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SweetFreak
Get ready for a brand new edge-of-your-seat read from bestselling author Sophie McKenzie! When everyone thinks you're a liar, how hard will you fight for the truth?Carey and Amelia have been best friends forever. Then Amelia starts being trolled by SweetFreak, a mysterious and hateful online account, and Carey is accused of being behind the vicious comments and threats. Shut out by her other friends and shunned by Amelia, Carey is determined to clear her name and find out who’s really sending the messages. But as the online attacks spill over into real life, events start spiralling out of control… Can Carey expose the real SweetFreak before it’s too late? A gripping page-turner from the award-winning Sophie Mckenize, SweetFreak will keep you guessing until the very end… PRAISE FOR SOPHIE 'When it comes to YA thrillers, there's one name that defines the Sophie McKenzie' Amy Alward, author of The Potion Diaries 'Sophie's thrillers are brilliant... You can't stop reading' Robert Muchamore, bestselling author
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 24, 2017
45 people are currently reading
1063 people want to read
About the author
Sophie McKenzie
83 books1,485 followersHey there! Welcome to my Goodreads page where you can keep up with all my stories - both the ones that are already published and the works in progress!!
I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.
I'm really excited right now because of...
Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)
For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com
I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.
I'm really excited right now because of...
Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)
For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
August 30, 2017
Had I read Sweetfreak when I was 12/13, I'm certain I would have loved it, just as I adored Sophie McKenzie's other YA's but at the age I am now, I couldn't connect to it as much as I'd hope I would. The protagonist read very young and a somewhat cliche caricature of a teen. And there being, what felt like, a different suspect in each chapter got a little tiresome. There were also some iffy pieces of description and dialogue that didn't sit too well with me. That being said, I was intrigued throughout and definitely had that gut feeling of *needing* to know 'whodunit'. I also thought the different relationship dynamics made an interesting read. Overall I'd recommend this to any 11-14 yr olds looking for a book to get them into the thriller/mystery genre!
December 21, 2017
Bought this on a whim as I was intrigued by the cover. Didn't even read the blurb, but the fingerprints and the skull key along the title promised a different kind of story. Read it in one sitting because I wanted to know wodunit, unfortunately it was too juvenile and the ending was especially underwhelming. Nonetheless it kept me entertained for one evening. Probably would have loved it 15 years ago.
June 7, 2021
Very nice book with an interesting plot!
February 11, 2019
I thought sweetfreak was a really good book probably one of my favourites. It was a huge page turner because you wanted to know who was setting her up and what was going to happen to her next. It was an exciting story but not very happy because of what happens to her. I would recommend this to girls age 12-16.
March 27, 2018
Up until the reveal I could not put the book down, I found it gripping and intriguing where my only gripe was that I felt the protagonist was a tad stupid sometimes. I like her fine but I just think shes a little too naive, she is being framed and everyone believes her guilty so she should be questioning everyone motives but she just doesn't. And then the reveal was a total let down. Maybe this was just too much young of a thriller for me. It was really good up until the end though.
July 31, 2018
This book was ok I think younger readers who haven't read many mysteries will probably enjoy this. This book was full of teen drama and I didn't really connect with the main character. She felt very cliche and similar to other characters that I have read about.
There were a lot of red herrings dropped in to try and keep you guessing as to who the culprit was. I had guessed quite early on who was behind it and I wasn't surprised by the ending. The reason behind the crime seemed very unrealistic.
I think younger readers will enjoy this but I have read quite a lot of mysteries and this didn't have the wow factor for me. I have enjoyed some of the author's other books so I will be reading more from her in the future.
There were a lot of red herrings dropped in to try and keep you guessing as to who the culprit was. I had guessed quite early on who was behind it and I wasn't surprised by the ending. The reason behind the crime seemed very unrealistic.
I think younger readers will enjoy this but I have read quite a lot of mysteries and this didn't have the wow factor for me. I have enjoyed some of the author's other books so I will be reading more from her in the future.
February 24, 2018
It’s almost painful how simplistic the plot to this is. I not only guessed correctly as to who the real identity of the cyberbully was, but I knew the outcome to all the subplots too. The abundance of cliches were just too much for me, it was physically embarrassing.
Also, I have no idea how this book got through editing because I found numerous grammatical errors and inconsistencies...
Also, I have no idea how this book got through editing because I found numerous grammatical errors and inconsistencies...
October 8, 2018
3.5 rating... it covered the subjects well, but it was still quite a young read for me... I got annoyed with it a few times
February 3, 2025
2 stars, but I know I would've loved this if I was younger, the characters were annoying, and I hated how Carey just kept blaming everyone with no proof and just feelings.
Gave this book to my younger sister, hopefully she enjoys it far more than I did.
Gave this book to my younger sister, hopefully she enjoys it far more than I did.
August 6, 2018
I found SweetFreak in the 'teen' section in my local library and pretty much based on how pretty the cover is I picked it up. (Don't get me wrong, I read the blurb and I was interested in the story too, but have you seen that cover?!) I was a little confused as to why a 'teen' section even exists, because when I asked after YA, the librarian told me they'd moved everything (again) and YA was now mixed in with adult fiction, and I had always just assumed YA and teen were the same thing. But having read this, I get it now. This is distinctly not MG, but it is definitely aimed just slightly younger than most of the YA I usually read; I feel like it would be perfectly suited to sort of 12-14 year olds? This isn't a bad thing at all, and it certainly doesn't mean you can't read it if you're outside that age bracket (I'm 24 and I thoroughly enjoyed it!), but if you're somebody who struggles to relate to the less mature ones then this might not be for you.
In SweetFreak, our protagonist, Carey, is happy, popular and has a wonderful best friend in the shape of Amelia. But when Amelia starts to receive horrible anonymous messages online, culminating in a violent death threat and a scary, gruesome prank, suddenly Carey finds herself at the centre of the investigation, blamed for the whole thing. The book follows her search to find out the truth and the impact being framed has on her life and family, and is full of plenty of mystery, frustration and angst to sink your teeth into.
Set at the start of year 10 here in the UK, the main characters were supposed to be 14 and at first I was thinking 'aren't they a bit young for all this serious drama?', but then when I looked back and thought about it, I remember around the time of year 9 actually being the worst for all that bitchiness, bullying and friendship drama. Obviously, that was 10 years ago, and now, what with social media and technology playing a much bigger part in schoolyard issues than they did back then, I can only imagine it’s even worse. So whilst it does seem extreme and farfetched in places, and is obviously sensationalised to be a gripping, fictional thriller, I do actually think it seems pretty authentic to the lives and feelings of modern kids around that age.
This really felt like a book to be read in one sitting. I desperately wanted to, but unfortunately I didn’t start it until late at night and I was struggling to keep my eyes open, so I had to give up just under halfway through at 2am, but then when I went back to it the next day I finished it in one go. The pacing was just so urgent that it was really easy to read quickly, and some of the chapters ended in quite cliffhangery ways so that I never really felt like it was a good place to stop. I just wanted to know all the answers straight away so I felt like I had to keep reading.
It says on the blurb that it ‘will keep you guessing until the very end’ and that is so very true. I watch so much CSI and Criminal Minds that I’ve gotten really good at figuring out whodunit kinds of mysteries very early on, but with SweetFreak I had no guesses. Carey had her theories of course, and seemed to have a new suspect every other chapter – which I loved, as each time somebody new occurred to her, she became certain it was them, which felt like such a typically innocent, childlike way of looking at it and was so endearing – but I never felt like she’d quite got it and I loved not knowing who to trust. It felt like the author just gave no hints whatsoever, yet still managed to keep the reader interested without having to feed us tidbits of information to hold our attention, and that’s a real skill. When the identity of SweetFreak was revealed, I felt really satisfyingly duped, and was very happy with the way it was all resolved.
I went into the library for a specific thing, not actually intending to get any books out as my TBR is already about three miles long, so this was a completely random, unexpected read, but I’m so glad I took a chance on it. I know I’m not the intended audience, and younger people would probably get something completely different out of it, but for me it was a pure piece of escapism, taking me back to my younger days, wrapping me up in the adventure and heightened emotions of the Teen Age, and giving me a few hours of downright fun. It was exactly what I didn’t know I needed right now, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone out there looking for a gripping, thrilling, YA-mystery-page-turner.
In SweetFreak, our protagonist, Carey, is happy, popular and has a wonderful best friend in the shape of Amelia. But when Amelia starts to receive horrible anonymous messages online, culminating in a violent death threat and a scary, gruesome prank, suddenly Carey finds herself at the centre of the investigation, blamed for the whole thing. The book follows her search to find out the truth and the impact being framed has on her life and family, and is full of plenty of mystery, frustration and angst to sink your teeth into.
Set at the start of year 10 here in the UK, the main characters were supposed to be 14 and at first I was thinking 'aren't they a bit young for all this serious drama?', but then when I looked back and thought about it, I remember around the time of year 9 actually being the worst for all that bitchiness, bullying and friendship drama. Obviously, that was 10 years ago, and now, what with social media and technology playing a much bigger part in schoolyard issues than they did back then, I can only imagine it’s even worse. So whilst it does seem extreme and farfetched in places, and is obviously sensationalised to be a gripping, fictional thriller, I do actually think it seems pretty authentic to the lives and feelings of modern kids around that age.
This really felt like a book to be read in one sitting. I desperately wanted to, but unfortunately I didn’t start it until late at night and I was struggling to keep my eyes open, so I had to give up just under halfway through at 2am, but then when I went back to it the next day I finished it in one go. The pacing was just so urgent that it was really easy to read quickly, and some of the chapters ended in quite cliffhangery ways so that I never really felt like it was a good place to stop. I just wanted to know all the answers straight away so I felt like I had to keep reading.
It says on the blurb that it ‘will keep you guessing until the very end’ and that is so very true. I watch so much CSI and Criminal Minds that I’ve gotten really good at figuring out whodunit kinds of mysteries very early on, but with SweetFreak I had no guesses. Carey had her theories of course, and seemed to have a new suspect every other chapter – which I loved, as each time somebody new occurred to her, she became certain it was them, which felt like such a typically innocent, childlike way of looking at it and was so endearing – but I never felt like she’d quite got it and I loved not knowing who to trust. It felt like the author just gave no hints whatsoever, yet still managed to keep the reader interested without having to feed us tidbits of information to hold our attention, and that’s a real skill. When the identity of SweetFreak was revealed, I felt really satisfyingly duped, and was very happy with the way it was all resolved.
I went into the library for a specific thing, not actually intending to get any books out as my TBR is already about three miles long, so this was a completely random, unexpected read, but I’m so glad I took a chance on it. I know I’m not the intended audience, and younger people would probably get something completely different out of it, but for me it was a pure piece of escapism, taking me back to my younger days, wrapping me up in the adventure and heightened emotions of the Teen Age, and giving me a few hours of downright fun. It was exactly what I didn’t know I needed right now, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone out there looking for a gripping, thrilling, YA-mystery-page-turner.
July 13, 2017
I was very kindly sent an ARC of this book for review from the publisher and was quite excited about it cause it did sound intriguing,but it ended up not being for me.
I honestly considered DNF-ing the book even from the first 20 pages or so (which retrospectively might have been better than ending up here,but hey ho).The protagonist of the book is a teenager girl and she simply doesn't feel that way,but rather like the cutout of what an adult would see as the most cliché version of an actual teenager with not much of a personality (after over 300 pages of following this character I couldn't possibly even tell her what her favourite colour was,let alone what she is actually like).First page and we get the oh-so relatable "my mother doesn't get me,nor does anyone else that is not my best friend",we then have the ridiculous supposed teen-like texting (a personal pet peeve as it's pretty rare from my experience to actually see teens type like that,especially in this day and age) and the "oh-my god,he unfriended me on everything!!!!!Of course he would never like,I am so fat and ugly" teen drama,how .... original.
Overall,while the plot itself was gripping and I did want to keep reading on to find out how the mystery unfolded,I did not actually care about it all,nor did I care too much about the characters themselves.For someone who is a character-driven reader and not a plot-driven one,you can imagine how meh it all felt from there.
However,that being said,I do feel like it is very much worth mentioning the elements of the book that I did like,that mostly being the family dynamics.To be specific,I thought the sibling relationship felt very real and authentic.Also we much later on see some more things regarding the family develop,which I thought was nice and that was as close to getting me invested,but overall did not quite do it.
I honestly considered DNF-ing the book even from the first 20 pages or so (which retrospectively might have been better than ending up here,but hey ho).The protagonist of the book is a teenager girl and she simply doesn't feel that way,but rather like the cutout of what an adult would see as the most cliché version of an actual teenager with not much of a personality (after over 300 pages of following this character I couldn't possibly even tell her what her favourite colour was,let alone what she is actually like).First page and we get the oh-so relatable "my mother doesn't get me,nor does anyone else that is not my best friend",we then have the ridiculous supposed teen-like texting (a personal pet peeve as it's pretty rare from my experience to actually see teens type like that,especially in this day and age) and the "oh-my god,he unfriended me on everything!!!!!Of course he would never like,I am so fat and ugly" teen drama,how .... original.
Overall,while the plot itself was gripping and I did want to keep reading on to find out how the mystery unfolded,I did not actually care about it all,nor did I care too much about the characters themselves.For someone who is a character-driven reader and not a plot-driven one,you can imagine how meh it all felt from there.
However,that being said,I do feel like it is very much worth mentioning the elements of the book that I did like,that mostly being the family dynamics.To be specific,I thought the sibling relationship felt very real and authentic.Also we much later on see some more things regarding the family develop,which I thought was nice and that was as close to getting me invested,but overall did not quite do it.
August 19, 2017
I haven't read many YA thrillers so I feel like I'm not the best judge of the quality of this. It read as very young in tone and the portrayal of the teenage protagonists felt very cliché, however, I did feel like the author did a good job of capturing Carey's angst and frustration at being falsely accused.
I was a little bit irritated that there seemed to be a new suspect every 5 minutes but I think I probably would have enjoyed this when I was younger. That's why I don't feel entirely comfortable judging it so harshly as an adult! The ending was a little disappointing but I think that was my own fault for expecting a shocking twist as per adult thrillers.
Overall, this was a fast, easy read with a decent story that I would recommend for teen readers but perhaps not for adults who prefer their thrillers a bit more exciting.
I was a little bit irritated that there seemed to be a new suspect every 5 minutes but I think I probably would have enjoyed this when I was younger. That's why I don't feel entirely comfortable judging it so harshly as an adult! The ending was a little disappointing but I think that was my own fault for expecting a shocking twist as per adult thrillers.
Overall, this was a fast, easy read with a decent story that I would recommend for teen readers but perhaps not for adults who prefer their thrillers a bit more exciting.
February 27, 2018
This book was by far the worst that I've read this year, it's so predictable and it changes who is the main culprit for 'sweatfreak' so many times. It's so far fetched the book, it just wouldn't happen in real life. Only reason it didn't get 1 star is that I've not read any other book like this, so for it's originality it gains an extra star.
November 24, 2017
2.75
I hate that after one chapter I guessed it. Which means i trudged through this whole book only to find out I was right. It was a little young for me. I feel like if I was 12-14 i would have loved it.
I hate that after one chapter I guessed it. Which means i trudged through this whole book only to find out I was right. It was a little young for me. I feel like if I was 12-14 i would have loved it.
September 25, 2017
Loads of suspense. Let me confused and mystified!
September 24, 2018
Sweat freak is a very good book, I’m not sure it was for me. However, I would recommend this to a lot of people in my year.
August 2, 2018
Definitely feel like I would’ve loved this more if I was younger, but it’s a really good YA novel & super fast paced!
November 15, 2017
I have read quite a few of this author's books and really enjoyed them so I wasn't surprised that I would like this one too. This book is a YA book so it's about teenagers and the common things that they might have to deal with. I'm 23 and although I really enjoy this author's adult books, I also enjoy reading these books as I really like this author's writing and she never disappoints. Aimed at pre-teens, this book tells the story of the cyber-bullying - it's not the worst case scenario that can happen but it shows how cyber-bullying can affects friendships and relationships and also how easy it is for things to get out of control. I thought this book was superbly written and should be read by every teen. Another great read by Sophie Mckenzie.
January 17, 2019
The book is a thriller or murder mystery. Unfortunately there isn't a sequel. Admittedly the title page did not draw me in but when I started to read I could not stop. It was a easy read. I really enjoyed it. The ending is good no spoilers as to how it ends though, it is slightly predictable. I would recommend this to anyone who likes thrillers boys or girls but the front cover is more likely to get the girls attention more than the boys, although I would only recommend to people who want something to keep them occupied out of school hours. Teens would enjoy.
February 20, 2020
3.5 I enjoyed this to a certain point. I can honestly say until about page 200ish I thought this would be a 5 star read for me but then things started to really pick up and I was super excited but my excitement wasn’t really met. The ending was clever but I think I was expecting something else and a bit more. I still have a few questions, but I did enjoy it. I’m glad I read it.
February 21, 2018
It was very good and relatable. I enjoyed it very much, kept me on my toes as i could not figure out who was the mystery attacker. I had my suspicions of who i thought it might be but then would change my mind as soon as I read a new chapter.
May 1, 2023
Ogólnie bardzo przyjemnie się czytało. Było to wciągające, jednak zakończenie było dla mnie tak beznadziejne, że dwadzieścia ostatnich stron czytałam, bo czytałam. Jednak mimo wszystko podobało mi się.
January 19, 2022
actual 3.5⭐️
August 3, 2025
#Throwback
January 12, 2025
Amazing thriller, loved the person behind sweet freak no spoilers though 🤫
April 22, 2025
Wow, that was one heck of a thriller. I always enjoying a good 'whodunit' mystery as well.
I was so gripped by the mystery, I really was curious to find out who was framing Carey. I didn't expect it to be different people who had framed Carey for all the different acts. I had immediately ruled out it being her sister, Poppy, once she became the very first suspect (and presumably red herring at that) early on in the book, and was then ruled out. In fact I was very disappointed after her being the only one who had been there for Carey and on her side when everyone else had turned against her, that it turned out she had indeed been the one to frame Carey for the SweetFreak messages. I mean she seemed genuinely sorry, but I still find it a bit unbelievable that if she really felt that bad about the Carey getting in trouble for the SweetFreak messages and was feeling genuinely guilty so that she made sure to support her and be the only one there for her, that she would've have owned up a lot earlier, instead of watching and letting her suffer all this time. I mean yes she didn't frame her for the other acts, like the dead pigeon in the locker and the hoax phone call, but what she did to Carey was still really serious as it not only got her into serious trouble but is what indirectly resulted in Amelia framing Carey for the other things.
It really annoyed me to be honest that it didn't show any of the people who had wrongly accused and disgraced her, especially her own mother, apologising to her. I hated the detectives/police offers for the way they were just determined that Carey was guilty, not even listening to her side of things, and just abusing their authority/power over her. Even if they did have all evidence pointing to her, I mean they surely should have gave her compensation for that. Oh and they didn't even seem to apologise for at least 6 months of accusing and interrogating Carey for a crime she didn't commit, still being brusque with her even and wanting to talk to her when they find out she wasn't guilty. I mean to be honest it isn't made clear what they actually talked to Carey about after her name is cleared, which was annoying, but still. The police officers should have gotten in trouble for their abuse of power and personal agenda against her, going out of their way to speculate theories about her and make assumptions, speaking to her in an unprofessional, hostile manner too. It never occurred to them that someone could have covered their fingerprints, which is very easily done, and were all ready to arrest her without any evidence that she was actually responsible for Amelia's disappearance! The way they were even about to arrest her about a phone call that wasn't even concrete proof that Carey was guilty of Amelia's disappearance was just absurd. Honestly, I was hoping for a far better catharsis than that.
Amelia, on the other hand, should have had more comeuppance coming towards her. Maybe she had a point about Carey not being a very good friend, but the fact she didn't seem to be at all sorry for framing her the way she did. Honestly, I think it would have made more sense if it had just been Amelia alone who had committed all the acts framing Carey, as the possibility of someone sneaking into their house (which was surely possible if Carey was able to sneak back in herself?) to go on Carey's laptop was never mentioned. There was a glaring error as well when they kept mentioning the possibility of her computer having been hacked, as I easily recalled Carey saying that she'd noticed that her laptop lid was open even though she was sure she'd closed it before she left. Amelia and Carey's friendship was incredibly toxic, so it's good they didn't reconcile in the end, as it was clear that Amelia was going to hate Carey forever and never forgive her for being a rubbish friend, and was still mad at her about that even after finding out that she hadn't sent the death threat and other horrible messages. Honestly, I hated Amelia so much, being hypocritical enough to accuse Carey of "always thinking she's in the right" when she herself stubbornly refused to accept any responsibility or accountability for her serious actions, thinking that they were all justified because Carey had been a rubbish friend and supposedly been sending her vicious messages, which even after she'd discovered hadn't been her but still seemed to think it was justified and that Carey deserved all the suffering she put her through of the framing. What a horrible, nasty, toxic b***h. While Carey maybe could have been more supportive for her friend, she did have a point about her being too whiney, so what Carey did when being a "rubbish friend", being not supporting her enough and being too impatient with her, wasn't even that bad, I mean not when compared to other cases of toxic friendships.
I did also find that it got a bit of a filler around the middle part when it spends a good few chapters depicting Carey dating Taylor, as I understood that while this did connect to the story itself, (being an ultimate red herring) it did spend a bit too long on the whole Carey and Taylor arc, when there should have maybe been more progress. Speaking of Taylor, I just ruled him out so easily as the culprit and dismissed him as a red herring, as they spent way too long speculating and jumping to conclusions that it was him.
It did really infuriate me as well the way the people who framed Carey received no comeuppance whatsoever, with it all just simply being dismissed as if it was nothing, when these people, who were supposed to be loved ones as well, had put Carey through so much grief and suffering, under constant police scrutiny and getting into increasingly serious trouble with both the police and the school each time. It really infuriated me the way Carey had to suffer so much, and for so long too, like at least 6 months by the sounds of it, yet the people who were responsible for this received no comeuppance whatsoever. I mean what kind of message does that send, like downplaying a serious issue like this, as in framing someone for a serious crime/offence, and making them suffer so much and for so long.
Also it really annoyed me the way the sister, Poppy, actually went to all that trouble to get Carey in trouble and didn't just intend to break up her friendship with Amelia but also get her in trouble with the police seeing as she deliberately wore gloves to hide her fingerprints, all over something as simple and minor as having inadvertently caused her boyfriend to break up with her!! This was just most ridiculous and absurd, as while many people can overreact at times, I don't think they'd usually go to the extent of trying to get someone in trouble with the police. And her saying that "she didn't think it would cause that much harm or get her into that much trouble" about a friggin DEATH THREAT?! SERIOUSLY?! And this girl is supposed to be the older sister too?! This seriously peed me off, like I couldn't believe this was serious, I mean surely anyone with common sense would put more thought into something like this, as it is not something that needs much research, just basic common sense. Oh and she had the actual nerve to ask Carey for forgiveness pretty much right after she confessed, after she was adamant on not forgiving her for a much milder thing she did to her?! I can't even begin to express how much all this infuriated me. If I was Carey I'd have just wanted to shut Poppy out forever, or at least for a good while, with literally all she does to make up for all the hell she put her poor sister through being to apologise profusely. Well yes she did finally own up to the police, but it still didn't make up for things in the grand scheme of things.
Carey was also annoying the way she was so naive and gullible, repeatedly trusting people she shouldn't have trusted, never learning her lesson. Also, she was just really childish, even for 15, the way she just suddenly walked off from the one person who was sticking by her, all because he hadn't told her about knowing someone, and when he explained that she also hadn't been completely honest with him, she just dismissed it as "being different" without explaining how, then stormed off and told him to go away. Then she refers to him as "horrible." So childish! Oh, and speaking of this one person who stuck by her, while I did like Blue as a character, being one of the very few likeable, decent characters in this book, I found the way he literally kept appearing everywhere Carey went to be very contrived indeed, with no explanation to this whatsoever, and the book ending with them kissing was very cliched and contrived indeed. I appreciate that for once this wasn't a love interest that was simply shoehorned in just for the sake of being a love interest, without fitting into the story whatsoever, like is the case with a lot of YA novels, as he did stick by Carey and try to help her and had gone through a similar situation to her, but god everything with them was so rushed and forced it was a bit cringey to be honest.
All in all, I definitely found it very gripping, with the intensity and suspense of the mystery having increased more and more as the book got on and I found myself more and more eager to read on and find out what happened. However, the ending with the big reveal felt a bit too rushed, with there being a lack of closure regarding justice for Carey, with nobody who accused her having apologised or compensated in any way, being brushed over far too easily, and that's definitely what annoyed me most. The fact her own mum suddenly didn't believe her as well, after having done initially, and didn't even give her so much as a card (so it seemed) or presents (like not even one) on her birthday was just outrageous, I mean I don't see how she could forgive her mum so easily. She should have been begging for Carey's forgiveness. I think the two things this book made me feel were infuriated (by the lack of comeuppance for the guilty parties who had put poor Carey through so much suffering and the simple dismissal of this serious act they committed against her, as well as the treatment from the police and other members of authority to Carey without having solid, concrete evidence or doing further investigation, and Carey's own mother turning against her, along with Amelia's brother verbally and physically attacking her) and gripped (by the mystery of course!)
In a nutshell: Suspense and gripping but full of bloody damn infuriating!
I was so gripped by the mystery, I really was curious to find out who was framing Carey. I didn't expect it to be different people who had framed Carey for all the different acts. I had immediately ruled out it being her sister, Poppy, once she became the very first suspect (and presumably red herring at that) early on in the book, and was then ruled out. In fact I was very disappointed after her being the only one who had been there for Carey and on her side when everyone else had turned against her, that it turned out she had indeed been the one to frame Carey for the SweetFreak messages. I mean she seemed genuinely sorry, but I still find it a bit unbelievable that if she really felt that bad about the Carey getting in trouble for the SweetFreak messages and was feeling genuinely guilty so that she made sure to support her and be the only one there for her, that she would've have owned up a lot earlier, instead of watching and letting her suffer all this time. I mean yes she didn't frame her for the other acts, like the dead pigeon in the locker and the hoax phone call, but what she did to Carey was still really serious as it not only got her into serious trouble but is what indirectly resulted in Amelia framing Carey for the other things.
It really annoyed me to be honest that it didn't show any of the people who had wrongly accused and disgraced her, especially her own mother, apologising to her. I hated the detectives/police offers for the way they were just determined that Carey was guilty, not even listening to her side of things, and just abusing their authority/power over her. Even if they did have all evidence pointing to her, I mean they surely should have gave her compensation for that. Oh and they didn't even seem to apologise for at least 6 months of accusing and interrogating Carey for a crime she didn't commit, still being brusque with her even and wanting to talk to her when they find out she wasn't guilty. I mean to be honest it isn't made clear what they actually talked to Carey about after her name is cleared, which was annoying, but still. The police officers should have gotten in trouble for their abuse of power and personal agenda against her, going out of their way to speculate theories about her and make assumptions, speaking to her in an unprofessional, hostile manner too. It never occurred to them that someone could have covered their fingerprints, which is very easily done, and were all ready to arrest her without any evidence that she was actually responsible for Amelia's disappearance! The way they were even about to arrest her about a phone call that wasn't even concrete proof that Carey was guilty of Amelia's disappearance was just absurd. Honestly, I was hoping for a far better catharsis than that.
Amelia, on the other hand, should have had more comeuppance coming towards her. Maybe she had a point about Carey not being a very good friend, but the fact she didn't seem to be at all sorry for framing her the way she did. Honestly, I think it would have made more sense if it had just been Amelia alone who had committed all the acts framing Carey, as the possibility of someone sneaking into their house (which was surely possible if Carey was able to sneak back in herself?) to go on Carey's laptop was never mentioned. There was a glaring error as well when they kept mentioning the possibility of her computer having been hacked, as I easily recalled Carey saying that she'd noticed that her laptop lid was open even though she was sure she'd closed it before she left. Amelia and Carey's friendship was incredibly toxic, so it's good they didn't reconcile in the end, as it was clear that Amelia was going to hate Carey forever and never forgive her for being a rubbish friend, and was still mad at her about that even after finding out that she hadn't sent the death threat and other horrible messages. Honestly, I hated Amelia so much, being hypocritical enough to accuse Carey of "always thinking she's in the right" when she herself stubbornly refused to accept any responsibility or accountability for her serious actions, thinking that they were all justified because Carey had been a rubbish friend and supposedly been sending her vicious messages, which even after she'd discovered hadn't been her but still seemed to think it was justified and that Carey deserved all the suffering she put her through of the framing. What a horrible, nasty, toxic b***h. While Carey maybe could have been more supportive for her friend, she did have a point about her being too whiney, so what Carey did when being a "rubbish friend", being not supporting her enough and being too impatient with her, wasn't even that bad, I mean not when compared to other cases of toxic friendships.
I did also find that it got a bit of a filler around the middle part when it spends a good few chapters depicting Carey dating Taylor, as I understood that while this did connect to the story itself, (being an ultimate red herring) it did spend a bit too long on the whole Carey and Taylor arc, when there should have maybe been more progress. Speaking of Taylor, I just ruled him out so easily as the culprit and dismissed him as a red herring, as they spent way too long speculating and jumping to conclusions that it was him.
It did really infuriate me as well the way the people who framed Carey received no comeuppance whatsoever, with it all just simply being dismissed as if it was nothing, when these people, who were supposed to be loved ones as well, had put Carey through so much grief and suffering, under constant police scrutiny and getting into increasingly serious trouble with both the police and the school each time. It really infuriated me the way Carey had to suffer so much, and for so long too, like at least 6 months by the sounds of it, yet the people who were responsible for this received no comeuppance whatsoever. I mean what kind of message does that send, like downplaying a serious issue like this, as in framing someone for a serious crime/offence, and making them suffer so much and for so long.
Also it really annoyed me the way the sister, Poppy, actually went to all that trouble to get Carey in trouble and didn't just intend to break up her friendship with Amelia but also get her in trouble with the police seeing as she deliberately wore gloves to hide her fingerprints, all over something as simple and minor as having inadvertently caused her boyfriend to break up with her!! This was just most ridiculous and absurd, as while many people can overreact at times, I don't think they'd usually go to the extent of trying to get someone in trouble with the police. And her saying that "she didn't think it would cause that much harm or get her into that much trouble" about a friggin DEATH THREAT?! SERIOUSLY?! And this girl is supposed to be the older sister too?! This seriously peed me off, like I couldn't believe this was serious, I mean surely anyone with common sense would put more thought into something like this, as it is not something that needs much research, just basic common sense. Oh and she had the actual nerve to ask Carey for forgiveness pretty much right after she confessed, after she was adamant on not forgiving her for a much milder thing she did to her?! I can't even begin to express how much all this infuriated me. If I was Carey I'd have just wanted to shut Poppy out forever, or at least for a good while, with literally all she does to make up for all the hell she put her poor sister through being to apologise profusely. Well yes she did finally own up to the police, but it still didn't make up for things in the grand scheme of things.
Carey was also annoying the way she was so naive and gullible, repeatedly trusting people she shouldn't have trusted, never learning her lesson. Also, she was just really childish, even for 15, the way she just suddenly walked off from the one person who was sticking by her, all because he hadn't told her about knowing someone, and when he explained that she also hadn't been completely honest with him, she just dismissed it as "being different" without explaining how, then stormed off and told him to go away. Then she refers to him as "horrible." So childish! Oh, and speaking of this one person who stuck by her, while I did like Blue as a character, being one of the very few likeable, decent characters in this book, I found the way he literally kept appearing everywhere Carey went to be very contrived indeed, with no explanation to this whatsoever, and the book ending with them kissing was very cliched and contrived indeed. I appreciate that for once this wasn't a love interest that was simply shoehorned in just for the sake of being a love interest, without fitting into the story whatsoever, like is the case with a lot of YA novels, as he did stick by Carey and try to help her and had gone through a similar situation to her, but god everything with them was so rushed and forced it was a bit cringey to be honest.
All in all, I definitely found it very gripping, with the intensity and suspense of the mystery having increased more and more as the book got on and I found myself more and more eager to read on and find out what happened. However, the ending with the big reveal felt a bit too rushed, with there being a lack of closure regarding justice for Carey, with nobody who accused her having apologised or compensated in any way, being brushed over far too easily, and that's definitely what annoyed me most. The fact her own mum suddenly didn't believe her as well, after having done initially, and didn't even give her so much as a card (so it seemed) or presents (like not even one) on her birthday was just outrageous, I mean I don't see how she could forgive her mum so easily. She should have been begging for Carey's forgiveness. I think the two things this book made me feel were infuriated (by the lack of comeuppance for the guilty parties who had put poor Carey through so much suffering and the simple dismissal of this serious act they committed against her, as well as the treatment from the police and other members of authority to Carey without having solid, concrete evidence or doing further investigation, and Carey's own mother turning against her, along with Amelia's brother verbally and physically attacking her) and gripped (by the mystery of course!)
In a nutshell: Suspense and gripping but full of bloody damn infuriating!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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