Post by Charlynn on Jun 20, 2013 15:34:47 GMT -5
Never Have I Ever by Sara Shepard
Laurel. Mads. Char. The Twitter Twins, Gabby and Lili. A sister, best friends, and two vapid girls who, in one breath, despise and, in the next, worship. Five suspects, and this is just Emma's dead twin sister, Sutton's, inner circle. She has been in Tucson just a few short weeks, but, already, Emma is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of motives surrounding her. To wade through them, she can only depend on one person - Ethan, the lone individual Emma trusts and has confided in. Together, they not only must navigate their investigation into Sutton's murder but also the usual trappings of high school: rivals, ex-boyfriends, parents, and homecoming. Plus, there are their budding feelings for each other, too. With Sutton's past a mystery to her new-found sister, solving the case and giving Sutton peace is an uphill battle, Sutton's misdeeds, secrets, and lies a stone around Emma's neck, constantly weighing her down. As Emma and Ethan fall down the rabbit hole that is/was Sutton's life, they quickly learn that it won't be so easy to wake up from their current nightmare. And that's all before Thayer returns.
A quick, fun read, Never Have I Ever continues to further the Sara Shepard brand of dark and twisted affluent teenagers. While not as bleak as its predecessor, this novel certainly introduces its fair share of heavy issues: obviously murder but also abuse, hazing, and hints of adultery. In its favor, Never Have I Ever starts the process of humanizing Sutton's sister and friends, showing that there is more to Laurel, Mads, and Char than fashion, deception, boys, and bitchiness. This novel also includes scenes with Sutton's parents - particularly two compelling ones between Emma and Mr. Mercer - and Mad's father, and it brings the runaway Thayer back to Tucson. With this said, Never Have I Ever also features an unfortunately heavy dose of the impossibly obnoxious Twitter Twins who bring down both the tone of the book and the maturity level. In the future, the series would be better served by focusing on its more complex secrets - meaning the dirt that Sutton had on the adults in her life and those once closest to her. Additionally, the constantly shifting perspectives of a dead, first person Sutton and an alive, third person Emma is frustrating. While both girls are essential to the story, there must be a better way to differentiate their thoughts, a better way to organize and arrange the books so that both perspectives are shared but so that the transition isn't so jarring and, subsequently, disruptive.
Three out of Five Stars
Laurel. Mads. Char. The Twitter Twins, Gabby and Lili. A sister, best friends, and two vapid girls who, in one breath, despise and, in the next, worship. Five suspects, and this is just Emma's dead twin sister, Sutton's, inner circle. She has been in Tucson just a few short weeks, but, already, Emma is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of motives surrounding her. To wade through them, she can only depend on one person - Ethan, the lone individual Emma trusts and has confided in. Together, they not only must navigate their investigation into Sutton's murder but also the usual trappings of high school: rivals, ex-boyfriends, parents, and homecoming. Plus, there are their budding feelings for each other, too. With Sutton's past a mystery to her new-found sister, solving the case and giving Sutton peace is an uphill battle, Sutton's misdeeds, secrets, and lies a stone around Emma's neck, constantly weighing her down. As Emma and Ethan fall down the rabbit hole that is/was Sutton's life, they quickly learn that it won't be so easy to wake up from their current nightmare. And that's all before Thayer returns.
A quick, fun read, Never Have I Ever continues to further the Sara Shepard brand of dark and twisted affluent teenagers. While not as bleak as its predecessor, this novel certainly introduces its fair share of heavy issues: obviously murder but also abuse, hazing, and hints of adultery. In its favor, Never Have I Ever starts the process of humanizing Sutton's sister and friends, showing that there is more to Laurel, Mads, and Char than fashion, deception, boys, and bitchiness. This novel also includes scenes with Sutton's parents - particularly two compelling ones between Emma and Mr. Mercer - and Mad's father, and it brings the runaway Thayer back to Tucson. With this said, Never Have I Ever also features an unfortunately heavy dose of the impossibly obnoxious Twitter Twins who bring down both the tone of the book and the maturity level. In the future, the series would be better served by focusing on its more complex secrets - meaning the dirt that Sutton had on the adults in her life and those once closest to her. Additionally, the constantly shifting perspectives of a dead, first person Sutton and an alive, third person Emma is frustrating. While both girls are essential to the story, there must be a better way to differentiate their thoughts, a better way to organize and arrange the books so that both perspectives are shared but so that the transition isn't so jarring and, subsequently, disruptive.
Three out of Five Stars