Thursday, November 22, 2018

The Cheerleaders

The Cheerleaders

I'm going to rave about this book a bit since I really liked it, and I hope everyone reads it. Okay well those of you that like this kind of book, anyway. The Cheerleaders is about Monica who lost her older sister Jen to suicide around the same time four other girls died- all members of the cheerleading squad. That's about all you need to know, really- anything else is almost spoilery. Suffice to say that five years later Monica finds a reason to revisit those horrific events when new information arises. The narrative is primarily Monica's, although we also get flashbacks to Jen's last days, which of course provide crucial insight to the reader as Monica pieces things together.

This is one of those books I just wanted to fly through. Monica is far from perfect- she's got some issues to work through- but I enjoyed her narrative voice and her snarkiness as well. It felt like I was reading about a real teenager, unlike a lot of YA novels that go for that approach and have mixed success. Monica's friends Alexa and Rachel don't have a lot to do but they felt real as well- I particularly enjoyed some of Alexa's comments- and I was intrigued by Ginny, a rather quiet girl who Monica becomes close to as she digs deeper into what really happened five years ago.

You also have Ethan, the outsider kid who everyone thinks is going to show up one day with a gun and shoot up the school or something, but Monica finds that he may be deeper than originally thought. What is his connection to the murders of five years ago, and what exactly did Jen know? The romantic elements are pretty minimal in this book but there is an age inappropriate relationship that factors into the story, and the tone is quite dark at times. I loved the family dynamics, and the way Monica deals with her mother, who seems kind of checked out at times, and her stepdad who is a cop, and as such has distinct feelings about what happened five years ago.

The mystery was fascinating to watch unfold, and every time a flashback appeared I couldn't wait to see what details would emerge. Jen was friends with two of the girls who were killed- Juliana and Susan- and seeing things from her perspective was so satisfying. Monica has never really recovered from Jen's death, and when the focus switches to Jen she has a typical older teenager/ sister reaction to Monica, which is often one of irritation. That felt realistic, as did the high school scenes and Monica's relationships with her friends, which take a hit as she investigates and spends more time with Ginny.

I don't want to give too much away, all I can say is read this is you like YA mystery/ thrillers with a little darkness and lots of grittiness. I had a blast reading this and will be reading more of Kara Thomas for sure. 

20 comments:

  1. Sounds like you really enjoyed it! It's great when a book lives up to expectations!

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  2. YAY!! I cannot wait to read this one! I love Kara's work!

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  3. Glad you loved this, I've been wondering about it. Sounds like something I would enjoy too😁

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  4. I did ead another like that by the author that I loved so I confess that I'm curious to read this one as well

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  5. Oh dear, another one for the little fiction pile I have going.

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  6. This one's at the top of my TBR list, although I probably won't get to it 'til next year. But I do really want to read it. :)

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  7. I have been wanting to read this. I think Thomas writes really compelling mysteries, and I totally want to find out what happened five years ago. Great review!

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  8. I don't care for YA Mystery/Thrillers and you made me want to read it!

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  9. This book sounds so good! How have I not heard of it? It just sounds like one of those reads which grips you and doesn't let go until you get to the end and figure out what's going on. It's been a while since I've read a book like that so I will definitely be checking this one out.

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  10. I agree that this book felt very realistic. I appreciated that it wasn't like other YA mystery/thrillers where a teenager is solving crimes better than the police. I thought Ginny was kind of an odd character; maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention, but she just kind of came out of nowhere and was all of a sudden Monica's best friend? I was suspicious of her.

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  11. Lately I've been craving more YA mysteries. Sounds like I need to pick this book up!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  12. It sounds like this one is a deeper story than I had expected. Glad you enjoyed the read :-)

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  13. I'm glad you enjoyed this one! I feel like so many YA thrillers feel rushed or just are underwhelming but this one had such a great balance between the teenage element (yes, the characters are not perfect and pretty naive) but also still being dark and unsettling in a realistic sort of way. Have you read any of the author's other books? I haven't but since this one impressed me so much I may look into her backlist!

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  14. I checked this one out at the library but didn't get a chance to read it before it had to go back. I think I will definitely have to try to get it again. Glad you enjoyed it!

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  15. I really need to read this soon. Or, maybe I will read Little Monsters first so I can send it to you, but then this one for sure. I am always hesitant with thriller/mystery books because they never seem, well, thrilling or mysterious enough, but I am definitely reading this one. Great review, glad this was such a win for you!

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  16. Very appealing - will look out for this one!
    #TalkoftheTown

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  17. I do enjoy this format for storytelling. Thanks for introducing me to a new author Greg.
    #TalkoftheTown

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  18. I'm so glad you loved this! I thought the format, with flashbacks, was super effective and liked how Kara acknowledged how unsheltered high schoolers can be. This convinced me to pick up her first novel for sure.

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  19. I'm really glad you liked this one too. I thought the formatting was done well and you are right, a lot of aspects seemed more like "real" teenagers versus the ones that are sometimes portrayed in some YA books. Great review!

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  20. I really enjoy flashbacks as long at the author lets me know that is happening. I have read books they they don't and it gets so darn confusing. I already wanted to read this one and now it will be a must get. Great review!

    Mary

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