This book nails the noir feel with a bitter and hurting protagonist, Southern California setting, and dubious ensemble cast. It's a great fit for fans of Veronica Mars, though I'd say it's lighter on the humor and heavier on the brooding. Plenty of swearing, allusions to drug and alcohol use, and frank discussions of sex make this a trickier recommend for our middle school visits, but I wouldn't say impossible. It didn't feel sensationalized so much as blunt. ( )

4.5 stars

Pasadena by Sherri L. Smith is a poignant young adult mystery.

Jude is out of town when she finds out her best friend, Maggie Kim, is dead. Immediately flying back to Pasadena, she does not believe Maggie committed suicide; instead she is convinced her friend was murdered. Enlisting the aid of Joey, Jude immediately alienates a few of their mutual friends with her cutting remarks but she remains undeterred in her search for the truth. Battling a slew of demons of her own, Jude's investigation uncovers some surprising revelations about her friend but most importantly, she discovers a few startling truths about herself.

Jude is devastated by Maggie's death and although her friend made a few suicidal threats in the past, she is convinced that Maggie would never actually take her own life. Instead of focusing on her loss, she instead concentrates on piecing together the last few days of Maggie's life. Beginning with their circle of eclectic friends, Jude's caustic comments set everyone on edge but she really does not care overly much about their hurt feelings or the damage wrought in the aftermath. She is a little bothered by the realization that while Maggie is her best friend, she might not have been Maggie's best friend.

Through flashbacks, Jude reminisces about their friendship and Maggie springs vividly to life. Vivacious, popular and a bit enigmatic, Maggie is larger than life and she embraces life wholeheartedly. She is an astute observer whose friends found it very easy to confide in her but in retrospect, she gave up very little information about herself. Her family is wealthy but money does not necessarily exempt them from experiencing problems or heartache. Jude uncovers unexpected information about both Maggie and her family but she still harbors doubts Maggie committed suicide. It is not until after Maggie's funeral that Jude learns what happened to Maggie, but as she discovers, learning the truth does not lessen the pain of her friend's death.

Pasadena is a gritty, raw and realistic young adult novel that deals with some pretty tough subject matter. Sherri L. Smith handles these difficult topics in a forthright and sensitive manner and these issues add a considerable amount of depth to the plot and the characters. Jude is initially a little too abrasive but as more details about her life emerge, she becomes much more sympathetic and easier to like. While the mystery surrounding Maggie's death is completely satisfying, the novel concludes on a rather bittersweet note for Jude. ( )

Jude's summer back East is cut short when her best friend Maggie is found dead back home in Pasadena. She rushes home to grieve and sort out what could possibly have happened to result in suicide or murder. The group of her friends, all headed toward senior year in high school, becomes the target for Jude's anger and sorrow, and the group seems likely to fall apart. Jude is the narrator, a complex character who is not always likable or reliable, but nonetheless sympathetic. ( )

A YA LA Noir perfect for fans of Veronica Mars. ( )

Pasadena by Sherri L. Smith is an entertaining young adult novel that’s a compilation of a mystery- thriller and teenage drama.

I had some issues with this novel, but let me start out by saying that I did enjoy reading it. I did. It’s a quick read with interesting characters, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.

Jude’s best friend Maggie’s body is found dead in a swimming pool. Everyone has a different opinion about the cause of death — accident, suicide, or murder. With Joey’s help, Jude investigates Maggie’s death and unravels secrets in the process.

This novel is more than a story about a dead teenager. It’s about friendship and all of the traumatic crap we have to deal both at home and among our friends. There’s an element of peer pressure because not every character in this novel is into casual sex, drugs, and alcohol. The socioeconomic levels in this circle of friends are broad. Some of the teens live with two wealthy parents in a big house complete with a pool house while others have divorced parents who are dating a slim ball you don’t trust, so you have to lock yourself in your bedroom when he’s home.

What I liked about this novel is that the narrative voice sounded like an authentic gossipy teenager. It dealt with serious topics such as suicide, underage drinking, drugs, teenage sex, and STDs. Combine that with sarcasm and lots of teenage drama, and you have an entertaining novel.

This is a quick read that you can finish in a couple of hours. I was expecting more suspense. It’s hard to develop characters and a mystery plot in such a short novel unless it’s tightly written. This one is only 240 pages, which made it feel like a novella, and it still felt like the pacing was too slow. There’s too much filler that I didn’t think added to the story. That space could have been used to develop the plot and characters more to give the story more depth. There were times when I read a paragraph and thought So what? Move on.

Some of the characters were stereotypical such as Maggie who was beautiful and popular, but she tended to be an attention-seeking slut. Most of the characters either drank or got high, but usually it was both. There was a lot of discussion about fashion and who hates whom. I loved Jude and Joey’s friendship, although Jude took advantage of Joey. He was the ideal friend, but underappreciated. He’d show up at Jude’s house with her favorite coffee and chauffeur her around town. Who doesn’t want a friend like that?

Overall, it’s an enjoyable read. Some people may love this book. I liked it, but I’m just not in love with it.

I obtained a copy of this ARC from Penguin Random House’s First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review.

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