Book Blurb:
Monsters lurk where you least expect…
Charlotte has always felt ordinary compared to her two best friends at the prestigious Weston Preparatory Institute. Not enigmatic and daring like Ariel or beautiful and brilliant like Devon, Charlotte has never quite met the standards of the school—or those of her demanding mother. But with Ariel and Devon by her side, none of that mattered. They became the family she never had.
Until the unthinkable happens—Ariel commits suicide. And less than a month later, so does Devon.
Everyone accepts the suicides as tragic coincidences, but Charlotte refuses to believe that. And when she finds mysterious clues left behind by Ariel, Charlotte is thrust down a path that leads to a dangerous secret about Weston Prep. There’s a reason Weston students are so exceptional, and the people responsible are willing to kill to protect the truth…
My Review:
3.5 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense, Teen--
Charlotte has spent the last month feeling lost and depressed since her best friend Ariel committed suicide, but when she is awakened one night just to find the dead body of her other best friend, Charlotte is sure she can't take anymore. Just when she is packing to leave her boarding school, she finds a strange glass vial left in her belonging from Ariel saying it is a clue. Thinking it was just some stashed alcohol, Charlotte drinks it. But soon, nothing in her life makes sense, but in the best possible way- her appearance is better, classes finally click, and the boy she has crushed shows her attention. But Charlotte knows that this is not real and she wants to know the truth.
I found this to be a really interesting, dark mystery which ended up having a surprising supernatural flair. After reading the story I discovered that this is the second book in a series, but I feel like this for the most part could be read without having read the first book Burning. This story was a separate mystery with only a tie in in the last like 10 pages or so. I had a debate on the main question in this story at work- what would you want in return to give up your humanity. And that, that is the question that I kept thinking about after reading about half the book- what would I be want to obtain just to lose myself? I don't want to be too spoilery, but I found this story to bring up some interesting ideas about people and what what we do for fame, intelligence, talent.
"I did a bad thing. But I had my reasons.
I just thought you should know that."
The story is narrated like Charlotte is giving a confession to the reader, or maybe an interview, making it seem like she is explaining her actions, which I found to be a really interesting approach. But we (as in the reader) never know who she is talking to which leaves me pondering.
The author Danielle Rollins is also Danielle Vega (who I love!), which I had no idea, but it makes sense with the creepy atmospheric setting and the very adult teen actions- Danielle doesn't pull any punches when it comes to teen drama and horror of real life.
I was surprised by the mixed reviews that I read on Goodreads after I read the book because I found the plot of the story to be interesting and overall I liked this story. It was twisty, strange, dark and I had no idea as to what would happen next. That being said, I really want to get my hands on book 1 in the series, Burning, and based on how this story ended, there will be more to come and I need the next book like ASAP. This is a perfect teen mystery with some surprising paranormal elements, good for older/more mature teens and adults.
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