Murder Mystery & Perfect for Spooky Season
Rating: 3.5
I appreciate a good murder mystery. I was trying to see if I could guess who did it by the end and love to be kept on my toes. I also think Pearsall did a great job conveying sister relationships and the varying dynamics of familial relationships. For a YA novel, I think that Pearsall also did a great job writing about teen anxiety -- the unknowns, the self-blame, the secrets, etc. -- which I appreciated reading! I wasn't necessarily sure that I fully understood Linden and Cole's "relationship." I didn't really understand how they became close, to begin with. By the end, I felt like I really missed how it developed and how it started, and how we got to the end. Mr. Been also felt as though he came out of nowhere. I think building out some of the relationships can help us understand Linden and the James family's relationships with the families in Caball Hollow. Otherwise, it was solid.
I definitely can see Bittersweet in the Hollow being a popular spooky read this Halloween season!
I appreciate a good murder mystery. I was trying to see if I could guess who did it by the end and love to be kept on my toes. I also think Pearsall did a great job conveying sister relationships and the varying dynamics of familial relationships. For a YA novel, I think that Pearsall also did a great job writing about teen anxiety -- the unknowns, the self-blame, the secrets, etc. -- which I appreciated reading! I wasn't necessarily sure that I fully understood Linden and Cole's "relationship." I didn't really understand how they became close, to begin with. By the end, I felt like I really missed how it developed and how it started, and how we got to the end. Mr. Been also felt as though he came out of nowhere. I think building out some of the relationships can help us understand Linden and the James family's relationships with the families in Caball Hollow. Otherwise, it was solid.
I definitely can see Bittersweet in the Hollow being a popular spooky read this Halloween season!