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Losing Brave
From award-winning actress Bailee Madison and Reader’s Choice Award Finalist Stefne Miller, comes Losing Brave. More than a year has passed since seventeen-year-old Payton Brave’s twin sister went missing; and Payton, in her desperate attempt to hold on to what’s left of Dylan’s memory, is starting to crack.
Lost in the mystery and turmoil of her sister’s disappearance, Payton must overcome the aftermath of being the one left behind. She’s unable to remember even the smallest piece of what happened the day Dylan vanished. When sudden and reckless outbursts throw her from the graces of popularity to the outskirts of high school society, her new status attracts a crowd of friends she never anticipated—including a troubling romance with her sister’s boyfriend, Cole.
New clues unearth about the circumstances of her disappearance when another missing girl’s body is recovered from a nearby lake, the victim’s features eerily similar to Dylan’s. The more Payton pries open the clenches of her blocked memories, yielding to her need to know what happened, the further down the path of danger she goes. The darkness around her sister’s disappearance grows and the truth becomes more and more unbearable. And what she finds might just cost her her life.
Lost in the mystery and turmoil of her sister’s disappearance, Payton must overcome the aftermath of being the one left behind. She’s unable to remember even the smallest piece of what happened the day Dylan vanished. When sudden and reckless outbursts throw her from the graces of popularity to the outskirts of high school society, her new status attracts a crowd of friends she never anticipated—including a troubling romance with her sister’s boyfriend, Cole.
New clues unearth about the circumstances of her disappearance when another missing girl’s body is recovered from a nearby lake, the victim’s features eerily similar to Dylan’s. The more Payton pries open the clenches of her blocked memories, yielding to her need to know what happened, the further down the path of danger she goes. The darkness around her sister’s disappearance grows and the truth becomes more and more unbearable. And what she finds might just cost her her life.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 30, 2018
100 people are currently reading
2984 people want to read
About the author
Bailee Madison
10 books83 followersBailee Madison is an American teen actress who starred as May Belle Aarons in Disney's film adaptation of the beloved children's book Bridge to Terabithia. Two years later, she was nominated for a Critics' Choice Award for Brothers, and, in 2011, she earned rave reviews from The Wall Street Journal for Just Go With It. At only seventeen years of age, she has performed in more than eighteen films and twenty-two television series and has worked as a producer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
May 4, 2017
I haven't read the book yet but I preordered it but it's obvious that all the previous comments are fake accounts. Weirdly enough they all come from the same place "Minneapolis" and read very little books (6 for some, 1 for others) and are all bashing her and her acting skills. They obviously don't know how to properly review a book. I believe in fair shots and I don't think she got one.
March 19, 2018
It isn't hard to entertain me. I know it might seem that it is when you read all of my negative reviews, but I probably enjoyed half of those trashy books on some level while reading them, I just overlooked the flaws until the end.
I was genuinely bored while reading this.
There were so many things that I hated. I hated the characters, I hated Josh and how he was practically a hero at the end. I hate how predicable the plot twist was. I hated how the southern culture was butchered. I hated the fact that they got southern accents wrong.
I didn't just like this.
I know that Bailee was getting bashed for this for some reason, and that's not what I'm trying to do here. I think Bailee is adorable, I've watched a few films that she was in and I always liked her roles and her acting. I'm sure she's amazing, but I didn't find her book amazing unfortunately.
I was genuinely bored while reading this.
There were so many things that I hated. I hated the characters, I hated Josh and how he was practically a hero at the end. I hate how predicable the plot twist was. I hated how the southern culture was butchered. I hated the fact that they got southern accents wrong.
I didn't just like this.
I know that Bailee was getting bashed for this for some reason, and that's not what I'm trying to do here. I think Bailee is adorable, I've watched a few films that she was in and I always liked her roles and her acting. I'm sure she's amazing, but I didn't find her book amazing unfortunately.
September 25, 2017
Not at all what I expected. Losing Brave examines what it's like to be twins, and does so in a unique and engaging manner. How do you go on living when one half of you is gone?
Losing Brave was even better than I had hoped. One of the best novels of the year, and one you won't want to miss.
Losing Brave was even better than I had hoped. One of the best novels of the year, and one you won't want to miss.
August 19, 2018
I am finding it nearly impossible to rate this book. On the one hand, I actually enjoyed reading it. But on the other, the plot was entirely too unbelievable, many of the characters were stock characters, and the book was full of so many typos I am convinced there was no copy editor.
So yeah, safe to say I was ultimately disappointed with the read, but at the same time I had a lot of fun reading it?
I am so confused.
So yeah, safe to say I was ultimately disappointed with the read, but at the same time I had a lot of fun reading it?
I am so confused.
June 21, 2023
1.5 STARS
SPOILERS
I eagerly looked forward to Bailee Madison’s debut novel based on the blurb, a missing twin, possible mental illness, what could be more interesting? The answer is a much better book.
First the positives:
-Madison crafted a unique family of real substance. The twins’ mom had been a sixteen-year-old single mother until she married a funeral director, the man the girls learned to see as their only father. Nana was a hoot too.
-The twist/ending
Now the negatives:
-The first 40% of LOSING BRAVE was overwritten, boring drivel. I’m only kept reading because I preordered the book and wanted to know the outcome.
-I figured out the perp in the beginning of the story, but not his motive.
-I knew Payton was actually Dylan at 50% (though this was a good twist)
-I couldn’t buy into the notion that Cole realized Payton was Dylan and that he kept quiet.
-Rape culture. Josh was practically a stalker who didn’t know the meaning of the word no, yet his pushiness barely addresses and Payton’s friends practically pushed her to date him. At he end he’s practically a hero, all is forgotten.
Madison crafted an interesting premise with complex angles to the hows and whys of Brody’s crimes, although I didn’t buy into him becoming a serial killer. Murdering the half-sister he thought had a privileged life, sure, but not the other women. Madison shows promise as young writer and I am interested in seeing if her next book is better.
SPOILERS
I eagerly looked forward to Bailee Madison’s debut novel based on the blurb, a missing twin, possible mental illness, what could be more interesting? The answer is a much better book.
First the positives:
-Madison crafted a unique family of real substance. The twins’ mom had been a sixteen-year-old single mother until she married a funeral director, the man the girls learned to see as their only father. Nana was a hoot too.
-The twist/ending
Now the negatives:
-The first 40% of LOSING BRAVE was overwritten, boring drivel. I’m only kept reading because I preordered the book and wanted to know the outcome.
-I figured out the perp in the beginning of the story, but not his motive.
-I knew Payton was actually Dylan at 50% (though this was a good twist)
-I couldn’t buy into the notion that Cole realized Payton was Dylan and that he kept quiet.
-Rape culture. Josh was practically a stalker who didn’t know the meaning of the word no, yet his pushiness barely addresses and Payton’s friends practically pushed her to date him. At he end he’s practically a hero, all is forgotten.
Madison crafted an interesting premise with complex angles to the hows and whys of Brody’s crimes, although I didn’t buy into him becoming a serial killer. Murdering the half-sister he thought had a privileged life, sure, but not the other women. Madison shows promise as young writer and I am interested in seeing if her next book is better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2020
Let me just start off by saying that this was THE most confusing book I have ever read. First, I started off reading it because I thought it would be good. I then started reading it because I wanted to write an accurate review of it on good reads. Then I finished it because I wanted to try and understand this book. I still don’t know if I got this right, but I’ll try to make sense of it. One year ago Payton Brave’s twin sister, Dylan Brave went missing. Payton Brave goes through some sort of drastic change into her alter ego and becomes Poe. She befriends her sister’s old friends Misty, Cassie, and Dylan’s boyfriend, Cole. She then starts to become obsessed with her sister’s case when two other girls go missing in the area which reopens the case of Dylan Brave. Poe then is convinced that a boy from their school Joshua is the kidnapper. She finds three barrels at the beach and it is confirmed that there are bodies inside of each barrel and the DNA matches to each of the girls who went missing. Poe’s Joshua theory is proved wrong when in the middle of following Joshua, she ends up at a man who the Brave family took in and treated like family, Brody’s, house. She sees Brody beating up Joshua but Poe then gets caught by Brody. She sees all of these pictures of her, Dylan, and the two other girls who were kidnapped. She starts to get scared of Brody and realize that he was the kidnapper. Brody explains that when his father was alive and always drunk, he always drove by the Brave house to watch the twins play because he was their biological father. But their mom wouldn’t let him see the girls because he was always drunk and she didn’t think that would be safe for them. Brody’s father took all of his anger out on him. Brody wanted revenge and killed Dylan. The other two girls were just for fun. Poe tried to get away, but Brody attempts to kill her too. When Brody has the upper hand and is about to kill her, Joshua saves her and puts up a good fight until he’s knocked out again. Brody is about to kill her again but Poe is saved by Cole. Brody gets hit in the head with a wrench and is knocked out. Poe passes out too. Brody is arrested while Joshua and Poe are taken to the hospital. Now this is when it starts to get confusing. When she wakes up she starts remembering the day that Dylan was killed and realizes that the twin who was killed was not Dylan. That day Payton pretended to be Dylan that day so that Dylan wouldn’t get in trouble for sleeping at the beach with Cole. So Dylan had to pretend to be Payton too. When they saw that Payton went missing, Dylan lost all of her memory of that day and was convinced by everyone that she was Payton, but really she was Dylan. The reason that no one found out is because her and Payton have the same DNA, but they don’t have the same fingerprint, but Dylan was never fingerprinted. Cole and Dylan talk about everything and it turns out that Cole knew all along. They make up and decide to go to Europe together. Before she leaves, they have a funeral for Payton, and Dylan gives a speech along with announcing that she wants to go by Poe for now. So that was basically a summary of the book, the simplest way I could put it! (And it took me about 30 minutes) I don’t know if it’s just me who thinks this book is confusing, but it was...mind boggling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2018
Such an intense, exciting, & suspenseful read that will leave readers with the feeling that no matter how good the next book they read is, it will have no chance of being as good.
Almost a year has passed since Payton Brave’s twin sister went missing and there are still no clues as to what happened. Payton fears she is losing her memories of Dylan and will do anything she can to hold on to that piece of her. Even though she was with her sister when she disappeared, she has no memory of what happened. Payton was always the popular one while Dylan didn’t care for things like that, now Payton is taking on Dylan’s characteristics and setting herself as an outsider in the only way she knows to keep her sister alive for herself. She grows closer to her sister’s boyfriend, Cole and starts wondering how she will survive with the feelings building inside of her. As more girls similar in appearance to Dylan go missing, the case takes on a new life and Payton starts her own investigation to find out what happened to her sister and if she is in danger also.
As I was reading Losing Brave, I had two thoughts as to how the story might go. And even though I figured out the chain of events before they unfolded, it didn’t bother me, which is a very unusual thing to happen. It didn’t make the story predictable, it just made the characters act as they should have and I was following along in sync with the characters. I want to confess something, when I first saw this book and read about it I thought it looked interesting but almost didn’t read it. I thought Bailee Madison was just another actress trying to use her fame and name to get a book out there without knowing anything about writing or telling a story in this way. Good grief am I happy I didn’t stay with that train of thought; this book was so good I feel certain it will make my best of the year list and it is only the beginning of January. This story was especially good for me because I am an identical twin just like Payton and Dylan. I remember doing some of the things they did that only twins can get away with and can see what happened in the story actually happening, and it is scary. The back and forth between what was happening in the present and what happened when Dylan disappeared was played out well, just enough of the past to give the present timeline the credit it needed for everything to make sense. I recommend this book to teens, young adults, and adults alike that love a story full of twists, turns and characters that will dive deep within and tug at your heartstrings.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
Almost a year has passed since Payton Brave’s twin sister went missing and there are still no clues as to what happened. Payton fears she is losing her memories of Dylan and will do anything she can to hold on to that piece of her. Even though she was with her sister when she disappeared, she has no memory of what happened. Payton was always the popular one while Dylan didn’t care for things like that, now Payton is taking on Dylan’s characteristics and setting herself as an outsider in the only way she knows to keep her sister alive for herself. She grows closer to her sister’s boyfriend, Cole and starts wondering how she will survive with the feelings building inside of her. As more girls similar in appearance to Dylan go missing, the case takes on a new life and Payton starts her own investigation to find out what happened to her sister and if she is in danger also.
As I was reading Losing Brave, I had two thoughts as to how the story might go. And even though I figured out the chain of events before they unfolded, it didn’t bother me, which is a very unusual thing to happen. It didn’t make the story predictable, it just made the characters act as they should have and I was following along in sync with the characters. I want to confess something, when I first saw this book and read about it I thought it looked interesting but almost didn’t read it. I thought Bailee Madison was just another actress trying to use her fame and name to get a book out there without knowing anything about writing or telling a story in this way. Good grief am I happy I didn’t stay with that train of thought; this book was so good I feel certain it will make my best of the year list and it is only the beginning of January. This story was especially good for me because I am an identical twin just like Payton and Dylan. I remember doing some of the things they did that only twins can get away with and can see what happened in the story actually happening, and it is scary. The back and forth between what was happening in the present and what happened when Dylan disappeared was played out well, just enough of the past to give the present timeline the credit it needed for everything to make sense. I recommend this book to teens, young adults, and adults alike that love a story full of twists, turns and characters that will dive deep within and tug at your heartstrings.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
August 12, 2017
This was an uncorrected proof so there were obviously some typos and some minor edits that need to be made. The reason it's a 4 instead of a 5 is that the version I read is not the final version.
The overall story is good and you'll never expect it to evolve the way it does after reading the first chapter. I liked most the characters, I feel like more depth needs to be added to Dylan though. The one story element that doesn't make much sense is that one twin started going to dentist and doctor appointments for both of them after their 16th birthday which would have. been noticed immediately since both girls would have different medical histories unless they both had perfect teeth and health all their lives which even for identical twins couldn't be true and the book mentions an injury one received when younger so we know that's not the case.
I was able to guess the ending fairly early but I usually can do that much earlier than most people. I also doubted my original guess sometimes. I didn't figure out the culprit until close to the end and the last few chapters are extremely exciting.
You also can't tell from reading it that this book had two authors, the writing style is consistent throughout the book. You would also never know that one of the authors was a teenager, my writing from that age should NEVER see the light of day again let alone be published. I do also appreciate that they didn't attempt to write the dialect of a small town Mississippians into the dialogue.
I also LOVE that this book didn't try to insult, mock or make rural Southerners out to be hillbilly idiots. That's all too common in most media.
I do think this book has a potential for a decent movie as well.
I will buy the final version and re-read it then to see the differences so this review may change based on it.
The overall story is good and you'll never expect it to evolve the way it does after reading the first chapter. I liked most the characters, I feel like more depth needs to be added to Dylan though. The one story element that doesn't make much sense is that one twin started going to dentist and doctor appointments for both of them after their 16th birthday which would have. been noticed immediately since both girls would have different medical histories unless they both had perfect teeth and health all their lives which even for identical twins couldn't be true and the book mentions an injury one received when younger so we know that's not the case.
I was able to guess the ending fairly early but I usually can do that much earlier than most people. I also doubted my original guess sometimes. I didn't figure out the culprit until close to the end and the last few chapters are extremely exciting.
You also can't tell from reading it that this book had two authors, the writing style is consistent throughout the book. You would also never know that one of the authors was a teenager, my writing from that age should NEVER see the light of day again let alone be published. I do also appreciate that they didn't attempt to write the dialect of a small town Mississippians into the dialogue.
I also LOVE that this book didn't try to insult, mock or make rural Southerners out to be hillbilly idiots. That's all too common in most media.
I do think this book has a potential for a decent movie as well.
I will buy the final version and re-read it then to see the differences so this review may change based on it.
October 1, 2018
🍪🍪
2 Cookies
my blog
I recived this book in exchange for an honest review...
Ok wow. It's been a while since I have had read a netgalley book! Or any book... Well anyways. I had high hopes for this book... So I'll go through the pros and cons:
Cons: (start with the bad end with the good...)
This book in general was not well formed. I really wanted to like it. I just couldn't. I was really disappointed of the stereotypicalsouthern girl. Overall just disappointed.
Pros: (end with the good.)
I think this book actually had a good idea going. It just was not executed in the best way.
2 Cookies
my blog
I recived this book in exchange for an honest review...
Ok wow. It's been a while since I have had read a netgalley book! Or any book... Well anyways. I had high hopes for this book... So I'll go through the pros and cons:
Cons: (start with the bad end with the good...)
This book in general was not well formed. I really wanted to like it. I just couldn't. I was really disappointed of the stereotypicalsouthern girl. Overall just disappointed.
Pros: (end with the good.)
I think this book actually had a good idea going. It just was not executed in the best way.
July 13, 2019
Payton Brave misses her twin, Dylan, and is finding it hard to keep up being at the top of the social hierarchy at school. This story is told both in the present and from the year prior in the events leading up to Dylan's disappearance.
This is a good start for a very young debut writer. I don't expect marvelously rich and unusual characters in this sort of debut novel. What I liked about this was that there was a good twist at the end, and that it isn't immediately apparent why Payton Brave's twin sister has disappeared.
This is a good start for a very young debut writer. I don't expect marvelously rich and unusual characters in this sort of debut novel. What I liked about this was that there was a good twist at the end, and that it isn't immediately apparent why Payton Brave's twin sister has disappeared.
April 17, 2017
This book is terrible and the author's writing style terrible and the plot is so trashy and predictable. DO NOT READ 0/10
November 21, 2017
DNF @ 15%
2.5 Stars
I wanted to love this, because I love books with twins, but this just fell flat for me. I didn't connect with Payton, I found her to be immature and unlikeable. So I never connected to her relationship with her sister. While I sympathize with her grief and loss, it wasn't enough for me to like her. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the writing, it very much felt like a first draft - there was awkward phrases, a weird faux-southern way of speaking, and this overwhelming tone of immaturity. It just didn't work for me. I did skip to the end, so I could see what the big twist was, and I liked it - but I never felt compelled to get to that point.
I received a copy of the book from Blink via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 Stars
I wanted to love this, because I love books with twins, but this just fell flat for me. I didn't connect with Payton, I found her to be immature and unlikeable. So I never connected to her relationship with her sister. While I sympathize with her grief and loss, it wasn't enough for me to like her. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the writing, it very much felt like a first draft - there was awkward phrases, a weird faux-southern way of speaking, and this overwhelming tone of immaturity. It just didn't work for me. I did skip to the end, so I could see what the big twist was, and I liked it - but I never felt compelled to get to that point.
I received a copy of the book from Blink via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2017
Payton Brave struggles to cope as the one year anniversary of her sister’s disappearance approaches. She questions her identity and just doesn’t seem to fit in as she used to at school. Stifled by her mother and humored by her father Payton begins to look into the mystery surrounding her missing twin sister, Dylan, a task made difficult by the fac5 that it isn’t only her sister that’s missing-Payton seems to be missing large chunks of her memories as well.
Losing Brave is an exciting page-turner that will sink it’s hooks into you and not let go until th very end. Fans of YA thrillers should hold on tight for this wild ride if a story.
Losing Brave is an exciting page-turner that will sink it’s hooks into you and not let go until th very end. Fans of YA thrillers should hold on tight for this wild ride if a story.
March 27, 2019
Payton is a 16 year old girl in High School who tries to fit in at school and tries to be normal but things change after her twin sister Dylan disappears. Can she find out what happened to her sister before she loses her mind and herself? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good YA mystery Christian thriller and my first ever book by Bailee Madison the actress that was in Once Upon A Time, A guillermo Del toro horror film and in the Hallmark channel show the Good Witch. I look forward to see what she writes in the future as this was a good debut novel by her. Be sure to check this book out on Amazon and wherever else books are sold.
This was a pretty good YA mystery Christian thriller and my first ever book by Bailee Madison the actress that was in Once Upon A Time, A guillermo Del toro horror film and in the Hallmark channel show the Good Witch. I look forward to see what she writes in the future as this was a good debut novel by her. Be sure to check this book out on Amazon and wherever else books are sold.
April 5, 2018
Wow! Payton is what every heroine should be. It was also nice to see sisters get along for once instead of them always fighting and sniping at each other. Even though one of them was more popular than the other. I’ll admit I predict part of the ending but not all of it and how it evolved was really good. I liked how we still didn’t really know the full story at the end. I would definitely read more from this author.
May 7, 2021
This book was amazing! I really loved the story and the characters. The only reason I gave it 4 stars in stead of 5 is because sometimes the way it was written, was a little hard to follow. Other than that, the book did a really good job at making people think they figured it out, while actualy you haven’t figured anything out. At least that was the case for me, I never saw the plot twists comming.
November 9, 2020
Want to know my thoughts on this book? Check out my vlog : https://youtu.be/1XgJemcLfvc
April 18, 2017
I had high expectations for this book as it is written by an "award winning" actress, but I was extremely disappointed. It is obvious from the start that Madison contributed little more than the idea for the plot. The plot was predictable and similar to basically any teen novel: murder mystery, teen outcast, boyfriend subplot. The book had no interesting plot twists and I found it hard to like the characters. Don't waste your time on this book, read a John Green or Rainbow Rowell or Stephen Chbosky. Honestly, I should have expected less as this books parallels Bailee Madison's acting; dull and cheesy.
September 17, 2017
Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the E-ARC copy of this novel.
I enjoyed this novel. I liked the characters and I feel like teens can relate to the characters. I will definatly be recommending this novel to buy. It is nice to have clean novels for teens. I think for a first novel, Bailee Madison, has a good start in young adult fiction novels. It will keep a readers interest and has a good solid storyline.
I enjoyed this novel. I liked the characters and I feel like teens can relate to the characters. I will definatly be recommending this novel to buy. It is nice to have clean novels for teens. I think for a first novel, Bailee Madison, has a good start in young adult fiction novels. It will keep a readers interest and has a good solid storyline.
did-not-finish
December 29, 2017The 3rd person narrative with accents and improper grammar made me cringe.
February 15, 2020
- BE WARNED THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS OR SOMETHING -
Honestly, if I could give this book a lower rating, I would. I have been reading through other reviews and comments, and although I did leave a 1-star rating, nothing of which I am saying is meant to be an attack to the authors. I do not know who they are, and have nothing against actresses-being-writers, honestly, good for you for expanding your passions and being able to write and finish a book. (I certainly can't.) So know that this review is not based on the fact that an actress wrote this book, I really couldn't care less. So long as the story and book are well-written. I do not believe it was.
Firstly, there were some portions of the story I liked. There were many good quotes that Nana made, and they were really good, such as, "If you don't ever get a chance to cry, you don't realize how wonderful it is when you finally get to laugh." Just the typical quotes like "I've always known who you are," ones that I bookmark and then write down later just to remember. Unfortunately, these quotes were one of the ONLY things I liked about this book. At least there weren't any grammar issues. (That I noticed.)
Losing Brave is about a twin named Payton, who, we eventually find, is missing her sister Dylan. She has to go through her days like a normal popular girl while having to pretend like she isn't affected by her missing sister. However, she is affected, as the story begins with Payton realizing she had been crouching in a closet for a while? I'm honestly not sure; the beginning just seemed very off to me. It was a little questionable how
Payton was having some sort of a breakdown in the closet that she didn't remember, and then suddenly composed and brushing her hair as she studied her father.
The beginning is all about the characters: introducing them and describing them to the readers. Kudos to the authors for this, of course, because that is very important. However, the first chapter is also where we meet Brody, who is some sort of mechanic that is very close to Payton and her family? I wasn't quite sure who he was, his first mention was Payton finding him looking through her fridge. So I assumed he was her brother or cousin or relative... but he's not. He is some close family friend I guess, although I'm not sure how old he is or what he is doing in her house going through her fridge. However, the authors did add a later description of Brody and who he was a few pages later, but I was already missing key details by then and was beginning to become slightly annoyed with the book. Another annoyance was the lack of Dylan, the missing sister. The first chapter mentioned nothing of a missing girl, and considering she is a twin sister, you would think there would be more mentions of her, whether it is Payton reminiscing or what. I also didn't know if the two girls were identical or if they were just fraternal twins, but later in the story, I find they are identical. (I think.)
I also disliked their mother. While she was a young, single teenager when she had the girls, and later married to a rich, upper-class mortician, she is also very cruel and overbearing. She seems to be all about the act: don't let the public judge you. Meaning, don't do anything outside of the typical social norm, don't dress funny, don't talk disrespectfully or weird, and do not stand out. Wear enough makeup that you look prettier than normal, but not enough that you look cheap. She will say snide comments that Payton and Dylan just had to live with, and yet her comments would always hurt. Their mother also never went through any later character growth, meaning she stayed the same as she did in the beginning, and she was the kind of person (and mother) that I felt was completely horrible.
So Payton is some sort of popular girl in school I guess, yet somehow she's not one of the conceited, mean girls that you find. Maybe the conceited popular girls are just another stereotype, but I found it a little hard to believe that she was such a nice girl even to the 'outcasts' and yet was still well-known and homecoming princess and all that jazz. There was also new revelations of things that should have negatively affected Payton's popularity, such as how she was "born to a single mother from the wrong side of the cove," and "when mama 'conveniently' married David Brave... it hadn't gotten a great reaction from Cornwell's upper society..." But I guess honing your beauty, charm, and leadership skills lets you rise to the top of the social ladder.
Payton's friend, the popular, conceited, mean-girl Starr gets on my nerves. A lot. And she also gets on Payton's nerves. A lot. And yet they stay "friends," meaning Payton doesn't want to say anything against Starr even though she knows she should, and sticks around even though "(she) drove Payton up a literal wall." I mean I get it, she drives me up the wall too and I only read maybe two pages about her in the first chapter.
In the next chapter, there was an issue with the popular (wow another popular kid) Joshua, who went out with Dylan and ruined her night because he left her to go home alone or something. I'm not quite sure what went down, but it was enough that Payton wanted to shun him for life, and still ended up going out with him later. Why? Peer pressure, I think. Anyways. Also, I think I figured out why Payton is so popular. She helps everyone cheat on tests because their Spanish teacher doesn't do anything so Payton holds up the correct number of fingers the test answer so everyone passes. Because that isn't suspicious at all.
We are also introduced to Cole, who was her sister's boyfriend, and finally, (FINALLY!!), Payton managed to have an issue with people who all moved on assuming her sister is dead, and Payton refusing to let it go and making what seems to be a shrine in her sister's locker. I understand as it is her twin who is missing, but you would think she would be missing her sister a lot more and have mentioned her at least once in the first chapter.
It wasn't until the first 20 pages where a plot started to reveal itself; some authors do take a little longer to reveal their plot and develop it, but there was nothing at the beginning that would lead to a plot, it felt too much like character introductions and ideas that lead to nowhere. I had no idea where the book would go, and I feel like it is important to at least introduce the storyline and develop it later, instead of randomly thrusting it upon the readers when they least expect it. The discovery of the plot felt more like a plot twist than the actual twist.
I'm not going to go chapter-by-chapter because that would mean reading it again, and I cannot force myself to go through that again. For the record, it took me a week to read this book, all 348 pages, when it normally takes me maybe two or three days to read a book that size. Meaning that I struggled to get through it. I might be the only one who does this (or doesn't, actually), but I never really pay attention to the chapter titles. Sometimes they are funny, like 'I accidentally vaporize my pre-Algebra teacher,' but other times chapter titles are just IX or Chapter 14, etc.
However, it wasn't until I went through Chapter 3 that I realized it was set in a different time: one whole year behind. But I guess I need to pay attention to chapter titles, and the dates as well, because sometimes chapters are set in Payton's point of view, other times in Dylan's, from a year prior. I honestly struggled with understanding who was speaking, as it was a third-person point of view.
Maybe it would be easier to understand if the story was set first-person, but the third-person made it all the more confusing to understand.
Later on, Payton starts to go through some more issues, missing her sister, being pursued by Joshua, taking care of some teen girl who had a baby who died almost immediately, and then she experiences some... changes with herself. She changes her dress, she loses her popularity status and she even changes her name. Not legally, of course. But she doesn't tell everyone to call her Poe, based on Edgar Allen Poe, for some reason that is still unknown to me. She shows characteristics of Dylan, and everyone believes it is because she is still trying to hold on to her sister. Which is, of course, understandable. But really? Poe?? You couldn't have people call you anything else? Maybe there was some hidden symbolism I didn't get, but it bugged me.
Throughout the story, Payton/Poe/whoever she is, held her investigation without the police, like your average teenager in a mystery book, trying to find who would have kidnapped her sister and these two other girls who also went missing from bathrooms. Like her sister. She believes all evidence points to Joshua, and goes out of her way and stalks him to see if he was the one who kidnapped everyone. But by the end of the story, she uncovered who took her sister, but there was no mention of the other girls? Where they just collateral damage? Where they just other disappearing cases and just dead leads? Who knows. I certainly don't.
The main reason why I started to read Losing Brave was the reviews on the back cover. A few people left comments mentioning a thriller with an unexpected twist, and I am one of those people all about plot twists. However, I do not want to see them coming. Or if I do, I want them to be wrong.
I was not wrong.
I saw the plot twist maybe a hundred pages in advance, and, as my friends can attest, every time I read another piece of evidence proving me right, I would chant "please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong." The plot twist felt cliché and obvious, and yet the main characters were so naive, they never guessed. Cole, the one person who knew Dylan the best other than Payton, didn't say ANYTHING. If he would have told anybody, that would clear up the mystery and the entire book could have ended sooner than it had begun, and to me, that would be a miracle.
I was relieved when the book came to an end, although I felt that it would be more interesting and better if "Poe" had died. She was put through a situation where she could have lost her life, but I feel like it would be more impactful to the readers if she had. And once again, no offense to the authors whatsoever, but I disliked Poe. In a lot of senses.
She was so naive and trying to be nice to everybody and then basically became her sister, completely doing a 180 personality flip, becoming an outcast and buying a really old car and stuff. Another thing that irked me was her lack of details. Her car, her basic pride-and-joy, caught fire, but depending on who she talked to, her story changed. She mentioned how her car keys had red paint on them, matching the scratches those same keys made in her car. When she talked to her father, she was outside of the car when it caught fire. When she talked to Cole or Joshua, she was inside. She mentioned trying to wrench her keys out of the ignition and almost burning her hand from the heat. Poe; which one was it? Did you do this? Did somebody else? Were you in the car? Did you key your car? It wasn't until the very end that I realized that someone else had done those things to her, up until that point I was under the impression she had done it herself.
There were so many missing details for things that needed more details, I was missing so much information and was too confused the entire time.
Overall, I disliked this book, a lot. When I finished, I read the few reviews there were and honestly felt the rating was too high for this book. It just had too much unnecessary information taking the place of details that were needed, and the lack of true character development (i.e. Poe and her mother) caused the characters to seem shallow and easy to despise. The idea was very thought out and it could have been a great story if only the rest of the book was written in a way that enhanced the idea and made the mystery and suspense a focus point, and not just a background idea. I was excited to read it because what part of a missing twin and a sister who doesn't remember anything about it doesn't seem interesting to you? But it felt too much like an identity crisis and less of a mystery and trying to find Dylan.
Honestly, if I could give this book a lower rating, I would. I have been reading through other reviews and comments, and although I did leave a 1-star rating, nothing of which I am saying is meant to be an attack to the authors. I do not know who they are, and have nothing against actresses-being-writers, honestly, good for you for expanding your passions and being able to write and finish a book. (I certainly can't.) So know that this review is not based on the fact that an actress wrote this book, I really couldn't care less. So long as the story and book are well-written. I do not believe it was.
Firstly, there were some portions of the story I liked. There were many good quotes that Nana made, and they were really good, such as, "If you don't ever get a chance to cry, you don't realize how wonderful it is when you finally get to laugh." Just the typical quotes like "I've always known who you are," ones that I bookmark and then write down later just to remember. Unfortunately, these quotes were one of the ONLY things I liked about this book. At least there weren't any grammar issues. (That I noticed.)
Losing Brave is about a twin named Payton, who, we eventually find, is missing her sister Dylan. She has to go through her days like a normal popular girl while having to pretend like she isn't affected by her missing sister. However, she is affected, as the story begins with Payton realizing she had been crouching in a closet for a while? I'm honestly not sure; the beginning just seemed very off to me. It was a little questionable how
Payton was having some sort of a breakdown in the closet that she didn't remember, and then suddenly composed and brushing her hair as she studied her father.
The beginning is all about the characters: introducing them and describing them to the readers. Kudos to the authors for this, of course, because that is very important. However, the first chapter is also where we meet Brody, who is some sort of mechanic that is very close to Payton and her family? I wasn't quite sure who he was, his first mention was Payton finding him looking through her fridge. So I assumed he was her brother or cousin or relative... but he's not. He is some close family friend I guess, although I'm not sure how old he is or what he is doing in her house going through her fridge. However, the authors did add a later description of Brody and who he was a few pages later, but I was already missing key details by then and was beginning to become slightly annoyed with the book. Another annoyance was the lack of Dylan, the missing sister. The first chapter mentioned nothing of a missing girl, and considering she is a twin sister, you would think there would be more mentions of her, whether it is Payton reminiscing or what. I also didn't know if the two girls were identical or if they were just fraternal twins, but later in the story, I find they are identical. (I think.)
I also disliked their mother. While she was a young, single teenager when she had the girls, and later married to a rich, upper-class mortician, she is also very cruel and overbearing. She seems to be all about the act: don't let the public judge you. Meaning, don't do anything outside of the typical social norm, don't dress funny, don't talk disrespectfully or weird, and do not stand out. Wear enough makeup that you look prettier than normal, but not enough that you look cheap. She will say snide comments that Payton and Dylan just had to live with, and yet her comments would always hurt. Their mother also never went through any later character growth, meaning she stayed the same as she did in the beginning, and she was the kind of person (and mother) that I felt was completely horrible.
So Payton is some sort of popular girl in school I guess, yet somehow she's not one of the conceited, mean girls that you find. Maybe the conceited popular girls are just another stereotype, but I found it a little hard to believe that she was such a nice girl even to the 'outcasts' and yet was still well-known and homecoming princess and all that jazz. There was also new revelations of things that should have negatively affected Payton's popularity, such as how she was "born to a single mother from the wrong side of the cove," and "when mama 'conveniently' married David Brave... it hadn't gotten a great reaction from Cornwell's upper society..." But I guess honing your beauty, charm, and leadership skills lets you rise to the top of the social ladder.
Payton's friend, the popular, conceited, mean-girl Starr gets on my nerves. A lot. And she also gets on Payton's nerves. A lot. And yet they stay "friends," meaning Payton doesn't want to say anything against Starr even though she knows she should, and sticks around even though "(she) drove Payton up a literal wall." I mean I get it, she drives me up the wall too and I only read maybe two pages about her in the first chapter.
In the next chapter, there was an issue with the popular (wow another popular kid) Joshua, who went out with Dylan and ruined her night because he left her to go home alone or something. I'm not quite sure what went down, but it was enough that Payton wanted to shun him for life, and still ended up going out with him later. Why? Peer pressure, I think. Anyways. Also, I think I figured out why Payton is so popular. She helps everyone cheat on tests because their Spanish teacher doesn't do anything so Payton holds up the correct number of fingers the test answer so everyone passes. Because that isn't suspicious at all.
We are also introduced to Cole, who was her sister's boyfriend, and finally, (FINALLY!!), Payton managed to have an issue with people who all moved on assuming her sister is dead, and Payton refusing to let it go and making what seems to be a shrine in her sister's locker. I understand as it is her twin who is missing, but you would think she would be missing her sister a lot more and have mentioned her at least once in the first chapter.
It wasn't until the first 20 pages where a plot started to reveal itself; some authors do take a little longer to reveal their plot and develop it, but there was nothing at the beginning that would lead to a plot, it felt too much like character introductions and ideas that lead to nowhere. I had no idea where the book would go, and I feel like it is important to at least introduce the storyline and develop it later, instead of randomly thrusting it upon the readers when they least expect it. The discovery of the plot felt more like a plot twist than the actual twist.
I'm not going to go chapter-by-chapter because that would mean reading it again, and I cannot force myself to go through that again. For the record, it took me a week to read this book, all 348 pages, when it normally takes me maybe two or three days to read a book that size. Meaning that I struggled to get through it. I might be the only one who does this (or doesn't, actually), but I never really pay attention to the chapter titles. Sometimes they are funny, like 'I accidentally vaporize my pre-Algebra teacher,' but other times chapter titles are just IX or Chapter 14, etc.
However, it wasn't until I went through Chapter 3 that I realized it was set in a different time: one whole year behind. But I guess I need to pay attention to chapter titles, and the dates as well, because sometimes chapters are set in Payton's point of view, other times in Dylan's, from a year prior. I honestly struggled with understanding who was speaking, as it was a third-person point of view.
Maybe it would be easier to understand if the story was set first-person, but the third-person made it all the more confusing to understand.
Later on, Payton starts to go through some more issues, missing her sister, being pursued by Joshua, taking care of some teen girl who had a baby who died almost immediately, and then she experiences some... changes with herself. She changes her dress, she loses her popularity status and she even changes her name. Not legally, of course. But she doesn't tell everyone to call her Poe, based on Edgar Allen Poe, for some reason that is still unknown to me. She shows characteristics of Dylan, and everyone believes it is because she is still trying to hold on to her sister. Which is, of course, understandable. But really? Poe?? You couldn't have people call you anything else? Maybe there was some hidden symbolism I didn't get, but it bugged me.
Throughout the story, Payton/Poe/whoever she is, held her investigation without the police, like your average teenager in a mystery book, trying to find who would have kidnapped her sister and these two other girls who also went missing from bathrooms. Like her sister. She believes all evidence points to Joshua, and goes out of her way and stalks him to see if he was the one who kidnapped everyone. But by the end of the story, she uncovered who took her sister, but there was no mention of the other girls? Where they just collateral damage? Where they just other disappearing cases and just dead leads? Who knows. I certainly don't.
The main reason why I started to read Losing Brave was the reviews on the back cover. A few people left comments mentioning a thriller with an unexpected twist, and I am one of those people all about plot twists. However, I do not want to see them coming. Or if I do, I want them to be wrong.
I was not wrong.
I saw the plot twist maybe a hundred pages in advance, and, as my friends can attest, every time I read another piece of evidence proving me right, I would chant "please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong." The plot twist felt cliché and obvious, and yet the main characters were so naive, they never guessed. Cole, the one person who knew Dylan the best other than Payton, didn't say ANYTHING. If he would have told anybody, that would clear up the mystery and the entire book could have ended sooner than it had begun, and to me, that would be a miracle.
I was relieved when the book came to an end, although I felt that it would be more interesting and better if "Poe" had died. She was put through a situation where she could have lost her life, but I feel like it would be more impactful to the readers if she had. And once again, no offense to the authors whatsoever, but I disliked Poe. In a lot of senses.
She was so naive and trying to be nice to everybody and then basically became her sister, completely doing a 180 personality flip, becoming an outcast and buying a really old car and stuff. Another thing that irked me was her lack of details. Her car, her basic pride-and-joy, caught fire, but depending on who she talked to, her story changed. She mentioned how her car keys had red paint on them, matching the scratches those same keys made in her car. When she talked to her father, she was outside of the car when it caught fire. When she talked to Cole or Joshua, she was inside. She mentioned trying to wrench her keys out of the ignition and almost burning her hand from the heat. Poe; which one was it? Did you do this? Did somebody else? Were you in the car? Did you key your car? It wasn't until the very end that I realized that someone else had done those things to her, up until that point I was under the impression she had done it herself.
There were so many missing details for things that needed more details, I was missing so much information and was too confused the entire time.
Overall, I disliked this book, a lot. When I finished, I read the few reviews there were and honestly felt the rating was too high for this book. It just had too much unnecessary information taking the place of details that were needed, and the lack of true character development (i.e. Poe and her mother) caused the characters to seem shallow and easy to despise. The idea was very thought out and it could have been a great story if only the rest of the book was written in a way that enhanced the idea and made the mystery and suspense a focus point, and not just a background idea. I was excited to read it because what part of a missing twin and a sister who doesn't remember anything about it doesn't seem interesting to you? But it felt too much like an identity crisis and less of a mystery and trying to find Dylan.
January 7, 2023
I bought this book a couple of months ago, and I only had this time recently to check it out. Thank goodness I didn't read it immediately after the purchase because.....😫😫😫 (So let me explain myself.)
I'll cut straight straight to the point. THIS BOOK ISN'T GREAT. Here are THREE negative things to take note about this book:
1. CONFUSING
2. UNPOLISHED
3. FAULTY EXECUTION
No. 1 --- It's f*kng confusing, and I even believe this is still an understatement. This became a major problem when the climax (and the twist) arrived. My Goodness, I kept pausing and revisiting pages to have at least a vague grasp of what the author's were trying to write. It's kept throwing/revealing more and more information at the end, and not to mention the plot twist that literally flipped everything away. CALM DOWN!!! But then, if you love this kind of thing, then go on and enjoy ☺️.
No. 2 --- I've read reviews on this book immediately after I finished it and many of them pointed out that there were typos within. I kind of agree with them because there were a few. Readers were already disoriented from the plot, and these typos weren't helping at all. Now, enough of these typos. I want to focus on the general writing. WHAT THE F*CK!?!? From the overextended descriptions, monotonous conversations, cringey dialogues, and everything in between, the whole book gave the energy of an early draft. It needs more time in production and editing, and I bet the authors had trouble on them in the first place.
No. 3 --- The execution was just bad, honestly. The plot does have potential, but reading through it was conflicting. On one end, you will be intrigued by what will happen next. On the other side, it was filled with amateur writings and uninteresting characters that it's energy-draining. Many things were left unexplained for the majority of the book. I know this is common in mystery genres...but like, the muzziness was finally treated by some sort of info-dump in the end. This felt like some kind of justification for the unrefined chunks of the novel. It seems like the authors placed all their 'effort-budget' on crafting a shattering plot twist and posterior explanations that the rest of the book suffered as a consequence.
It's a surprise that I don't despise this book (don't get me wrong I don't like it either 😬.) Because it pushed hard for a plot twist that brought drastic changes throughout its narrative, I am positive that it will be an easier/better read for a revisit.
To summarize, this is an 'intentionally bad' book for a substantial ending. Welp, a 4/10 book.
I'll cut straight straight to the point. THIS BOOK ISN'T GREAT. Here are THREE negative things to take note about this book:
1. CONFUSING
2. UNPOLISHED
3. FAULTY EXECUTION
No. 1 --- It's f*kng confusing, and I even believe this is still an understatement. This became a major problem when the climax (and the twist) arrived. My Goodness, I kept pausing and revisiting pages to have at least a vague grasp of what the author's were trying to write. It's kept throwing/revealing more and more information at the end, and not to mention the plot twist that literally flipped everything away. CALM DOWN!!! But then, if you love this kind of thing, then go on and enjoy ☺️.
No. 2 --- I've read reviews on this book immediately after I finished it and many of them pointed out that there were typos within. I kind of agree with them because there were a few. Readers were already disoriented from the plot, and these typos weren't helping at all. Now, enough of these typos. I want to focus on the general writing. WHAT THE F*CK!?!? From the overextended descriptions, monotonous conversations, cringey dialogues, and everything in between, the whole book gave the energy of an early draft. It needs more time in production and editing, and I bet the authors had trouble on them in the first place.
No. 3 --- The execution was just bad, honestly. The plot does have potential, but reading through it was conflicting. On one end, you will be intrigued by what will happen next. On the other side, it was filled with amateur writings and uninteresting characters that it's energy-draining. Many things were left unexplained for the majority of the book. I know this is common in mystery genres...but like, the muzziness was finally treated by some sort of info-dump in the end. This felt like some kind of justification for the unrefined chunks of the novel. It seems like the authors placed all their 'effort-budget' on crafting a shattering plot twist and posterior explanations that the rest of the book suffered as a consequence.
It's a surprise that I don't despise this book (don't get me wrong I don't like it either 😬.) Because it pushed hard for a plot twist that brought drastic changes throughout its narrative, I am positive that it will be an easier/better read for a revisit.
To summarize, this is an 'intentionally bad' book for a substantial ending. Welp, a 4/10 book.
June 5, 2018
Losing Brave is a haunting YA novel about a year-old mystery surrounding the disappearance of Payton's twin sister, Dylan. Payton was there when Dylan disappeared, but has holes in her memory about what has happened. Although the case is still open, she knows that she might be the one to hold the key into uncovering Dylan's reasoning for her absence in their family.
When another missing girl's body is discovered by the lake, with similar features to Dylan, the police begin to believe that these two disappearances may be linked. As Payton begins to uncover some of her memories around this moment, she has no idea the danger she is putting herself in. To make matters worse, she has begun to have feelings for Dylan's boyfriend as the two become closer and closer through their mutual sadness over the loss of Dylan.
This mystery is well-paced and kept me guessing throughout. Madison builds believable motives and adds a real rawness to Payton's character. Better yet, the story takes some really shocking twists that I don't think you will see coming at all... at least, I didn't.
The audiobook is beautifully narrated and really adds another layer to the story that I think you will appreciate. This was another beautiful surprise in my book stack this month that I think even people who aren't as into YA will really love because of the maturity of these characters, the writing, and the thriller-style mystery!
When another missing girl's body is discovered by the lake, with similar features to Dylan, the police begin to believe that these two disappearances may be linked. As Payton begins to uncover some of her memories around this moment, she has no idea the danger she is putting herself in. To make matters worse, she has begun to have feelings for Dylan's boyfriend as the two become closer and closer through their mutual sadness over the loss of Dylan.
This mystery is well-paced and kept me guessing throughout. Madison builds believable motives and adds a real rawness to Payton's character. Better yet, the story takes some really shocking twists that I don't think you will see coming at all... at least, I didn't.
The audiobook is beautifully narrated and really adds another layer to the story that I think you will appreciate. This was another beautiful surprise in my book stack this month that I think even people who aren't as into YA will really love because of the maturity of these characters, the writing, and the thriller-style mystery!
January 18, 2019
Losing Brave is a book of drama, thriller, and mystery. The main character is Payton, and in this novel Payton tries to figure out what happened to her missing twin sister, Dylan. Payton gets into complicated relationships with her friends, Cole and Joshua, after Dylan disappearance too. These three characters affect what decisions she makes because, for example, Cole was Dylan's boyfriend, but Payton knew it wasn't right to like him. Dylan also told Payton once not to get involved with Joshua. There were also fights that affected characters. One of them involving Payton, and another involving Brody, Payton's brother-like friend. Payton then finds out there were two other people who went missing around the same time Dylan did. At the end, a character's jealousy is revealed, and Payton finds out the truth behind Dylan's disappearance and her own identity.
I don't recommend Losing Brave to anyone. I don't like how the book is all over the place because of random and sudden situations that don't match with previous ones. I find it odd Payton is finding out about Dylan's disappearance one year later, and that the parents couldn't tell the difference in "Payton". Some decisions of characters were stupid, so it didn't make too much sense. The story leads you to an ending that doesn't really seem worthy, so the book can be a waste of time. Overall, some aspects of the story were really interesting, but its kind of weird.
I don't recommend Losing Brave to anyone. I don't like how the book is all over the place because of random and sudden situations that don't match with previous ones. I find it odd Payton is finding out about Dylan's disappearance one year later, and that the parents couldn't tell the difference in "Payton". Some decisions of characters were stupid, so it didn't make too much sense. The story leads you to an ending that doesn't really seem worthy, so the book can be a waste of time. Overall, some aspects of the story were really interesting, but its kind of weird.
January 3, 2025
I really enjoyed this book which is why I read it so quickly. Each chapter held just enough suspense without being overbearing and I enjoyed the theme of “breaking the status quo.” While the murder mystery aspect was just okay (the motive was poor), the twist at the end had me going HUH?? It was revealed a little too casually but I love how unexpected it was. The flip flop between timelines was a little confusing at times but I got used to it after a while. Dylan’s alter-ego was weird but people do weird things when struck with PTSD. As serious and sad as the book got, I never did cry. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing 🤷🏼♀️
January 16, 2025
4.5 stars!
I honestly really enjoyed this!! I don’t really know how to review this without spoiling the whole story lol so this will probably be kind of vague but I guessed one of the two major plot twists pretty early on, mainly because things that weren’t completely adding up for me in the beginning lol and then the other plot twist, I was suspicious about the person but kept second guessing myself 😂 but everything came together so well in the end and it kept me so invested throughout the whole thing!
I honestly really enjoyed this!! I don’t really know how to review this without spoiling the whole story lol so this will probably be kind of vague but I guessed one of the two major plot twists pretty early on, mainly because things that weren’t completely adding up for me in the beginning lol and then the other plot twist, I was suspicious about the person but kept second guessing myself 😂 but everything came together so well in the end and it kept me so invested throughout the whole thing!
September 21, 2022
This book was not what I expected. I thought it'd be more romance-focused and was surprised by how much of it was a mystery. I wish more things happened throughout because it has an interesting plot, but it got stagnant a lot. I predicted one of the plot twists and am very satisfied with myself, but I wasn't expecting the other one, so that was fun. Overall, not the greatest, but definitely not the worst.
January 16, 2025
I actually really enjoyed this book. Was a little slow moving in the beginning but once it got moving I couldn’t put it down and needed to know what came next. I didn’t see the ending coming but then again I’m not really one to try and predict as I like to be surprised so maybe it was predictable idk
July 10, 2019
I enjoyed this. Liked the twist.
March 2, 2018
Am I the only one who's getting Riverdale vibes from this book?
Overall the story was really good, it was full of mystery, suspense thriller and plot twists. Altough, it was so obvious who the killer was, at least for me, but then another plottwist happened and my mind was blown away into thousand of pieces. I really like that specific twist, it was very unexpected.
In the beginning it gav me so many Riverdale vibes,but then it changed. I really liked it, I wasn't expecting for this book to be like this, I had entirely other expectations, I'm not saying that in a bad way tho.
Altough from time to time I had bit difficulties with the writing style, something happens and suddenly thr plot becomes something extremly complicated, which had me saying thing like: "What just happened?' or 'What's going on, I don't understand'.
3/5Stars.
Overall the story was really good, it was full of mystery, suspense thriller and plot twists. Altough, it was so obvious who the killer was, at least for me, but then another plottwist happened and my mind was blown away into thousand of pieces. I really like that specific twist, it was very unexpected.
In the beginning it gav me so many Riverdale vibes,but then it changed. I really liked it, I wasn't expecting for this book to be like this, I had entirely other expectations, I'm not saying that in a bad way tho.
Altough from time to time I had bit difficulties with the writing style, something happens and suddenly thr plot becomes something extremly complicated, which had me saying thing like: "What just happened?' or 'What's going on, I don't understand'.
3/5Stars.
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