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pennyforyourthoughts's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
**I read the arc and I have no idea if a lot changed between it and the release.**
This book isn’t my usual type, but it really surprised me. The mystery had me hooked while not being outlandish and the romance subplot was non-intrusive, seeming very natural. The main portion of this book, though, focused on friendship and what it is like to know someone better than anyone else does or possibly could. These characters felt real and not greatly exaggerated. Sometimes I would get confused on jumps from talking about the past to the present and some of the media elements were confusing, but overall this book was very enjoyable as a standalone book.
This book isn’t my usual type, but it really surprised me. The mystery had me hooked while not being outlandish and the romance subplot was non-intrusive, seeming very natural. The main portion of this book, though, focused on friendship and what it is like to know someone better than anyone else does or possibly could. These characters felt real and not greatly exaggerated. Sometimes I would get confused on jumps from talking about the past to the present and some of the media elements were confusing, but overall this book was very enjoyable as a standalone book.
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
1.0
1/5
This book was really short to me and I feel like the plot was extremely slow.
This book was really short to me and I feel like the plot was extremely slow.
labunnywtf's review against another edition
4.0
Received via Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Zan and Priya have been best friends since childhood. Inseparable. They go to school together, work together, talk through texts, e-mails, phone calls. There's nothing they don't know about each other's lives. And when Priya has to move with her stepfather across the country, both girls are completely devastated. They promise to stay in touch all year, culminating in a huge trip to India to work with the charity Priya's late mother set up there.
Except Priya isn't responding to Zan's texts. Or e-mails. The girls who talked by the hour haven't spoken to each other in months.
Friendships change. Distance doesn't always make the heart grow fonder. Priya has a new life in California, as seen by the photos she's posted to her Instagram. Clearly, she's moved on from her old life. And from Zan.
Then one day, Zan notices something off about her best friend's social media. And she starts asking a lot of questions to find out what the hell has happened to the girl she knows as well as she knows herself.
This is, to sum it up, a YA contemporary thriller. Is that a genre? If not, it should be. It's genuinely difficult to tell from the first half of this book that you're reading a thriller. It reads like a fun, average contemporary of a girl whose childhood friendship is shattered, and who must piece her life back together in the aftermath. She works, spends time with her family, flirts with a cute boy. All the typical contemporary YA fluffitude.
But sprinkled underneath is this mystery. What the hell happened to Priya? Is she genuinely ghosting Zan because she's moved on? Has she been kidnapped? Is she in a mental ward? Does she have amnesia and can't remember anything about her former life?
This is a GENUINELY well done bit of fiction here. It's something that both contemporary fans and thriller fans can enjoy, meeting in the middle and forming a nice little literary yin yang.
Though I had issues with the romance. (I know, I know, you're shocked). Logan is a good character, his sister is an amazing little creature, with her Senator Bratz doll. The banter between Logan and Zan is adorable, and funny. You can tell the author has a comedic background. But there is an unnaturalness to their sudden romance. And she doesn't exactly treat him very well. It's the one downer to an otherwise great book.
I am really, really impressed. Katy Loutzenhiser kept me guessing until the very end. Very nice.
Zan and Priya have been best friends since childhood. Inseparable. They go to school together, work together, talk through texts, e-mails, phone calls. There's nothing they don't know about each other's lives. And when Priya has to move with her stepfather across the country, both girls are completely devastated. They promise to stay in touch all year, culminating in a huge trip to India to work with the charity Priya's late mother set up there.
Except Priya isn't responding to Zan's texts. Or e-mails. The girls who talked by the hour haven't spoken to each other in months.
Friendships change. Distance doesn't always make the heart grow fonder. Priya has a new life in California, as seen by the photos she's posted to her Instagram. Clearly, she's moved on from her old life. And from Zan.
Then one day, Zan notices something off about her best friend's social media. And she starts asking a lot of questions to find out what the hell has happened to the girl she knows as well as she knows herself.
This is, to sum it up, a YA contemporary thriller. Is that a genre? If not, it should be. It's genuinely difficult to tell from the first half of this book that you're reading a thriller. It reads like a fun, average contemporary of a girl whose childhood friendship is shattered, and who must piece her life back together in the aftermath. She works, spends time with her family, flirts with a cute boy. All the typical contemporary YA fluffitude.
But sprinkled underneath is this mystery. What the hell happened to Priya? Is she genuinely ghosting Zan because she's moved on? Has she been kidnapped? Is she in a mental ward? Does she have amnesia and can't remember anything about her former life?
This is a GENUINELY well done bit of fiction here. It's something that both contemporary fans and thriller fans can enjoy, meeting in the middle and forming a nice little literary yin yang.
Though I had issues with the romance. (I know, I know, you're shocked). Logan is a good character, his sister is an amazing little creature, with her Senator Bratz doll. The banter between Logan and Zan is adorable, and funny. You can tell the author has a comedic background. But there is an unnaturalness to their sudden romance. And she doesn't exactly treat him very well. It's the one downer to an otherwise great book.
I am really, really impressed. Katy Loutzenhiser kept me guessing until the very end. Very nice.
kamkanga's review against another edition
3.0
A fun little teenage story with a bit of mystery mixed in.
mmeagan's review against another edition
DNF'd at 20% into the audiobook.
I really tried to like this, but it was so boring. I know how contemporary mysteries are structured - where we spend a lot of time getting to know the characters and why the mystery (in this case her missing friend) is important to them - but I just didn't care.
I really tried to like this, but it was so boring. I know how contemporary mysteries are structured - where we spend a lot of time getting to know the characters and why the mystery (in this case her missing friend) is important to them - but I just didn't care.
aahwandith's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
allysonbogie's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! The most important thing about it to me is that it’s a book I could recommend to a reader who likes I Am Princess X, which is an awesome and unique story!
shaef22's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
dancingkouign's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
emma_eger's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The concept of this story is very intriguing but the author missed the mark on execution. It felt like the prose was choppy and the characters felt very one dimensional, the way they acted was from the point of view of an adult who doesn’t regularly talk to teenagers.