Amanda Searcy
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Fight or Flight.Whew! That was a wild ride, and I loved every second of it. Searcy did an incredible job setting the tone for this gritty mystery-thriller starting from the very first page, and she kept me in a constant state of anticipation from that point forward.
All Kayla Asher wants to do is run. Run from the government housing complex she calls home. Run from her unstable mother. Run from a desperate job at No Limit Foods. Run to a better, cleaner, safer life. Every day is one day closer to leaving.
All Betsy Hopewell wants to do is survive. Survive the burner phone hidden under her bed. Survive her new rules. Survive a new school with new classmates. Survive being watched. Every minute grants her another moment of life.
But when fate brings Kayla and Betsy together, only one girl will live.
The book followed two girls, Kayla and Betsy, who were separated by geography, but shared one common goal - survival.
Kayla was trying to adjust to life back with her finally clean and sober mom. She was working a dead-end job as she kept her eyes on the prize, which was escaping her downtrodden life for one with possibilities. Her POVs sort of broke my heart, because she lost so much, when she was returned to her mom. I admired her keep-your-head-up attitude, but my heart ached for all she could have had.
Betsy was more of a mystery. Taunted by the burner phone, and the person on the other end, who held her life in their hands, she was in a constant state of distress, always looking over her shoulder. My curiosity was piqued, and I was compelled to keep reading in order to get some answers. Betsy's chapters were the ones that really got my heart pumping. Her harried mental state was well written, and her emotions and fear jumped off the page. There were times that her stress was so palpable, I found myself actually biting my nails.
I really enjoyed searching for the clues and assembling the truth behind this story. My first objective was to figure out the connection between Kayla and Betsy, which I did. Then I needed some answers regarding the serial killer, and I was also right there (but it was very close to the end of the book). However, there were several major reveals that left my mouth slightly agape, as I just didn't see those parts coming.
I really loved the ending, because Searcy did so many things right. Most importantly, she gave me answers. I don't think there were any loose ends by the last page of the book. She also gave me hope. Hope for Kayla and Betsy, and that is my one requirement when I read a darker book. I can walk on the dark side, as long as I am given some hope for the future of the characters, and Searcy definitely left me in a positive state.
Overall: A fantastic thriller, where Searcy masterfully wove Kayla and Betsy's lives together seamlessly, and drop us piece after piece of this complex puzzle.
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Quotes are from an ARC and may change upon publication.
FAVORITE QUOTES
"I pull the corner of the sheet over my exposed chest. I'm the mouse. The cat has my tail. My legs spin and slide and scrabble, but there's no getting away."
"She knows. She can sense it. I'm here to rain plague and ruin upon her household"
"My eyes glide over to her. My face feels blank. I don't know how to respond to this strange greeting. Hi! I'm a ticking time bomb."
"I can't draw attention to myself. I can't have him wondering about me, talking to people, making phone calls. Bringing the black monster to life under my bed."
"The doorbell rings. My heart beats in my ears like a freight train. I've thought about my death every day for seven months, but now that it's here, all I can think is I don't want to die."
"I don't think he's flirting. It's more like he wants to protect me from the big bad world. No such luck, dude. It's way too late for that."GIVEAWAY
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BOOK LINKS
GOODREADS | AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY | B&N | KOBO | INDIEBOUND
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amanda Searcy has a BA from New Mexico State University and an MA in human rights from the University of Essex in England. She works in collection development for a public library system and loves chocolate, cats, and curling up with a good book. She lives in New Mexico.
Visit her online at amandasearcybooks.com and follow her on Twitter at @aesearcy.
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Do you like mystery-thrillers?
Do you have a favorite mystery-thriller book?
Do you have a favorite mystery-thriller book?
Let us know in the comments!
This sounds utterly utterly cool and also TOTALLY riveting! Love the review, Sam.
ReplyDeleteIt was really good. I love a good thriller and this one a great creep factor too.
DeleteI had not heard of this before today, but this sounds like a whole load of fun. I've read a couple of really great YA thrillers this year, so I'm definitely interested in this one now. I need to know what that ending is!
ReplyDeleteI mostly read contemporary romances (let's be real), but I have been really happy with the mystery/thrillers I have read. I really liked the way Searcy wove the pieces of this story together, and I definitely felt the characters' fear through the page.
DeleteOh this is new to me but definitely a book that seems like I would like it. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed it, and looked forward to more from Searcy
DeleteOh wow, this sounds unnerving and completely captivating. There aren't many mysteries around in young adult at the moment and this sounds as though it's completely surprising and unpredictable. Brilliant review Sam, looking forward to grabbing a copy <3
ReplyDeleteI stretched myself a little and read several mystery/thriller YA titles this year. Some were good, some were great, some were ok. This one goes in the great group for me.
DeleteI love reading thrillers and mysteries so this book sounds so exciting for me to read.
ReplyDeleteI thought the book was written really well, in a way to amplify the fear and anxiety the characters were experiencing, and thus, leaving me with all these feelings too.
DeleteWhy haven't I heard about this book before?! This sounds like my kind of book. I may have to see about getting my hands on this one.
ReplyDeleteI love reading debuts and this was a solid start for Searcy.
DeleteThis definitely sounds like something I would like, thanks so much for introducing me to it!
ReplyDeleteI hope you get the opportunity to read it, because I really loved it.
DeleteThis is one I would enjoy. You had me at gritty.
ReplyDeleteThis one leads dark for me with all the murders, blackmail, and crime, but there are some really bright spots in there too.
DeleteThis book sounds really exciting! I loved that it kept you guessing!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I don't read a lot of thriller/mystery type stories, so I loved the change of pace. I thought Searcy did a great job planting the hints and weaving the story.
Delete