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avoidtheshadows's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ordinarilybi's review against another edition
1.0
Callie hat Katherine nur gefunden – sie war bereits tot. Dummerweise griff sie reflexartig nach dem Messer; was ihre Mitschüler dachten, als sie sie so fanden, ist klar. Gerade mit Callies Hintergrund – immerhin prügelte ihr Bruder ihnen Vater fast zu Tode – wirkt sie verdächtig, sie flüchtet. Irgendwie muss sie beweisen, dass sie unschuldig ist, doch wer war es dann? Sie kann es nur vermuten und Beweise sammeln, Verdächtige gibt es dafür viele, allen voran Kaherines Freund-Feindin Dakota. Hilfe kann sie kaum erwarten, nur von ihrem Freund Slade, der allen Grund hat, sie damit allein zu lassen.
„Blood on my Hands“ ist so ein Buch, bei dem ich wirklich froh bin, dass ich in der Bibliothek danach gegriffen habe, statt es zu kaufen. Die Beschreibung klang eigentlich ganz gut, das Buch an sich war eher lahm.
Es fängt damit an, dass mit die Charaktere nie irgendwie näher gekommen und ziemlich flach sind. Sie waren eben da, haben ihr Programm abgezogen und das war’s. Es war mir im Grunde beinahe egal, was mit ihnen passiert – oder auch nicht passiert -, lediglich am Ende hat sich das ein wenig ändert, was aber kaum was an der Gesamtsituation ändert. Im Grunde hatte die Protagonistin bei mir schon verspielt, als sie den Klischee-Fehler schlechthin begann: Da liegt was rum – an einem Tatort, herrgott nochmal! – und ich greife natürlich erst einmal danach. Logik ahoi!
Vermutlich brauchte der Autor nur eine etwas bessere Entschuldigung dafür, dass Callie erst einmal wegläuft. Ansonsten hätte es nämlich nicht viel zu erzählen gegeben, außer natürlich er möchte „simple“ Polizeiarbeit wiedergeben. Denn so schrecklich ein Todesfall ist, wirklich kompliziert war er nicht, wenn selbst Laien – in diesem Fall ich als Leser – recht schnell ahnen, worauf es hinauslaufen wird.
Es kommt aber auch absolut keine Spannung auf – natürlich ist es nicht vollkommen langweilig, immerhin bleibt die Frage, ob Callie es schafft oder nicht. Aber es hätte durchaus geholfen, auch begründete Verdächtigungen anzuführen und nicht nur wahllos Namen in den Raum zu werfen. Selbst dann denkt Callie selber kaum daran – es ist nur ein kurzer Moment mit einem minimalistischen Hinweis, der auf ein mögliches Hinweis deuten könnte. Das ist mir persönlich viel zu wenig – da könnt ich ja sonst auch immer wahllos alle verdächtigen, denn irgendwas findet sich immer, wenn man lange genug sucht – und wenn die Protagonistin nicht über weitere Verdächtige stolpert und größtenteils bei der einen bleibt; wie soll das dann der Leser machen? Als solcher weiß man schließlich noch weniger als Callie.
Das Ende ist – wie bereits erwähnt – herzlich wenig überraschend, dafür aber umso überzogener. Ich möchte jetzt nicht unbedingt von High-School-Scheiß reden, aber … ja, genau das ist es. Klischee noch und nöcher mit einer dicken Portion Drama und einem Schuss Tragik, nur um sicher zu gehen.
Da hat das Buch Glück, dass es sich leicht lesen lässt, auch wenn der Schreibstil alles andere als bemerkenswert ist – denn für was anderes hätte ich absolut keinen Punkt vergeben können.
Langweilig, vorhersehbar und überzogen – auch wenn „Wish u were dead“ wirklich toll war, von diesem Buch sollte man nicht allzu viel erwarten!
„Blood on my Hands“ ist so ein Buch, bei dem ich wirklich froh bin, dass ich in der Bibliothek danach gegriffen habe, statt es zu kaufen. Die Beschreibung klang eigentlich ganz gut, das Buch an sich war eher lahm.
Es fängt damit an, dass mit die Charaktere nie irgendwie näher gekommen und ziemlich flach sind. Sie waren eben da, haben ihr Programm abgezogen und das war’s. Es war mir im Grunde beinahe egal, was mit ihnen passiert – oder auch nicht passiert -, lediglich am Ende hat sich das ein wenig ändert, was aber kaum was an der Gesamtsituation ändert. Im Grunde hatte die Protagonistin bei mir schon verspielt, als sie den Klischee-Fehler schlechthin begann: Da liegt was rum – an einem Tatort, herrgott nochmal! – und ich greife natürlich erst einmal danach. Logik ahoi!
Vermutlich brauchte der Autor nur eine etwas bessere Entschuldigung dafür, dass Callie erst einmal wegläuft. Ansonsten hätte es nämlich nicht viel zu erzählen gegeben, außer natürlich er möchte „simple“ Polizeiarbeit wiedergeben. Denn so schrecklich ein Todesfall ist, wirklich kompliziert war er nicht, wenn selbst Laien – in diesem Fall ich als Leser – recht schnell ahnen, worauf es hinauslaufen wird.
Es kommt aber auch absolut keine Spannung auf – natürlich ist es nicht vollkommen langweilig, immerhin bleibt die Frage, ob Callie es schafft oder nicht. Aber es hätte durchaus geholfen, auch begründete Verdächtigungen anzuführen und nicht nur wahllos Namen in den Raum zu werfen. Selbst dann denkt Callie selber kaum daran – es ist nur ein kurzer Moment mit einem minimalistischen Hinweis, der auf ein mögliches Hinweis deuten könnte. Das ist mir persönlich viel zu wenig – da könnt ich ja sonst auch immer wahllos alle verdächtigen, denn irgendwas findet sich immer, wenn man lange genug sucht – und wenn die Protagonistin nicht über weitere Verdächtige stolpert und größtenteils bei der einen bleibt; wie soll das dann der Leser machen? Als solcher weiß man schließlich noch weniger als Callie.
Das Ende ist – wie bereits erwähnt – herzlich wenig überraschend, dafür aber umso überzogener. Ich möchte jetzt nicht unbedingt von High-School-Scheiß reden, aber … ja, genau das ist es. Klischee noch und nöcher mit einer dicken Portion Drama und einem Schuss Tragik, nur um sicher zu gehen.
Da hat das Buch Glück, dass es sich leicht lesen lässt, auch wenn der Schreibstil alles andere als bemerkenswert ist – denn für was anderes hätte ich absolut keinen Punkt vergeben können.
Langweilig, vorhersehbar und überzogen – auch wenn „Wish u were dead“ wirklich toll war, von diesem Buch sollte man nicht allzu viel erwarten!
melbsreads's review against another edition
2.0
Trigger warnings: murder, parental abuse, bullying.
Oh jeez. This sounded like it was going to be a pretty intriguing YA thriller, albeit slightly Christopher Pike adjacent. Buuuut it was basically a big ol' hot mess.
- Callie is frustratingly dense. Like...GIRL. If you already look guilty, you're gonna look ten thousand times more guilty if you spend multiple days hiding from the police.
- The romantic relationship. Like...a kid who's still in middle school dating a sophomore? ICK. Hard pass. And even by the time the events in the book take place, he's 19 and in the National Guard and she's 16. No thank you please.
- The whole subplot with her brother being in jail for attacking their father was...really poorly explained.
- There was insufficient demonstration that the narrative was switching from the present to the past. Half the time, I was like "Wait, she's meant to be on the run. Why is she suddenly talking to Mia?? Ohhh. Flashback."
- I just didn't give a shit about who killed Katherine because she was a stone cold bitch.
-
-
- Honestly, if this has ended any other way, I might have given it 3 stars. But it didn't.
- 2 stars because at least it was fast paced.
Oh jeez. This sounded like it was going to be a pretty intriguing YA thriller, albeit slightly Christopher Pike adjacent. Buuuut it was basically a big ol' hot mess.
- Callie is frustratingly dense. Like...GIRL. If you already look guilty, you're gonna look ten thousand times more guilty if you spend multiple days hiding from the police.
- The romantic relationship. Like...a kid who's still in middle school dating a sophomore? ICK. Hard pass. And even by the time the events in the book take place, he's 19 and in the National Guard and she's 16. No thank you please.
- The whole subplot with her brother being in jail for attacking their father was...really poorly explained.
- There was insufficient demonstration that the narrative was switching from the present to the past. Half the time, I was like "Wait, she's meant to be on the run. Why is she suddenly talking to Mia?? Ohhh. Flashback."
- I just didn't give a shit about who killed Katherine because she was a stone cold bitch.
-
Spoiler
The big reveal that Katherine was being a stone cold bitch because she was a lesbian who was in love with Callie and was trying to get her hetero ass to have WLW feelings was FUCKING STUPID. SO FUCKING STUPID. Not to mention rage inducing.-
Spoiler
Speaking of, the whole thing with Dakota being like "I made Slade murder Katherine because I had lesbian feelings for her and I figured if she was dead, I'd stop liking girls" thing was BULLSHIT, especially because she was all "Slade was super hot and I was sexually attracted to him so I banged him a bunch of times". Girl. If you're sexually attracted to a dude and you act on that attraction multiple times? You ain't a lesbian. You bi. But of course we can't mention the word "bisexuality" no no no no no- Honestly, if this has ended any other way, I might have given it 3 stars. But it didn't.
- 2 stars because at least it was fast paced.
bookishdea's review against another edition
3.0
This is a sequel and to be honest, I don't feel as if I connected as well to the characters as I could have because of that. If I get the chance, I'll have to find the first one. That said, I liked it. I liked the mystery, I felt for the main character. The whole ARNG medic aspect was also interesting, and I think that endeared the book to me more than anything else.
canadawithoutthec's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
2.5
I think it was an interesting book and was well written, I just found that the reveal was rushed and I didn't think that the motives for the murder were very realistic. I'm also upset with Callie for her decisions at the end of the book, with how she still loves Slade and forgave him for literally murdering someone, I just found the ending quite frustrating.
dutchlauren's review against another edition
3.0
Check out my blog for more reviews and bookish blog posts!
Blood On My Hands is a YA murder mystery novel that constantly keeps you in suspense as we try to find out who the killer is, and why our main character, the #1 suspect is being framed.
Although I really enjoyed this book, it wasn’t anything new to me. It’s actually quite cliché. The most popular and rich girl in school is murdered, and the one friend with the fucked up family and dodgy past is the number #1 suspect. It doesn’t take long for us to realise that none of the Rich Bitch’s friends actually liked her, which can make anyone a suspect.
The book switches between present time—Callie hiding from the police and trying to find the real murderer—and past—flashbacks that led up to the reveal of the real killer. I liked being able to read a bit of all the characters’ backstory, it added even more mystery to what was already there. Every now and then there’s a little bit of dialogue in italic that didn’t make much sense to me, and didn’t seem to have much to do with the story.
+: Written by a male author, but with a female protagonist.
Overall, Blood On My Hands is a good murder mystery novel for young adults, full of shocking twists.
Blood On My Hands is a YA murder mystery novel that constantly keeps you in suspense as we try to find out who the killer is, and why our main character, the #1 suspect is being framed.
Although I really enjoyed this book, it wasn’t anything new to me. It’s actually quite cliché. The most popular and rich girl in school is murdered, and the one friend with the fucked up family and dodgy past is the number #1 suspect. It doesn’t take long for us to realise that none of the Rich Bitch’s friends actually liked her, which can make anyone a suspect.
The book switches between present time—Callie hiding from the police and trying to find the real murderer—and past—flashbacks that led up to the reveal of the real killer. I liked being able to read a bit of all the characters’ backstory, it added even more mystery to what was already there. Every now and then there’s a little bit of dialogue in italic that didn’t make much sense to me, and didn’t seem to have much to do with the story.
+: Written by a male author, but with a female protagonist.
Overall, Blood On My Hands is a good murder mystery novel for young adults, full of shocking twists.
ahoipanem's review against another edition
3.0
2,5 ✨
Spannend hat dieses Buch nur die Frage gemacht, ob es Callie gelingt zu fliehen, denn die Frage nach dem/der Mörder*in war mehr als offensichtlich schon nach wenigen Kapiteln. Auch an Sympathie für die meisten Charaktere hat es mir deutlich gefehlt, da sie einfach zu oberflächlich und stereotypisch waren und einige Dinge waren einfach so unnachvollziehbar und unrealistisch... Aber für eine leichte Unterhaltung zwischendurch ganz nett
Spannend hat dieses Buch nur die Frage gemacht, ob es Callie gelingt zu fliehen, denn die Frage nach dem/der Mörder*in war mehr als offensichtlich schon nach wenigen Kapiteln. Auch an Sympathie für die meisten Charaktere hat es mir deutlich gefehlt, da sie einfach zu oberflächlich und stereotypisch waren und einige Dinge waren einfach so unnachvollziehbar und unrealistisch... Aber für eine leichte Unterhaltung zwischendurch ganz nett
misseli's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the last one. However, just like the last book, I was completely blindsided by the outcome. This is one of the best parts of these books because it's actually really refreshing to not know who "did it". Although, I wish that it explained more on the gay part because I'm not sure exactly about it and I would have loved reading the feelings of more than just the main character.
ewoo670's review against another edition
4.0
This book cost me $3 at Whitcoulls, and it was really good! I liked the plot twists :) and the way it was written.
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Second review
Despite having read it once before, I still found this mystery book hard to put down. The way it was written left every chapter with a cliffhanger, and the dual plot lines both contained good mystery, suspense, and a few red herrings. The beginning of the book seemed to do a little bit too much telling and less showing, but that was reduced with the introduction of the second plot line.
I did find some of the twists and ideas involving sexuality a little problematic, with the one lesbian character being closeted, manipulative, and wanting to 'convert' people. I realise that this 'psychotic lover' plot is common with heterosexual narratives, but when there's not as many representations of lesbian or bisexual characters out there, perhaps this could have been counterbalanced with a more positively portrayed LGBT+ character? Katherine's sexuality seemed to be part of the motive behind her manipulative behaviour, which I think was my main problem.
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Second review
Despite having read it once before, I still found this mystery book hard to put down. The way it was written left every chapter with a cliffhanger, and the dual plot lines both contained good mystery, suspense, and a few red herrings. The beginning of the book seemed to do a little bit too much telling and less showing, but that was reduced with the introduction of the second plot line.
very_vero's review against another edition
5.0
Rating: 5/5
This is the second standalone installment in Todd Strasser's Thrillogy and this was my favorite out of all three stories. Blood on my Hands is the story of Callie. One night she is at a party and notices that Katherine, a friendenemy of hers is nowhere to be found, so she decides to start looking. What she finds is her lifeless body with a knife sticking out of it. Without thinking she picks up the knife and that's the moment when everyone from the party finds her. Holding a bloody knife over Katherine's dead body. Everyone starts taking pictures and calling her murderer, so she decided to run and hide. But in order to clear her name she knows she has to find the real killer, while staying out of jail.
Callie's story was fast paced, without a single boring moment. We get two different storylines, first Callie while she is hiding, trying to figure out the true killer and then what happened in the past and how Callie became friends with Katherine and how the ended up as enemies.
This story was brilliant. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Collecting clues as to who was the real killer. Also Callie was a great MC. She was resourceful and even though she was terrified that she would end up in jail she still did everything she could to clear her name and find out the truth.
I am glad to say that I had figured out the killer by the middle of this book, however Strasser did a great job surprising me once more. I truly loved everything about this book. Great mystery/thriller.
This is the second standalone installment in Todd Strasser's Thrillogy and this was my favorite out of all three stories. Blood on my Hands is the story of Callie. One night she is at a party and notices that Katherine, a friendenemy of hers is nowhere to be found, so she decides to start looking. What she finds is her lifeless body with a knife sticking out of it. Without thinking she picks up the knife and that's the moment when everyone from the party finds her. Holding a bloody knife over Katherine's dead body. Everyone starts taking pictures and calling her murderer, so she decided to run and hide. But in order to clear her name she knows she has to find the real killer, while staying out of jail.
Callie's story was fast paced, without a single boring moment. We get two different storylines, first Callie while she is hiding, trying to figure out the true killer and then what happened in the past and how Callie became friends with Katherine and how the ended up as enemies.
This story was brilliant. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Collecting clues as to who was the real killer. Also Callie was a great MC. She was resourceful and even though she was terrified that she would end up in jail she still did everything she could to clear her name and find out the truth.
I am glad to say that I had figured out the killer by the middle of this book, however Strasser did a great job surprising me once more. I truly loved everything about this book. Great mystery/thriller.