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One Lie Too Many: A Nail-Biting YA Psychological Thriller of Fake Psychic Visions, Kidnapping, and Deadly Twists
Seventeen-year-old Skye Thorn will do anything to get out of her small Michigan town, even if that means pretending to be a psychic for fast cash. When Paige, the local golden girl goes missing, Skye uses her psychic visions to help the police with the case. Her readings have always been faked, but this time Skye has insider knowledge—straight from the kidnappers themselves who promise Skye a portion of the ransom money.
But when their seemingly harmless prank goes terribly wrong, Skye realizes that the group she’s involved with are willing to kill to get what they want. Now, she’ll have to discover their identities before it’s too late.
But when their seemingly harmless prank goes terribly wrong, Skye realizes that the group she’s involved with are willing to kill to get what they want. Now, she’ll have to discover their identities before it’s too late.
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2017
78 people are currently reading
6530 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Cook
40 books996 followersEileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.
You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.
You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.
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August 25, 2017
The joys of living in a small town. The bodies of your mistakes rarely stayed buried. They had a tendency to pop up when you least expected them.
I think Eileen Cook is a real author to watch. Her books seem to be flying relatively under the radar so far, but in both this book and With Malice, she’s demonstrated her talent for dragging me in and keeping me interested throughout the tale she is weaving.
In The Hanging Girl, I was hooked pretty quickly. Skye's narrative was instantly engaging, showing her to be someone we might not be able to trust and someone willing to lie and manipulate to get what she wants. And yet, she is not unlikable. I found it very easy to sympathize with her desire for something more than what she has. I understood the lies she told - she created a fictional life for herself; a fictional life she wished she had.
If you haven't already, I don't recommend reading professional reviews for this book. Kirkus and others reveal what I found to be a superb twist. It happens only a third of the way in, but I still think it is better to experience it firsthand rather than being spoiled before. So I'll be coy about it: When a pretty teenager goes missing, Skye tells the police of the psychic visions she has been having about the disappearance, offering clues to the missing girl's whereabouts.
However, it soon becomes obvious that Skye is involved more than she is letting on. When things take a very unexpected turn, Skye must decide whether to reveal what she knows or continue the deception.
To be honest, I think naturally suspicious readers will have no problem working out what is going on, but that didn't seem to matter for me. Skye was a strong enough narrator and didn't need a surprising conclusion to elevate her story - it was enough to wonder what would happen when the truth came out. And I found the ending very satisfying.
I'm sure some will want a different ending for The Hanging Girl. Perhaps more drama, definitely more , but I think it's pretty perfect the way it is.
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August 18, 2017
I wasn’t sure which was worse--to know you’re a liar or to believe your own bullshit.
For years, Eileen Cook has been my go-to for YA thrillers. Her stories are decidedly dark and unsettling, yet approachable. The Hanging Girl, Eileen Cook’s latest edition, is no exception. It’s a compelling mixture of nail-biting suspense and teen angst. Richly woven, it’ll keep you guessing to the very last page. Literally.
Candi Thorn, better known as Skye, has spent her entire life resenting both her ridiculous name and the kooky mother who bestowed it. Desperate to escape small-town Michigan, Skye has long-planned to move to NYC with her bestie the second the ink dries on her diploma. Problem is: graduation’s fast approaching and Skye’s about 30 cents shy of a quarter. Slinging fast-food and giving out occasional tarot card readings ain’t cutting it. There enters Code-Named Pluto. Pluto proposes a deal. S/he’ll kidnap Paige-- the wild, popular, teenaged daughter of a local judge. In exchange, Skye simply has to use her “psychic” abilities to help police solve the case. Ransom money will be evenly divided with Skye earning a cool $12,000. The Big Apple’s lights look a tad brighter already. Complications arise, however, when Paige’s father refuses to cough up the dough. And shit really hits the fan when Paige turns up…... DEAD.
The Hanging Girl’s success is due in no small part to the shrewd, snarky Skye. Forced to live with an irresponsible mother who chats with dead people on the reg, Skye spends her days conning cheerleaders for cash with fake tarot card readings. Cynical Skye is very much a reaction to her eccentric mother. A mother who would rather spend time analyzing auras than paying bills. And it’s their relationship that’s a highlight of the story. Their odd-couple dynamic makes Skye’s personality both realistic and understandable. And her deadpan humor brings spark to an otherwise DARK story. The girl makes bad-decision an artform, yet remains surprisingly likable. No small feat.
Reminiscent of a teen Gone Girl, Eileen Cook’s latest creation is riveting and INTENSE. Twists abound and just when you *think* you have everything figured out, the script is FLIPPED. And the ending? More than a smidge fucked up. Oh Eileen, you never fail to disappoint.
For years, Eileen Cook has been my go-to for YA thrillers. Her stories are decidedly dark and unsettling, yet approachable. The Hanging Girl, Eileen Cook’s latest edition, is no exception. It’s a compelling mixture of nail-biting suspense and teen angst. Richly woven, it’ll keep you guessing to the very last page. Literally.
Candi Thorn, better known as Skye, has spent her entire life resenting both her ridiculous name and the kooky mother who bestowed it. Desperate to escape small-town Michigan, Skye has long-planned to move to NYC with her bestie the second the ink dries on her diploma. Problem is: graduation’s fast approaching and Skye’s about 30 cents shy of a quarter. Slinging fast-food and giving out occasional tarot card readings ain’t cutting it. There enters Code-Named Pluto. Pluto proposes a deal. S/he’ll kidnap Paige-- the wild, popular, teenaged daughter of a local judge. In exchange, Skye simply has to use her “psychic” abilities to help police solve the case. Ransom money will be evenly divided with Skye earning a cool $12,000. The Big Apple’s lights look a tad brighter already. Complications arise, however, when Paige’s father refuses to cough up the dough. And shit really hits the fan when Paige turns up…... DEAD.
The Hanging Girl’s success is due in no small part to the shrewd, snarky Skye. Forced to live with an irresponsible mother who chats with dead people on the reg, Skye spends her days conning cheerleaders for cash with fake tarot card readings. Cynical Skye is very much a reaction to her eccentric mother. A mother who would rather spend time analyzing auras than paying bills. And it’s their relationship that’s a highlight of the story. Their odd-couple dynamic makes Skye’s personality both realistic and understandable. And her deadpan humor brings spark to an otherwise DARK story. The girl makes bad-decision an artform, yet remains surprisingly likable. No small feat.
Reminiscent of a teen Gone Girl, Eileen Cook’s latest creation is riveting and INTENSE. Twists abound and just when you *think* you have everything figured out, the script is FLIPPED. And the ending? More than a smidge fucked up. Oh Eileen, you never fail to disappoint.
October 21, 2017
1.5/5 Stars
DNF
I could not stand this book. The story was all over the place, and the author was obviously trying way too hard to please "today's society" by giving us this extremely diverse set of characters. Don't get me wrong, diversity is GREAT. But when every character seems to be deliberately put in there just to make people happy, I don't like it. It makes me feel like the story isn't the authors anymore, but rather that the author was pushed into pleasing society instead of staying true to their vision.
Not only that, but I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS HAPPENING. Honestly, it feels like I've been picking up all the wrong books lately - 'cause it seems like I'm confused with nearly every book I try - or I just flat out don't like it. But seriously, there were some chapters in this book where you would assume it's in Skye's perspective (she's the MC), however you'd be told later that that chapter was actually someone else's perspective, and I was like what? So then, I'd backtrack and STILL be confused with that chapter.
I decided to just give up once I read a paragraph that was flat-out shaming Republican's:
"The crowd nodded. Paige's dad was known as Hanging Bonnet for his harsh way of dealing with people who appeared before him. The judge made the national news for his "shaming sentences," where he would make criminals do embarrassing things in public to teach them a lesson. Now they were saying he was a possible Republican candidate for a Senate seat."
Ohhh, I see. So it's fine to do that to Republican's, right? 'Cause they're harsh and enjoy forcing people to do things. Mhm. But don't you dare speak badly about Democrats - because that's unacceptable! It's like, really? C'mon. Also, why the heck did that have to be mentioned in there? She didn't have to add the political view. But it was obvious that Cook was throwing a jab at Republicans, and I'm sorry, but that really ticked me off. Then again, I think it was unwise on her part to do that, since I'm sure I won't be the only one to get annoyed by it.
Overall, this was not my type of read. The story was too disorganized and I didn't want to finish it. You should never read books that irk you. There are so many better books out there - and I'm not one of those people who are finicky about DNFing books. If I hate it, I'm probably not going to finishing it. *shrugs*
Then again, you might like this, so you should still give it a shot.
DNF
I could not stand this book. The story was all over the place, and the author was obviously trying way too hard to please "today's society" by giving us this extremely diverse set of characters. Don't get me wrong, diversity is GREAT. But when every character seems to be deliberately put in there just to make people happy, I don't like it. It makes me feel like the story isn't the authors anymore, but rather that the author was pushed into pleasing society instead of staying true to their vision.
Not only that, but I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS HAPPENING. Honestly, it feels like I've been picking up all the wrong books lately - 'cause it seems like I'm confused with nearly every book I try - or I just flat out don't like it. But seriously, there were some chapters in this book where you would assume it's in Skye's perspective (she's the MC), however you'd be told later that that chapter was actually someone else's perspective, and I was like what? So then, I'd backtrack and STILL be confused with that chapter.
I decided to just give up once I read a paragraph that was flat-out shaming Republican's:
"The crowd nodded. Paige's dad was known as Hanging Bonnet for his harsh way of dealing with people who appeared before him. The judge made the national news for his "shaming sentences," where he would make criminals do embarrassing things in public to teach them a lesson. Now they were saying he was a possible Republican candidate for a Senate seat."
Ohhh, I see. So it's fine to do that to Republican's, right? 'Cause they're harsh and enjoy forcing people to do things. Mhm. But don't you dare speak badly about Democrats - because that's unacceptable! It's like, really? C'mon. Also, why the heck did that have to be mentioned in there? She didn't have to add the political view. But it was obvious that Cook was throwing a jab at Republicans, and I'm sorry, but that really ticked me off. Then again, I think it was unwise on her part to do that, since I'm sure I won't be the only one to get annoyed by it.
Overall, this was not my type of read. The story was too disorganized and I didn't want to finish it. You should never read books that irk you. There are so many better books out there - and I'm not one of those people who are finicky about DNFing books. If I hate it, I'm probably not going to finishing it. *shrugs*
Then again, you might like this, so you should still give it a shot.
April 12, 2018
There are three types of thrillers. There is the big ending twist, where a book of buildup leads up to one whodunit revelation. There is the obvious-twist-but-ability-to-guess-it-doesn't-really-matter-because-that's-not-the-point. And then there is the "so many twists, you cannot possibly guess all of them, or even half."
That's the category occupied by The Hanging Girl. And how.
I am not exaggerating when I say the entire book flips on its head around three times. If you guess even a fifth of the plot twists, you've done the impossible. And with so many twists, it is really difficult to guess the final outcome. I doubt you will, and even if you do, I highly doubt you will guess the how and why.
I've seen plenty of reviewers mention a few moments they found weak, and I have to say I'm not sure I noticed. Maybe I'm just less analytical than some. But I think the real reason behind my lack of notice comes from just how wrapped up I was in this story. Here's the thing: you are meant to enjoy this book, not analyze it. You are meant to find a kind of dark pleasure in the morally-shitty characters while also finding yourself lost in the dark atmosphere of the book. I don't think this is a book you're necessarily meant to question or think is the greatest thing ever holy shit; it's a thriller you're meant to race through and hang on every word. And you know what? I loved it.
I don't agree that this is a weak or thin thriller, though - far from it. The narrative around poverty and what it can drive people to do is well-handled without being heavy-handed. I also loved how the book made a clear connection between being marginalized and being less-than-elite; the fact that many people in non-privileged positions are queer and nonwhite is something I see erased a lot in fiction emphasizing class, and it was good that the book made a clear connection with privilege.
There's also a heavy focus on our lead character, Skye, who I absolutely adored. While I can't say I'd actually like her in real life, as a fictional character, she's written brilliantly. Her actions feel so highly motivated that I never found it hard to empathize with her. Even her decisions towards the ending felt real to me.
I honestly have very few complaints about this book; while I think the meta-narrative of the book is not pro-slutshaming, there are several moments of slutshaming that do go somewhat unchecked. There were also a few characters I thought had more potential: Drew and Paige are both incredibly intriguing characters and deserved much more development than they actually got. All that being said, though, this was a super interesting and entertaining read. I shot through it in only a few hours and I expect many will do the same.
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That's the category occupied by The Hanging Girl. And how.
I am not exaggerating when I say the entire book flips on its head around three times. If you guess even a fifth of the plot twists, you've done the impossible. And with so many twists, it is really difficult to guess the final outcome. I doubt you will, and even if you do, I highly doubt you will guess the how and why.
I've seen plenty of reviewers mention a few moments they found weak, and I have to say I'm not sure I noticed. Maybe I'm just less analytical than some. But I think the real reason behind my lack of notice comes from just how wrapped up I was in this story. Here's the thing: you are meant to enjoy this book, not analyze it. You are meant to find a kind of dark pleasure in the morally-shitty characters while also finding yourself lost in the dark atmosphere of the book. I don't think this is a book you're necessarily meant to question or think is the greatest thing ever holy shit; it's a thriller you're meant to race through and hang on every word. And you know what? I loved it.
I don't agree that this is a weak or thin thriller, though - far from it. The narrative around poverty and what it can drive people to do is well-handled without being heavy-handed. I also loved how the book made a clear connection between being marginalized and being less-than-elite; the fact that many people in non-privileged positions are queer and nonwhite is something I see erased a lot in fiction emphasizing class, and it was good that the book made a clear connection with privilege.
There's also a heavy focus on our lead character, Skye, who I absolutely adored. While I can't say I'd actually like her in real life, as a fictional character, she's written brilliantly. Her actions feel so highly motivated that I never found it hard to empathize with her. Even her decisions towards the ending felt real to me.
I honestly have very few complaints about this book; while I think the meta-narrative of the book is not pro-slutshaming, there are several moments of slutshaming that do go somewhat unchecked. There were also a few characters I thought had more potential: Drew and Paige are both incredibly intriguing characters and deserved much more development than they actually got. All that being said, though, this was a super interesting and entertaining read. I shot through it in only a few hours and I expect many will do the same.
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October 6, 2017
Spoiler-free review!
I wasn't sure which was worse - to know you were a liar, or to believe your own bullshit.
I have never needed half-star ratings so badly for any book review in my life. 3.5 stars is really the perfect rating for this story, but for the sake of Goodreads' rating system, down it goes to 3 stars.
In a nutshell, The Hanging Girl is about Skye, a fake psychic who gets desperate for cash and assists in a kidnapping plot in order to load her bank account with a bit of ransom money. Things don't work out the way she expected - do they ever in these stories? - and she finds herself in deep trouble, risking her own safety and freedom.
Her voice was bitter. "He'll be believed because people like him always get the benefit of the doubt. But us? We're expected to be losers."
My single biggest problem with this book was how "rich vs. poor" trope-heavy it was. I think the author was trying to convey some serious social commentary on the state of things in the US specifically - she even threw a few jabs at Republicans throughout the book, so it was pretty obvious - and that would have been fine, if Paige, the kidnapping victim, hadn't been such a quintessential "mean girl". She's rich, beautiful, thin, gets everything she wants, totally cruel, and just an awful character.
Naturally, our MC, Skye, is none of these things, and it led to so much girl-on-girl hate. The entire book was actually rife with girls tearing down other girls, and it was just a tough pill to swallow because I've grown so weary of this cliche. Support other women, ladies!
Maybe being brave is what happens when you don't have a choice.
There were aspects to this book that I enjoyed, of course, and Skye was (for the most part) one of them. Skye has serious anxiety, and that rep felt very authentic to me as someone who also suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. We learn early on that Skye also has a history of making up stories to make herself popular, and this aspect of her backstory made her an unreliable narrator of sorts, which was really enjoyable.
Unfortunately, there's a twist in the end of the book that more or less ruined her character for me, as she condones some really terrible business and essentially learns nothing from her trials. By the end, I couldn't root for Skye, either, sadly.
My dad tried to make it up to me. He made plans for us - talked about how we could both move forward. But I'd been making some plans of my own. And I wasn't done yet.
The book occasionally shifts into Paige's perspective, and gives a bit of backstory on why her life isn't all it's cracked up to be. She's been through some tough times, but I never really connected with those incidents enough to feel like they "explained" her behaviors; if anything, it seemed like they were just kind of thrown in as plot devices. It was one of many problems that led me to feel as though the book was just one long red herring after another, with one excuse after another, - but none of the characters even became fleshed out enough for me to "buy" any of it.
All in all, was this a quick, fun mystery read? Sure! It wasn't horror by any stretch, so while it may not be the perfect addition to your Halloween TBR, it would be a good mystery to cozy up with. Can I 100% recommend this book? Not with the constant girl-on-girl bashing and some of the problems I'll list below. Will I pick up more books from Eileen Cook in the future? That's yet to be determined.
Content warnings: this book contains implied rape, on-page violence, mental health stigmas/ableism, victim blaming, verbal/emotional manipulation and bullying, and unchallenged slut-shaming.
All quotes come from an unedited advance reading copy and may not match the quotes in the finished release.
Thank you to HMH Books for Young Readers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can read my review and more on my blog!
I wasn't sure which was worse - to know you were a liar, or to believe your own bullshit.
I have never needed half-star ratings so badly for any book review in my life. 3.5 stars is really the perfect rating for this story, but for the sake of Goodreads' rating system, down it goes to 3 stars.
In a nutshell, The Hanging Girl is about Skye, a fake psychic who gets desperate for cash and assists in a kidnapping plot in order to load her bank account with a bit of ransom money. Things don't work out the way she expected - do they ever in these stories? - and she finds herself in deep trouble, risking her own safety and freedom.
Her voice was bitter. "He'll be believed because people like him always get the benefit of the doubt. But us? We're expected to be losers."
My single biggest problem with this book was how "rich vs. poor" trope-heavy it was. I think the author was trying to convey some serious social commentary on the state of things in the US specifically - she even threw a few jabs at Republicans throughout the book, so it was pretty obvious - and that would have been fine, if Paige, the kidnapping victim, hadn't been such a quintessential "mean girl". She's rich, beautiful, thin, gets everything she wants, totally cruel, and just an awful character.
Naturally, our MC, Skye, is none of these things, and it led to so much girl-on-girl hate. The entire book was actually rife with girls tearing down other girls, and it was just a tough pill to swallow because I've grown so weary of this cliche. Support other women, ladies!
Maybe being brave is what happens when you don't have a choice.
There were aspects to this book that I enjoyed, of course, and Skye was (for the most part) one of them. Skye has serious anxiety, and that rep felt very authentic to me as someone who also suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. We learn early on that Skye also has a history of making up stories to make herself popular, and this aspect of her backstory made her an unreliable narrator of sorts, which was really enjoyable.
Unfortunately, there's a twist in the end of the book that more or less ruined her character for me, as she condones some really terrible business and essentially learns nothing from her trials. By the end, I couldn't root for Skye, either, sadly.
My dad tried to make it up to me. He made plans for us - talked about how we could both move forward. But I'd been making some plans of my own. And I wasn't done yet.
The book occasionally shifts into Paige's perspective, and gives a bit of backstory on why her life isn't all it's cracked up to be. She's been through some tough times, but I never really connected with those incidents enough to feel like they "explained" her behaviors; if anything, it seemed like they were just kind of thrown in as plot devices. It was one of many problems that led me to feel as though the book was just one long red herring after another, with one excuse after another, - but none of the characters even became fleshed out enough for me to "buy" any of it.
All in all, was this a quick, fun mystery read? Sure! It wasn't horror by any stretch, so while it may not be the perfect addition to your Halloween TBR, it would be a good mystery to cozy up with. Can I 100% recommend this book? Not with the constant girl-on-girl bashing and some of the problems I'll list below. Will I pick up more books from Eileen Cook in the future? That's yet to be determined.
Content warnings: this book contains implied rape, on-page violence, mental health stigmas/ableism, victim blaming, verbal/emotional manipulation and bullying, and unchallenged slut-shaming.
All quotes come from an unedited advance reading copy and may not match the quotes in the finished release.
Thank you to HMH Books for Young Readers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can read my review and more on my blog!
October 3, 2017
*Thanks again to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Candi Skye Thorn is a senior in high school and has been giving tarot readings for several years now. She doesn’t believe that she actually has psychic abilities but she knows a lot about the people at her school which helps her fake her readings. But when the town’s golden girl goes missing, she decides to help the police with her psychic visions because this time, she has some inside knowledge. Unfortunately though, things don’t go the way Skye expected them to go and suddenly the rest of her senior year is a lot more complicated than she thought it would be.
‘The Hanging Girl’ is the first one of Eileen Cook’s books I’ve read and I already know that it wasn’t the last one. I immediately fell in love with her writing style and I can’t wait to get more of it. If you’re looking for a great YA mystery thriller, this is the book you should choose.
It kept me on the edge of my seat and I just flew through it because I needed to know what was going to happen next. There are several major plot twists in this book and I didn’t see any of them coming. They were very well done and actually made me gasp. Another thing I loved about this book was that it has pretty short chapters. It may sound weird but that’s actually a big plus for me. When I need to take a break for some unexpected reason, I just hate having to stop reading a book in the middle of a chapter just because I would have to read another thirty pages to get to the next one.
The only thing that bothered me a little was that the characters just felt a little flat. I didn’t really feel connected with any of them, not even with Skye even though the book was written from her point of view. But this is just a minor thing and it definitely didn’t destroy my reading experience.
All in all, this was a great book and I really, really enjoyed it. I decided to give it 4 out of 5 stars and I highly recommend you get yourself a copy once it comes out. I’m definitely going to get myself a copy of her other book ‘Without Malice’ now because it’s been on my TBR since it came out.
Candi Skye Thorn is a senior in high school and has been giving tarot readings for several years now. She doesn’t believe that she actually has psychic abilities but she knows a lot about the people at her school which helps her fake her readings. But when the town’s golden girl goes missing, she decides to help the police with her psychic visions because this time, she has some inside knowledge. Unfortunately though, things don’t go the way Skye expected them to go and suddenly the rest of her senior year is a lot more complicated than she thought it would be.
‘The Hanging Girl’ is the first one of Eileen Cook’s books I’ve read and I already know that it wasn’t the last one. I immediately fell in love with her writing style and I can’t wait to get more of it. If you’re looking for a great YA mystery thriller, this is the book you should choose.
It kept me on the edge of my seat and I just flew through it because I needed to know what was going to happen next. There are several major plot twists in this book and I didn’t see any of them coming. They were very well done and actually made me gasp. Another thing I loved about this book was that it has pretty short chapters. It may sound weird but that’s actually a big plus for me. When I need to take a break for some unexpected reason, I just hate having to stop reading a book in the middle of a chapter just because I would have to read another thirty pages to get to the next one.
The only thing that bothered me a little was that the characters just felt a little flat. I didn’t really feel connected with any of them, not even with Skye even though the book was written from her point of view. But this is just a minor thing and it definitely didn’t destroy my reading experience.
All in all, this was a great book and I really, really enjoyed it. I decided to give it 4 out of 5 stars and I highly recommend you get yourself a copy once it comes out. I’m definitely going to get myself a copy of her other book ‘Without Malice’ now because it’s been on my TBR since it came out.
September 2, 2017
Skye Thorn is a high school senior that has grown up with a mother that thinks she's psychic leading Skye to begin her own business of tarot readings. For Skye though she knows there's no psychic ability behind her strangely accurate readings, she just knows how to really read people and with a little help reading personal files when working in the office she's spot on with her "predictions".
Now that high school is coming to a close though Skye finds herself desperate for money when it doesn't look like her plans of moving to New York with her best friend will ever come to pass from her readings or part time job. Before she knows it Skye finds herself pulled into what should be a harmless prank leading her to predict the whereabouts of a missing girl but Skye soon finds herself in over her head and wondering just how far things may go.
The Hanging Girl is my second book I've read by Eileen Cook and just like the first it took no time at all to be deeply engaged in the story within the pages. Somehow this author has managed to pretty much lay it all out there with her stories at the very beginning but still drag a reader into the intensity of the characters and story even with thinking you know where the book will take you. But having read her before I knew that eventually I was going to go where I'd never expect and just happily went along for the ride.
Skye is a bit of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks so to speak having been raised by a mother who was no more than a child herself when Skye was born. She sees herself as waiting tables with no future while all her friends will be moving on which leads her to get herself into more than she bargained for looking for that way out and a step up in life. I loved her rather sarcastic nature and quick wit and immediately became invested in finding out just what she was getting herself into.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend checking this one out if a fan of young adult mystery/thrillers. It was engaging from the start and a definite page turner as the story unfolded with plenty of twists and turns to keep one guessing until the very end.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Now that high school is coming to a close though Skye finds herself desperate for money when it doesn't look like her plans of moving to New York with her best friend will ever come to pass from her readings or part time job. Before she knows it Skye finds herself pulled into what should be a harmless prank leading her to predict the whereabouts of a missing girl but Skye soon finds herself in over her head and wondering just how far things may go.
The Hanging Girl is my second book I've read by Eileen Cook and just like the first it took no time at all to be deeply engaged in the story within the pages. Somehow this author has managed to pretty much lay it all out there with her stories at the very beginning but still drag a reader into the intensity of the characters and story even with thinking you know where the book will take you. But having read her before I knew that eventually I was going to go where I'd never expect and just happily went along for the ride.
Skye is a bit of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks so to speak having been raised by a mother who was no more than a child herself when Skye was born. She sees herself as waiting tables with no future while all her friends will be moving on which leads her to get herself into more than she bargained for looking for that way out and a step up in life. I loved her rather sarcastic nature and quick wit and immediately became invested in finding out just what she was getting herself into.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend checking this one out if a fan of young adult mystery/thrillers. It was engaging from the start and a definite page turner as the story unfolded with plenty of twists and turns to keep one guessing until the very end.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
November 15, 2017
There is just something about a mystery with an unreliable narrator and excellent twists that does it for me. The Hanging Girl follows Skye, a girl we immediately learn lies and has no qualms about it. She does desperately need the money after all. She is highly observant making it easy to trick her classmates into believing she is psychic - in order to make a quick, easy buck. Skye will read their tarot cards, telling them what they want to hear. This makes her the perfect person for Pluto to work with - bringing Skye in on the kidnapping of a fellow student who happens to be the daughter of a prominent judge in an attempt to get a ransom. It's simple. Skye won't be doing anything too illegal. Just feed the police "psychic predictions" to make sure they're on the right track. And get half the ransom after all is said and done. If only Skye knew: when things seem too good to be true, they usually are.
Plenty of twists ensue throughout. It is a fun ride even if you predict certain outcomes. Eileen Cook is proving herself to be a strong writer in the YA mystery department. Both this and With Malice are thrilling, engaging, and complex in the best of ways. I enjoyed the characters and strong writing. It felt like there were several smaller mysteries within this novel leading up to the biggest mystery of them all.
If the psychic aspect is turning you off: just know I felt the same way before reading, but it ended up working very well within the plot. Nothing in the story was actually off-putting. In fact, I had a hard time putting this one down.
Plenty of twists ensue throughout. It is a fun ride even if you predict certain outcomes. Eileen Cook is proving herself to be a strong writer in the YA mystery department. Both this and With Malice are thrilling, engaging, and complex in the best of ways. I enjoyed the characters and strong writing. It felt like there were several smaller mysteries within this novel leading up to the biggest mystery of them all.
If the psychic aspect is turning you off: just know I felt the same way before reading, but it ended up working very well within the plot. Nothing in the story was actually off-putting. In fact, I had a hard time putting this one down.
December 11, 2017
About: The Hanging Girl is a young adult mystery written by Eileen Cook. It was recently published on 10/3/17 by HMH Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, hardcover, 320 pages. The genres are young adult, fiction, mystery and thriller. This book is intended for readers ages 14 and up, grades 9 and up.
My Experience: I started reading The Hanging Girl on 12/6/17 and finished it on 12/10/17. This book is an excellent read! I love following Skye’s point of view. Her frustrations with her mom is so real, I can feel it reverberate off the story as I read. I was falling for the diary hard, and the revelations were shocking and most unexpected! I love it! I like Paige’s point of view as well. Her situation with her parents is no better than Skye’s. I like that the author bring lights to readers that not everything is beautiful as it looks. A person that seems to have everything can still feel as unhappy as the person who doesn’t have enough. I like the whole concept with the psychic readings, the plot, and the characters.
This book is told in the first person point of view, following Candi Skye Thorn aka Skye, a fake tarot reader and a senior in high school. Skye is less fortunate than her fellow classmates and she lies to make her situation better. When she was in eighth grade, one of her lies blows up publicly, and living in a small town, nobody forgets or willing to leave it in the past. Her dream is to leave the small town and move to New York with her best friend Drew. Graduation is fast approaching and she needs the cash fast. She agreed to her role in the disappearance of a fellow classmate, Paige – a wild child that even if she’s missing for a few days, most people would think that she is out of town with her friends. When Paige’s disappearance becomes more than an easy ransom money making scheme, Skye has to decide if she’s willing to do the right thing, even if there’s a chance that she will go down publicly again. This book has some plot twists that will shock readers!
This book is very well written and developed. I like the theme of “Trust no one. Deceive everyone.” I enjoy the mystery and how everything unravels slowly, but at the same time, readers are included in behind the scenes as it unfolds. I like how the author creates puzzles with words & events for Skye to solve and I enjoy reading her thinking process. I turned back to previous pages twice after the plot twists occurred and I’m impressed that I didn’t see it coming. I like Skye and her mom’s relationship despite their ups and downs. The ending beautifully wrapped up everything together and I highly recommend everyone to read this book!
Pro: fast paced, page turner, mystery, dual POV, couldn’t put down, diversity, plot twists
Con: none
I rate it 5 stars!
***Disclaimer: I won this book from a Twitter giveaway hosted by the author. Thank you so much Eileen Cook for the opportunity to read and review! I love the package: book, autographs, and candies! Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
My Experience: I started reading The Hanging Girl on 12/6/17 and finished it on 12/10/17. This book is an excellent read! I love following Skye’s point of view. Her frustrations with her mom is so real, I can feel it reverberate off the story as I read. I was falling for the diary hard, and the revelations were shocking and most unexpected! I love it! I like Paige’s point of view as well. Her situation with her parents is no better than Skye’s. I like that the author bring lights to readers that not everything is beautiful as it looks. A person that seems to have everything can still feel as unhappy as the person who doesn’t have enough. I like the whole concept with the psychic readings, the plot, and the characters.
This book is told in the first person point of view, following Candi Skye Thorn aka Skye, a fake tarot reader and a senior in high school. Skye is less fortunate than her fellow classmates and she lies to make her situation better. When she was in eighth grade, one of her lies blows up publicly, and living in a small town, nobody forgets or willing to leave it in the past. Her dream is to leave the small town and move to New York with her best friend Drew. Graduation is fast approaching and she needs the cash fast. She agreed to her role in the disappearance of a fellow classmate, Paige – a wild child that even if she’s missing for a few days, most people would think that she is out of town with her friends. When Paige’s disappearance becomes more than an easy ransom money making scheme, Skye has to decide if she’s willing to do the right thing, even if there’s a chance that she will go down publicly again. This book has some plot twists that will shock readers!
This book is very well written and developed. I like the theme of “Trust no one. Deceive everyone.” I enjoy the mystery and how everything unravels slowly, but at the same time, readers are included in behind the scenes as it unfolds. I like how the author creates puzzles with words & events for Skye to solve and I enjoy reading her thinking process. I turned back to previous pages twice after the plot twists occurred and I’m impressed that I didn’t see it coming. I like Skye and her mom’s relationship despite their ups and downs. The ending beautifully wrapped up everything together and I highly recommend everyone to read this book!
Pro: fast paced, page turner, mystery, dual POV, couldn’t put down, diversity, plot twists
Con: none
I rate it 5 stars!
***Disclaimer: I won this book from a Twitter giveaway hosted by the author. Thank you so much Eileen Cook for the opportunity to read and review! I love the package: book, autographs, and candies! Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
October 20, 2017
“Destiny spun the wheel and did what it wanted, and the rest of us just had to hang on for the ride and do the best we could with the cards we were dealt.”The Hanging Girl by YA author, Eileen Cook, is an entertaining and very twisty thriller featuring a whip-smart and brilliantly flawed central protagonist in eighteen-year-old Skye Thorn, a girl who ditched her birth name of Candi as soon as she possibly could! Despite my opinion on the implausibility of the serpentine course this novel takes waxing and waning throughout there was enough substance between the pages to keep me hooked all the way. Skye has a gift for reading people, telling them what they want to hear, seeing if their body language matches their words and ultimately spinning a damn fine story. The more gullible element amongst her high school peers can easily be convinced that this equates to some kind of psychic connection and will even hand over ten bucks for the privilege of having their tarot cards read by her. As Skye herself says, "Destiny is like a boulder. Bulky and hard to move. It’s easier to leave it alone than to try to change it”, but in a bid to leave small town Michigan and her life with a mother who is convinced that she has visions (and even accepts recompense in the form of PayPal), Skye will do just about anything..
Best friends with wealthier college bound Drew, a girl from the other side of town, Skye is determined to move to NYC and share an apartment, so much so that she has already lied to Drew about having savings in the bank. Given the big fat juicy lie that still hangs over Skye’s head and has passed into town legend, she can ill afford to let Drew down a second time. In short, Skye needs to make a quick buck fast. An audacious plot is unveiled, with the kidnapped daughter of the local draconian Judge Bonett, seventeen-year-old Paige, being subject to a ransom demand. In tandem with a shadowy figure going by the pseudonym of Pluto, Skye has agreed to conveniently feed some of her bogus visions to the cops, all in the name of getting them invested in her talents and delivering a well-timed uptick in Paige’s imminent risk of harm. Judge Bonett is about to launch his bid for office as a Republican candidate and author Eileen Cook’s thinly veiled swipes in the name of making political capital bring nothing to the novel. Paige Bonett is the spoilt blonde haired queen bee of the popular girls, but with a reputation for her habit of taking off and unreliability, it appears that it will take some time for Skye’s revelations to agitate the cops.
Whilst it is one thing to accept the unworldly teenagers of high school being drawn into the ruse of Skye’s gift, the problem comes when she moves onto the cops, teachers and adult figures, which is a far harder proposition to swallow. To see her hoodwinking the cops and Judge Bonett requires a severe suspension of disbelief. Welcome amusement is however added by the susceptibility of school counsellor, Mr Lester, to Skye’s talents and her zany mother, Susan, a woman who swiftly jumps on the bandwagon of assisting the police and courting the media. By this point, The Hanging Girl, was losing its grip on me, reliant on the fact that Skye was so easily being taken seriously by the cops and steering dangerously close to being a carbon copy of the synopsis of Linwood Barclay novella, Never Saw It Coming. However, things are turned on their head when the identity of the mysterious Pluto is revealed and Judge Bonett fails to cough up what should be a trifling ransom for a man of his wealth. From this point onwards my lips are sealed as for optimal enjoyment the reader is best served by witnessing the subsequent flip-flop progression which shifts from Skye appearing to hold all the cards to dancing to someone else’s tune. From what should have been a straightforward execution of a simple ruse, the stakes are well and truly raised when Skye turns from a player into the one being played and it leaves her second guessing not one, but two, more ruthless individuals who are pulling the strings. If this stress isn’t dramatic enough, Paige is then discovered DEAD, something that was most definitely not on Skye’s agenda! All to quickly, Skye finds herself trying to gauge the motivations of everyone from Paige’s ex-boyfriend, her competitive best-friend and even the undercurrents between her and her father, in order to work out just who killed Paige and whether they are coming after her next..
One of the reasons that I have begun to find many of these YA novels such a worthwhile read is because of the author’s willingness to craft genuinely realistic and diverse characters and offer something away from the mainstream stereotypes. Undoubtedly Skye is an excellent complete package with a complex history and her own battles with anxiety, meaning that as the tension ratchets higher, she is caught up in an associated battle of her mind over. Despite her talent for lying and lack of qualms about spouting a host of baloney in the name of psychic visions, at heart, there is an ultimately sympathetic and likeable girl behind Skye’s confident persona. Evidence comes in the shape of the what kidnapping scam backfiring, leaving her in a moral quagmire and facing a choice of coming clean or being implicated. I was really impressed with how Skye’s character evolved and learnt from her experiences. Suddenly from Skye priding herself on her ability for reading people, peeling back the layers and exposing their insecurities she has been resoundingly beaten at her own game.
As for the supporting cast, Eileen Cook bombards her readers with every trope under the sun, from the overly earnest school counsellor, Mr Lester, to the precocious brat tendencies of Paige and her crowd of girlfriends. Even with regards to the police investigation there was good cop, Detective Jay and bad cop, Detective Chan, himself a man who deals in facts and has no time for psychic phenomena. The character that I was left pondering the most was the enigmatic Drew, and for supposedly being best friends with the obviously intelligent Skye, Drew seemed to be rather vacuous. Aside from their domestic circumstances being diametrically opposed there is an obvious lack of chemistry in their dynamic. I wan’t convinced at all by the friendship when in actual fact, Drew and Skye share each have their own secrets and share next to nothing.
Towards the ending, despite the about turn twist in the final pages, I really felt that The Hanging Girl copped out and went a little too heavy on the moralistic element and in the words of one detective to Skye:
“You don’t need to tell stories to be special, you know. You’re a pretty neat kid just the way you are.”All in all, I suspect that the rather numerous twists will keep a YA audience of around 12-14 years reading, but for anyone over that age bracket this will prove a little too simplistic. Compared to the teen girl politics of Megan Abbott, The Hanging Girl just feels a little wooden, and Cook opts for an increasingly convoluted succession of twists. I confess to being somewhat miffed and rather let-down by the discovery of the killers identity, and whilst it raises questions of whether the prime movers get what they deserve, I was more flummoxed by the killers identify and justification as it seems to appear out of the blue.
An underwhelming execution of a plot which had a real abundance of potential. I do however plan to read more of this author and already have the highly rated, With Malice, awaiting.
I received a free copy of this book from Readers First and my review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
September 11, 2017
This was a really light read, pacey enough to keep you going till the end but without any real depth. If you read a lot of these type of books, they become easy to predict, and it means that ones like this offer no surprises. All the plot twists in the world don't matter if you couldn't care less about the people. This one definitely wasn't for me.
ARC via Netgalley
ARC via Netgalley
October 8, 2017
The cover on this one is just ok in my opinion. It's an OK representation of the story, and the title work is good (if a little on the large size).
I don't have much to say about this one. It was OK. I knew pretty much right from the start what some of the twists were going to be. The plot wasn't exactly original. Nor did I particularly care for any of the characters. On top of that, the ending fell a bit flat for me as well.That said, it was a relatively quick read, and I found it engaging enough that I finished it. So that is a checkmark in the plus column for it I guess.
Read
July 21, 2017It's not really fair if I review it- but after all the hours I'm glad to see it on the shelves!
April 15, 2017
THE HANGING GIRL BY EILEEN COOK
Oh my this was a captivating read and I just could not stop turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. It was a totally absorbing read that I had a difficult time on one level to guess. Eileen Cook is a talented writer who knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Skye Thorn and her best friend Drew are getting ready to go to college in New York City. They are in their senior year of high school and Drew announces to Skye that she is concerned about Skye not having enough money for her own apartment so Drew cancels her Dorm to help out Skye. If they both get an apartment off campus together Drew thinks that Skye will be all set. What Skye fails to mention to Drew is that she has not saved any money. Skye lies to Drew about how much money she has in the bank.
The local golden girl goes missing. Her car is found at the airport by police parked in the designated long term parking area. Her name is Paige and her father is a judge. Police find some blood in the car. Skye is involved in the investigation because she is falsely claiming to be a psychic who sees visions. She has always been able to fake tarot card reading and claim she has psychic abilities outside her household. Her mother and grandmother claim to have these abilities but Skye will tell her mother to stop faking.
"I'd convinced myself that I wasn't really involved, that I was more like a bystander, but that wasn't completely true. I'd known this would happen when I left my answer in that book. I'd thought waiting was bad, but this was far worse."
Skye is no more a psychic and she does have some inside knowledge that Paige was going to be missing. Skye doesn't know just how dangerous the people are who she is dealing with. Her involvement was for Paige not to be harmed. Skye thought this was going to help her come up with the money she doesn't have so she can go to college and leave the town she doesn't like. This was supposed to be a harmless prank and nobody was supposed to get hurt. But this harmless prank could turn deadly if Skye doesn't figure out who she is dealing with and how dangerous they are.
Thank you to Net Galley, Eileen Cook and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with my digital copy for a fair and honest review.
Oh my this was a captivating read and I just could not stop turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. It was a totally absorbing read that I had a difficult time on one level to guess. Eileen Cook is a talented writer who knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Skye Thorn and her best friend Drew are getting ready to go to college in New York City. They are in their senior year of high school and Drew announces to Skye that she is concerned about Skye not having enough money for her own apartment so Drew cancels her Dorm to help out Skye. If they both get an apartment off campus together Drew thinks that Skye will be all set. What Skye fails to mention to Drew is that she has not saved any money. Skye lies to Drew about how much money she has in the bank.
The local golden girl goes missing. Her car is found at the airport by police parked in the designated long term parking area. Her name is Paige and her father is a judge. Police find some blood in the car. Skye is involved in the investigation because she is falsely claiming to be a psychic who sees visions. She has always been able to fake tarot card reading and claim she has psychic abilities outside her household. Her mother and grandmother claim to have these abilities but Skye will tell her mother to stop faking.
"I'd convinced myself that I wasn't really involved, that I was more like a bystander, but that wasn't completely true. I'd known this would happen when I left my answer in that book. I'd thought waiting was bad, but this was far worse."
Skye is no more a psychic and she does have some inside knowledge that Paige was going to be missing. Skye doesn't know just how dangerous the people are who she is dealing with. Her involvement was for Paige not to be harmed. Skye thought this was going to help her come up with the money she doesn't have so she can go to college and leave the town she doesn't like. This was supposed to be a harmless prank and nobody was supposed to get hurt. But this harmless prank could turn deadly if Skye doesn't figure out who she is dealing with and how dangerous they are.
Thank you to Net Galley, Eileen Cook and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with my digital copy for a fair and honest review.
November 23, 2017
I love unreliable narrators and crazy plots that keep me guessing for the entire book, so I was all over this one.
Skye is an okay MC. She’s an ordinary girl in a crappy situation and it was sort of refreshing to see that she wasn’t the prettiest, most special girl ever.
Plot wise...I was bored. I read up to 45% before I started jumping around. And while the reveals at the ending were intriguing, it wasn’t compelling enough to make me go back and read the sections I skipped.
Overall, I loved the idea for it, but I just couldn’t settle into the story.
**Huge thanks to HMH Books for providing the arc free of charge**
Skye is an okay MC. She’s an ordinary girl in a crappy situation and it was sort of refreshing to see that she wasn’t the prettiest, most special girl ever.
Plot wise...I was bored. I read up to 45% before I started jumping around. And while the reveals at the ending were intriguing, it wasn’t compelling enough to make me go back and read the sections I skipped.
Overall, I loved the idea for it, but I just couldn’t settle into the story.
**Huge thanks to HMH Books for providing the arc free of charge**
November 28, 2017
"I wasn't sure which was worse - to know you were a liar or to believe your own bullshit."
Candi "Skye" Thorn, a senior in highschool, has been giving out tarot card readings for years and getting paid for her psychic services. Having a natural ability to read people, a sneaky way of gathering dirt on her peers, and picking up a few things from her "psychic" and highly eccentric mother, Skye has been fooling everyone with her "lucky hunches". Well, almost everyone. There are a select few who know her secret.
While Skye might not have any plans to go to college right after graduation, she and her best friend Drew have been planning to move to NYC and become roommates. However, despite working a part time job and reading people's future in her spare time, she still hasn't been able to save up enough money to make the move. Whether its having to help with the bills or paying for rent, something always seems to come up. Until one day, that is, when the universe presents her with a seemingly golden opportunity that would be silly for her to turn down.
She's been contacted by a person, who insists on being called by their code name "Pluto", with a risky but supposedly harmless and carefully planned out idea. Pluto plans on abducting Paige - the popular, teenaged daughter of a local and well known judge, and holding her for ransome. All Skye would have to do is use her "Psychic" abilities to help the police solve the case. The catch? Pluto will split the Ransome money with Skye 50/50, which would earn her a whopping $12,000.
But even the most carefully thought out plans can go wrong. What will Skye do when their harmless prank ends up with a tragic murder and no ransom money? With reporters constantly at her door, the police investigating her, a possible prison sentence looming over her head, graduation nearing - Skye is in over her head. She needs to figure out who else knew about their plan or risk either being found out or becoming murder victim #2.
"Most people aren't the kind of people they like to think they are."
The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook is a thrilling YA mystery that will literally keep you guessing til the last page. I don't normally read many YA books in this genre because I usually find it fairly easy to guess who did what and why, however, that was NOT the case for me with this book. There are just so many twists and turns in this story that's its honestly hard to put down.
This story is mostly written in Skye's POV, but we do get to have a few chapters written in Paige's perspective, too. Sometimes when authors throw in a couple of chapters from another character's POV it can feel a little out of place and random, but Elieen Cook definitely pulled it off. I was glad to read from Paige's POV and I feel like it really added that something extra to her story.
Unfortunately, lot of the characters fell a little flat for me. I didn't really connect with any of them to be honest. And there was one character, Ryan, who kind of seemed like he was just put in the story with no real purpose. Unless, his purpose was to throw the readers off and add to the mystery? Lol. But truthfully, I didn't mind all that too much. Getting too deep into the characters would've spoiled all the surprises the author was able to give us. I'm glad she focused more on the story than the characters because that kept everything mysterious and made everyone a possible suspect.
I wasn't much of a fan of the MC at first, I thought she was a little too harsh sometimes and I felt bad that she never told her friend about her financial situation. Plus, shes a bit of a scam artist, haha. But the more I read, the less I cared about those things and the more I cared about the story line. By the end of the book I found Skye to be a really interesting character.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Hanging Girl. I recommend this book to anyone who's interested in reading a thrilling YA mystery story that's sure to keep you on your toes. Its fast paced, easy to read and full of shocking twists and turns.
**** I received an eBook copy of this title via Nrtgalley in exchange for an honest review. ****
Candi "Skye" Thorn, a senior in highschool, has been giving out tarot card readings for years and getting paid for her psychic services. Having a natural ability to read people, a sneaky way of gathering dirt on her peers, and picking up a few things from her "psychic" and highly eccentric mother, Skye has been fooling everyone with her "lucky hunches". Well, almost everyone. There are a select few who know her secret.
While Skye might not have any plans to go to college right after graduation, she and her best friend Drew have been planning to move to NYC and become roommates. However, despite working a part time job and reading people's future in her spare time, she still hasn't been able to save up enough money to make the move. Whether its having to help with the bills or paying for rent, something always seems to come up. Until one day, that is, when the universe presents her with a seemingly golden opportunity that would be silly for her to turn down.
She's been contacted by a person, who insists on being called by their code name "Pluto", with a risky but supposedly harmless and carefully planned out idea. Pluto plans on abducting Paige - the popular, teenaged daughter of a local and well known judge, and holding her for ransome. All Skye would have to do is use her "Psychic" abilities to help the police solve the case. The catch? Pluto will split the Ransome money with Skye 50/50, which would earn her a whopping $12,000.
But even the most carefully thought out plans can go wrong. What will Skye do when their harmless prank ends up with a tragic murder and no ransom money? With reporters constantly at her door, the police investigating her, a possible prison sentence looming over her head, graduation nearing - Skye is in over her head. She needs to figure out who else knew about their plan or risk either being found out or becoming murder victim #2.
"Most people aren't the kind of people they like to think they are."
The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook is a thrilling YA mystery that will literally keep you guessing til the last page. I don't normally read many YA books in this genre because I usually find it fairly easy to guess who did what and why, however, that was NOT the case for me with this book. There are just so many twists and turns in this story that's its honestly hard to put down.
This story is mostly written in Skye's POV, but we do get to have a few chapters written in Paige's perspective, too. Sometimes when authors throw in a couple of chapters from another character's POV it can feel a little out of place and random, but Elieen Cook definitely pulled it off. I was glad to read from Paige's POV and I feel like it really added that something extra to her story.
Unfortunately, lot of the characters fell a little flat for me. I didn't really connect with any of them to be honest. And there was one character, Ryan, who kind of seemed like he was just put in the story with no real purpose. Unless, his purpose was to throw the readers off and add to the mystery? Lol. But truthfully, I didn't mind all that too much. Getting too deep into the characters would've spoiled all the surprises the author was able to give us. I'm glad she focused more on the story than the characters because that kept everything mysterious and made everyone a possible suspect.
I wasn't much of a fan of the MC at first, I thought she was a little too harsh sometimes and I felt bad that she never told her friend about her financial situation. Plus, shes a bit of a scam artist, haha. But the more I read, the less I cared about those things and the more I cared about the story line. By the end of the book I found Skye to be a really interesting character.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Hanging Girl. I recommend this book to anyone who's interested in reading a thrilling YA mystery story that's sure to keep you on your toes. Its fast paced, easy to read and full of shocking twists and turns.
**** I received an eBook copy of this title via Nrtgalley in exchange for an honest review. ****
October 11, 2017
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
It's very hard to review this book without spoiling the whole thing really. I can't even say 'it's like a young adult version of ________' because that's definitely going to give away the first big twist [there are about 3 throughout the whole book]. I will just say that if the summary sounds interesting to you I would definitely recommend you give it a try, it's very fast paced and easy to read and just whenever you think you know what's going on it gets flipped upside down. I am especially impressed with the ending because most authors don't have the guts to portray main characters in a morally gray light so it was definitely a breath of fresh air to me. Check this out if you're looking for a different kind of mystery thriller book that doesn't just follow the standard narrative.
It's very hard to review this book without spoiling the whole thing really. I can't even say 'it's like a young adult version of ________' because that's definitely going to give away the first big twist [there are about 3 throughout the whole book]. I will just say that if the summary sounds interesting to you I would definitely recommend you give it a try, it's very fast paced and easy to read and just whenever you think you know what's going on it gets flipped upside down. I am especially impressed with the ending because most authors don't have the guts to portray main characters in a morally gray light so it was definitely a breath of fresh air to me. Check this out if you're looking for a different kind of mystery thriller book that doesn't just follow the standard narrative.
November 17, 2019
*thank you to Netgalley, Eileen Cook and Bonnier Zaffre/Hot Key Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
4 stars.
Well this was sure worth the read! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't know what I'd been expecting but I felt like right away I became invested in this story. It was a stronger read than I'd expected. Meaning the story was very well done. I would highly recommend this.
4 stars.
Well this was sure worth the read! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't know what I'd been expecting but I felt like right away I became invested in this story. It was a stronger read than I'd expected. Meaning the story was very well done. I would highly recommend this.
January 6, 2023
**Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE HANGING GIRL in exchange for my honest review**
GRADE: A+
THE HANGING GIRL just might be a perfect book. WITH MALICE, Eileen Cook's last year home run was one of my favorites of last year, so my expectations were quite high for this years book. I didn't think Cook could equal last year, I hoped THE HANGING GIRL would be good enough for 4 or 5 stars.
When I received email notification I was granted the ARC, I felt like a lottery winner. My plan was to read slowly, to stretch out the pleasure. I even forced myself to take a break. Hours later, I failed in my efforts and finished this masterpiece.
Skye, a fake psychic, reads tarot cards for fun. Her mother, who believes she's psychic, couldn't read a sign if it said STOP at the end of a street. Skye hopes to save enough money to accompany her BFF Drew to college in New York City, but the odds aren't in her favor. Then Paige, one of the popular girls, is kidnapped and Skye has visions. Or does she? What starts off as a way to make some extra money for NYC, might just end up killing her.
THE HANGING GIRL never stops twisting and turning or surprising. Eileen Cook doesn't just twist for the sake of throwing surprises, each OMG-I-didn't-see-that-coming felt organic and necessary. I consider myself a savvy reader, but Cook fooled me every time.
Skye and honesty have a precarious relationship, but her heart is sincere and without malice (pun intended). Her prevarications stem more from self preservation than an intent to be deceitful. I didn't always agree, but understood her motivations. I liked her. A lot.
Cook set the bar high last year, and even higher this year. Her use of voice and pacing made THE HANGING GIRL unputdownable. My only criticism is that I wish she could write faster, so I wouldn't have to wait until I see what she does next.
My favorite pro-diversity moment is when Skye slams Chik-FilA as homophobic and lectures her mother for praising the fast food restaurant.
If you like mysteries, thrillers, strong female characters, great writing, heck, if you like reading THE HANGING GIRL is a must read.
GRADE: A+
THE HANGING GIRL just might be a perfect book. WITH MALICE, Eileen Cook's last year home run was one of my favorites of last year, so my expectations were quite high for this years book. I didn't think Cook could equal last year, I hoped THE HANGING GIRL would be good enough for 4 or 5 stars.
When I received email notification I was granted the ARC, I felt like a lottery winner. My plan was to read slowly, to stretch out the pleasure. I even forced myself to take a break. Hours later, I failed in my efforts and finished this masterpiece.
Skye, a fake psychic, reads tarot cards for fun. Her mother, who believes she's psychic, couldn't read a sign if it said STOP at the end of a street. Skye hopes to save enough money to accompany her BFF Drew to college in New York City, but the odds aren't in her favor. Then Paige, one of the popular girls, is kidnapped and Skye has visions. Or does she? What starts off as a way to make some extra money for NYC, might just end up killing her.
THE HANGING GIRL never stops twisting and turning or surprising. Eileen Cook doesn't just twist for the sake of throwing surprises, each OMG-I-didn't-see-that-coming felt organic and necessary. I consider myself a savvy reader, but Cook fooled me every time.
Skye and honesty have a precarious relationship, but her heart is sincere and without malice (pun intended). Her prevarications stem more from self preservation than an intent to be deceitful. I didn't always agree, but understood her motivations. I liked her. A lot.
Cook set the bar high last year, and even higher this year. Her use of voice and pacing made THE HANGING GIRL unputdownable. My only criticism is that I wish she could write faster, so I wouldn't have to wait until I see what she does next.
My favorite pro-diversity moment is when Skye slams Chik-FilA as homophobic and lectures her mother for praising the fast food restaurant.
If you like mysteries, thrillers, strong female characters, great writing, heck, if you like reading THE HANGING GIRL is a must read.
April 13, 2018
"That one of the joys in living in a small town. The bodies of your mistakes rarely stayed buried. They had a tendency to pop up when you least expected them."
Judging by how long it took me to read this, you could say that I didn’t really care for it.
It wasn’t bad, but for some reason I just couldn’t get jiggy with it. While the characters are deliciously unreliable and the main character unbalanced and yet sympathetic, I just couldn’t connect with anything or anyone.
Read the authors previous book before this, With Malice, for a better outing.
Judging by how long it took me to read this, you could say that I didn’t really care for it.
It wasn’t bad, but for some reason I just couldn’t get jiggy with it. While the characters are deliciously unreliable and the main character unbalanced and yet sympathetic, I just couldn’t connect with anything or anyone.
Read the authors previous book before this, With Malice, for a better outing.
September 22, 2017
I received this free eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Skye has given tarot card readings and has had psychic visions before, but they've always come easily enough seeing as they've all been faked. Now, though, her "visions" are helping the police find Paige, the missing daughter of a prominent local judge, but this time she has insider knowledge. The kidnapping was supposed to be easy - a harmless prank - that would earn her the money she desperately needs to move to NYC after graduation with her best friend. Things go south as Skye realizes that the people she's involved with are willing to kill to get what they want. She'll have to uncover their true identity before it's too late.
The Hanging Girl is the first novel that I've had the chance to read by Eileen Cook and I'm certainly glad that this novel was my jumping in point to her work. If you love a great YA mystery thriller with an unreliable narrator, I expect you'll really appreciate this story. Let me get this out of the way first: I didn't really like any of the characters presented here. That being said, I was absolutely hooked by by this intense and twisty thriller. I didn't want to look away in case I missed the next turn because just when you think you're starting to get things sorted out - bang - something comes along and totally changes the game.
Skye, our MC, isn't all that likable, but she is still a fascinating character to follow since she is pretty much a compulsive liar. If she thinks she can benefit from a lie, she's spinning stories to get what she needs. She also has a great memory for details and she's great at reading body language and facial expressions. Her mother, to put it lightly, is half out of it and very eccentric. She thoroughly believes in all sorts of spiritual types of things from reading auras to having psychic visions and she definitely doesn't set the best example for her daughter, or provide for her. To say the least, Skye has a crappy home life on top of everything else. The only bright spot in her life is Drew, her best friend, and really her only classmate who has been willing to put up with her. While I appreciated Drew's role, I wish it could have been a bit further beyond what end up getting. As much as I want to talk about some of the big twists, I won't spoil it for those of you that haven't had the opportunity to try this novel. Here's my forewarning: don't let your guard down because you've got some real doozies coming your way!
Overall, The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook is a new YA mystery thriller that is a roller coaster of twists and turns. If like me you have a soft spot for unreliable narrators and are looking for a YA Gone Girl-esque read, you need to try this novel and meet Skye. I will definitely be bumping Eileen Cook's 2016 release, With Malice, up my TBR list.
Skye has given tarot card readings and has had psychic visions before, but they've always come easily enough seeing as they've all been faked. Now, though, her "visions" are helping the police find Paige, the missing daughter of a prominent local judge, but this time she has insider knowledge. The kidnapping was supposed to be easy - a harmless prank - that would earn her the money she desperately needs to move to NYC after graduation with her best friend. Things go south as Skye realizes that the people she's involved with are willing to kill to get what they want. She'll have to uncover their true identity before it's too late.
The Hanging Girl is the first novel that I've had the chance to read by Eileen Cook and I'm certainly glad that this novel was my jumping in point to her work. If you love a great YA mystery thriller with an unreliable narrator, I expect you'll really appreciate this story. Let me get this out of the way first: I didn't really like any of the characters presented here. That being said, I was absolutely hooked by by this intense and twisty thriller. I didn't want to look away in case I missed the next turn because just when you think you're starting to get things sorted out - bang - something comes along and totally changes the game.
Skye, our MC, isn't all that likable, but she is still a fascinating character to follow since she is pretty much a compulsive liar. If she thinks she can benefit from a lie, she's spinning stories to get what she needs. She also has a great memory for details and she's great at reading body language and facial expressions. Her mother, to put it lightly, is half out of it and very eccentric. She thoroughly believes in all sorts of spiritual types of things from reading auras to having psychic visions and she definitely doesn't set the best example for her daughter, or provide for her. To say the least, Skye has a crappy home life on top of everything else. The only bright spot in her life is Drew, her best friend, and really her only classmate who has been willing to put up with her. While I appreciated Drew's role, I wish it could have been a bit further beyond what end up getting. As much as I want to talk about some of the big twists, I won't spoil it for those of you that haven't had the opportunity to try this novel. Here's my forewarning: don't let your guard down because you've got some real doozies coming your way!
Overall, The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook is a new YA mystery thriller that is a roller coaster of twists and turns. If like me you have a soft spot for unreliable narrators and are looking for a YA Gone Girl-esque read, you need to try this novel and meet Skye. I will definitely be bumping Eileen Cook's 2016 release, With Malice, up my TBR list.
October 25, 2017
EDIT 10/24: Rating change!
If you’re looking for a dark, twisted psychological thriller, then ladies and gentlemen, this is the best they get.
The Hanging Girl is complex, and mind-twisty, and horrifying. And I love it.
Here’s the thing: my goal for 2017 was to find the best of YA thrillers out there. This is one of those genres with a very scarce number of members, and what little thrillers do exist .. do not thrill me. #SorryNotSorry I’ve picked up One of Us Is Lying (which I adored for the characters, and not so much for the mystery aspect. Oh, the irony), and Here Lies Daniel Tate (in which I was a little bit more than disappointed with the MC and his lack of thriller anti-hero-ness), before finally landing on The Hanging Girl. And of these three, I’d crown The Hanging Girl as the best thriller of 2017.
Doesn’t it feel so good to find exactly what you’re looking for in a book?
Character-wise, this book nails it. I really liked our MC, Skye, mostly for all her moral gray-ness. Yes, she does questionable things. Yes, she feels guilty … yet doesn’t wish she could change what she did. And not once did Eileen Cook try to justify Skye’s actions, or manipulate the reader into thinking Skye is a heroine, when really, she isn’t. Her actions are presented without any bias, and for the reader to decide whether to support these actions morally, or not.
Also: Skye has anxiety and is prone to panic attacks, and this wasn’t used as a convenient plot device to stir up some drama or whatnot. This = appreciated.
Other characters, too, were adequately fleshed-out. We have Drew, Skye’s friend; Susan, her mother; hell, even Detective Jay, who is quite a minor character, had enough depth to him too.
And here I’d like to applaud the absence of a romantic subplot (when Ryan showed up, I half expected him to be suddenly pushed into the role of Convenient Love Interest #1, but thank God Cook isn’t that kind of author), because this genre of books simply does not need that. I mean, really. Who has time for romance when you have accusing and blackmailing and murdering going on all around you?
Exactly.
The plot, too, was fast-paced and oh-so-twisty. The chapters end with evil mini-cliffhangers, so you simply cannot just read one and put the thing down; you have to go through at least five in one sitting. Which is good, if you want an engrossing read, but it is the actual worst thing when you’re a student trying to sneak in a couple of chapters between college courses. Whyyyyy must life be so hard, someone tell me.
If classes aren’t killing you, then you a) obviously won’t have this problem of mine, and b) you’ll probably finish this in one sitting. This book is addictive. Ye have been warneth.
Buuut I did kind of feel like the ending did not pack as much punch as the rest of the book did. It felt kind of .. abrupt? Loose? It’s not open-ended, but a maybe a couple of wrap-up chapters wouldn’t hurt.
The writing was crisp and smart and quotable (particularly those first line that draws the reader in pretty quick), and all the elements of mystery were on point. What I particularly loved was all the red herrings. I fell for them, I did. I’m used to predicting novels like this (which is why I’m so so picky with this genre), but I honestly kept going WAIT WHAT with every plot twist.
Me: I’ve seen it all. Nothing surprises me.
Book: What if Truth #1 that I said was an actual fact –
Me: wait
Book: was FALSE
Me: But I thought it was –
Book: YOU THOUGHT WRONG, YOU AMATEUR
Touché.
So, all in all? A pretty solid read. I loved the mystery aspect, and the MC, and the writing. I especially loved the fact that tHIS THRILLER WAS ACTUALLY THRILLING. As I said, this is the best mystery/crime novel of the year.
[Yes, I get to make that statement. 2017 is almost over, and I know most of the books coming out next.
THIS BOOK HAS STOLEN THAT CROWN AND SHALL NOT RELENQUISH IT.]
In short: read this. Love this. And join me in flailing over it.
If you’re looking for a dark, twisted psychological thriller, then ladies and gentlemen, this is the best they get.
The Hanging Girl is complex, and mind-twisty, and horrifying. And I love it.
Here’s the thing: my goal for 2017 was to find the best of YA thrillers out there. This is one of those genres with a very scarce number of members, and what little thrillers do exist .. do not thrill me. #SorryNotSorry I’ve picked up One of Us Is Lying (which I adored for the characters, and not so much for the mystery aspect. Oh, the irony), and Here Lies Daniel Tate (in which I was a little bit more than disappointed with the MC and his lack of thriller anti-hero-ness), before finally landing on The Hanging Girl. And of these three, I’d crown The Hanging Girl as the best thriller of 2017.
Doesn’t it feel so good to find exactly what you’re looking for in a book?
Character-wise, this book nails it. I really liked our MC, Skye, mostly for all her moral gray-ness. Yes, she does questionable things. Yes, she feels guilty … yet doesn’t wish she could change what she did. And not once did Eileen Cook try to justify Skye’s actions, or manipulate the reader into thinking Skye is a heroine, when really, she isn’t. Her actions are presented without any bias, and for the reader to decide whether to support these actions morally, or not.
Also: Skye has anxiety and is prone to panic attacks, and this wasn’t used as a convenient plot device to stir up some drama or whatnot. This = appreciated.
Other characters, too, were adequately fleshed-out. We have Drew, Skye’s friend; Susan, her mother; hell, even Detective Jay, who is quite a minor character, had enough depth to him too.
And here I’d like to applaud the absence of a romantic subplot (when Ryan showed up, I half expected him to be suddenly pushed into the role of Convenient Love Interest #1, but thank God Cook isn’t that kind of author), because this genre of books simply does not need that. I mean, really. Who has time for romance when you have accusing and blackmailing and murdering going on all around you?
Exactly.
The plot, too, was fast-paced and oh-so-twisty. The chapters end with evil mini-cliffhangers, so you simply cannot just read one and put the thing down; you have to go through at least five in one sitting. Which is good, if you want an engrossing read, but it is the actual worst thing when you’re a student trying to sneak in a couple of chapters between college courses. Whyyyyy must life be so hard, someone tell me.
If classes aren’t killing you, then you a) obviously won’t have this problem of mine, and b) you’ll probably finish this in one sitting. This book is addictive. Ye have been warneth.
Buuut I did kind of feel like the ending did not pack as much punch as the rest of the book did. It felt kind of .. abrupt? Loose? It’s not open-ended, but a maybe a couple of wrap-up chapters wouldn’t hurt.
The writing was crisp and smart and quotable (particularly those first line that draws the reader in pretty quick), and all the elements of mystery were on point. What I particularly loved was all the red herrings. I fell for them, I did. I’m used to predicting novels like this (which is why I’m so so picky with this genre), but I honestly kept going WAIT WHAT with every plot twist.
Me: I’ve seen it all. Nothing surprises me.
Book: What if Truth #1 that I said was an actual fact –
Me: wait
Book: was FALSE
Me: But I thought it was –
Book: YOU THOUGHT WRONG, YOU AMATEUR
Touché.
So, all in all? A pretty solid read. I loved the mystery aspect, and the MC, and the writing. I especially loved the fact that tHIS THRILLER WAS ACTUALLY THRILLING. As I said, this is the best mystery/crime novel of the year.
[Yes, I get to make that statement. 2017 is almost over, and I know most of the books coming out next.
THIS BOOK HAS STOLEN THAT CROWN AND SHALL NOT RELENQUISH IT.]
In short: read this. Love this. And join me in flailing over it.
June 27, 2017
ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating 2.5 Stars
I was disappointed on how this book went. It felt like the plot was disorganized and too much information getting thrown at me at once. What I mean by that is how Skye went to library, pulled out a book and wrote yes to the note inside saying "Are you in?" There was no context before then so I was completely confused as to what that meant and how did Skye know to look there in the first place? Even though this was all explained later it really threw me. Also Pluto was another thing that just appeared. I was let be like who the hell is Pluto? Why does Skye know him/her? When did this offer to participate in Paige's kidnapping for money happen? Too many questions with no context and no answers.
I appreciate twists in novels but there too many at one time hitting me like a brick wall. Pluto turns out to be Paige and then she ends up dead, Paige finds a note saying Paige's dad murdered her, but it turns it out it was Skye's mom that actually murdered her. Again so confused and going back pages to see if I missed a crucial key somehow along the way that would make these twists less jarring.
Another negative point is just my own opinion. I chose to read this book because of its title and premise. I thought from the sounds of both that this would be a suspenseful, almost horror novel. Nope not even close. The details of Paige's murder are not even described. Again just me I'm a sucker for gruesome horror flicks and novels. Also the title only referred to one part in the book when Skye compared herself to the hanging man tarot card which was disappointing too.
One last remark is the bizzare ending. Skye finds out the truth but yet she doesn't get angry or horrified towards her mom. She also doesn't turn her into the police. Hello that is still considered a murder that is a horrible offense to the law it doesn't matter that its her mom. Anyway another wtf moment that lead me to knocking off another star.
What did give this novel stars at all was the interesting premise. A girl that uses her supposed psychic abilities to help aid police in a missing person case who also does Tarot card readings. Hell yeah I would read anything that has to do with psychics, mediums, clairvoyants, tarot cards, what have you. Also even though the twists were too crazy I always have to give credit when I did not see them coming at all and I did not expect any of them. Predictability does not take part in this book and I appreciate it.
Can't say I would recommend this book there's better books out there but again my thoughts.
Rating 2.5 Stars
I was disappointed on how this book went. It felt like the plot was disorganized and too much information getting thrown at me at once. What I mean by that is how Skye went to library, pulled out a book and wrote yes to the note inside saying "Are you in?" There was no context before then so I was completely confused as to what that meant and how did Skye know to look there in the first place? Even though this was all explained later it really threw me. Also Pluto was another thing that just appeared. I was let be like who the hell is Pluto? Why does Skye know him/her? When did this offer to participate in Paige's kidnapping for money happen? Too many questions with no context and no answers.
I appreciate twists in novels but there too many at one time hitting me like a brick wall. Pluto turns out to be Paige and then she ends up dead, Paige finds a note saying Paige's dad murdered her, but it turns it out it was Skye's mom that actually murdered her. Again so confused and going back pages to see if I missed a crucial key somehow along the way that would make these twists less jarring.
Another negative point is just my own opinion. I chose to read this book because of its title and premise. I thought from the sounds of both that this would be a suspenseful, almost horror novel. Nope not even close. The details of Paige's murder are not even described. Again just me I'm a sucker for gruesome horror flicks and novels. Also the title only referred to one part in the book when Skye compared herself to the hanging man tarot card which was disappointing too.
One last remark is the bizzare ending. Skye finds out the truth but yet she doesn't get angry or horrified towards her mom. She also doesn't turn her into the police. Hello that is still considered a murder that is a horrible offense to the law it doesn't matter that its her mom. Anyway another wtf moment that lead me to knocking off another star.
What did give this novel stars at all was the interesting premise. A girl that uses her supposed psychic abilities to help aid police in a missing person case who also does Tarot card readings. Hell yeah I would read anything that has to do with psychics, mediums, clairvoyants, tarot cards, what have you. Also even though the twists were too crazy I always have to give credit when I did not see them coming at all and I did not expect any of them. Predictability does not take part in this book and I appreciate it.
Can't say I would recommend this book there's better books out there but again my thoughts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2019
"But you won't stay here. You'll move on to bigger and better things."
"How do you know?" Maybe I hoped he was psychic.
He smiled. "Just do. Things often have a way of working themselves out the way they're meant to."
"How do you know?" Maybe I hoped he was psychic.
He smiled. "Just do. Things often have a way of working themselves out the way they're meant to."
November 9, 2017
This was a fairly predictable but none the less addictive YA psychological thriller - I read it fast and got totally immersed into the problems faced by Skye as she gets entangled in the kidnapping of a girl she knows. But just how well does she know her?
I love this type of book because you have the fun of unraveling the mystery and the ability to get involved with the characters, to be honest all of whom I hated really which is quite funny - Skye lies almost the whole way through, her mother is a diva in the truest sense of the word, the missing friend is not exactly the loveliest person, the bereft father is an ass and even Skye's best friend is a bit of a whiner. BUT it didn't matter because they all kind of fell in on themselves and by the end I actually liked Skye much better. The author cleverly gives you a lot of personality to think about.
The end was what made it for me though. Even though I guessed the "bad guy" it was what happened after we know, the final result if you like. It was different and I really liked it.
Overall a highly readable, well written sample of its genre.
Recommended.
I love this type of book because you have the fun of unraveling the mystery and the ability to get involved with the characters, to be honest all of whom I hated really which is quite funny - Skye lies almost the whole way through, her mother is a diva in the truest sense of the word, the missing friend is not exactly the loveliest person, the bereft father is an ass and even Skye's best friend is a bit of a whiner. BUT it didn't matter because they all kind of fell in on themselves and by the end I actually liked Skye much better. The author cleverly gives you a lot of personality to think about.
The end was what made it for me though. Even though I guessed the "bad guy" it was what happened after we know, the final result if you like. It was different and I really liked it.
Overall a highly readable, well written sample of its genre.
Recommended.
October 20, 2017
I have always been fascinated by psychic skills. I buy my daughter the Mind Body Spirit magazine which she gets a lovely selection of tarot cards and an explanation to the meaning of them. So when I read that Eileen Cook was publishing a book about a school girl was charging her school friends to do tarot card readings, this was a must read for me. Skye Thorn had been passed down her tarot cards by her grandmother. Skye thorn was a lovely character to read about being a fake psychic. Death cards, and the hanging man are flipped out, what does this mean? When a young school friend by the name of Paige is missing, can Skye's psychic world help the police find Paige? I have read with Malice by Eileen Cook that I recommend. The Hanging girl should be your next stop for reading a creepy psychological thriller. Have you ever had a tarot card reading? If so I would love to hear from you .
November 5, 2017
With such a fab cover and a great title this novel was of interest to me from the beginning.
The Hanging Girl is full of twists and is such a terrific read I was hooked.
Skye pretends to be a psychic. She charges a fee for tarot card readings at school, and makes her predictions by what she sees.
A girl goes missing and Skye 'helps' the Police with her predictions and psychic ability.
This plot is fabulous, and is so taut and edgy that I just could not guess what was happening next.
The writing is amazing and to be honest if I could only read one for the rest of life it would be this one
The Hanging Girl is full of twists and is such a terrific read I was hooked.
Skye pretends to be a psychic. She charges a fee for tarot card readings at school, and makes her predictions by what she sees.
A girl goes missing and Skye 'helps' the Police with her predictions and psychic ability.
This plot is fabulous, and is so taut and edgy that I just could not guess what was happening next.
The writing is amazing and to be honest if I could only read one for the rest of life it would be this one
October 1, 2017
*4.25 Stars*
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t want to summarize this book. You just gotta throw yourself in.
I really really really liked this story. It has no morals, the characters all have major flaws… I loved them all a lot (well, almost).
I read this very fast and had trouble putting it down every time I had to.
I have no idea what more to say since I don’t want to say too much, so just read it and we’ll compare notes!
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t want to summarize this book. You just gotta throw yourself in.
I really really really liked this story. It has no morals, the characters all have major flaws… I loved them all a lot (well, almost).
I read this very fast and had trouble putting it down every time I had to.
I have no idea what more to say since I don’t want to say too much, so just read it and we’ll compare notes!
Read
June 5, 2017This is one of the most original ideas I've read in a synopsis of an YA book, in this period of non-orginal YA era. Definetly interested......
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