Eileen Cook

HURRAY!! I have found the elusive YA Mystery of my dreams!! If you don't regularly read my blog, then you don't know this, but I've been on the HUNT for a great YA Mystery and have been having the hardest time finding THE ONE. Well, search over :) This book is everything I was looking for-- great writing, interesting characters, unputdownable, A plot, twisty ending... I loved the shit out of this book!

If you've read and loved [b:Dangerous Girls|16074758|Dangerous Girls|Abigail show more Haas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356513050l/16074758._SY75_.jpg|21869436] by Abigail Haas, and have been looking for a book to make you feel like that-- READ THIS. This is the first mystery since I read Dangerous Girls 2 years ago, to make me feel like that ([b:The Walls Around Us|18044277|The Walls Around Us|Nova Ren Suma|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1407168914l/18044277._SX50_.jpg|25322052] by Nova Ren Suma is a close 2nd I would say).

So the story-- Jill wakes up in a hospital and can't remember the last month or so of her life. She can't remember her school trip to Italy, she can't remember the car accident that put her in the hospital and killed a classmate. To the police, her memory (or lack there of) doesn't seem to matter. They don't believe that this is just a case of a simple accident. They believe there is more to it.... maybe even that this was completely intentional.

I know the whole "I have amnesia and can't remember this really important moment" thing is a little played out, but when it is done right, I love it. I could read 100 books about traumatic amnesia if the stories are told like this one. I loved that I wanted to like Jill and believe her, but since she didn't remember it was SO hard to trust!! I loved that what I thought was going to happen, happened, but it didn't spoil the ending for me. It actually made me really excited like-- holy shit, this is really happening, Eileen Cook rocks!!!

I can't tell you anything much else because it would take away from the Mystery/Thriller aspect of it. I will tell you it's a bit of a Amanda Knox retelling, but in a SUPER loose way. Also, Jill is WAY more likable and down-to-Earth than Amanda. I will now go sing this book from the mountain-tops because I have found the YA Mystery that I've been looking for.

OVERALL: A perfect YA Mystery/Thriller. If you liked/loved Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas, this is SO your book. If you like books that keep you on the edge of your seat and make you want to tell Real Life to go away so that you can keep reading a marvelous book, THIS is your book. I would rec this to everyone.

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When Jill Charron finally wakes up, she has no memory of the past six weeks of her life, including the accident that put her in the hospital. But with the suggestion that the car crash may not have been an accident, Jill is desperate to reclaim her memory of those missing days in order to know the truth.
But it may not be the truth she wants it to be, and knowing may be worse than forgetting.

This young adult tale of friendship twists and turns, taking readers in unanticipated directions as show more it spins teen angst and media ultra-frenzy into an enticing mystery. Blog comments, Facebook entries, police reports, and witness statements pepper Jill’s narrative; all serve to build the tension as they reveal tiny bits of information and provide tantalizing glimpses into her slowly-returning memory. Or are they false memories, created by suggestion and the onslaught of speculative news stories and comments flooding social media? Are gossip and innuendo distorting the truth . . . and can distorted truths affect Jill’s nascent memories? Just how truthful are memories, anyway . . . and will remembering answer all the questions?

With its riveting suspense and constantly-building tension, this is a fast, read-in-one-sitting story with an obvious nod to the Amanda Knox case. Characters are well-developed with authentic voices; Anna, with her no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is attitude is likely to become a reader favorite.
The fast pace, the coming together of the puzzle, the unexpected reveals, and an unforeseen ending will all keep readers engaged until they’ve turned the final page.

Highly recommended. show less

These are the things Willow knows:

* Her older sister is a perfectly prissy pain in her hindquarters.
*A dog would be a perfect companion for her.
*Ten (or the big ONE-OH) is the most important birthday ever.
* Having a best best friend would be the greatest birthday present in the world!

Those are the thoughts jumbled around in Willow Doyle's head as we follow her through the story. If you're thinking that this sounds like an adorable story, you would be correct!

Young readers will find a lot to show more love in Fourth Grade Fairy. Although Willow faces the additional challenge of growing into some pretty big fairy god-mothering shoes, she still has the same issues as all girls this age. She explores the issue of friendship, namely how to find a real friend. She is also trying to figure out how she fits into her family. See Willow's older sister Lucinda is perfect and of course her parents adore her. Where does that leave a girl who seems to always be a step behind? Willow's inner monologue is simply fantastic. I could definitely believe that she was a nine (almost ten) year old just trying to find her way in life. Add in her silly sense of humor and you have one fantastic read!

The supporting characters in Willow's life are perfectly written as well, and fit in just where they need to. From her supportive grandmother, to the friends of the popular girl in school, they are all there in vivid color. Each character is so realistic that it's like stepping back into elementary school. So many memories came flooding back for me. Even the cast of animal characters is adorably believable. I'm not saying that I think animals can talk (or am I?) but I am saying that they are part of Willow's support group. An adorable part at that! Truth be told, they kind of steal the show.

I think young readers will have a simply delightful time reading this book, and older readers will see the deeper meaning in Willow's story. Colorful writing and a sweet story blend together to create one very enjoyable read for young and old readers alike! A great reminder of the lessons we all learn as children, Eileen Cook has written a gem in Fourth Grade Fairy! I cannot wait for the next installment and see what other kinds of trouble Willow can get herself into! show less

With Malice will keep you guessing - even after the end!

(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC for review through NetGalley.)

“Right now your brain knows there is missing information, and it’s desperately trying to fill in those blanks.” She opened a desk drawer and fished out a paper. “Ever see something like this?”

I looked down. At first the words looked like gibberish, and then they clicked into place.

I cnduo’t bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was show more rdnaieg. Aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm.

I passed the sheet back to her. “I’ve seen something like it online.”

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Dr. Weeks knocked on top of the model of the brain she kept on her credenza. “The darn things still fascinate me as much as they did when I started in this field. How they can fill in what’s missing — find patterns and create meaning where there was nothing. One of the most primal survival instincts the brain has is finding pattern and assigning meaning. When there is a breakdown, it will scramble to find those patterns again as quickly as possible.”

###

“I didn’t do this,” I said.

“Of course you didn’t,” Mom said. She patted my hand. “The police aren’t going to be able to prove a thing.”

That’s when I knew beyond any doubt she believed I’d done it.

###

Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron wakes up in a hospital bed with a broken leg, several broken ribs, an assortment of cuts and bruises - and no idea how she got there. Through bits and pieces - angry blog posts and reluctant drips of info from the 'rents - she comes to learn that she was on a class trip to Italy when the car she was driving barreled through a stone wall and off a cliff. Jill survived, but the passenger - her best friend of eight years, Simone McIvory - did not.

After the was-it-or-wasn't-it-an-accident, Jill's hoighty-toighty father whisked her out of the country on a private flight, ostensibly so she could receive top-notch medical care in the states. Then he hired her a lawyer and (wait for it!) a PR team. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to suspect that Keith used his wealth to shield his daughter - and, by extension, his family - from the fallout of an investigation and possible murder charge.

While Jill is convinced that there's no way she'd ever murder Simone, she has no memory of the event - or even the six or so weeks leading up to it. And her brain isn't exactly cooperating; in addition to retrograde amnesia, Jill's also dealing with aphasia, which makes it all the more difficult to defend herself. Yet as new facts and evidence come to light - in the form of police interviews, witness statements, cell phone videos, news articles, and Facebook and blog posts - Jill begins to doubt herself: what really happened that fateful day in Montepulciano?

Jill's present-day narration is interspersed with items pertaining to the investigation. However, the evidence proves as shaky as Jill's memory, as everyone involved - from Simone's parents to her friends and even strangers at a quaint Tuscan cafe - is privy to just one part of the overall puzzle. (The secret lives of teenagers ftw.) Conflicting accounts and personal agendas further muddy the waters.

In addition to a murder mystery/psychological thriller, With Malice is also a sly interrogation of internet culture - of how instant gratification and anonymity can bring out the worst in us. Reminiscent of the Amanda Knox case - complete with the reasonably attractive American femme fatale, an Italian Lothario, and a dead roommate, possibly murdered under titillating circumstances - the "Murder Abroad" makes Jill famous, in the worst way possible. Eager to cast Jill (and, later, Nico) as the villain, Internet commentators pile on with glee, twisting everything Jill ever posted online to fit their narrative. Anyone even tangentially related to the case is given an unquestioning platform. With Malice even has a sleazy, Nancy Grace-like true crime reporter, taking mainstream media (news as entertainment) to task as well.

With Malice is a really great beach read - assuming you like your beach reads a little dark and twisted. I've seen it compared to We Were Liars - which is the main reason I picked it up, tbh - and, while the both do feature a big plot twist thanks to a handy case of amnesia, the overall vibe is completely different. In We Were Liars, the twist came as a complete surprise to me (somehow I'd managed to avoid spoilers), including the mere fact that there was a twist. Here, they don't tiptoe around it at all; the twist is part of the appeal.

Also, We Were Liars had a much more likeable cast of characters - mostly privileged but well-intentioned young adults - which made the ending that much more tragic. I could appreciate what they were trying to do, even if they failed in the most epic way possible. In contrast, almost everyone (save maybe for Anna, Mom, and the rehab staff) is kind of awful and hard to stomach, even if you don't realize it until the end. It's not a bad thing - Gone Girl utilized horrible people to great effect - but it does sap a little of the emotional impact from the ending.

You should know that the conclusion is very open-ended; usually I hate that, but it works quite well here. The story keeps you guessing, and the ending guarantees you'll keep on doing so long after you've turned the last page. I don't usually re-read four-star books - my TBR pile is just too big for that luxury! - but I'm considering revisiting that rule for With Malice, just to see if I interpret anything differently in light of the "reveal."

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