I really enjoyed this read, I would def list it as a cozy mystery, written for pure enjoyment. It had a great story, I loved the characters even though most of the time I felt the detective was a bit inept... Ya know asking all the wrong questions. The resolution was cool but I had been able to guess at two major plot points not even 1/3 of the way through. That being said I really can't wait to read the next in series. I wont deny that I am praying they get a little more clever along the way.
I'm not really into YA romance, I find the characters whiney, disillusioned, and every possible teen stereo-type possible. That being said this book was none of that, and I loved it so damn much! The characters are realistic, they're people I would love to have known in my high school days (or hell even now), they're people you care about. The story was well written and engaging, but most of all it was honest, and that was so refreshing that I just fell in love with the whole of it all.
Thank you James for recommending this one to me, I shouldn't have put it off as long as I did.
Not one of my favorite Crouch books but definitely worth a read. Desert Places reads more like a serial killers diary or a first hand account of trauma than fiction. It's a scary thing what humans are capable of becoming when their inner demons are released.
I can't say that I will run out and grab the next in this series, but I can say I'm not giving up on Andrew Z. Thomas.
I did not enjoy this book. I felt that Susanna was absent from the book for a good portion of it, that she was just an observer in her life and experiences. Most of what she shared I felt were akin to the American Pie - You know this one time at band camp... jokes. I felt that Susanna as a person was absent for most of the book, and that we truly did not learn anything about her, her condition, or her inner turmoils till the end of the book. I was highly disappointed, definitely not what I expected.