I said, it hooked me. But because I didn't like the characters. Kadence is egotistical, Lauren spent her friendship with Kady being a complete pushover and doing whatever Kady wanted, and Jude is just plain creepy a lot of the time. But they had room for growth, and they either did it for the better or the worse. But I won't tell you, because it would ruin the book.
Girl Last Seen is a mystery that will keep you guessing, and wondering what the mess is happening.
This book completely surprised me. At first I was kind of meh about it because I didn't care for any of the characters. They all have an ugliness in them, and it bugged me. But Girl Last Seen also deals with issues I think we should all pay attention to. Bullying is a big thing in this book. Some of these kids had their lives ruined, or even moving, because of the actions that certain people made. And I think it's also safe to say that just because your friend is a complete a-hole doesn't mean you should follow along with them. There's also possible redemption. We all make mistakes, but we shouldn't let them define who we are in the future. Growing up does happen.
The plot kept me hooked. I loved the mystery and intrigue. Kady's disappearance rocks the community in her small town. She's a beloved internet star, and everyone thinks she can do no harm. But Jude and Lauren know better than anyone that isn't true, and both have motive. You don't really know who you can trust throughout the book. Is Mason, Kady's boyfriend, capable of kidnapping her? Or does her friend, and the boy they humiliated, have something to do with her being gone?
I also loved the fact that just because you portray yourself a certain way on the interwebs doesn't mean that's how things really are. We get a big dose of this throughout the book.
All in all it was a 3.5 star book for me. Not because of the story because like I said, it hooked me. But because I didn't like the characters. Kadence is egotistical, Lauren spent her friendship with Kady being a complete pushover and doing whatever Kady wanted, and Jude is just plain creepy a lot of the time. But they had room for growth, and they either did it for the better or the worse. But I won't tell you, because it would ruin the book.
Girl Last Seen is a mystery that will keep you guessing, and wondering what the mess is happening.
Must be 13+ To Enter | Ships in US only.
Please see terms and conditions for full contest rules. Some restrictions apply.
1 Winner will get a $20 Amazon Gift Card + a Signed Copy of GIRL LAST SEEN
1 Winner will get a Signed Copy of GIRL LAST SEEN
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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This book was not what was expecting. Kinda disappointing of a read for me. The ending was so wack and the whole story was hard to interpret. It was thrilling at times because you had no idea what would happen next but I was disappointed when it was a self sabotage kinda book not an actual murder or kidnapping. Okish read
November 6, 2017
Told in alternating chapters. Lauren, Mason, Jude and Kadence. I liked this one. I wasn’t sure who was responsible for Kady’s disappearance. I had my ideas but then I’d second guess myself.
I do think the ending was a little too quick. It felt a little like the ending of a TV episode. It all got tied up together too neatly, especially after everything that happened.
I do think the ending was a little too quick. It felt a little like the ending of a TV episode. It all got tied up together too neatly, especially after everything that happened.
March 24, 2016
This review was originally posted on In Wonderland My Thoughts
Giveaway
I really enjoyed this book. It was told in multiple viewpoints not to mention it was also told with evidence logs. I thought it was a really interesting way to go with this story and I really appreciated that. Even though it took me a bit to get into the story at the beginning (either it was just a slow beginning or it was because I was kind of in a reading slump) the writing flowed well and it kept me entertained and drawn to the story up until the end.
The main plot/storyline within this novel is that Kadence Mulligan is missing. And at first you love the girl and then you read the stories of what she has done and honestly, I think Kadence deserved what she got. She was just not a good person at all. She had fooled a lot of people for sure, but she was definitely not a good person. At the beginning there is only a couple of suspects and then the list gets bigger, because of how awful Kadence was.
I was able to figure out the ending, but I still enjoyed reading it and seeing how it all turned out. There is one twist that surprised me, and I am happy for that. And I thought it was a very enjoyable read and probably wouldn't mind rereading at some point. I think that if you're into mysteries, thrillers, or suspenseful novels, you should give this one a try because even though there were times that it dragged, once you got towards the ending, the story and the suspense just gripped you tightly! I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Heather Anastasiu is the author of the young adult sci-fi GLITCH trilogy as well as the historical adult duet Tsura and House of Stone. She grew up in Texas but recently moved to Minnesota with her family. She teaches creative writing at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.
Website || Blog || Facebook || Twitter
Anne Greenwood Brown lives in Minnesota with her patient husband and three hilarious children. She is the author of the LIES BENEATH trilogy, and has her first New Adult book coming under the name A.S. Green from Entangled/Embrace, summer 2016.
Website || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram
Giveaway
Must be 13+ To Enter | Ships in US only.
Please see terms and conditions for full contest rules. Some restrictions apply.
1 Winner will get a $20 Amazon Gift Card + a Signed Copy of GIRL LAST SEEN
1 Winner will get a Signed Copy of GIRL LAST SEEN
a Rafflecopter giveaway
August 10, 2016
(Originally reviewed at
thelibraryladies.com
)
Sometimes I take a chance on a book that I have never heard of. Working at a library means that I see a lot of books pass by me, so I get tempted to be spontaneous fairly often. “Girl Last Seen” is one of those books that I decided to take a chance on. I had a long plane trip ahead of me, and something fluffy and easy sounded really good to me. However, I didn’t want it to be THAT fluffy and easy. And unfortunately, “Girl Last Seen” fell very much into that camp. It was kind of like the idea was ‘what if we took “Gone Girl” and made it for teens?’ I have news for you. Teenagers could just read “Gone Girl”. And I didn’t like “Gone Girl” either. So you know that this isn’t looking good for this book.
First of all, none of the characters were very interesting. You have Lauren, a musician and lyricist who is part of a musical duo with her best friend Kadence. But of course the moment that Lauren lost her voice semi permanently due to a nasty infection she contracted, Kadence dropped her and went solo. Lauren is your typical victimized best friend, who did crappy things to become popular, like dropping her old best friend Nathan. Then there’s Nathan, who became a pariah after he lost Lauren, so much so that he left school for awhile. He’s back now, though, and conveniently hot. And he’s going by the name Jude. He’s also kind of stalkery and hell bent on revenge against Kadence and Lauren, but not really Lauren because he’s still madly in love with her. This is normally a trope that I’m on board with, but in this case he wasn’t sympathetic enough for me to pledge my alliance to him. Then there is Kadence’s boyfriend Mason, the guy who put another wedge between Kadence and Lauren by kissing Lauren in the heat of the moment. Which is just another reason that people in their community think that Lauren has something to do with Kadence’s disappearance. All tropes that we’ve seen before. I’m fine with tropes, but only if they are made into their own well rounded characters and plot points, and none of them are.
There was also a strange choice in writing with this book, in that it tried to take an epistolary approach for the chapters that concerned Kadence. But instead of using written things like texts, or emails, or instant messages (is that still a thing?), the authors try to write out what is happening on web videos or news reports. When trying to write out something that is so visual, it comes off as very stilted and strange. I didn’t understand why that choice was made, when it could have been something like a blog post or a bunch of tweets. Instead we got a lot of things like ‘she looks away from the camera and looks upset’, which is the EPITOME of telling and not showing!!! That is a huge pet peeve of mine. If this were an actual web series, sure, a girl looking away from a camera and looking upset may show instead of tell, but in this case it just was awkward and irritating.
And there wasn’t really any big mystery to this whole thing. I pretty much knew what was happening from the beginning, and while the authors tried to throw some red herrings in there, it didn’t really fool me. That said, there was one final big twist that I didn’t see coming, which I do have to give them props for. It was much better than what the initial explanation was, and I did take that at face value at first. So kudos in that regard, as not only was it surprising, but it did end up being the most satisfactory of endings that I could get from this book. But one small twist that shocked me didn’t make up for lots of other things that didn’t quite add up in my eyes.
Seriously, teens could just read “Gone Girl” and get basically the same gist. It’s a shame because the summary was intriguing and I like being spontaneous, but when my spontaneity isn’t rewarded I feel more of a need to stick to planning out what I’m going to read.
Sometimes I take a chance on a book that I have never heard of. Working at a library means that I see a lot of books pass by me, so I get tempted to be spontaneous fairly often. “Girl Last Seen” is one of those books that I decided to take a chance on. I had a long plane trip ahead of me, and something fluffy and easy sounded really good to me. However, I didn’t want it to be THAT fluffy and easy. And unfortunately, “Girl Last Seen” fell very much into that camp. It was kind of like the idea was ‘what if we took “Gone Girl” and made it for teens?’ I have news for you. Teenagers could just read “Gone Girl”. And I didn’t like “Gone Girl” either. So you know that this isn’t looking good for this book.
First of all, none of the characters were very interesting. You have Lauren, a musician and lyricist who is part of a musical duo with her best friend Kadence. But of course the moment that Lauren lost her voice semi permanently due to a nasty infection she contracted, Kadence dropped her and went solo. Lauren is your typical victimized best friend, who did crappy things to become popular, like dropping her old best friend Nathan. Then there’s Nathan, who became a pariah after he lost Lauren, so much so that he left school for awhile. He’s back now, though, and conveniently hot. And he’s going by the name Jude. He’s also kind of stalkery and hell bent on revenge against Kadence and Lauren, but not really Lauren because he’s still madly in love with her. This is normally a trope that I’m on board with, but in this case he wasn’t sympathetic enough for me to pledge my alliance to him. Then there is Kadence’s boyfriend Mason, the guy who put another wedge between Kadence and Lauren by kissing Lauren in the heat of the moment. Which is just another reason that people in their community think that Lauren has something to do with Kadence’s disappearance. All tropes that we’ve seen before. I’m fine with tropes, but only if they are made into their own well rounded characters and plot points, and none of them are.
There was also a strange choice in writing with this book, in that it tried to take an epistolary approach for the chapters that concerned Kadence. But instead of using written things like texts, or emails, or instant messages (is that still a thing?), the authors try to write out what is happening on web videos or news reports. When trying to write out something that is so visual, it comes off as very stilted and strange. I didn’t understand why that choice was made, when it could have been something like a blog post or a bunch of tweets. Instead we got a lot of things like ‘she looks away from the camera and looks upset’, which is the EPITOME of telling and not showing!!! That is a huge pet peeve of mine. If this were an actual web series, sure, a girl looking away from a camera and looking upset may show instead of tell, but in this case it just was awkward and irritating.
And there wasn’t really any big mystery to this whole thing. I pretty much knew what was happening from the beginning, and while the authors tried to throw some red herrings in there, it didn’t really fool me. That said, there was one final big twist that I didn’t see coming, which I do have to give them props for. It was much better than what the initial explanation was, and I did take that at face value at first. So kudos in that regard, as not only was it surprising, but it did end up being the most satisfactory of endings that I could get from this book. But one small twist that shocked me didn’t make up for lots of other things that didn’t quite add up in my eyes.
Seriously, teens could just read “Gone Girl” and get basically the same gist. It’s a shame because the summary was intriguing and I like being spontaneous, but when my spontaneity isn’t rewarded I feel more of a need to stick to planning out what I’m going to read.
December 27, 2016
3.5 stars
I was gifted this book via Netgalley
I'm really into the crime scene right now. It's basically all I'm reading and watching at the moment. I thought I would enjoy a story where a girl goes missing and the best friend is the main character and suspect.
Kadence is a royal bitch. Let's just get that straight right off the bat. Lauren is the "yes" person that Kadence has chosen as a best friend and Lauren feels she is so lucky to have her until she gets an infection that puts her on total vocal rest. Not a big deal unless you are being pressured to continue singing with your best friend after a video she posted of the two of you goes viral. Eventually, Kadence gets fed up with Lauren's recovery time and decides it's time for her to go solo. Then Kadence goes missing and all signs point to Lauren being responsible.
I like this book and I disliked it. It was written well and was very readable, but the characters weren't necessarily my favorite. I felt there needed to be a little more substance in the storyline. The ending was quite surprising though - I have to admit.
I was gifted this book via Netgalley
I'm really into the crime scene right now. It's basically all I'm reading and watching at the moment. I thought I would enjoy a story where a girl goes missing and the best friend is the main character and suspect.
Kadence is a royal bitch. Let's just get that straight right off the bat. Lauren is the "yes" person that Kadence has chosen as a best friend and Lauren feels she is so lucky to have her until she gets an infection that puts her on total vocal rest. Not a big deal unless you are being pressured to continue singing with your best friend after a video she posted of the two of you goes viral. Eventually, Kadence gets fed up with Lauren's recovery time and decides it's time for her to go solo. Then Kadence goes missing and all signs point to Lauren being responsible.
I like this book and I disliked it. It was written well and was very readable, but the characters weren't necessarily my favorite. I felt there needed to be a little more substance in the storyline. The ending was quite surprising though - I have to admit.
March 21, 2016
Review
Kadence and Lauren are best friends. Well were. The two were a Youtube sensation singing and playing their guitars. That is until Lauren can't use her voice or play guitar anymore. From there Kadence goes solo in her career. When Kadence goes missing, Lauren quickly becomes a suspect officially and in the court of popular opinion. As this is going, Lauren's old best friend Jude shows up to be there for her and help her figure out who really did do this Kadence. But does he have something to hide? Do they all?
The book told through a series of different perspectives. We get the story from Lauren and Jude primarily as well as some police interview sessions with Mason, Kadence's boyfriend and video footage of Kadence on her laptop. I really thought the different viewpoints and styles here worked for this story. Even with the different perspectives, I felt it hard to determine who if anyone was being truthful or what they were all holding back. Here is a quick rundown of them all.
Lauren was someone who I could understand. She was awkward, reacted oddly to situations, was comfortable following and being the lesser person in a best friendship. All of this is something I get completely. She was also a little lost after having damage to her voice and not able to sing or play guitar anymore. On top of that, Lauren and Kadence weren't really talking so it just added to her general feeling of not knowing what she should do or where she belonged. After Kadence disappeared and she looked at someone who was involved and ostracized by everyone I totally understood how she took to Jude her old best friend so quickly.
Jude. Jude who was once Nathan. He changed his name after he left the school where Lauren and him attended but came back years later. He was really made fun of in a bad way when he was younger. He clearly had a hard time with and had other issues going on. Jude was a dark dude. He was definitely someone I grew to like and feel for but still was never totally on board because I could never completely trust him.
Mason was just a typical nice guy who loved his girlfriend. So much he didn't really see who she was or the things she did behind his back. His interviews shed a light on some events between Lauren and Kadence's relationship.
Then there was Kadence. Kady. She was so desperate to be a star. After Lauren couldn't use her voice or play guitar, Kady went out on her own to try and make it big. The more we get to know about Kadence through the other characters, the easier it is to not like her. At all. She seemed like a pretty terrible human being. Just really good at covering it up with a sweet and sugary persona. Still, her little videos that were throughout the book painted a very different picture of her and Lauren's relationship and Lauren in general.
All of the viewpoints here worked to confuse, misdirect and lend itself to the unreliable narrator which I think was fairly effective. Even while I was pretty sure I had it figured out what was going on I still enjoyed the journey to get there. This was a quick read, which was something I was n desperate need of. I wouldn't say this was an edge of your seat kind of book but there was enough to keep me interested and guessing. Overall I really enjoyed this one.This review was originally posted on Rebel Mommy Book Blog
Kadence and Lauren are best friends. Well were. The two were a Youtube sensation singing and playing their guitars. That is until Lauren can't use her voice or play guitar anymore. From there Kadence goes solo in her career. When Kadence goes missing, Lauren quickly becomes a suspect officially and in the court of popular opinion. As this is going, Lauren's old best friend Jude shows up to be there for her and help her figure out who really did do this Kadence. But does he have something to hide? Do they all?
The book told through a series of different perspectives. We get the story from Lauren and Jude primarily as well as some police interview sessions with Mason, Kadence's boyfriend and video footage of Kadence on her laptop. I really thought the different viewpoints and styles here worked for this story. Even with the different perspectives, I felt it hard to determine who if anyone was being truthful or what they were all holding back. Here is a quick rundown of them all.
Lauren was someone who I could understand. She was awkward, reacted oddly to situations, was comfortable following and being the lesser person in a best friendship. All of this is something I get completely. She was also a little lost after having damage to her voice and not able to sing or play guitar anymore. On top of that, Lauren and Kadence weren't really talking so it just added to her general feeling of not knowing what she should do or where she belonged. After Kadence disappeared and she looked at someone who was involved and ostracized by everyone I totally understood how she took to Jude her old best friend so quickly.
Jude. Jude who was once Nathan. He changed his name after he left the school where Lauren and him attended but came back years later. He was really made fun of in a bad way when he was younger. He clearly had a hard time with and had other issues going on. Jude was a dark dude. He was definitely someone I grew to like and feel for but still was never totally on board because I could never completely trust him.
Mason was just a typical nice guy who loved his girlfriend. So much he didn't really see who she was or the things she did behind his back. His interviews shed a light on some events between Lauren and Kadence's relationship.
Then there was Kadence. Kady. She was so desperate to be a star. After Lauren couldn't use her voice or play guitar, Kady went out on her own to try and make it big. The more we get to know about Kadence through the other characters, the easier it is to not like her. At all. She seemed like a pretty terrible human being. Just really good at covering it up with a sweet and sugary persona. Still, her little videos that were throughout the book painted a very different picture of her and Lauren's relationship and Lauren in general.
All of the viewpoints here worked to confuse, misdirect and lend itself to the unreliable narrator which I think was fairly effective. Even while I was pretty sure I had it figured out what was going on I still enjoyed the journey to get there. This was a quick read, which was something I was n desperate need of. I wouldn't say this was an edge of your seat kind of book but there was enough to keep me interested and guessing. Overall I really enjoyed this one.This review was originally posted on Rebel Mommy Book Blog
July 16, 2016
Actual Rating: 3.5*
This one was pretty good. I am actually surprised with the ending and I flip flopped with my idea of what was going to happen a lot but it was good. Not a lot of rereadability though which is what I really look for in these types of stories. I thought that because of the way it ended, I don't need to reread the book because it was very clear at the end what happened and how and why which was a bit disappointing to me.
I really liked all the characters and I really felt that they were believable. I thought they all reacted in a way that made sense for their characters and the story. I was really drawn to Lauren and her story but I thought that the writing made it really easy to believe her and her side of things when it should have been trying to cast a little more doubt. I think the Kady point of views, with the description of her videos, could have done more for this but they were pointless. They came in too late for me to . I thought that because of this, I immediately believed Lauren.
In my opinion, Jude was a wasted potential. He had all the fixings to be seriously creepy/stalker dude and maybe even do something he wasn't aware of considering his bad reaction to the drug he was taking. But that was completely null and void and while his revelation was kinda shocking, it was mostly just meh. It didn't really impact the story in the way I wanted it to and thus he was wasted potential.
I think the best chapters were from Mason's point of view because he had the most neutral perspective on both the girls since he was attracted to both of them and saw them on their surface but also parts of them they were trying to hide underneath. I really liked his character and his character arc and I'm really happy with how things turned out for him. Although I was hoping he and Lauren got together.
However, the ending was a bit of a let down. Now, HUGE SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK!! It's under a spoiler tag but do NOT complain to me if you read this and ruin the ending for yourself. I thought that the ending was a bit too convenient because .
Overall, I did enjoy this one but I thought the ending lacked some pay off (even though I was REALLY pleased with how it ended. I'm such a sucker for these kinds of endings). This one lacks any rereadability, but the characters were all interesting and intriguing and made the read worth it. I would have liked the ending to be tied up a little neater but otherwise I enjoyed the book!
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This one was pretty good. I am actually surprised with the ending and I flip flopped with my idea of what was going to happen a lot but it was good. Not a lot of rereadability though which is what I really look for in these types of stories. I thought that because of the way it ended, I don't need to reread the book because it was very clear at the end what happened and how and why which was a bit disappointing to me.
I really liked all the characters and I really felt that they were believable. I thought they all reacted in a way that made sense for their characters and the story. I was really drawn to Lauren and her story but I thought that the writing made it really easy to believe her and her side of things when it should have been trying to cast a little more doubt. I think the Kady point of views, with the description of her videos, could have done more for this but they were pointless. They came in too late for me to . I thought that because of this, I immediately believed Lauren.
In my opinion, Jude was a wasted potential. He had all the fixings to be seriously creepy/stalker dude and maybe even do something he wasn't aware of considering his bad reaction to the drug he was taking. But that was completely null and void and while his revelation was kinda shocking, it was mostly just meh. It didn't really impact the story in the way I wanted it to and thus he was wasted potential.
I think the best chapters were from Mason's point of view because he had the most neutral perspective on both the girls since he was attracted to both of them and saw them on their surface but also parts of them they were trying to hide underneath. I really liked his character and his character arc and I'm really happy with how things turned out for him. Although I was hoping he and Lauren got together.
However, the ending was a bit of a let down. Now, HUGE SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK!! It's under a spoiler tag but do NOT complain to me if you read this and ruin the ending for yourself. I thought that the ending was a bit too convenient because .
Overall, I did enjoy this one but I thought the ending lacked some pay off (even though I was REALLY pleased with how it ended. I'm such a sucker for these kinds of endings). This one lacks any rereadability, but the characters were all interesting and intriguing and made the read worth it. I would have liked the ending to be tied up a little neater but otherwise I enjoyed the book!
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February 19, 2016
Amazing book! I think I'll need some time to recover from it! Copy provided by NetGalley, review coming soon.
Update: (might be a bit spoilery, but I believe it was also predictable...)
This book was amazing! The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because I found it a litlle bit draggy sometimes, and some parts were not exactly original. However, I still loved it.
I really liked the characters, especially Lauren and Jude. Lauren is a rather relatable person. She is suffering, but she is always trying her best, and it seems obvious she didn’t do any harm to her best friends, even if on the outside, some things DO get suspicious. Jude on the other side has his twisted ways, but he is really suffering too, and it becomes obvious very soon that there was something suspicious in the way their relationship ended back in the day. Aside from the fact that he has apparently become smokin’ hot, he’s the kind of guy I just want to hug, because damn, he certainly didn’t deserve all the shit he got through.
As for Kady, she is your classical drama queen with great ambitions and a twisted mind. It’s hard to guess what actually happened to her, even if I was right in my guesses. The story is really well-made though!
If you are curious about Kady, she reminded me a bit a mix of both Amy from Gone Girl and Margo from Paper Towns. She is a girl with great expectations, but is she making the right choices?
Mason was something different. We read about him through his interviews with the police, and I found it a bit hard to decide whether I liked him or not. It’s difficult to figure out what he really thinks, and we don’t see as much as him as Jude or Lauren. But he was still an interesting character!
What I really loved about this story is how it was really full of plot twists. The clues change through the book, and the accusations turn. It’s hard on both the characters and the reader, because we don’t know what to think or believe (which means the book was well done in my opinion!) It keeps some surprises until the end, which is very satisfying too.
Overall, it’s a quick read, and a book that’s hard to put down. It also has parts of romance which I really loved, even if the whole situation was a mess, it was nice to have those too, and they somehow felt on point!
Update: (might be a bit spoilery, but I believe it was also predictable...)
This book was amazing! The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because I found it a litlle bit draggy sometimes, and some parts were not exactly original. However, I still loved it.
I really liked the characters, especially Lauren and Jude. Lauren is a rather relatable person. She is suffering, but she is always trying her best, and it seems obvious she didn’t do any harm to her best friends, even if on the outside, some things DO get suspicious. Jude on the other side has his twisted ways, but he is really suffering too, and it becomes obvious very soon that there was something suspicious in the way their relationship ended back in the day. Aside from the fact that he has apparently become smokin’ hot, he’s the kind of guy I just want to hug, because damn, he certainly didn’t deserve all the shit he got through.
As for Kady, she is your classical drama queen with great ambitions and a twisted mind. It’s hard to guess what actually happened to her, even if I was right in my guesses. The story is really well-made though!
If you are curious about Kady, she reminded me a bit a mix of both Amy from Gone Girl and Margo from Paper Towns. She is a girl with great expectations, but is she making the right choices?
Mason was something different. We read about him through his interviews with the police, and I found it a bit hard to decide whether I liked him or not. It’s difficult to figure out what he really thinks, and we don’t see as much as him as Jude or Lauren. But he was still an interesting character!
What I really loved about this story is how it was really full of plot twists. The clues change through the book, and the accusations turn. It’s hard on both the characters and the reader, because we don’t know what to think or believe (which means the book was well done in my opinion!) It keeps some surprises until the end, which is very satisfying too.
Overall, it’s a quick read, and a book that’s hard to put down. It also has parts of romance which I really loved, even if the whole situation was a mess, it was nice to have those too, and they somehow felt on point!
May 23, 2016
See more reviews like this first on my blog
"That was Kady for you. Inspiring devotion any loyalty. How did she do it? Why did we all fall for it?"
Kady was a rising youtube start with a promising career ahead of her. She originally had been a part of a two person group with Lauren. But when Lauren got sick and her vocal cords became damaged she decided to keep going until Lauren got better, if she ever did. With this caused their friendship to fall apart and Kady to become paranoid it seemed.
When Kady goes missing after one of her performances Lauren becomes the number one suspect along with her boyfriend. Both have possible motives and at different times you suspect both could have done it, but then Jude comes into the picture. He was Lauren’s best friend before Kady and he has every motive possible motive to want Kady gone.
This was a surprising story with many twists and turns and lies that get revealed. By the end of the story you realize who Kady really was and that more people than the police were looking at had the motive. This did fall a bit flat for me for reasons I still can’t figure out. I think the biggest reason was the ending. I didn’t see it coming at all. I found it a bit weird though because you think it would have been mentioned somewhere in the story at least even it was just an offhand comment.
<>uI received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
"That was Kady for you. Inspiring devotion any loyalty. How did she do it? Why did we all fall for it?"
Kady was a rising youtube start with a promising career ahead of her. She originally had been a part of a two person group with Lauren. But when Lauren got sick and her vocal cords became damaged she decided to keep going until Lauren got better, if she ever did. With this caused their friendship to fall apart and Kady to become paranoid it seemed.
When Kady goes missing after one of her performances Lauren becomes the number one suspect along with her boyfriend. Both have possible motives and at different times you suspect both could have done it, but then Jude comes into the picture. He was Lauren’s best friend before Kady and he has every motive possible motive to want Kady gone.
This was a surprising story with many twists and turns and lies that get revealed. By the end of the story you realize who Kady really was and that more people than the police were looking at had the motive. This did fall a bit flat for me for reasons I still can’t figure out. I think the biggest reason was the ending. I didn’t see it coming at all. I found it a bit weird though because you think it would have been mentioned somewhere in the story at least even it was just an offhand comment.
<>uI received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
June 22, 2016
I received a paperback copy of this book in return for an honest review. I was not disappointed. I rated this a 5, but I'd rate it a 10 if I could. In my mind, it was a 10!
This book follows Lauren and her best Kady; Who goes missing. Lauren is the number one suspect. They were both musicians until Lauren gets sick and is ordered not to sing or make music. Then when Kady performs as a solo act one night and then goes missing, Lauren is the top suspect. The whole book she is on the search for the truth. Who hurt Kady? Where is she? You also see the view from Jude, an old friend of Laurens who had been hurt by Kady and Lauren in the past. Together, they try to solve the mystery of Kady's disappearance. They put aside all past hurts and search for the truth together.
This book was really good. Lauren is a character that is easy to like. At first, so is Kady, but as the book goes on she becomes a little easy to hate as well. This book was a great mystery from beginning to end. This is not a book that is predictable. Many mystery books, you seem to figure out what the ending will be early on, but not this book. This book kept me guessing. I thought I knew, but then I would change my view. Thats why the ending was such a shock. It really was a HOLY COW ending. It was awesome.
This book was captivating. It was full of action and suspense. It was written great. This was a great book all around....Stormi
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This book follows Lauren and her best Kady; Who goes missing. Lauren is the number one suspect. They were both musicians until Lauren gets sick and is ordered not to sing or make music. Then when Kady performs as a solo act one night and then goes missing, Lauren is the top suspect. The whole book she is on the search for the truth. Who hurt Kady? Where is she? You also see the view from Jude, an old friend of Laurens who had been hurt by Kady and Lauren in the past. Together, they try to solve the mystery of Kady's disappearance. They put aside all past hurts and search for the truth together.
This book was really good. Lauren is a character that is easy to like. At first, so is Kady, but as the book goes on she becomes a little easy to hate as well. This book was a great mystery from beginning to end. This is not a book that is predictable. Many mystery books, you seem to figure out what the ending will be early on, but not this book. This book kept me guessing. I thought I knew, but then I would change my view. Thats why the ending was such a shock. It really was a HOLY COW ending. It was awesome.
This book was captivating. It was full of action and suspense. It was written great. This was a great book all around....Stormi
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
December 11, 2015
oh my oh my oh my! Wow, I literally just finished Girl Last Seen and I am blown...
If you like a book with intense characters, liars, deception, twists, turns and a serious mystery? Then this book is definitely for you! I love a good thriller which plays with my head and Girl Last Seen certainly did that. In fact, what I loved most about this book is I never did guess what would happen in the end. I was surprised, in fact I think that's an understatement.
You will question every character in this book, it is almost like a game of Cluedo. There is deceit every where and I loved how it got me all twisted inside, I just didn't know who to trust, who was being honest and who was lying!
The book is told from several points of view. This makes it a great story as you are learning different aspects as you go along. You have Lauren, Kadence's best friend. Kadence's boyfriend Mason and an old friend of Lauren's Jude.
I think the only thing I can say with this book is trust no one, for everything will be revealed in the end! 4.5 stars, this is a must read!
If you like a book with intense characters, liars, deception, twists, turns and a serious mystery? Then this book is definitely for you! I love a good thriller which plays with my head and Girl Last Seen certainly did that. In fact, what I loved most about this book is I never did guess what would happen in the end. I was surprised, in fact I think that's an understatement.
You will question every character in this book, it is almost like a game of Cluedo. There is deceit every where and I loved how it got me all twisted inside, I just didn't know who to trust, who was being honest and who was lying!
The book is told from several points of view. This makes it a great story as you are learning different aspects as you go along. You have Lauren, Kadence's best friend. Kadence's boyfriend Mason and an old friend of Lauren's Jude.
I think the only thing I can say with this book is trust no one, for everything will be revealed in the end! 4.5 stars, this is a must read!
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