Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Truly, Madly, Deadly

Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne
3.5/5 stars
Sourcebooks Fire, 2013
262 pages
YA Contemporary Thriller

Source: Bought

This was another book I bought without really looking at reviews, only to see them be middling. Still I loved the idea behind it so much that I was glad to have some space in my busy review schedule to actually read a book I own.

The part of the summary that I loved was Sawyer thinking her boyfriend died in an accident only to discover that someone carefully plotted his death and assumes she would be grateful for those actions. That assumption comes from knowledge that the boyfriend was abusive to Sawyer, something that she never shared with anyone. Then a teacher who harassed Sawyer ends up dead and things really start getting crazy.

I found this book very easy to read though its writing certainly isn't deep nor do the characters have much development. The most intriguing part was how Sawyer has been prescribed medication (understandable given the death of her boyfriend and also lingering tensions from her parents' divorce) and her narration of events may or may not be accurate depending on how she's coping. Personally I was completely caught off-guard by the reveal of who is behind everything though there wasn't really a large suspect pool-I feel like it could have been one of four people, based on who is named and who is close enough to Sawyer and it was one of those four. But that's only in hindsight. While reading I was completely caught up in the story.

So the writing keeps you gripped. But the characters, where the novel really makes or breaks it, weren't much of anything. I adored the flashbacks of Sawyer to memories of her boyfriend: how he always said he wanted her which felt so good after the turmoil of her parents' relationship but how that turned dark. I apparently have a high tolerance for books with abusive relationships so I valued seeing those sections and how it influences Sawyer's decision in this later chapter of her life. She feared no one would believe her about the abuse because they seemed like the perfect couple and she fears no one will believe her about these other incidents especially because when she does try to go to the police, the small fragments of evidences she has are dismissed as coincidence. Other characters include her best friend Chloe who adds some welcome moments of humor and new love interest Cooper who I didn't get much of a feel for (I pretty much pictured him as a younger Cooper from Meg Cabot's Heather Wells series because they share a name.)

Overall: Addictive writing but not an outstanding example of characterization. Pick it up for a quick read, maybe even this month as there are a few chills within these pages.

Other Opinions:
Alison Can Read
I Swim for Oceans
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Rather Be Reading
Supernatural Snark
The Book Babe's Reads

16 comments:

  1. Yeah, I was excited by this one when it was on sale because the author's story was amazing and the blurb sounded great. I'll probably still read it, but I do prefer books with meaty characters.

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    1. Yeah the characters just didn't stand out for me despite the promise I thought this book held.

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  2. I wish the character development was better, as that's an aspect I love in my novels. Regardless, I am curious about this one. It sounds like an intriguing mystery.

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    1. I found it just fascinating and a super fast read-a nice switch from my straight contemporary reading diet.

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  3. I like the sounds of this, but it is too bad that the characters as a whole weren't all the developed. I'll be keeping an eye out for at my library. :)

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    1. I think it's probably more of a library read so that's a good idea.

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  4. I read this one when it was released but, I didn't love it. The premise was creepy and awesome but, I never could completely connect with ti and I wanted just a little bit more.

    Kristin @ Young Adult Book Haven

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    1. Yep, "just a little bit more" is a great description of my feelings about this book too.

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  5. I'm glad that you liked this one, girly! I agree with you, the characters were lacking. I personally didn't connect well with it, but I can definitely understand what you said about the chills - that part really freaked me out. And honestly, the reason that I didn't like this (IMO) is that it just wasn't my kind of book. Glad it was yours! Toodles! <3

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    1. I got quite freaked out by some parts-even now, a few weeks later, I'm shivering!

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  6. "her narration of events may or may not be accurate depending on how she's coping" - that's always interesting! It's kind of fun to wonder if a narrator is telling the whole truth, or merely what they think is true.

    Great review! Sounds like a decent book to check out of the library.

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    1. I do enjoy an unreliable narrator on occasion, I just wish the other elements had worked better for me.

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  7. Yep, I agree. This book definitely had its moments and I loved thecreepiness and suspense, but other aspects of it left me cold. Still, I'll definitely try another book by this author!

    Jen @ YA Romantics

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    1. I will definitely check out something else by Jayne too-I think her writing style works for me.

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  8. I have this one on my kindle and I thought it sounded great. Like you said, perfect for this month (even though I've had it since August). The fact that it's a pretty easy read is a good thing for me since I don't have extra time laying around. I'll have to see if I can squeeze it in here soon.

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    1. Yes, it's pretty short and easy to read: good things for us busy people!

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