I received a print ARC copy and really appreciated the opportunity to read this book. I had been very excited about the premise, I would rate it a 3.5 and wish there were half stars for this mystery/thriller. Here is what worked and what did not work for me. I liked the female protagonist(Cadie) and her dedication as a young adult to the cause of conservation. Cadie's back story as a not-too-popular teen was told as flashback chapters, and the author did a decent job of mixing them. However, I did expect a little more emphasis on the difficulties of conservation; in fact that was a big part of my initial interest. The biggest flaw for me were the parts of the book where Cadie's personality seemed to suddenly change, and I found her to be irritating. She was supposed to be this determined conservationist. Yet in scene after scene she starts shaking and trembling and getting so nervous that she either vomits, almost vomits, or has to hold on to something/someone to keep from fainting - or she just blurts out information "without thinking" [chapter 22.] These borderline hysterical scenes did not seem to jive with Cadie who had to handle a very serious event and weighty secret.
I liked Cadie's teen friendship with a girl and her family who came into the United States illegally from El Salvador. The book provides good information through the family discussions about politics at the time and why they felt they had to escape no matter how they did it. The subject matter is treated very fairly. No hysterics from Cadie or the family, though local townspeople become volatile at one point.
It is a worth while book to read and book clubs could have some interesting discussions. For those who like a lot of mystery and a lot of thrills, this book may seem quite slow until the latter chapters. I wish the book had been at least a strong 4 star read; I wanted it to be.
I liked Cadie's teen friendship with a girl and her family who came into the United States illegally from El Salvador. The book provides good information through the family discussions about politics at the time and why they felt they had to escape no matter how they did it. The subject matter is treated very fairly. No hysterics from Cadie or the family, though local townspeople become volatile at one point.
It is a worth while book to read and book clubs could have some interesting discussions. For those who like a lot of mystery and a lot of thrills, this book may seem quite slow until the latter chapters. I wish the book had been at least a strong 4 star read; I wanted it to be.