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librarydoc's review
3.0
Book Talk: Jill and Simone have been best friends for years. But when Jill wakes up in a hospital bed with amnesia after a terrible car accident, she learns her friendship wasn't what it appeared to be.
My Thoughts: The book was predictable, but kept my attention. I thought the ending was less than fulfilling, I wanted closure. Still, I see high school students enjoying this book.
My Recommendation: 3.5/5 stars, Grades 9 and up (language)
My Thoughts: The book was predictable, but kept my attention. I thought the ending was less than fulfilling, I wanted closure. Still, I see high school students enjoying this book.
My Recommendation: 3.5/5 stars, Grades 9 and up (language)
heidikundin's review
3.0
Jill wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of the last six weeks including a trip abroad to Italy which left her best friend dead. As Jill struggles to recover from her injuries and regain her memory, we learn bits and pieces of what occurred and what caused the tragic accident that killed Simone.
I blew through this book in one afternoon, and I was REALLY hoping that it would be better than it was. Maybe it's just because I had already read Dangerous Girls which was much better and also loosely inspired by the Amanda Knox story, but this book just didn't impress me much. It was an okay read, but it was predictable and full of stereotypical situations.
I blew through this book in one afternoon, and I was REALLY hoping that it would be better than it was. Maybe it's just because I had already read Dangerous Girls which was much better and also loosely inspired by the Amanda Knox story, but this book just didn't impress me much. It was an okay read, but it was predictable and full of stereotypical situations.
lilo23's review
3.0
3.5 stars. I didn’t really like the ending but other than that, it was a pretty nice book.
britney2001_'s review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
divi_reads's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
jenhurst's review
3.0
I’m sure you’ve heard of the Amanda Knox case. This was heavily inspired by that. The beginning was great, pacing fantastic. The characters were intriguing. I was dying to know what happened and super into the mixed media format. But then the ending was such a letdown.
bella247's review
4.0
Very quick read that was full of suspense and some thriller actions scenes. I loved that they included parts of some people’s interviews with the police and hearing media’s view of what happened. All in all it was mysterious and had me itching to finish it whenever I went about my day. 4/5 stars because I felt it was missing something, I don’t know what.
lilythebibliophile's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
2.5 stars
I'm disappointed, because Eileen Cook is clearly talented at writing thrillers, she's just not talented at plotting them.
Jill and Anna felt like real people, and their growing friendship felt organic. In a genre where the characters and their relationships usually take a backseat to the plot, this was a refreshing change.
The novel was easy to read and used ephemera (interview transcripts, clips of news shows, etc.) right before I was going to feel bored.
But considering the twist at the end of the story, there's no substance to the plot whatsoever; it's all one giant misdirection that has no meaning in the end. It made me feel like there's not enough basis for an actual book here. This isn't the kind of book you can read again and again; you read it once and then forget about it. And there are some mystery books I would happily read over and over, so it's not a problem with the genre.
I just hate books that tell you the sky is blue the whole time and then expect you to be surprised when the sky is, in fact, blue.
The rehab/OT scenes were scarily accurate, coming from someone who has been a patient in facilities like the one Jill and Anna were in. I appreciate that.
I may read another Eileen Cook mystery, as I like the way she develops her characters and their relationships, but it sucks that the ending completely spoiled my enjoyment of the story.
I'm disappointed, because Eileen Cook is clearly talented at writing thrillers, she's just not talented at plotting them.
Jill and Anna felt like real people, and their growing friendship felt organic. In a genre where the characters and their relationships usually take a backseat to the plot, this was a refreshing change.
The novel was easy to read and used ephemera (interview transcripts, clips of news shows, etc.) right before I was going to feel bored.
But considering the twist at the end of the story, there's no substance to the plot whatsoever; it's all one giant misdirection that has no meaning in the end. It made me feel like there's not enough basis for an actual book here. This isn't the kind of book you can read again and again; you read it once and then forget about it. And there are some mystery books I would happily read over and over, so it's not a problem with the genre.
I just hate books that tell you the sky is blue the whole time and then expect you to be surprised when the sky is, in fact, blue.
The rehab/OT scenes were scarily accurate, coming from someone who has been a patient in facilities like the one Jill and Anna were in. I appreciate that.
I may read another Eileen Cook mystery, as I like the way she develops her characters and their relationships, but it sucks that the ending completely spoiled my enjoyment of the story.