Frustrating characters, twisty plot

When June hears of her former best friend's death, she is devastated. The day before her death, June got a phone call from Delia that she never answered. When it comes out that it was a suicide, June feels even worse. Could she have saved her friend? Talked her out of it in the way only a best friend can? Then Delia's boyfriend persuades her that maybe Delia didn't take her own life. As June starts digging into who Delia was talking to right before she died, she becomes convinced that someone killed Delia.


My Thoughts:
Ugh... What did I just read?? Another book that totally messed with my head. I didn't like or trust any of the characters, and I still don't. This book is going to be really hard to review because I can only really talk about the first 1/3, after that things happen that are major spoilery.

As the book starts off, June is just sort of living a lonely life, hanging out with her boyfriend Ryan, and that's about it. Her home life is pretty bad, and after she had a falling out with her only real friend, she prefers to keep herself walled-off. After finding out Delia (the friend she hasn't talked to in a year) committed suicide, June tries to look into if anyone else was responsible. Her "invesitgation" leads her to a drug dealer, a new best friend of Delia's, and even June's own boyfriend as possible suspects. The truth is nothing she could ever see coming though.

I so liked this book even though I didn't like any of the characters. June was too weak and codependent. It was hard for me to buy that she would even have quit being friends with Delia because the girl had zero backbone. I would believe that she would blindly follow Delia to the ends of the Earth because it becomes rather obvious that that's exactly what she would do. We get to know Delia a lot through flashbacks, and I never really saw the draw. Sure June was lonely, but Delia just wasn't a good person. I wanted to like Ryan (the boyfriend), but he turned out to be a total fake. Sighhhh, I wanted to like these people!! I just couldn't.

As frustrating as the characters were, the story was interesting and page-turning. I was surprised several times at twists I didn't see coming. The ending though!! I feel like I need someone to explain it to me, because the way I'm taking it.... well, I'm hoping I'm taking it wrong. I feel like it's left very open... either that, or I'm just not seeing the big picture.

Would I recommend this? I would. The writing is really good, but be prepared for the characters to piss you off. They all will.

OVERALL: A cool thriller that at least tries to do something different. I'm not sure I was in love with this as I was with this authors other book ([b:Wherever Nina Lies|4333469|Wherever Nina Lies|Lynn Weingarten|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265327771s/4333469.jpg|4381337]), but I still appreciated the writing and the story... even if it didn't go along the way I would have wanted it to.

My Blog:
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This book was not at all what I expected, yet it still managed to leave me feeling haunted and overwhelmed.

I was expecting much more of an exploration of suicide and depression and mental health and such. However, I'd categorise this as a mystery more than anything.

I didn't become particular attached to any of the characters; at some points I had trouble distinguishing between a couple. They felt vague, more like outlines than real people. When Delia began narrating chapters, it became even more challenging for me to connect with them.

The ending was very bold and daring, but ultimately I didn't really buy into the believability of the whole story, and thus only enjoyed it.

This was addictive to read and definitely enjoyable, I just found myself a little confused and not entirely satisfied at the end.
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“Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for a person is to shield them from that which will not help them. Make the decision and then carry the burden yourself, bear the weight so that they don't have to.”
― Lynn Weingarten, Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls

I read alot of YA and many a mystery too. This was not the worst but I did not understand alot of it and certain parts actually made me a bit queasy. So that is why I did not like it.

SPOILERS:

There was so much I did not get nor understand. I also felt the tone of the book was not for me.

I really feel like this is not a traditional mystery or psychological thriller. I feel it is more geared toward the Horror/thriller genre. I most likely would not have chosen to read it had I known how brutal and..well..horrifying it would be. I think it does work though as a horror tale because it sure is a creepy little read! And somehow I made it to the end so I was at least kept involved. Not my type of book though at all. ( )

"I'm nothing if not completely inconsistent."

Wow. Okay I did not expect that ending AT ALL. Every time I thought that I knew what happened a new twist appeared and now Im just left reeling and with so many questions!! It was a great book, pulling you in quickly with the mystery of what happened to Delia as June tries to put together the pieces of what truly happened to her friend. June's own unreliability as a narrator fashioned the story into a magic trick- she misdirected you in a way that distracted you from the truth.

Overall: Great suspense with an AMAZING plot twist. Definitely worth a read. ( )

The first part of the book held my interest. Trying to decide why a suicide occurs in a way that is not true to the character June knew. Did not make sense that a mousy girl would do all she did to get answers, have the hot guy boyfriend. Could understand attraction to Delia but not the need to hate her Mom so much. Figured drugs would be part of story, liked concept of the setup for Delia’s death. Didn’t believe reason for Delia killing her Dad, using others to get her way. Confused by ending. ( )