Summary
Twins, Ellery and Ezra, never thought they would return to their mother's home town of Echo Ridge, Vermont until the day their mother got admitted to a rehab facility for her drug problem. Now, they are having to move in with their grandmother and live in the same house their mother grew up in. Little do they know, that they're walking into a web of murder, lies, and dark past.
Malcom has lived most of his teenage life in the shadow of his brother who was an unofficial murder suspect in the murder that took place 5 years ago. Now when another girl goes missing, somehow Malcom ends up as the main suspect. How will the picture-perfect town of Echo Ridge get past the murder and the secrets that are unraveling more and more by the minute? What secrets will Ellery and Malcom uncover?
Opinion
Scale of 1-10:
8.5
I've read this book twice now and I still got surprised at some of the twists. I'm sure that that's mostly because of the fact that I'm a super forgetful but still...
Anyway, the reason I didn't give this book as good of a review as Karen McManus's other book One of Us Is Lying, is because for some reason, I just didn't get as emotionally attached to the characters as I did in the other book. Through all of One of Us Is Lying, I would feel the same emotions that I could imagine the characters were feeling. While I felt that in this book at times, it wasn't as often.
Despite that, though, this author really does know how to write a murder mystery. The way she sets things up in her books are absolutely amazing! I really enjoy it when a twist comes and I kind of just sit their like, "well I should've seen that!" I also really enjoy the humor that's exchanged between the characters. It's made me chuckle out loud at times. One thing that I really noticed when I read it this time, is how well the author wrote Ellery and Ezra. She made them complement each other so well and did a good job of reflecting the relationship their mother had with her twin. Also I really enjoy Ezra's character, he makes the funniest comments!
Ultimately, I think this book is definitely worth reading. The ending will definitely leave you in shock when you read it!
Age Rating
14-15+
Warning! Spoilers!
In my opinion, the only HUGE thing about this book that makes me deem it an mid-older teen book, is the cursing. There are multiple uses of the F word, "ass", "hell",
"d**k", "b*tch", "sh**", and a character gives the middle finger. The cursing isn't every other word so it's not like it's difficult to read, but there's enough of it to make note of.
Romance-wise, almost all the characters were or are in a relationship with someone else. It's mentioned that Ezra had a boyfriend back in California and Malcom mentions that his step-sister and all of her friends have boyfriends. Also, Ellery and Ezra's mom told them that they were the product of a one night stand and they don't know who their father is. It is also mentioned that Malcom's best friend, Mia, is thinking about asking out a coffee girl to the homecoming dance. A little over half-way through the book, Malcom and Ellery have a kissing scene that doesn't last long, though. Finally, it is uncovered that an adult man has made it a habit of dating teenage girls behind his wife's back. Yes.... I'm aware it's disturbing [insert disgusted emoji]
Here's the link to the book on Goodreads:
Comments