WHAT IT'S ABOUT: The series focuses on former-foster-kid Emma, who is solving her estranged twin sister's murder by pretending to be her, because no one else knows Sutton Mercer is dead. This installment focuses on Thayer Vega, soccer star, brother to Sutton's best friend Madeline, Sutton's secret tryst buddy, and runaway. After he breaks into the Mercers' home, he gets tossed in jail. But as the clues pile up against him as Sutton's real killer, the threat of Thayer getting free becomes stronger.
THE POSITIVE:
*I have been waiting since the first book to find out what the deal with Thayer is, and the whole book is about Thayer. Finally, he gets the attention he's been owed since The Lying Game.
*As usual, Shepard makes the book feel contemporary and relevant through specific details such as brand names (Banana Republic, Abercrombie) and current culture references ("a Bruno Mars song," techno songs, housing foreclosures).
*The holes set up in the Thayer story were filled in, leaving plausible explanations for mysterious happenings
THE NOT-SO-POSITIVE:
*It felt like I was waiting for something to happen this whole book, with most of the story being Emma mulling over the same set of possibilities in her head.
*The luster of the first two novels, especially The Lying Game, has dimmed significantly. The fun of the pranks was only sprinkled in there a little bit, and the character interactions were often dull and two-dimensional.
OVERALL: With only three novels left in the series, I definitely plan on finishing it up. But getting through this installment felt like more of a chore (and a disappointment, given my initial excitement at the topic) than the last two, so I certainly hope the pacing gets better or I might have some skimming in store for the future.
But I'm sure I'll update you as I make my way through the series. :]
REVIEW HAIKU
The pacing was off.
But still, I have to admit:
I just have to know.
~Tome~
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