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Frayed
Dear Kesley,
My therapist tells me I should write you a letter. Like flushing all my thoughts and feelings out of my system and onto paper. I tell her it's a stupid idea.
But here I am, writing a letter to a dead girl. Where do I start? Where did our story begin? From the moment you were born...or died?
I'll start with the moment I found out the truth about you. Your lies and my pain. Because it always begins and ends with you.
And that end began when Rafe Lawrence came back to town...
Ava Hale will do anything to find her sister's killer...although she'll wish she hadn't. Because the harder Ava looks, the more secrets she uncovers about Kesley, and the more she begins to think that the girl she called sister was a liar. A sneak. A stranger.
And Kesley's murderer could be much closer than she thought...
A debut novel from Wattpad award-winner Kara Terzis, Frayed is a psychological whodunit that will keep you guessing!
My therapist tells me I should write you a letter. Like flushing all my thoughts and feelings out of my system and onto paper. I tell her it's a stupid idea.
But here I am, writing a letter to a dead girl. Where do I start? Where did our story begin? From the moment you were born...or died?
I'll start with the moment I found out the truth about you. Your lies and my pain. Because it always begins and ends with you.
And that end began when Rafe Lawrence came back to town...
Ava Hale will do anything to find her sister's killer...although she'll wish she hadn't. Because the harder Ava looks, the more secrets she uncovers about Kesley, and the more she begins to think that the girl she called sister was a liar. A sneak. A stranger.
And Kesley's murderer could be much closer than she thought...
A debut novel from Wattpad award-winner Kara Terzis, Frayed is a psychological whodunit that will keep you guessing!
297 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2016
32 people are currently reading
1193 people want to read
About the author
Kara Terzis
1 book36 followersKara Terzis was twelve when she wrote her first novel, and hasn’t stopped writing since. Later she started publishing her work on Wattpad, where in 2013 she won the Sourcebooks Story Development Prize, leading to the publication of her debut novel, Frayed. She adores fairy tales, photography, rainy days, and film soundtracks. When she’s not writing, you can find her buried in a good book and daydreaming. She lives with her family in Sydney, Australia.
Her debut novel--FRAYED--will be out from Sourcebooks Fire on June 7th, 2016.
As she no longer checks this page recently, for updates about her writing & life, visit her blog at http://karaterzis.wordpress.com/ as well as her various social media accounts.
Her debut novel--FRAYED--will be out from Sourcebooks Fire on June 7th, 2016.
As she no longer checks this page recently, for updates about her writing & life, visit her blog at http://karaterzis.wordpress.com/ as well as her various social media accounts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
May 26, 2016
--->EXCERPT<---
So now, for me, memories are as precious as gold. Memories like the ones we shared every summer, after the school year finished, and we'd pack our bags, shove them in the back of Mom's SUV, and make the trip to Yoho National Park. Our favorite place to go camping was Lake O'Hara. Remember that time when we sat around the fire while we roasted marshmallows? You said you loved that place because of the calm, peaceful lake, the way the breeze whispered in the trees, the way we could count the stars in the sky.
You told me the lake was beautiful beyond measure.
And if you'd told me that night, Kesley, that something as awful as your death would happen in a place so beautiful, I would have believed you. Because who would have guessed the place you loved so much would be your downfall...
Ava's sister Kesley was murdered. They haven't found her killer. No one has any idea why someone would want to kill her. She was a great person. Ava and Kesley were taken in when they were young by a foster family that adopted them after their parents died. There are secrets there. Terrible secrets.
Kesley's best friend Rafe wasn't there for her funeral, but he is back in town. Why wasn't he there? Could he have killed his best friend. He has known the girls since they were all little kids. But he's the bad boy. Or is he? How bad can he be? Ava wants to stay away from him but she can't help herself. She likes him, a lot.
Ava also has a boyfriend named Jackson who is actually a douche bag. Ava finds out some stuff about him and stays away. But then again... Ava finds out things about her sister she can't hardly believe and then every thing starts to unravel.
The more Ava finds out about Kesley the more she is appalled that she doesn't even know who her sister really was any more. Ava also finds some friends she had no idea Kesley had and they all plan on looking for Kesley's killer. And what they find is not what I was thinking at all and it freaked Ava out as well.
I loved this book. It was so different. There are a few things that people can probably pick at but for myself I thought it was great. The ending was freaking awesome. Well, not so much for the characters in the book.
*I would like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
May 3, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley.)
This was a YA mystery story, about a girl whose sister had been murdered.
I felt quite sorry for Ava in this book, as she’d lost pretty much all her family and only had her foster mother left. It was also difficult for her knowing that her sister’s killer was still on the loose.
The storyline in this was about Ava struggling after her sister’s death, as well as the mystery surrounding the murder. We also got a storyline involving a gang of girls, and a bit of a love triangle concerning Ava’s boyfriend Jackson, which was pretty shocking given the situation Ava was in. The story was enjoyable, and the pace was about right, although I would have liked a bit more intrigue.
The ending to this was okay, although I’m pretty sure I’ve read other books with a very, very similar twist at the end.
6.5 out of 10
“All I’m saying is that your sister was murdered, and there’s a killer on the loose.”
This was a YA mystery story, about a girl whose sister had been murdered.
I felt quite sorry for Ava in this book, as she’d lost pretty much all her family and only had her foster mother left. It was also difficult for her knowing that her sister’s killer was still on the loose.
“I didn’t just lose a sister and a friend, but a protector too.”
The storyline in this was about Ava struggling after her sister’s death, as well as the mystery surrounding the murder. We also got a storyline involving a gang of girls, and a bit of a love triangle concerning Ava’s boyfriend Jackson, which was pretty shocking given the situation Ava was in. The story was enjoyable, and the pace was about right, although I would have liked a bit more intrigue.
“Don’t let what happened to Kesley change you.” My fingers tightened on the doorknob. I didn’t answer, but all I could think was: I think it already has.”
The ending to this was okay, although I’m pretty sure I’ve read other books with a very, very similar twist at the end.
6.5 out of 10
September 15, 2017
3.5 stars
May 10, 2016
Frayed is a hard book to review because while it was a good book at times, at others is was completely fantastical and unrealistic yet I still read on curious to know the answers to all the mystery that surrounded Kelsey's death.
The characters were very hard to like or feel anything for and yet you couldn't help be fascinated by them. Longing to know what exactly their role was in everything that had transpired. Sometimes predictable but still enough mystery to garner turning the pages and finding out more, this was definitely a read like no other, good or bad.
With an intriguing premises, a different bizarre outcome and ending, this was definitely a book that took me by surprise and not always in a good way.
Overall it wasn't a bad read but it wasn't a great read either. It was entertaining at times and the plot was unpredictable enough that I didn't always see the outcome coming. All in all, an average read for the genre but one I think many will both like and dislike the same.
*ARC copy of this was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
The characters were very hard to like or feel anything for and yet you couldn't help be fascinated by them. Longing to know what exactly their role was in everything that had transpired. Sometimes predictable but still enough mystery to garner turning the pages and finding out more, this was definitely a read like no other, good or bad.
With an intriguing premises, a different bizarre outcome and ending, this was definitely a book that took me by surprise and not always in a good way.
Overall it wasn't a bad read but it wasn't a great read either. It was entertaining at times and the plot was unpredictable enough that I didn't always see the outcome coming. All in all, an average read for the genre but one I think many will both like and dislike the same.
*ARC copy of this was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
June 2, 2016
I was intrigued in the beginning, especially since Ava was writing to her dead sister and was clearly on a mission to find out who killed her. I'm a huge fan of mystery so I thought this book was right up my alley. And while Frayed had those dark elements, I felt like the story was a bit too rushed for me. Like there were parts that I wanted things to slow down so I could understand the character more. As a result, I couldn't connect with her and it was hard for me to feel for her pain of loss and dealing with insecurities due to her face being scarred. Another thing that happened too fast to me was the way how her relationship turned out, along with what happened between her and her best friend. I mean, there were hints about the friend's attitude at times, but I just wanted more from these characters.
Speaking of hints, the one thing I liked most about the story is that you couldn't really figure out who killed Kelsey. At one point I thought it was the mom, her friend Lia, then the bad girls from school, and like Ava I even thought Rafe was involved somehow. I didn't realize that those subtle scenes having to do with Ava's behavior was a sign. So the ending came as a surprise and I liked it a lot. I rarely read books about such things so that was an interesting way to solve the mystery of Kelsey's murder.
Overall, an interesting and dark story with great potential. I just wanted more from Ava. Still a good read if you're looking for something quick and mysterious.
Speaking of hints, the one thing I liked most about the story is that you couldn't really figure out who killed Kelsey. At one point I thought it was the mom, her friend Lia, then the bad girls from school, and like Ava I even thought Rafe was involved somehow. I didn't realize that those subtle scenes having to do with Ava's behavior was a sign. So the ending came as a surprise and I liked it a lot. I rarely read books about such things so that was an interesting way to solve the mystery of Kelsey's murder.
Overall, an interesting and dark story with great potential. I just wanted more from Ava. Still a good read if you're looking for something quick and mysterious.
July 1, 2017
Reading this book felt like peeling an onion, sometimes peeling it veeeeery slowly to reveal the truth.On the one hand I was curious about the plot: a good girl murdered in a small town for apparently no reason at all. On the other hand, I found some parts of the plot quite unrealistic.
These are minor spoilers:
In spite of some flaws I found the book entertaining and it would certainly appeal to many readers.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
These are minor spoilers:
In spite of some flaws I found the book entertaining and it would certainly appeal to many readers.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
July 5, 2016
Frayed... Frayed...
What can I say about Frayed?
I DEVOURED IT.
This book has such an interesting premise. The story takes place a few months after Ava's (our main character) sister, Kesley, has died. Kesley didn't die a normal tragic death - nothing mundane like a car accident or anything... No, Kesley died a horrible death. She was MURDERED. And no one knows who did it. It is an unsolved crime.
So of course, Ava has to take it upon her self to figure out who the murder is (that is how stories like Frayed work after all) and she finds herself working with people she would have rather not talked to in any other circumstance.
So, I did enjoy Frayed. I read through it rather quickly and I was anything but bored with the story, I would have to quite simply sum this book up as a guilty pleasure read for me.
Why would I say that? Because Frayed is far from perfect... There are some issues within it.
I don't want to fully detail out any of these issues for you... I would hate for you to go looking for them while you are reading Frayed for yourself. But they are there and it is highly likely that you will discover at least a few of them on your own without anyone pointing them out.
But you know what?! If you can find it in yourself to be able to look past the issues in Frayed, you will really enjoy the story. Once I started reading it, I was pulled in. I would start reading and then, eventually, I would look up and a lot of time had passed and the amount of pages I read through during that time...Yeah I got lost in this book!
Also, something that I really really liked in Frayed was the use of Ava writing a letter to Kesley. The letter parts were my favorite pieces to read. I felt that the really let us see Ava for who Ava is. It was a great tool employed by Kara Terzis. Honestly, I don't think I would have minded if the whole story had been written in letter form!
Oh and on a super weird side note...I think I read Kesley's name incorrectly for probably half the book before I realized that her name wasn't Kelsey...
All in all, if you want to get lost in a quick read that is going to suck you in, and you don't mind some imperfections (we are all only human and I am sure that Kara Terzis will only become a better author...I think Frayed shows she has a lot of promise!) then I think you will really like Frayed!
My Rating
3 Stars
Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/
This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher via Irish Banana Blog Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review
What can I say about Frayed?
I DEVOURED IT.
This book has such an interesting premise. The story takes place a few months after Ava's (our main character) sister, Kesley, has died. Kesley didn't die a normal tragic death - nothing mundane like a car accident or anything... No, Kesley died a horrible death. She was MURDERED. And no one knows who did it. It is an unsolved crime.
So of course, Ava has to take it upon her self to figure out who the murder is (that is how stories like Frayed work after all) and she finds herself working with people she would have rather not talked to in any other circumstance.
So, I did enjoy Frayed. I read through it rather quickly and I was anything but bored with the story, I would have to quite simply sum this book up as a guilty pleasure read for me.
Why would I say that? Because Frayed is far from perfect... There are some issues within it.
I don't want to fully detail out any of these issues for you... I would hate for you to go looking for them while you are reading Frayed for yourself. But they are there and it is highly likely that you will discover at least a few of them on your own without anyone pointing them out.
But you know what?! If you can find it in yourself to be able to look past the issues in Frayed, you will really enjoy the story. Once I started reading it, I was pulled in. I would start reading and then, eventually, I would look up and a lot of time had passed and the amount of pages I read through during that time...Yeah I got lost in this book!
Also, something that I really really liked in Frayed was the use of Ava writing a letter to Kesley. The letter parts were my favorite pieces to read. I felt that the really let us see Ava for who Ava is. It was a great tool employed by Kara Terzis. Honestly, I don't think I would have minded if the whole story had been written in letter form!
Oh and on a super weird side note...I think I read Kesley's name incorrectly for probably half the book before I realized that her name wasn't Kelsey...
All in all, if you want to get lost in a quick read that is going to suck you in, and you don't mind some imperfections (we are all only human and I am sure that Kara Terzis will only become a better author...I think Frayed shows she has a lot of promise!) then I think you will really like Frayed!
My Rating
3 Stars
Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/
This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher via Irish Banana Blog Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review
June 7, 2018
I’ve never before been so conflicted to review a book I received for review. While the premise and plot were promising, the execution was not on fleek and the book needs a very thorough line edit and copy edit before it will be ready for publication. I am reading an ARC, so my criticisms should be taken with a grain of salt, but I’ve never read an ARC so far ready from publication. That being said, I did find it quite enjoyable, and I shall endeavour to explain exactly why now.
SUMMARY
A month after her sister’s murder, Ava tries to figure out who was responsible.
PLOT
Who killed Kesley? Was it Rafe, her best friend? Was it Jackson, Ava’s boyfriend? Was it May, Jackson’s sister? Was it Amanda, queen bee bitch of the schoolyard? Was it Diana, their foster mother? Or was it Ava herself? The plot doesn’t actually explore many of these options. The characters who vow to find out ‘the truth’ don’t look for evidence or clues and basically spend all of their time standing around talking about how wonderful/awful Kesley was and how they need to find out who killed her. Yet there was something about it that made me want to read on. While the premise of this novel is awesome, the plot is maybe not so. Don't let it dissuade you though, the book was very readable.
CHARACTERS
All of the characters featured were three dimensional with background stories and motivations to act the way they did. I found myself often feeling Ava’s bewilderment and confusion when it came to Kesley’s secrets being revealed. I started the book thinking Kesley and Ava were two very close sisters sharing a special bond, and it kind of broke my heart to see that unravel as the narrative progressed and Kesey’s secrets were revealed. I really liked how the cast was largely female and the two guys involved kind of revolved around Ava. You could say love triangle, but really, Ava grows and matures in the book, and I love a character who realises one guy isn’t right for her rather than being in love with two replaceable cardboard cutouts who don’t really differ or offer her anything different. Was the romance cute? That’s probably the wrong answer. It might do it for some readers, I’m probably the wrong target audience to swoon over fictional teenager boys, no matter how bad they are.
WRITING
I found absolutely nothing wrong with the writing except that it needed a very thorough line edit and copy edit to help correct chosen words and keep the consistencies that threw me off a little. I’m pretty sure these will be addressed in the final copy (in fact, I'm going to buy a paperback version, that's how much I enjoyed it and how much faith I have in Sourcebooks editors!) so I have no real problems with the writing, except maybe keeping secrets for the sake of keeping secrets. We’re not all George RR Martin, sometimes things can be revealed rather than dragged out. I pretty much went through the entire cast list suspecting everyone of Kesley’s murder in turn and I totally did not see the big reveal coming. I kept expecting the book to go in a different direction so I was pleased and pleasantly surprised where it took me, although I still some questions about the big reveal.
PACING
The pacing was spot on, it absolutely made me want to keep flipping the pages. The whole thing was thrilling and tense and wow, that reveal, totally didn’t see it coming. Maybe some foreshadowing could have helped, it did seem a little off field. I doubt I could re-read it and go yes, that’s a clue, but honestly it seemed to be a pretty quick read anyway and just really enjoyable.
OVERALL
I have complete faith that once published this book will be hugely enjoyed by YA lovers, contemporary lovers, thrill-seekers and those who enjoy a good mystery. The premise was awesome and while the execution needed a little more work, it didn’t stop me from really enjoying this book. That’s why despite my criticism, it’s getting 4 stars.
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
SUMMARY
A month after her sister’s murder, Ava tries to figure out who was responsible.
PLOT
Who killed Kesley? Was it Rafe, her best friend? Was it Jackson, Ava’s boyfriend? Was it May, Jackson’s sister? Was it Amanda, queen bee bitch of the schoolyard? Was it Diana, their foster mother? Or was it Ava herself? The plot doesn’t actually explore many of these options. The characters who vow to find out ‘the truth’ don’t look for evidence or clues and basically spend all of their time standing around talking about how wonderful/awful Kesley was and how they need to find out who killed her. Yet there was something about it that made me want to read on. While the premise of this novel is awesome, the plot is maybe not so. Don't let it dissuade you though, the book was very readable.
CHARACTERS
All of the characters featured were three dimensional with background stories and motivations to act the way they did. I found myself often feeling Ava’s bewilderment and confusion when it came to Kesley’s secrets being revealed. I started the book thinking Kesley and Ava were two very close sisters sharing a special bond, and it kind of broke my heart to see that unravel as the narrative progressed and Kesey’s secrets were revealed. I really liked how the cast was largely female and the two guys involved kind of revolved around Ava. You could say love triangle, but really, Ava grows and matures in the book, and I love a character who realises one guy isn’t right for her rather than being in love with two replaceable cardboard cutouts who don’t really differ or offer her anything different. Was the romance cute? That’s probably the wrong answer. It might do it for some readers, I’m probably the wrong target audience to swoon over fictional teenager boys, no matter how bad they are.
WRITING
I found absolutely nothing wrong with the writing except that it needed a very thorough line edit and copy edit to help correct chosen words and keep the consistencies that threw me off a little. I’m pretty sure these will be addressed in the final copy (in fact, I'm going to buy a paperback version, that's how much I enjoyed it and how much faith I have in Sourcebooks editors!) so I have no real problems with the writing, except maybe keeping secrets for the sake of keeping secrets. We’re not all George RR Martin, sometimes things can be revealed rather than dragged out. I pretty much went through the entire cast list suspecting everyone of Kesley’s murder in turn and I totally did not see the big reveal coming. I kept expecting the book to go in a different direction so I was pleased and pleasantly surprised where it took me, although I still some questions about the big reveal.
PACING
The pacing was spot on, it absolutely made me want to keep flipping the pages. The whole thing was thrilling and tense and wow, that reveal, totally didn’t see it coming. Maybe some foreshadowing could have helped, it did seem a little off field. I doubt I could re-read it and go yes, that’s a clue, but honestly it seemed to be a pretty quick read anyway and just really enjoyable.
OVERALL
I have complete faith that once published this book will be hugely enjoyed by YA lovers, contemporary lovers, thrill-seekers and those who enjoy a good mystery. The premise was awesome and while the execution needed a little more work, it didn’t stop me from really enjoying this book. That’s why despite my criticism, it’s getting 4 stars.
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
July 16, 2016
I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley for review purposes
Ava's sister, Kelsey, was murdered and Ava will do anything to find her murderer. However, the deeper Ava looks, the more secrets she uncovers that changes everything that she thought she knew about Kelsey... and herself.
I think Frayed is a book that would have benefited from more development of characters, relationships, and plot in general. It wasn't a bad book, but it lacked something, and it felt a little bit superficial - and a tad predictable.
Kelsey, Ava's dead sister, was a vital character and she shaped the whole story. I usually don't have a problem with important absent characters if we somehow get to know them well. Kelsey was not a well written character, but had the potential to be. I felt she lacked substance and development (yes, I know she was absent, but I have read books that were able to make you know and understand 'absent' characters well - e.g The Good Sister, Of Scars and Stardust, and Dangerous Girls.) The plot twists concerning Kelsey, Ava, and their relationship felt random, and superficial. With more development, however, I believe that this could have been done really well.
Ava was also underdeveloped, as were the secondary characters. The romance, I believe, was the worst aspect of this book and I think it actually hindered the story. The 'love triangle' was very cliche, under developed, and insta-love.
In terms of the psychological thriller aspect, it could have been done better. Frayed would have actually benefited from being longer, and connecting the story a bit better. The pacing was inconsistent, and the ending tried to be shocking but failed in its execution.
Overall, I believe Frayed main problem lies in underdevelopment of plot, characters, and relationship. I think for someone new to the genre of psychological thrillers this would probably be a good place to start, but for people who read the genre often, I'd probably avoid this one.
Ava's sister, Kelsey, was murdered and Ava will do anything to find her murderer. However, the deeper Ava looks, the more secrets she uncovers that changes everything that she thought she knew about Kelsey... and herself.
I think Frayed is a book that would have benefited from more development of characters, relationships, and plot in general. It wasn't a bad book, but it lacked something, and it felt a little bit superficial - and a tad predictable.
Kelsey, Ava's dead sister, was a vital character and she shaped the whole story. I usually don't have a problem with important absent characters if we somehow get to know them well. Kelsey was not a well written character, but had the potential to be. I felt she lacked substance and development (yes, I know she was absent, but I have read books that were able to make you know and understand 'absent' characters well - e.g The Good Sister, Of Scars and Stardust, and Dangerous Girls.) The plot twists concerning Kelsey, Ava, and their relationship felt random, and superficial. With more development, however, I believe that this could have been done really well.
Ava was also underdeveloped, as were the secondary characters. The romance, I believe, was the worst aspect of this book and I think it actually hindered the story. The 'love triangle' was very cliche, under developed, and insta-love.
In terms of the psychological thriller aspect, it could have been done better. Frayed would have actually benefited from being longer, and connecting the story a bit better. The pacing was inconsistent, and the ending tried to be shocking but failed in its execution.
Overall, I believe Frayed main problem lies in underdevelopment of plot, characters, and relationship. I think for someone new to the genre of psychological thrillers this would probably be a good place to start, but for people who read the genre often, I'd probably avoid this one.
June 2, 2016
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
I hate to write one-star reviews, not because I hate to be honest about the things I didn't like about a book, but because I feel like it's a mean thing to do, especially to a young debut author. I mean, s/he put a lot of time and effort into a book, and it feels cruel to say that it wasn't a good book. But to be honest, I was beyond disappointed with this book, even for a debut.
I do love a twisty psychological thriller, and as I started reading this, I saw other reviews pop up on GR that gave me hope it'd be decent; but this one had myriad problems, including:
--Lack of motive. Ava keep suspecting people like Rafe of being involved in her sister's murder, and yet we're never given a clear indication of why she would think this.
--Pedestrian writing. I'm sorry if this sounds nitpicky, but a good thriller should leave me breathless for the next chapter. This one left me irritated with the small details, like how Ava's best friend has an unlimited credit card, but apparently also had her credit card cut off for poor grades. Editing needed here.
--Filler in excess. I don't think this one needs explained, but in short, I felt like there were lots of scenes that didn't really contribute anything to the story beyond padding out the word count.
--The ending wasn't really a surprise, and yet...it was. What I mean is, the author didn't provide us with a good cast of believable villains, and so the surprise reveal didn't feel like that much of a shock. At the same time, I think it happened a little too suddenly to feel genuine. It seemed a little rushed.
I really, really hate to sound harsh, and I honestly think Terzis could go on to write better YA thrillers if she teamed up with a good editor who was willing to demand a bit more from her. She's obviously got the raw talent for crafting a story; I'm looking forward to what she does in the future. I just don't think this book was quite ready to move beyond the drafting table and into publication.
I hate to write one-star reviews, not because I hate to be honest about the things I didn't like about a book, but because I feel like it's a mean thing to do, especially to a young debut author. I mean, s/he put a lot of time and effort into a book, and it feels cruel to say that it wasn't a good book. But to be honest, I was beyond disappointed with this book, even for a debut.
I do love a twisty psychological thriller, and as I started reading this, I saw other reviews pop up on GR that gave me hope it'd be decent; but this one had myriad problems, including:
--Lack of motive. Ava keep suspecting people like Rafe of being involved in her sister's murder, and yet we're never given a clear indication of why she would think this.
--Pedestrian writing. I'm sorry if this sounds nitpicky, but a good thriller should leave me breathless for the next chapter. This one left me irritated with the small details, like how Ava's best friend has an unlimited credit card, but apparently also had her credit card cut off for poor grades. Editing needed here.
--Filler in excess. I don't think this one needs explained, but in short, I felt like there were lots of scenes that didn't really contribute anything to the story beyond padding out the word count.
--The ending wasn't really a surprise, and yet...it was. What I mean is, the author didn't provide us with a good cast of believable villains, and so the surprise reveal didn't feel like that much of a shock. At the same time, I think it happened a little too suddenly to feel genuine. It seemed a little rushed.
I really, really hate to sound harsh, and I honestly think Terzis could go on to write better YA thrillers if she teamed up with a good editor who was willing to demand a bit more from her. She's obviously got the raw talent for crafting a story; I'm looking forward to what she does in the future. I just don't think this book was quite ready to move beyond the drafting table and into publication.
December 13, 2016
Frayed kept me guessing throughout -- and that's a huge plus. I cared enough about the characters to get involved.
I didn't guess the “whodunit,” though I really tried. Many potential suspects are offered, so that is another plus: the story offered enough surprises to keep me on my mystery-solving toes.
Despite the harsh, extremely depressing content, Frayed was a quick read and didn’t feel heavy at all. I would definitely recommend it.
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
BUDDY READ: Mystery/Crime > Frayed by Kara Terzis - Starting May 2nd 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I didn't guess the “whodunit,” though I really tried. Many potential suspects are offered, so that is another plus: the story offered enough surprises to keep me on my mystery-solving toes.
Despite the harsh, extremely depressing content, Frayed was a quick read and didn’t feel heavy at all. I would definitely recommend it.
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
BUDDY READ: Mystery/Crime > Frayed by Kara Terzis - Starting May 2nd 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
November 28, 2016
Help, I'm drowning in clichés, adverbs and adjectives. FRAYED is so poorly written I can't concentrate enough to read. We're talking two, three clichés per paragraph.
The premise for the story is great. Kara Terzis could have used a better editor to channel her raw writing talents into a more professionally written novel.
If bad writing doesn't distract you, you might enjoy this story. Might.
The premise for the story is great. Kara Terzis could have used a better editor to channel her raw writing talents into a more professionally written novel.
If bad writing doesn't distract you, you might enjoy this story. Might.
July 7, 2016
Review
Ava is haunted by her sister Kesley's death. She needs to find out who murdered her to move on. The more she looks into it though the more she learns her sister wasn't who she thought she was. Is the person who murdered her someone she knows?
I love a good mystery and they are hard to come by in YA so I was excited for this one. It did start a bit slow and took me a minute to kind of get into the story. Still once it really got moving I flew through it and didn't want to put it down.
There were little nuggets of information about Ava and Kesley's lives that were scattered throughout the story. I liked that that it was kind of all let out little by little but I think I needed more in the beginning so I could be invested from the start. I wanted to connect more with them up front but eventually got there. I will say all the questions I had as I went through were answered by the end which I appreciated. I hate when there are loose ends in a story.
There were so many possible suspects in this one I was guessing until the end. I had an idea of what it could be but never fully got there on the how. There were enough awful people in Ava and Kesley's lives - whether they realized it or not in some cases - that I was never sure who to trust.
The ending did shock me with all the reveals even though I was kind of onto it. My biggest thing was I did find some of the story kind of implausible so that kind of took me out of it at times. Overall it was a quick read that sucked me in and kept me guessing which I always want in a mystery.
This review was originally posted on Rebel Mommy Book Blog
Ava is haunted by her sister Kesley's death. She needs to find out who murdered her to move on. The more she looks into it though the more she learns her sister wasn't who she thought she was. Is the person who murdered her someone she knows?
I love a good mystery and they are hard to come by in YA so I was excited for this one. It did start a bit slow and took me a minute to kind of get into the story. Still once it really got moving I flew through it and didn't want to put it down.
There were little nuggets of information about Ava and Kesley's lives that were scattered throughout the story. I liked that that it was kind of all let out little by little but I think I needed more in the beginning so I could be invested from the start. I wanted to connect more with them up front but eventually got there. I will say all the questions I had as I went through were answered by the end which I appreciated. I hate when there are loose ends in a story.
There were so many possible suspects in this one I was guessing until the end. I had an idea of what it could be but never fully got there on the how. There were enough awful people in Ava and Kesley's lives - whether they realized it or not in some cases - that I was never sure who to trust.
The ending did shock me with all the reveals even though I was kind of onto it. My biggest thing was I did find some of the story kind of implausible so that kind of took me out of it at times. Overall it was a quick read that sucked me in and kept me guessing which I always want in a mystery.
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3 Finished Copies of FRAYED (US & Canada Only)
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This review was originally posted on Rebel Mommy Book Blog
November 19, 2016
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. Thriller/mystery type books are not really my thing, I frequently find the predictable and often to violent for my liking (I like light and fluffy I won't deny it). I haven't read books like Gone Girl and Girl on the Train. Have no interest to (even though I liked the movies). But as this was a Young Adult murder, mystery, thriller, I thought I would give it a try. Because Young Adult makes it better right?
This book sunk its claws into me right from the start. I found it intriguing even though I found Ava a little hypocritical at some stages (saying she hated her sister keeping secrets yet keeping secrets).
I felt most of the characters were all interesting and complex. The bad girls had depth, the boy next door was complex and Ava's family had a dark mystery.
The ending was just fantastic being a total surprise and clever. Normally I find mysteries pretty predictable but I did not guess this ending at all. If there is ever a book award category for best nail-biting ending that leaves you thinking "what just happened?" This would win.
It is not a scary book and it is not a book filled with violence. However the subject matter is a little dark dealing with death of a sibling, grief, foster family situations, abuse, cheating, and mental issues. This might be confronting for people who have experienced this sort of thing directly. They are not over powering themes but they are there.
I am glad I read this book, and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good thriller mystery.
This book sunk its claws into me right from the start. I found it intriguing even though I found Ava a little hypocritical at some stages (saying she hated her sister keeping secrets yet keeping secrets).
I felt most of the characters were all interesting and complex. The bad girls had depth, the boy next door was complex and Ava's family had a dark mystery.
The ending was just fantastic being a total surprise and clever. Normally I find mysteries pretty predictable but I did not guess this ending at all. If there is ever a book award category for best nail-biting ending that leaves you thinking "what just happened?" This would win.
It is not a scary book and it is not a book filled with violence. However the subject matter is a little dark dealing with death of a sibling, grief, foster family situations, abuse, cheating, and mental issues. This might be confronting for people who have experienced this sort of thing directly. They are not over powering themes but they are there.
I am glad I read this book, and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good thriller mystery.
May 27, 2016
There is one word that captures my overall thoughts on this book: depressing.
This story is told solely from Ava's POV, as she tries to find a new direction in her life, while recovering from the death of her sister Kesley.
Although this book had an interesting storyline and kept me engaged throughout most of it, it just made me sad. Ava has many bad things thrown and for the most part has dealt with it, until her sister's death. Then everything just seems to get worse. Knowing what I know now, I can completely understand how she dealt with things:
The death of her parents, but particularly her mother
The acid incident
Kesley's actions
Her step-mother's reaction to Kesley's actions
Aside from all the bad things that happen to her, almost every side character does something horrible to her.
Jackson - her boyfriend
Lia - her best friend
The KARMA gang - which her sister created
But Kesley takes the cake. Am I supposed to be sympathetic about her death? I wasn't. The more I learned about her, the more I disliked her. With the big reveal, I felt like she got her own brand of karma.
Maybe I'm too used to HEAs, but this book just hurt when I finished.
*An ARC was received for an honest review.
This story is told solely from Ava's POV, as she tries to find a new direction in her life, while recovering from the death of her sister Kesley.
Although this book had an interesting storyline and kept me engaged throughout most of it, it just made me sad. Ava has many bad things thrown and for the most part has dealt with it, until her sister's death. Then everything just seems to get worse. Knowing what I know now, I can completely understand how she dealt with things:
The death of her parents, but particularly her mother
The acid incident
Kesley's actions
Her step-mother's reaction to Kesley's actions
Aside from all the bad things that happen to her, almost every side character does something horrible to her.
Jackson - her boyfriend
Lia - her best friend
The KARMA gang - which her sister created
But Kesley takes the cake. Am I supposed to be sympathetic about her death? I wasn't. The more I learned about her, the more I disliked her. With the big reveal, I felt like she got her own brand of karma.
Maybe I'm too used to HEAs, but this book just hurt when I finished.
*An ARC was received for an honest review.
January 9, 2017
A 1-star rating seems a bit harsh even for me, but I honestly cannot think of one thing I liked about this book so giving it more stars makes absolutely no sense.
For me this story is seriously lacking in emotion, I mean, quite a few tragedies and messed up things happen along the story/are revealed towards the end, and still I felt nothing. I just wanted the book to be over so I could move on to something hopefully completely engrossing.
Other major problem I had with this book is that I totally guessed who the murderer was pretty much from the start, so for me there was no big mystery to be unraveled, just a long and boring narrative of the day-to-day life of an angsty teenage girl who for some reason likes to emphasize on what's the color of everyone's hair, including her own, many times throughout the story--annoys me so much.
In conclusion, boring, predictable, I'm pretty sure I've seen a few movies with similar plot-lines (The Uninvited with Emily Browning, Identity with John Cusak), and complete with juvenile romance drama. I really cannot recommend this one.
For me this story is seriously lacking in emotion, I mean, quite a few tragedies and messed up things happen along the story/are revealed towards the end, and still I felt nothing. I just wanted the book to be over so I could move on to something hopefully completely engrossing.
Other major problem I had with this book is that I totally guessed who the murderer was pretty much from the start, so for me there was no big mystery to be unraveled, just a long and boring narrative of the day-to-day life of an angsty teenage girl who for some reason likes to emphasize on what's the color of everyone's hair, including her own, many times throughout the story--annoys me so much.
In conclusion, boring, predictable, I'm pretty sure I've seen a few movies with similar plot-lines (The Uninvited with Emily Browning, Identity with John Cusak), and complete with juvenile romance drama. I really cannot recommend this one.
May 14, 2016
When a young, beautiful girl is murdered in a small British Columbian community, her sister Ava is left bereft of answers. Terzis establishes the premise for a psychological mystery - a genre I love, - but instead writes a mundane tale with no sense of reality. No characters behave credibly, particularly the novel's protagonist, Ava, but also the unnamed members of the community who seem completely unaffected by the murder in their small community only two months before. Whats more, the relationships between all of the characters felt so contrived. Without a credible ensemble of characters, I was unable to be drawn into the mystery at the core of the story. However at the conclusion, I could not help but feel somewhat offended by the depiction of mental illness which was not written credibly and which felt like a sensationalistic story-telling device for the author to make her story more interesting. Overall I was incredibly exasperated by this novel which caused me on several occasions to publicly roll my eyes as I was reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2016
Definitely a creepy story and definitely one that I could not put down. I had no idea where this was going and when it went there, I was like "wow". It hit me out of left field, never saw it coming, at all! Great, enjoyable and entertaining.
Thanks Sourcebooks and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks Sourcebooks and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2016
Needs work.
I think Frayed's ending got written or conceptualized first versus it being the eventual outcome of the plot and premise.
The ending is awesome in a dark, twisted, and very unexpected way. Very fitting resolution to the murder mystery. The plot, eh, not so much.
I think Frayed's ending got written or conceptualized first versus it being the eventual outcome of the plot and premise.
The ending is awesome in a dark, twisted, and very unexpected way. Very fitting resolution to the murder mystery. The plot, eh, not so much.
February 18, 2017
THAT PLOT TWIST THOUGH.
this book would of been a 4.5 or 5 stars if it wasn't for the slutshaming comments in one chapter. I couldn't get it out of my head while reading so yes it effected the final rating.
this book would of been a 4.5 or 5 stars if it wasn't for the slutshaming comments in one chapter. I couldn't get it out of my head while reading so yes it effected the final rating.
May 5, 2016
2 stars.
I’m not going to lie. I got caught on the big twist at the end. But that was actually one thing about this book I disliked. There is little to no foreshadowing of the “Big Twist”. It seemed more of a convenient ending to the story, and as I finished the book, I felt like the author had copped out by not giving any clues. .
Frayed was, for the most part, poorly written and inconsistent, riddled with scenes and sub plots that had nothing to do with the main story and seemed to exist solely to provide some drama. It was inconsistent. The lack of back story was infuriating. Pretty much every character was terrible. There was just nothing to like about anything.
The lack of character depth was a huge shortcoming, given the plethora of unlikeable characters in this novel. I would have liked to hear much more about the girls in KARMA other than the fact that they are bitchy delinquents who are occasionally vulnerable. I would have liked to better understand Kesley and Ava’s past, but we were left with no indication. And the reason for that was, in my opinion, a complete cop out.
Ava also has no meaningful relationships throughout this entire story. Her best friend is portrayed as a slutty, vapid bitch, he boyfriend as the perfect guy that is too perfect for her, her foster mother as a caring and loving individual, and Kesley as the protective big sister. Spoiler alert: None of those people are actually those things.
I’m all for supporting writers who have done well for themselves on WattPad, but this one really didn’t do it for me.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I’m not going to lie. I got caught on the big twist at the end. But that was actually one thing about this book I disliked. There is little to no foreshadowing of the “Big Twist”. It seemed more of a convenient ending to the story, and as I finished the book, I felt like the author had copped out by not giving any clues. .
Frayed was, for the most part, poorly written and inconsistent, riddled with scenes and sub plots that had nothing to do with the main story and seemed to exist solely to provide some drama. It was inconsistent. The lack of back story was infuriating. Pretty much every character was terrible. There was just nothing to like about anything.
The lack of character depth was a huge shortcoming, given the plethora of unlikeable characters in this novel. I would have liked to hear much more about the girls in KARMA other than the fact that they are bitchy delinquents who are occasionally vulnerable. I would have liked to better understand Kesley and Ava’s past, but we were left with no indication. And the reason for that was, in my opinion, a complete cop out.
Ava also has no meaningful relationships throughout this entire story. Her best friend is portrayed as a slutty, vapid bitch, he boyfriend as the perfect guy that is too perfect for her, her foster mother as a caring and loving individual, and Kesley as the protective big sister. Spoiler alert: None of those people are actually those things.
I’m all for supporting writers who have done well for themselves on WattPad, but this one really didn’t do it for me.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
June 30, 2016
I would like to thanks NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for giving me a copy of this book.
This was a very interesting story that touched my heart and surprised me. This book made me think a lot, of many things and the Author never made me feel indifferent or bored by the story.
This was the story of a 16 year old girl, Ava, trying to face her grief upon loosing her sister, trying to find answers and most of all trying to find who murdered her beloved sister!
But, who would want to hurt Kesley? a brilliant student, devoted sister, model citizen, but as Ava starting to find out about Kesley's secret, that image started to shatter and the truth she uncovered was simply horrible to bear!
The killer after all was much closer than Ava imagined it to be!
I really recommend this book!
This was a very interesting story that touched my heart and surprised me. This book made me think a lot, of many things and the Author never made me feel indifferent or bored by the story.
This was the story of a 16 year old girl, Ava, trying to face her grief upon loosing her sister, trying to find answers and most of all trying to find who murdered her beloved sister!
But, who would want to hurt Kesley? a brilliant student, devoted sister, model citizen, but as Ava starting to find out about Kesley's secret, that image started to shatter and the truth she uncovered was simply horrible to bear!
The killer after all was much closer than Ava imagined it to be!
I really recommend this book!
Read
June 29, 2016WELL GOSH DARN. That ending though O_O
October 21, 2016
3.5 / 5.
Review soon.
Review soon.
September 16, 2018
This sounded really good to me: I love psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators. And I had more likes than dislikes, so I would definitely recommend the novel to YA thriller fans. I think the novel had loads of potential, but I thought there was too much filler to hold my interest. Also, a lot of the dialogue felt unnatural to me. I did feel like the ending was very original and unexpected. I enjoy books that surprise me and Frayed definitely did.
January 9, 2019
My young teen wanted to read this so I read when she was done so we could discuss. She thought it was great! I liked it didnt ha e too many "scenes" and was a quick read, kept me interested throughout.
January 30, 2021
4.5 stars! Great book with a very crazy ending! Would recommend!
June 24, 2016
Quite The Novel Idea ~ Words from the Clouds
FULL DISCLAIMER: Kara, the lovely woman that wrote this book, is a friend of mine and also my Crit Partner. This does NOT, however, influence my opinion on this book in any way. Cause that's not how I roll.
Okay, so I'm going to be honest here and say that I was kinda scared to read this book for several reasons. 1) As I mentioned above, Kara is a friend of mine. I adore her, obviously. So me hating her book would be kind of awkward. (Kara, if you read this and you don't see me as a friend: *awkward silence* AHAHA I was kidding obviously, just forget I said that!) 2) The reviews on this book on Goodreads are kinda not really all that positive. And 3) I'm not suuuuperbig on mystery. I'm just not. I'm really picky about them and most of the time the ending feels kinda bleh to me. I just watch too much CSI & NCIS to be surprised anymore. BUT-there's a but-I did enjoy this one a whole lot. More than I expected to. Which makes me happy. Because hating books is exhausting.
I'm just gonna say, right off the bat, that I can see why people would be turned off by the ending of this book. But I honestly can't agree when they say it wasn't foreshadowed or hinted at at all, because it is. There's this theme in this book and I don't know if it was intended, but I really liked it. Mainly because it's a bit of a thing in one of my own WIP's too. And that is that people usually only see what they want to see. Sometimes people are blind to what's right in front of them. And Ava, our main character, is too. Some things in her life are so obvious but she doesn't see it because it happens. And we, as a reader, can see the truth coming from a mile away, but Ava doesn't. And I really liked this, even if it wasn't intentionally written that way.
I have not read anything from Kara on Wattpad. In fact, I haven't been active on Wattpad for years. So this is my first time reading something she's written and I'm very impressed. This is still her debut novel and I really liked the atmosphere she was able to create in this story. I liked the characters and their conversations felt real. Okay, I did not like all the characters because some were just plain awful and I wanted to stab them with a fork by the end of the book, but you get it. (I'm not insane, I swear. My mother had me tested. (Ten points to whoever gets this reference.)) So yeah, writing was great and I can't wait to read your next work Kara, if only to see how much you've grown.
Now, the ending. I liked it a whole lot. It was original for me and I honestly did not see it coming but I bought it. And yes, it was hinted at throughout the book. They were subtle, but the hints and foreshadowing was there. If you say you didn't notice, re-read the book and really pay attention.
As you can see, I rated this 4 stars. Which means that there are things I did not like that much. The first would be how things were handled with Rafe near the end. I liked him a whole lot, but his role in the ending felt a little iffy to me. Also, I did not completely buy his romance with Ava because it went a tiny bit too fast considering what's going on with Ava. Sorry, hard to explain without spoiling. But yeah. I liked it, it just went a bit too fast.
Overall, I do really recommend this book. And I'm superhappy I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. Frayed is an excellent debut novel and I recommend checking it out if you like mystery novels. If you've read this book and you're looking for other books like it, I point you towards Lisa Amowitz's books (especially Breaking Glass). They're also mystery, but with a hint of paranormal sprinkled in them and they also have that perfect mystery atmosphere this one has. So go forth and read all the books!
FULL DISCLAIMER: Kara, the lovely woman that wrote this book, is a friend of mine and also my Crit Partner. This does NOT, however, influence my opinion on this book in any way. Cause that's not how I roll.
Okay, so I'm going to be honest here and say that I was kinda scared to read this book for several reasons. 1) As I mentioned above, Kara is a friend of mine. I adore her, obviously. So me hating her book would be kind of awkward. (Kara, if you read this and you don't see me as a friend: *awkward silence* AHAHA I was kidding obviously, just forget I said that!) 2) The reviews on this book on Goodreads are kinda not really all that positive. And 3) I'm not suuuuperbig on mystery. I'm just not. I'm really picky about them and most of the time the ending feels kinda bleh to me. I just watch too much CSI & NCIS to be surprised anymore. BUT-there's a but-I did enjoy this one a whole lot. More than I expected to. Which makes me happy. Because hating books is exhausting.
I'm just gonna say, right off the bat, that I can see why people would be turned off by the ending of this book. But I honestly can't agree when they say it wasn't foreshadowed or hinted at at all, because it is. There's this theme in this book and I don't know if it was intended, but I really liked it. Mainly because it's a bit of a thing in one of my own WIP's too. And that is that people usually only see what they want to see. Sometimes people are blind to what's right in front of them. And Ava, our main character, is too. Some things in her life are so obvious but she doesn't see it because it happens. And we, as a reader, can see the truth coming from a mile away, but Ava doesn't. And I really liked this, even if it wasn't intentionally written that way.
I have not read anything from Kara on Wattpad. In fact, I haven't been active on Wattpad for years. So this is my first time reading something she's written and I'm very impressed. This is still her debut novel and I really liked the atmosphere she was able to create in this story. I liked the characters and their conversations felt real. Okay, I did not like all the characters because some were just plain awful and I wanted to stab them with a fork by the end of the book, but you get it. (I'm not insane, I swear. My mother had me tested. (Ten points to whoever gets this reference.)) So yeah, writing was great and I can't wait to read your next work Kara, if only to see how much you've grown.
Now, the ending. I liked it a whole lot. It was original for me and I honestly did not see it coming but I bought it. And yes, it was hinted at throughout the book. They were subtle, but the hints and foreshadowing was there. If you say you didn't notice, re-read the book and really pay attention.
As you can see, I rated this 4 stars. Which means that there are things I did not like that much. The first would be how things were handled with Rafe near the end. I liked him a whole lot, but his role in the ending felt a little iffy to me. Also, I did not completely buy his romance with Ava because it went a tiny bit too fast considering what's going on with Ava. Sorry, hard to explain without spoiling. But yeah. I liked it, it just went a bit too fast.
Overall, I do really recommend this book. And I'm superhappy I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. Frayed is an excellent debut novel and I recommend checking it out if you like mystery novels. If you've read this book and you're looking for other books like it, I point you towards Lisa Amowitz's books (especially Breaking Glass). They're also mystery, but with a hint of paranormal sprinkled in them and they also have that perfect mystery atmosphere this one has. So go forth and read all the books!
August 11, 2017
Thanks so much to Raincoast Books for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
First of all, let me just say that this book took me about 3 hours to read. And its almost 300 pages long. Now, part of me thinks that's just because the font is HUGE (ok, maybe just a little bit bigger than the typical font) so it didn't take me as long as a book this length normally would have, and a small part of me thinks that it was just a fast-paced book. There wasn't really much down time, one thing happened, and then bam, another thing happened. I read it quickly and in one sitting, but I don't know if I found that aspect of the book enjoyable. There were times when the suspense wasn't really built up, everything was happening so quickly.
This book is pretty much driven by that suspense, there wasn't a lot of character development. The main character Ava has a lot going on in her life, her sister was just murdered a couple of months ago, and she has recently just found out some things about her boyfriend of two years that aren't really great. And on top of that, her best friend is becoming distant and the notoriously violent all girls gang at her school is trying to get her. Next thing you know, she doesn't have a boyfriend, or a best friend and her whole perception of her sister is now a lie. There is a lot to take in and a lot going on, and at some points, I wasn't sure I believed it all. I get there had to be some conflict, but there were a couple side storylines that I didn't really think were necessary.
When we found out who killed Kesley (sidenote: it's KeSLey not KeLSey, I kept thinking it was Kelsey), anyways, we find out who the killer is and I don't really know who to feel. I mean, it makes sense, but there are not pre-cursory signs. I won't say who it is, or what happens surrounding that person, but I just felt like, in other books I've read dealing with this, you can usually suspect. I had no idea, but I'm not sure that blindside was good. It felt almost like a cop out. "Oh, this person couldn't have possibly killed her, but this happened, so it all makes sense now."
I will say though, I did enjoy this book. It held my interest, and I sincerely wanted to know who the killer was. I had a bunch of different theories, from the adopted mother, to one of the girls in KARMA. This is a solid book, but compared to the more adult thrillers I've been reading, I just didn't love it.
I also do want to briefly mention Wattpad, because this book had a very Wattpad feel. The author won a contest on Wattpad, (Wattpad is essentially a site where people can write and upload books/stories for others to read, either original works, or fan-fiction) where this book was originally released and got it published by Sourcebooks. I'm not trying to bash Wattpad, and I'm definitely not trying to bash the author, I felt like this book has great potential, I'm just not sure it is ready for the world yet. It could definitely get there some day, but I think there are a few too many loose ends and minor details that need to be reworked before anything major happens. I think it's really great she is getting the opportunity to be published, but the book needs some tweaking before that happens.
Overall, I enjoyed this book enough to keep me interested, I'm just not sure I would have picked it up myself.
First of all, let me just say that this book took me about 3 hours to read. And its almost 300 pages long. Now, part of me thinks that's just because the font is HUGE (ok, maybe just a little bit bigger than the typical font) so it didn't take me as long as a book this length normally would have, and a small part of me thinks that it was just a fast-paced book. There wasn't really much down time, one thing happened, and then bam, another thing happened. I read it quickly and in one sitting, but I don't know if I found that aspect of the book enjoyable. There were times when the suspense wasn't really built up, everything was happening so quickly.
This book is pretty much driven by that suspense, there wasn't a lot of character development. The main character Ava has a lot going on in her life, her sister was just murdered a couple of months ago, and she has recently just found out some things about her boyfriend of two years that aren't really great. And on top of that, her best friend is becoming distant and the notoriously violent all girls gang at her school is trying to get her. Next thing you know, she doesn't have a boyfriend, or a best friend and her whole perception of her sister is now a lie. There is a lot to take in and a lot going on, and at some points, I wasn't sure I believed it all. I get there had to be some conflict, but there were a couple side storylines that I didn't really think were necessary.
When we found out who killed Kesley (sidenote: it's KeSLey not KeLSey, I kept thinking it was Kelsey), anyways, we find out who the killer is and I don't really know who to feel. I mean, it makes sense, but there are not pre-cursory signs. I won't say who it is, or what happens surrounding that person, but I just felt like, in other books I've read dealing with this, you can usually suspect. I had no idea, but I'm not sure that blindside was good. It felt almost like a cop out. "Oh, this person couldn't have possibly killed her, but this happened, so it all makes sense now."
I will say though, I did enjoy this book. It held my interest, and I sincerely wanted to know who the killer was. I had a bunch of different theories, from the adopted mother, to one of the girls in KARMA. This is a solid book, but compared to the more adult thrillers I've been reading, I just didn't love it.
I also do want to briefly mention Wattpad, because this book had a very Wattpad feel. The author won a contest on Wattpad, (Wattpad is essentially a site where people can write and upload books/stories for others to read, either original works, or fan-fiction) where this book was originally released and got it published by Sourcebooks. I'm not trying to bash Wattpad, and I'm definitely not trying to bash the author, I felt like this book has great potential, I'm just not sure it is ready for the world yet. It could definitely get there some day, but I think there are a few too many loose ends and minor details that need to be reworked before anything major happens. I think it's really great she is getting the opportunity to be published, but the book needs some tweaking before that happens.
Overall, I enjoyed this book enough to keep me interested, I'm just not sure I would have picked it up myself.
June 7, 2016
The police weren’t moving fast enough to solve her sister’s murder so Ava is taking it upon herself to find the killer. It’s been four months since her sister’s body had washed up on shore, a rope wrapped around her neck and justice has not been served. Ava is tired of being the girl whose sister’s had been murdered and now is taking matters into her own hands.
Rafe, a long-time friend of both Ava and Kelsey has just returned to town and Ava confronts him about his role in Kelsey’s murder. Rafe denies any wrong doing and informs Ava that he did speak with Kelsey before the awful crime. As Rafe and Ava discuss what was bothering Kelsey, Ava doesn’t believe that Rafe is being totally honest with her. Ava is uncovering information about her sister, facts that just don’t make sense. What Ava uncovers at school about Kelsey just adds more information to the confusing facts about her sister. Kelsey was not the sister, Ava thought she was. Her sister was much more than what she led others to believe her to be. She deceived many individuals but this hurt Ava the most, for she felt that as being sisters, they were close. So many lies were being revealed that Ava is finding it hard to believe just who her sister was. Ava realizes that other individuals are also lying and she no longer feels secure and protected in her world. The ending of this novel, threw me for a loop. I thought the ending was the best part of the whole novel.
I loved the ending of the novel as I thought the words flowed, the story had a great visual and there was great energy. I wished the rest of the novel would have been like this. I felt as I read the rest of the novel that the words were not flowing as I wanted them to. The storyline was great and I feel that the characters were present; it was the flow of the story that bothered me.
I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.
Rafe, a long-time friend of both Ava and Kelsey has just returned to town and Ava confronts him about his role in Kelsey’s murder. Rafe denies any wrong doing and informs Ava that he did speak with Kelsey before the awful crime. As Rafe and Ava discuss what was bothering Kelsey, Ava doesn’t believe that Rafe is being totally honest with her. Ava is uncovering information about her sister, facts that just don’t make sense. What Ava uncovers at school about Kelsey just adds more information to the confusing facts about her sister. Kelsey was not the sister, Ava thought she was. Her sister was much more than what she led others to believe her to be. She deceived many individuals but this hurt Ava the most, for she felt that as being sisters, they were close. So many lies were being revealed that Ava is finding it hard to believe just who her sister was. Ava realizes that other individuals are also lying and she no longer feels secure and protected in her world. The ending of this novel, threw me for a loop. I thought the ending was the best part of the whole novel.
I loved the ending of the novel as I thought the words flowed, the story had a great visual and there was great energy. I wished the rest of the novel would have been like this. I felt as I read the rest of the novel that the words were not flowing as I wanted them to. The storyline was great and I feel that the characters were present; it was the flow of the story that bothered me.
I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.
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