Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
New York : Random House Childrens Books, 2009.
Description
Longing to be part of the in-crowd at her exclusive London school, orphaned, sixteen-year-old Scarlett, a trained gymnast, eagerly accepts an invitation to a party whose disastrous outcome changes her life forever.
User reviews
LibraryThing member thebookwormsorg
Kiss Me Kill Me has a way of sucking you into its shocking storyline right off the bat. It starts off with a ‘be careful what you wish for’ type of introduction, which I found funny and a good way to get the reader interested. I kept all interest in the story and suddenly I had about 5 pages
Scarlett Wakefield was easy to relate to. She has her flaws, just like everyone else, and she’s not afraid to admit them, but she also wishes they were gone. She has a huge crush on Dan McAndrews and then she finally gets a chance to talk to him when Plum and Nadia, the school’s queen bees, invite her to hang out with them and Scarlett ditches her best friends for popularity. So far what she’s wished for has come true and she’s wondering if kissing Dan will too.
Scarlett tries so hard to fit in, but she felt like she stuck out like a sore thumb and to make it worse, Dan dies after kissing her. She thinks she’s done something awful and Plum won’t let her off the hook. She’s expelled from her old school, St. Tabby’s, and transfers to her grandmother’s private school Wakefield Hall. Scarlett has no friends, which is good because no one will know her secret. Only she gets a note that throws everything off and now she’s on a hunt to find out who left it and how they know.
I really loved the light adventure in the book, but I was really let down by the end. I would have liked to see more than just the ‘note dilemma’ get wrapped up. I was a bit upset after finishing, because it was almost as if pages were missing. But, with that said, I will definitely be reading the next in the series, Kisses and Lies. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a decent quick read!
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left and I was thinking how they could possibly wrap it up in a couple of pages. Well I was left hanging and not a good hanging, it was sort of a boring ending. Not at all what you would have expected from previous chapters.Scarlett Wakefield was easy to relate to. She has her flaws, just like everyone else, and she’s not afraid to admit them, but she also wishes they were gone. She has a huge crush on Dan McAndrews and then she finally gets a chance to talk to him when Plum and Nadia, the school’s queen bees, invite her to hang out with them and Scarlett ditches her best friends for popularity. So far what she’s wished for has come true and she’s wondering if kissing Dan will too.
Scarlett tries so hard to fit in, but she felt like she stuck out like a sore thumb and to make it worse, Dan dies after kissing her. She thinks she’s done something awful and Plum won’t let her off the hook. She’s expelled from her old school, St. Tabby’s, and transfers to her grandmother’s private school Wakefield Hall. Scarlett has no friends, which is good because no one will know her secret. Only she gets a note that throws everything off and now she’s on a hunt to find out who left it and how they know.
I really loved the light adventure in the book, but I was really let down by the end. I would have liked to see more than just the ‘note dilemma’ get wrapped up. I was a bit upset after finishing, because it was almost as if pages were missing. But, with that said, I will definitely be reading the next in the series, Kisses and Lies. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a decent quick read!
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LibraryThing member JRlibrary
Kiss Me, Kill Me by Lauren Henderson delivers a delicious dose of mystery and romance. When Scarlett Wakefield is unexpectedly invited to party with the popular Plum Saybourne's crowd, she is wildly excited. That night at the party, the boy of her dreams, Dan McAndrew, kisses her and seconds later
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suffocates in her arms. Her dream becomes a nightmare, and she becomes known as the KISS OF DEATH girl and the number one suspect in McAndrew's death. Show Less
LibraryThing member francescadefreitas
16-year-old Scarlett ditches her gymnast friend to go to a party with the cool kids, gets kissed by her dream boy, only to have him drop dead in her arms. Mysterious letters confirm her suspicion that she was set up, and she decides to track down the real killer.... and the book ends there.
Well, there is some nice character development, and I enjoyed the different types of friendships between the gymnastic pals, and then between Scarlett and her new ally.
I'd give this to people looking for a gripping teen mystery, the English setting might attract Anglo-files, the gymnastic background is a nice detail - but I will clearly warn everyone that is is a lead in to a series!
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Seriously, this wasn't a novel, it was the first chapter of a really thrilling mystery story. But nothing is resolved at all by the end of this and I flung it across the room. Well, there is some nice character development, and I enjoyed the different types of friendships between the gymnastic pals, and then between Scarlett and her new ally.
I'd give this to people looking for a gripping teen mystery, the English setting might attract Anglo-files, the gymnastic background is a nice detail - but I will clearly warn everyone that is is a lead in to a series!
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LibraryThing member theepicrat
kiss me, kill me was okay. I didn't really care that much for Scarlett, and that dampened any enthusiasm I might have had for the mystery. She just didn't have enough substance for me, too flaky, too self-absorbed in her woe-is-me. The other characters had a lot of potential, but they did not get
And when I reached the end, I could not have been more flabbergasted at its cliffhanger! Thank goodness I chanced upon this book after the sequel has come out because you will definitely want both books on hand to get the full story!
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that much spotlight to leave any sort of impression. The story seemed a little threadbare in details, never diving deep enough to explain that much, the events presented a little too quickly.And when I reached the end, I could not have been more flabbergasted at its cliffhanger! Thank goodness I chanced upon this book after the sequel has come out because you will definitely want both books on hand to get the full story!
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LibraryThing member BookWhisperer
Being a person that is very strong minded and now an adult, I found this book to be incredibly frustrating. I could not see following Blume little worship rally with such desire to be accepted. Lauren Henderson did a wonderful job writing this story, although after a build up to the discovery of
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the use of Dan's allergy againist him I expected more. I was shoked to turn the page and be at the end of the book so soon. While I am not writing off the author, I was not totally impressed with this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member jentifer
The good: quick, quick pacing; page turner; a mystery (which normally isn't a "good" for me, but this one is funThe bad: I've never read a book more packed with body-conscious crap - seriously, at least every other page there's a comment about something being too fat, not eating chips, not being as
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skinny as so-and-so, or not having a toned enough stomach. The main character is a gymnast so maybe that's part of it, but it really turned me off and I don't know that I'd be cool with recommending it to teen girls due to this Show Less
LibraryThing member 59Square
Kiss Me Kill Me – Lauren Henderson 15-19
This is a murder mystery set in one of my favorite places – an English boarding school. I wasn’t so sure how I felt about an actual murder of teenagers by another teenager, but it works quite well. Scarlett is a gymnast at a school which is controlled
This is a murder mystery set in one of my favorite places – an English boarding school. I wasn’t so sure how I felt about an actual murder of teenagers by another teenager, but it works quite well. Scarlett is a gymnast at a school which is controlled
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by the popular crowd when she is suddenly invited to a party. At that party she is making out with one of the popular guys when he keels over dead, causing her to be known as the Kiss of Death. It is clearly an accident, but Scarlett still has a lot of guilt over not knowing why he died – he was allergic to something and trying to find his epi-pen, but what was it? Everyone blames her of course, and she leaves the school in disgrace. While adjusting to the new school, she is sent an anonymous letter telling her that his death was not her fault. Coincidentally one of the new students at her school wants to be a private investigator, and helps her try to find out what has happened, but there isn’t a resolution in this book. Ordinarily I do not like that sort of ending, but this time I kept reading to the end, and found the new book right away. You get so caught up in the rich and cool v. not cool that I will definitely keep reading that series. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjameli
When I picked up Kiss Me Kill Me, I was a little skeptical about it. The description on the back cover was intriguing, but I was worried that it would be ridiculously far-fetched. Well, it wasn't hard to believe, but it still left me indifferent because the story was so rushed.
First, Dan obviously
The story seemed somewhat disjointed, and I think it was because the story was so hurried. Scarlett kisses Dan, he dies, then she's off to Wakefield Hall, it really feels like pieces are missing. The ending is so abrupt, its disappointing. It ends right when you start to actually care about the story.
Kiss Me Kill Me is a quick read, that does draw you in, but at the end. It wasn't a waste of time, but IMO it could have been done better. Luckily, there is a sequel, Kisses and Lies out, and the reviews for it are great. Most say the sequel is better than the first, so I'm going to give the sequel a try.
First, Dan obviously
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dies right away, because the story is about what happens to Scarlett after Dan dies while kissing her, but he still is a big part of the story, and mystery. That is why I was surprised the author really doesn't give us much on Dan. We know he's popular, and cute, but that's it. The story seemed somewhat disjointed, and I think it was because the story was so hurried. Scarlett kisses Dan, he dies, then she's off to Wakefield Hall, it really feels like pieces are missing. The ending is so abrupt, its disappointing. It ends right when you start to actually care about the story.
Kiss Me Kill Me is a quick read, that does draw you in, but at the end. It wasn't a waste of time, but IMO it could have been done better. Luckily, there is a sequel, Kisses and Lies out, and the reviews for it are great. Most say the sequel is better than the first, so I'm going to give the sequel a try.
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LibraryThing member Master275
After the boy of her dreams drops dead after kissing her, Scarlett's teen age life falls apart (although it wasn't much together to begin with). "Kiss Me, Kill Me" follows Scarlett in the aftermath of the tragedy as she copes with the tragedy and eventually decides to get to the bottom of the
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terrible event. A teenage mystery that is just okay. However, it reads quickly and is apparently the first in a series of books about Scarlett and her quest for the truth. While I found this book slightly dull and sleepy, I will admit that I will pick up the next in the series if I run across it - - just to see how this will develop! Show Less
LibraryThing member HHS-Students
Reviewed by Samantha (Class of 2012)
This book was about a girl that kisses a guy and while they were kissing the guy dies. The girl thinks that she killed him, but it was not her fault.
This book was about a girl that kisses a guy and while they were kissing the guy dies. The girl thinks that she killed him, but it was not her fault.
LibraryThing member HMoonier
Scarlet, a not so known girl is a student at one of the poshest schools. She gets invited to the popular crowd; her first kiss is the boy of her dreams, who suddenly drops dead at her feet. Then, from all the publicity Scarlet is forced to return home and totally start her life over. I really
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enjoyed this book at first, but it seemed like the ending was just kind of thrown together. Much too quick for such a great build-up, as is there was a page limit or something.. It left me guessing, but in a bad way. I’m definitely hoping there’s a sequel! Show Less
LibraryThing member Runa
While I am not a fan of the marketing angle taken from this book (Really? A book called "Kiss Me, Kill Me" with a trashy romance novel cover?), I will concede that it wasn't the story I expected. I thought it would be mindless trashy romance, and for that reason, it took me a while to get into the
Rating: 3.5/5
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story. I was thankfully proven wrong. Kiss Me, Kill Me is much more an action/mystery novel than a romance novel, sort of Ally Carter with a regrettable little bit of Gossip Girl mixed in. Some of the storytelling was a little bit shaky, not too compelling, focusing a little more on the life of a rich socialite than anything else, but overall, I was pleasantly surprised. I was, yet again, disappointed to see that the story was stretched out to fit a series, but like Ally Carter said at LitDay, if a series is going to be stretched out, romance cannot be the driving force, and I'm glad Lauren Henderson took that route in her storytelling. I won't be looking for the sequel, but I also won't say I regret reading the book. It's not something you're going to sit down to read when you're looking for deep content, but as far as fluff reads go, not too bad.Rating: 3.5/5
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LibraryThing member thehidingspot
I've been picking up the Scarlett Wakefield books since KISS ME KILL ME was released at the very beginning of 2008, but it took me until now to actually take one home and read it. The novel has a plot line similar to Kate Brian's PRIVATE, but they are far from the same book, in both positive and
As I mentioned, the first volume of Scarlett's story was a bit slow, at least in the beginning. By the end the story had picked up momentum and catapulted me toward the next book - leaving me grateful that I waited to read KMKM because I don't particularly like the waiting part of series. Most of KMKM is just laying out the groundwork for the next book, KISSES AND LIES, so Henderson should be able to jump right into the story.
The mystery aspect of the novel was well written, but readers only really get a taste of a conclusion. The bulk of the book was introductions to characters and theories. The ending left me wholly unsatisfied since nothing was really solved - so readers who read KMKM back in 2008 and had to wait for the next book must have gone crazy.
Most of the book was from Scarlett's POV, but there were anonymous journal entries interspersed that really added to the novel. At the beginning that really intrigued me, though I think that Scarlett solved that little mystery a little too easily.
Overall, KMKM was a good novel and I have high hopes for the rest of the Scarlett Wakefield novels. They are quick and easy reads with just a dash of romance!
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negative ways. I actually like Scarlett and I'm not all that fond of Reed, the lead character of Brian's books. Scarlett has flaws, which are apparent right from the start of the novel, but she is also a rather good amateur sleuth and her background in gymnastics enables her to do some pretty intense moves. Reed is primarily concerned with being liked and popular and often lacks the smarts that I admire in a protagonist. Plus, Scarlett is much better at solving mysteries - always a plus in a mystery novel. I will admit, however, that the PRIVATE books pulled me in to the story right from the beginning and KMKM was much slower and lacking in action. I'm confident that the next book will make up for that though.As I mentioned, the first volume of Scarlett's story was a bit slow, at least in the beginning. By the end the story had picked up momentum and catapulted me toward the next book - leaving me grateful that I waited to read KMKM because I don't particularly like the waiting part of series. Most of KMKM is just laying out the groundwork for the next book, KISSES AND LIES, so Henderson should be able to jump right into the story.
The mystery aspect of the novel was well written, but readers only really get a taste of a conclusion. The bulk of the book was introductions to characters and theories. The ending left me wholly unsatisfied since nothing was really solved - so readers who read KMKM back in 2008 and had to wait for the next book must have gone crazy.
Most of the book was from Scarlett's POV, but there were anonymous journal entries interspersed that really added to the novel. At the beginning that really intrigued me, though I think that Scarlett solved that little mystery a little too easily.
Overall, KMKM was a good novel and I have high hopes for the rest of the Scarlett Wakefield novels. They are quick and easy reads with just a dash of romance!
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LibraryThing member BookSpot
Sixteen-year-old Scarlett Wakefield is starting fresh at Wakefield Hall...in more ways than one. Here, at Wakefield, unlike at her previous school St. Tabby's, no one knows her dark secret. A couple of months ago, Scarlett was invited to a party at one of the It girls homes. She'd only ever dreamed
After hours of finding the perfect outfit to buy, getting her makeup and hair just right, Scarlett was finally ready to enjoy the party--and she did. For a little while.
Besides dreaming of what it would be like to attend parties like the one she was at, she had also dreamt of what it would be like to kiss Dan McAndrew...as they stood on the terrace together, it seemed her dream was about to come true. What Scarlett never could have imagine, though, was that once she kissed Dan, he would die. Just drop dead in her arms.
And so begins the murder mystery of Kiss Me, Kill Me that's not so much a murder mystery. The book is a good book to read and follows the premise that no one knows what killed Dan but everyone blames Scarlett so she moves to Wakefield Hall to escape the scrutiny only to have someone there begin leaving her anonymous notes.
I really liked that Scarlett was involved in gymnastics--and not just in the 'jump in the air and flip around' sense but she really was and it was woven into the story--and, as I said, I did enjoy this book, but it ended very abruptly.
There is a sequel coming out in January so I'm not sure if the plan is to flesh everything out then but I felt kind of cheated because it set everything up to possibly be this great, Here's-What-Happened...and then it was maybe ten pages (or less) of ending the story by seemingly just saying This is What Happened. It didn't pull things in that had happened in the start (or one or two tiny ones), but nothing that a good mystery does where you can say, oh wait! that means...okay, now I get why that was there!
The sequel (Kisses and Lies) isn't out yet so I can't say this for certain, but maybe reading them together will be more satisfying?
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of going to their parties, but now that she's gone, the party lives in her nightmares.After hours of finding the perfect outfit to buy, getting her makeup and hair just right, Scarlett was finally ready to enjoy the party--and she did. For a little while.
Besides dreaming of what it would be like to attend parties like the one she was at, she had also dreamt of what it would be like to kiss Dan McAndrew...as they stood on the terrace together, it seemed her dream was about to come true. What Scarlett never could have imagine, though, was that once she kissed Dan, he would die. Just drop dead in her arms.
And so begins the murder mystery of Kiss Me, Kill Me that's not so much a murder mystery. The book is a good book to read and follows the premise that no one knows what killed Dan but everyone blames Scarlett so she moves to Wakefield Hall to escape the scrutiny only to have someone there begin leaving her anonymous notes.
I really liked that Scarlett was involved in gymnastics--and not just in the 'jump in the air and flip around' sense but she really was and it was woven into the story--and, as I said, I did enjoy this book, but it ended very abruptly.
There is a sequel coming out in January so I'm not sure if the plan is to flesh everything out then but I felt kind of cheated because it set everything up to possibly be this great, Here's-What-Happened...and then it was maybe ten pages (or less) of ending the story by seemingly just saying This is What Happened. It didn't pull things in that had happened in the start (or one or two tiny ones), but nothing that a good mystery does where you can say, oh wait! that means...okay, now I get why that was there!
The sequel (Kisses and Lies) isn't out yet so I can't say this for certain, but maybe reading them together will be more satisfying?
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LibraryThing member 68papyrus
Kiss Me, Kill Me is the first book in the Scarlett Wakefield Mystery Series. Scarlett has two close friends, a passion for gymnastics and a satisfying life at St. Tabbys an elite all girls school in London until her first kiss goes tragically awry. When asked to attend a party at Nadia Farouk's,
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Scarlett jumps at the chance and dumps her true friends in the process. However, the glamorous life isn't all it's cracked up to be and after her first kiss results in the death of popular Dan McAndrew she finds herself friendless and expelled from school. When she receives an anonymous letter at her new school saying Dan's death wasn't her fault she sets out to find the truth. Kiss Me, Kill Me was an enjoyable read with an intriguing plot and a likable main character. I didn't like Scarlett's decision to ditch her true friends for bright and shiny new ones but she ended paying dearly for her betrayal. I like the fact that she is a real teen, not all good or all bad, just somewhere in between. Sprinkled in among the suspense are some pretty humorous moments, particularly the one involving Scarlett and her friend, Taylor, going on a reconnaissance mission to Nadia's flat. I won't give away any details here but suffice it to say I laughed out loud while reading that chapter and am giggling now just thinking about it. If you enjoy the Prep School confidential or The Liar Society Series be sure to check out this book! Show Less
LibraryThing member callmecayce
I picked this up because Novelist suggested it was similar to Ally Carter's book Heist Society, which I enjoyed. It's the first book in a series (which I knew, but had forgotten), but that didn't work against it. Though Novelist was right, this is a mystery with lots of sneaking around, it's much
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more like the Pretty Little Liars series (without all the stuff that bogs that series down), but set in England. It's the story of Scarlett, who goes to an expensive private school, until a murder happens. Caught up in the investigation (I'm trying to avoid spoilers -- and I advise against reading the book flap), Scarlett must change schools and discover who the murderer is. I liked that at the end of the book, Henderson gives us a cliff hanger, but it's a happy one instead of a scary one. I can't wait to read the second book. Show Less
LibraryThing member chaoticbooklover
It took me a few chapters to really get into this one. I had a hard time getting past the typical, " I hate my life, wish I was prettier, richer, had more popular friends" cliche of most YA books. But once we got into the story I was good.
We meet Scarlett; the main character in the first chapter as
I suppose Scarlett is your typical teen, she isn't popular, she is a semi jock; gymnastics is her thing; and she has two best friends, although she would love to be part of the popular crowd at her posh London prep school, St. Tabby's.
When Scarlett is offered the opportunity to be part of the "in-crowd" she jumps at it leaving her two friends Luce and Alison in the dust. Now to me, it seems awful fishy that after all this time the "popular" kids are wanting to welcome Scarlett into their folds. And really, Scarlett is feeling this too.
Plum, the leader of the group; and you know there had to be one; isn't nice at all. She will say something and you gotta wonder if it is a compliment or a total put down, and truthfully they are mostly put downs! I really disliked girls like that in school and trust me my feelings on Plum were no different. Scarlett is then invited to a party where her crush Dan is going to be, after going out and buying a whole new outfit and pretty much transforming herself into a Plum-bot she goes to the party. The party is in full swing when she arrives and Nadia ( party Host) drops her off at the bar where Dan just happens to be. Long story short, Dan and Scarlett kinda hit it off and they go out onto the terrace for some quiet. Scarlett shows off doing some gymnastics and then Dan kisses her. All of a sudden Dan is gasping and frantically searching his pockets.
Scarlett is now known around St. Tabby's as the Kiss of Death girl and she is moved to her grandmother's boarding school. There Scarlett doesn't seem to really fit in; but then again how could she being the Headmistress' granddaughter? Scarlett meets Jase the gardener and Taylor the all around tom-boy. Scarlett instantly starts crushing on Jase, but after all the trama with Dan dying she is scared to even talk to him. Scarlett becomes a loner really and then one day she stumbles upon Taylor out in the woods, they argue a little and then Scarlett leaves. She finds a note in her desk that sends her on the hunt for who left it. Her and Taylor form a friendship and hunt down the truth behind the note.
Scarlett soon discovers who left the note and when she confronts the girl, she learns something she never expected.
Without giving away anymore, know that Scarlett is now onto the truth about what really killed Dan and what exactly happened at that fateful party.
I am anxious to read the second book Kisses and Lies, thankfully I already have it so I don't have to wait!!
We meet Scarlett; the main character in the first chapter as
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she is recounting her "wishes" from New Year's. Her wishes may be typical of a teen, 1: Wishes to kiss Dan McAndrew, and 2: She wishes to have breasts.I suppose Scarlett is your typical teen, she isn't popular, she is a semi jock; gymnastics is her thing; and she has two best friends, although she would love to be part of the popular crowd at her posh London prep school, St. Tabby's.
When Scarlett is offered the opportunity to be part of the "in-crowd" she jumps at it leaving her two friends Luce and Alison in the dust. Now to me, it seems awful fishy that after all this time the "popular" kids are wanting to welcome Scarlett into their folds. And really, Scarlett is feeling this too.
Plum, the leader of the group; and you know there had to be one; isn't nice at all. She will say something and you gotta wonder if it is a compliment or a total put down, and truthfully they are mostly put downs! I really disliked girls like that in school and trust me my feelings on Plum were no different. Scarlett is then invited to a party where her crush Dan is going to be, after going out and buying a whole new outfit and pretty much transforming herself into a Plum-bot she goes to the party. The party is in full swing when she arrives and Nadia ( party Host) drops her off at the bar where Dan just happens to be. Long story short, Dan and Scarlett kinda hit it off and they go out onto the terrace for some quiet. Scarlett shows off doing some gymnastics and then Dan kisses her. All of a sudden Dan is gasping and frantically searching his pockets.
Scarlett is now known around St. Tabby's as the Kiss of Death girl and she is moved to her grandmother's boarding school. There Scarlett doesn't seem to really fit in; but then again how could she being the Headmistress' granddaughter? Scarlett meets Jase the gardener and Taylor the all around tom-boy. Scarlett instantly starts crushing on Jase, but after all the trama with Dan dying she is scared to even talk to him. Scarlett becomes a loner really and then one day she stumbles upon Taylor out in the woods, they argue a little and then Scarlett leaves. She finds a note in her desk that sends her on the hunt for who left it. Her and Taylor form a friendship and hunt down the truth behind the note.
Scarlett soon discovers who left the note and when she confronts the girl, she learns something she never expected.
Without giving away anymore, know that Scarlett is now onto the truth about what really killed Dan and what exactly happened at that fateful party.
I am anxious to read the second book Kisses and Lies, thankfully I already have it so I don't have to wait!!
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LibraryThing member trishalynn0708
I felt so bad for Scarlett in this book. The girls at her old school are still calling her a murderer and the teachers at her new school-which is run by her grandmother- aren't nice to her either. They are even harder on her because her grandmother runs the school. Her parents are dead and her two
But then she book totally switched gears and turns into a mystery. It leaves you wanting the next book to see who the killer is and to see where Scarlett and Jase's relationship goes after Scarlett learns she isn't the 'kiss of death' girl.
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friends she did have won't talk to her because Scarlett ditched them to hang out with the popular kids at her old school. So Scarlett is basically along in the first part of the book and you feel bad for her. She is scared to kiss another boy in the fear that he will drop dead like Dan did. So when she meets Jase, the groundskeeper at her new school she is scared to get close to him. And she finally gets a new friend, a girl in school named Taylor that is helping her find out who really killed Dan. But then she book totally switched gears and turns into a mystery. It leaves you wanting the next book to see who the killer is and to see where Scarlett and Jase's relationship goes after Scarlett learns she isn't the 'kiss of death' girl.
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LibraryThing member VykiC37
Find this review and more at On The Shelf!
Ok, so I already wrote up one review, and that was before I realized what a dunce I was. I don’t know why I didn’t know that this was the first in a series and I thought the story just…ended. I was not happy with it, and then, I saw on Goodreads that
This book wasn’t exactly what I expected it to be. I think I expected a whole lot of mystery and who-dunit kind of stuff, twisting plot, surprises around the corner, etc, but that really isn’t what it was for the most part. Aside from when Dan dies and one other scene, the book is pretty slow. We mostly see Scarlett at the new school and how awkward it is for her to be there and how lonely she is. Though it was a slower book, it read pretty quickly. I’m not sure how I feel about the author’s writing style. It seems like she writes the same way she talks, more like it is a thought process (if you get what I’m trying to say), but the British slang was fun. The descriptions were pretty good and it was easy to picture the story.
The characters were really only ok, but most were shallow, which of course they are supposed to be since a lot of them are rich snobs. There wasn’t a character I thought was really great, and the only one I could come close to saying I did like was one of the side characters, Taylor, and she didn’t come in until the second half of the book. I do want to read the other three books, but I can’t say I will be in a rush to do it.
Nice descriptions, a bit slow for my taste, okay characters, glad to know it doesn’t just end.
Ok, so I already wrote up one review, and that was before I realized what a dunce I was. I don’t know why I didn’t know that this was the first in a series and I thought the story just…ended. I was not happy with it, and then, I saw on Goodreads that
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it said Scarlett Wakefield #1 and found that there are 3 other books. I admit that sometimes, I can be a doofus, so now, I am rewriting the review because the fact that it is one of four makes a big difference! So…on to the new review….This book wasn’t exactly what I expected it to be. I think I expected a whole lot of mystery and who-dunit kind of stuff, twisting plot, surprises around the corner, etc, but that really isn’t what it was for the most part. Aside from when Dan dies and one other scene, the book is pretty slow. We mostly see Scarlett at the new school and how awkward it is for her to be there and how lonely she is. Though it was a slower book, it read pretty quickly. I’m not sure how I feel about the author’s writing style. It seems like she writes the same way she talks, more like it is a thought process (if you get what I’m trying to say), but the British slang was fun. The descriptions were pretty good and it was easy to picture the story.
The characters were really only ok, but most were shallow, which of course they are supposed to be since a lot of them are rich snobs. There wasn’t a character I thought was really great, and the only one I could come close to saying I did like was one of the side characters, Taylor, and she didn’t come in until the second half of the book. I do want to read the other three books, but I can’t say I will be in a rush to do it.
Nice descriptions, a bit slow for my taste, okay characters, glad to know it doesn’t just end.
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Awards
Anthony Award (Nominee — 2009)
Language
Original publication date
2008
ISBN
0385734883 / 9780385734882