Makani Young thought she’d left her dark past behind her in Hawaii, settling in with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska. She’s found new friends and has even started to fall for mysterious outsider Ollie Larsson. But her past isn’t far behind.
Then, one by one, the students of Osborne Hugh begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasingly grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and her feelings for Ollie intensify, Makani is forced to confront her own dark secrets.
GENRE:
Young Adult, Thriller
PAGES:
289 pages
PART OF A SERIES?:
Standalone
RELEASE DATE:
September 26th 2017
YOU CAN FIND THE BOOK AT:
GOODREADS SUMMARY:
Love hurts…
Makani Young thought she’d left her dark past behind her in Hawaii, settling in with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska. She’s found new friends and has even started to fall for mysterious outsider Ollie Larsson. But her past isn’t far behind.
Then, one by one, the students of Osborne Hugh begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasingly grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and her feelings for Ollie intensify, Makani is forced to confront her own dark secrets.
MY REVIEW:
When I first heard that Stephanie Perkins was writing a thriller novel, with dead teenagers showing up all over the place, I must admit I was a little thrown off guard. This is the lady who brought us awesome romances like Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happily Ever. It felt like such a deviation from what she had done before. But that’s the beautiful thing about being a YA author…you can jump from genre to genre, and rock it.
And Stephanie totally does that.
This book is phenomenal. I was never scared at all during the book but I don’t know if that was the point. I was, however, completely enthralled from beginning to end, wondering who the hell the killer was and who was going to be next on the list. The killings in this book were so brutal. This wasn’t just a shot with a gun, a slit throat. We’re talking carvings and amputation and mutilation and I was both disgusted and thrilled through the entire novel. It was a true thrill ride, keeping you on your toes.
It’s also fantastic that while Stephanie is brutally murdering teenagers in this small town in Nebraska, she also, of course, builds a really great romance between the main character, Makani, and the outsider, Ollie. I’m not surprised. If anyone was able to make a believable and swoonworthy romance in the middle of a murder spree, it would definitely be Stephanie Perkins. Their relationship is real, genuine and the honesty and rawness of how they grow closer together, the secrets that they share has your rooting for them, even with the blood running in the streets.
All in all, Stephanie’s first jaunt out of her usual contemporary romance is a complete success. I’m not one for the horror or thriller genre but this one was a thrill ride, like watching a really good, old classic slasher film, with a demented killer and even more demented murders. Even if you aren’t a fan of that kind of book, I would highly recommend it. You won’t be able to put it down!
RATING:
4 out of 5 Stars
