the_lady_reads's review
5.0
As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!
4.5/ 5 Stars!
The ALIBI series is a series of novellas. The four parts of this book are titled after the character the story centers around: Charles, Palmer, Mason and Rowan. Each story is written by a different author. When I was first asked to review this, I was a bit nervous. I have never read a series like this. Different authors made me wary. My doubts were unjust. I ended up sincerely enjoying this story. And being sad when I had finished. This series was legitimately crazy. It was a heck of a ride that will leave you desperate for more! I couldn't put the book down once I started it. ALIBI is full of twists and turns that hit you before you see them coming!
Each of these characters play a huge role in the deceased's life. Reading from each point-of-view gives you more insight into Abby's life and into these young men and women's lives. Throughout the book, I was struck by the intensity. I couldn't believe half the things that went down because the way these people live is so shocking!
First up, Charles. Charles point-of-view is written by Annie Miles. She begins the series excellently. Charles's perspective was intriguing. Once I finished, I was confused as hell and didn't know what was true or what was a lie. It drove me crazy to put the book down for the night. Charles's book was so good. It had everything a good mystery needs: intensity, lies, scandal and romance. Charles isn't an innocent guy, but I found myself falling for him and his charm. He's had a rough life, and the reader can't help but feel bad for him. I thought I liked Abby when I began this, but no. No, I totally changed my mind through it.
Book two was about Palmer. My first thought was that the series was getting crazier and crazier! It drove me to the brink of insanity! I really liked Palmer. I felt that she was the most innocent of all of the characters. I really loved Palmer's strength. She wasn't perfect, but she was doing her hardest to get there. She wanted to be more than what people expected of her. I felt horrible for Palmer. She may have had the toughest life of them all. And a lot happens to her, not only in this book, but in the entire series. The author of this story, Isabel Eckersley, ties it in very well to the first part.
Mason's story is the third volume in this series. The author is John Byrne. In the beginning, I really didn't like Mason "Ace." He seemed like your typical rich guy. Reading for his point-of-view changed that. I saw him in a completely different light once I finished his story. He was just another piece in a game. He was used by everyone and I couldn't help, but want to hug him. He may have been a jerk sometimes, but you come to realize that he's just a human. He's trying to live up to the standards that others have placed upon him. He really wasn't a bad guy and I loved reading his story.
Rowan… what to say about Rowan. I hate her. I hated her from the first story. She's completely psychotic. She reminded me very much of a mad scientist. Everything she thinks, every action she partakes in is all as an experiment. Rowan's perspective is written by Sorrel Provola. The author pulls of the bitter, angry girl so well. I've never read a character like Rowan. A character that I completely hated on sight, even in her own story.
The major twist in this story was not immediately obvious to me, but as the story continued, my suspicions grew. It was nice to not know one-hundred percent who the real killer was. The mystery in the novel was wonderful and kept my interest until the very end. I'm so disappointed that it ended where it did, because it ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger. I want to know what happens to the characters after ALIBI is finished!
My only complaint is that there were a few descriptions that don't match up for the others. Each story seemed to have a bit of a different idea of the characteristics of the characters. Maybe it was just eat character's perception? I'm not sure, but that and a few other minor issues with set-up of the ebook. There were placement problems and some strange font issues. Other than that, I really loved this series.
I can't wait to see what these authors and Twist Literary will produce next! I'm sure we won't be disappointed!
4.5/ 5 Stars!
The ALIBI series is a series of novellas. The four parts of this book are titled after the character the story centers around: Charles, Palmer, Mason and Rowan. Each story is written by a different author. When I was first asked to review this, I was a bit nervous. I have never read a series like this. Different authors made me wary. My doubts were unjust. I ended up sincerely enjoying this story. And being sad when I had finished. This series was legitimately crazy. It was a heck of a ride that will leave you desperate for more! I couldn't put the book down once I started it. ALIBI is full of twists and turns that hit you before you see them coming!
Each of these characters play a huge role in the deceased's life. Reading from each point-of-view gives you more insight into Abby's life and into these young men and women's lives. Throughout the book, I was struck by the intensity. I couldn't believe half the things that went down because the way these people live is so shocking!
First up, Charles. Charles point-of-view is written by Annie Miles. She begins the series excellently. Charles's perspective was intriguing. Once I finished, I was confused as hell and didn't know what was true or what was a lie. It drove me crazy to put the book down for the night. Charles's book was so good. It had everything a good mystery needs: intensity, lies, scandal and romance. Charles isn't an innocent guy, but I found myself falling for him and his charm. He's had a rough life, and the reader can't help but feel bad for him. I thought I liked Abby when I began this, but no. No, I totally changed my mind through it.
Book two was about Palmer. My first thought was that the series was getting crazier and crazier! It drove me to the brink of insanity! I really liked Palmer. I felt that she was the most innocent of all of the characters. I really loved Palmer's strength. She wasn't perfect, but she was doing her hardest to get there. She wanted to be more than what people expected of her. I felt horrible for Palmer. She may have had the toughest life of them all. And a lot happens to her, not only in this book, but in the entire series. The author of this story, Isabel Eckersley, ties it in very well to the first part.
Mason's story is the third volume in this series. The author is John Byrne. In the beginning, I really didn't like Mason "Ace." He seemed like your typical rich guy. Reading for his point-of-view changed that. I saw him in a completely different light once I finished his story. He was just another piece in a game. He was used by everyone and I couldn't help, but want to hug him. He may have been a jerk sometimes, but you come to realize that he's just a human. He's trying to live up to the standards that others have placed upon him. He really wasn't a bad guy and I loved reading his story.
Rowan… what to say about Rowan. I hate her. I hated her from the first story. She's completely psychotic. She reminded me very much of a mad scientist. Everything she thinks, every action she partakes in is all as an experiment. Rowan's perspective is written by Sorrel Provola. The author pulls of the bitter, angry girl so well. I've never read a character like Rowan. A character that I completely hated on sight, even in her own story.
The major twist in this story was not immediately obvious to me, but as the story continued, my suspicions grew. It was nice to not know one-hundred percent who the real killer was. The mystery in the novel was wonderful and kept my interest until the very end. I'm so disappointed that it ended where it did, because it ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger. I want to know what happens to the characters after ALIBI is finished!
My only complaint is that there were a few descriptions that don't match up for the others. Each story seemed to have a bit of a different idea of the characteristics of the characters. Maybe it was just eat character's perception? I'm not sure, but that and a few other minor issues with set-up of the ebook. There were placement problems and some strange font issues. Other than that, I really loved this series.
I can't wait to see what these authors and Twist Literary will produce next! I'm sure we won't be disappointed!
nicklelove's review
4.0
Originally posted in Night Owl Reads.
Alibi is like a mash-up between Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl. I have not read any book from those series but I do follow the TV show.
Abby was found dead and four people close to her are the suspects, each of them has a motive and an alibi. And as they tell their version of the story, the real culprit is revealed.
I'll start with the cover/s used. I love how pretty they all are, although I am quite disappointed that the model used for Mason is better looking than the one they used for Charles. While reading, I pictured the latter as better looking. Oh well. The model for Palmer is gorgeous! 'Nuff said.
I enjoyed reading this and it's such a refreshing change to read the perspective of everyone involved in the story. They all had their reasons for their actions and they are all misunderstood. The only perspective missing is the one of Abby's, I would have liked to know what was going on in her head with what's going on before her death. If there was open communication with the people involved, they could have prevented this tragedy from happening. But that's how it is with people, we often do something and keep it in secret, and then someone gets hurt.
As I reached the end, I realized the obvious conclusion to who the real culprit is but there were some parts when I felt like it was going to be an unexpected ending. I was right the first time but nevertheless, it was still a great presentation of the story. I'd like to believe that it was all caught in the Mackenzie's security tape. Although, if it was, I would have thought that the police had viewed them all before interrogating Charles. So maybe it wasn't on tape. Hmm...
Kudos to Twist Literary for an amazing job at editing this series.
Alibi is like a mash-up between Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl. I have not read any book from those series but I do follow the TV show.
Abby was found dead and four people close to her are the suspects, each of them has a motive and an alibi. And as they tell their version of the story, the real culprit is revealed.
I'll start with the cover/s used. I love how pretty they all are, although I am quite disappointed that the model used for Mason is better looking than the one they used for Charles. While reading, I pictured the latter as better looking. Oh well. The model for Palmer is gorgeous! 'Nuff said.
I enjoyed reading this and it's such a refreshing change to read the perspective of everyone involved in the story. They all had their reasons for their actions and they are all misunderstood. The only perspective missing is the one of Abby's, I would have liked to know what was going on in her head with what's going on before her death. If there was open communication with the people involved, they could have prevented this tragedy from happening. But that's how it is with people, we often do something and keep it in secret, and then someone gets hurt.
As I reached the end, I realized the obvious conclusion to who the real culprit is but there were some parts when I felt like it was going to be an unexpected ending. I was right the first time but nevertheless, it was still a great presentation of the story. I'd like to believe that it was all caught in the Mackenzie's security tape. Although, if it was, I would have thought that the police had viewed them all before interrogating Charles. So maybe it wasn't on tape. Hmm...
Kudos to Twist Literary for an amazing job at editing this series.
booksenvogue's review
5.0
I finally finished the four part series of Alibi! This was one seriously twisted group of teens. I loved the originally of a story told from four different alibis. Each point of view was equally enthralling. The conclusion was shocking. I would love to read more mystery novels like this.
bstaats's review
4.0
ALIBI has been publicized as the next book for fans of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars. Luckily for me, I followed both those series for the majority of their never-ending books (I gave up on PLL recently.) Note that ALIBI is a 4-part series, and you can buy the series either separately or as a complete volume.
But after reading ALIBI, I can say that isn't a fair remark to make about the series. ALIBI is what Gossip Girl WISHES it was and what Pretty Little Liars SHOULD have been! It's a guilty pleasure read that you won't be able to put down, as the story continues to unravel with secrets galore.
Reasons to Read:
1.Twisted, dark storyline:
Rich kids in YA seem to come with a disclaimer these days: they're messed up. Seriously. And ALIBI is no exception to this, and uses this to its advantage in creating a dark story of murder and betrayal when Abby ends up dead. The question is why and how; and it seems like everyone close to her has a motive and secrets they're keeping. But what I found interesting is that this story wasn't heavy on a mystery, whodunnit plot. After the first couple novellas, you'll most likely have a guess for who killed Abby, but you'll still be dying to know why they did that and what the other secrets there are being kept by the characters. These people are all involved with serious problems.
2.Complex pasts and characters:
I found it so interesting to uncover how much these people were hiding, and the secrets which came out that they were hiding. You really get a great idea of what their priorities are, and it's neat to piece together the whole story by putting together the pieces offered from each character's perspective in their own novella. Charles, Palmer, Ace, and Rowan are such interesting people, and they're nothing like what you expect at first. Not at all.
3.A definite ending:
This is my main complaint about Gossip Girl and PLL; the books just go on and on. While enjoyable at first, after a while you just get tired of watching these characters stumble into the same issues agan and again. ALIBI is fantastic because it incorporates what made those series great (drama, secrets, murder, and mystery) but finds a way to wrap it up. The story focuses on Abby's death and the events leading up to it, but don't feel the need to hash out every other minor detail in their lives and don't see a need to continue on and drag it out. And that's what makes ALIBI such a success.
4.Four distinct voices:
I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives that ALIBI incorporates and I thought it was great that they all stood out as their own, seeing as different authors wrote each novella. Yet they all blended together very well at the same time.
ALIBI really knows how to make it appealing to readers; it plays off of what's exciting and popular, and then uses that to its advantage. This story could easily be a hit, and I think many people are going to find this is their newest guilty pleasure read.
I will say though, that this story only revolves around the events of Abby's death and leading up to it; it doesn't feel the need to continue past this, so you may not feel that everything is all wrapped up neatly with a definite ending. It's left somewhat open ended.
E-book copy received from publisher for review.
But after reading ALIBI, I can say that isn't a fair remark to make about the series. ALIBI is what Gossip Girl WISHES it was and what Pretty Little Liars SHOULD have been! It's a guilty pleasure read that you won't be able to put down, as the story continues to unravel with secrets galore.
Reasons to Read:
1.Twisted, dark storyline:
Rich kids in YA seem to come with a disclaimer these days: they're messed up. Seriously. And ALIBI is no exception to this, and uses this to its advantage in creating a dark story of murder and betrayal when Abby ends up dead. The question is why and how; and it seems like everyone close to her has a motive and secrets they're keeping. But what I found interesting is that this story wasn't heavy on a mystery, whodunnit plot. After the first couple novellas, you'll most likely have a guess for who killed Abby, but you'll still be dying to know why they did that and what the other secrets there are being kept by the characters. These people are all involved with serious problems.
2.Complex pasts and characters:
I found it so interesting to uncover how much these people were hiding, and the secrets which came out that they were hiding. You really get a great idea of what their priorities are, and it's neat to piece together the whole story by putting together the pieces offered from each character's perspective in their own novella. Charles, Palmer, Ace, and Rowan are such interesting people, and they're nothing like what you expect at first. Not at all.
3.A definite ending:
This is my main complaint about Gossip Girl and PLL; the books just go on and on. While enjoyable at first, after a while you just get tired of watching these characters stumble into the same issues agan and again. ALIBI is fantastic because it incorporates what made those series great (drama, secrets, murder, and mystery) but finds a way to wrap it up. The story focuses on Abby's death and the events leading up to it, but don't feel the need to hash out every other minor detail in their lives and don't see a need to continue on and drag it out. And that's what makes ALIBI such a success.
4.Four distinct voices:
I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives that ALIBI incorporates and I thought it was great that they all stood out as their own, seeing as different authors wrote each novella. Yet they all blended together very well at the same time.
ALIBI really knows how to make it appealing to readers; it plays off of what's exciting and popular, and then uses that to its advantage. This story could easily be a hit, and I think many people are going to find this is their newest guilty pleasure read.
I will say though, that this story only revolves around the events of Abby's death and leading up to it; it doesn't feel the need to continue past this, so you may not feel that everything is all wrapped up neatly with a definite ending. It's left somewhat open ended.
E-book copy received from publisher for review.
ctorretta's review
4.0
What an ingenious way to show different points of view. Each point of view a little different, actually so different from the others that you would never think that just reading one would give you the full story. Everyone is hiding something and the fun part of this is finding out whether that something is detrimental to Abby.
What I was worried about most was the ending. How were the authors going to finish this, were they going to pull this together or just let us sit and stew over the four points of view and make up our own minds on how things went. Fortunately she does clean it up so much so that I had no doubt who killed Abby although each character had some sort of reason in some way or another TO kill her.
And although the characters were great not everyone was portrayed to be a killer and some were more intense than others, Rowan being one of those. Also Ace had some serious issues that needed to be worked out! The fun of it is not knowing and trying to figure out exactly who did it! Kind of like Clue but without Tim Curry but still totally awesome!
So, my initial reaction to this mystery was a bit skeptical but I’m glad I went for it! If you too are a bit skeptical, just read it! Even if you’re not a mystery fan. It’s fun, quirky and a bit weird but totally worth every word.
What I was worried about most was the ending. How were the authors going to finish this, were they going to pull this together or just let us sit and stew over the four points of view and make up our own minds on how things went. Fortunately she does clean it up so much so that I had no doubt who killed Abby although each character had some sort of reason in some way or another TO kill her.
And although the characters were great not everyone was portrayed to be a killer and some were more intense than others, Rowan being one of those. Also Ace had some serious issues that needed to be worked out! The fun of it is not knowing and trying to figure out exactly who did it! Kind of like Clue but without Tim Curry but still totally awesome!
So, my initial reaction to this mystery was a bit skeptical but I’m glad I went for it! If you too are a bit skeptical, just read it! Even if you’re not a mystery fan. It’s fun, quirky and a bit weird but totally worth every word.
justalillost's review
4.0
This, and other reviews can be found on my blog Just a Lil Lost
Abby is found dead, face down in a pool and all those around her are the suspects. From her boyfriend to her best friend, her rival to her secret lover – all of them had reason to want her dead and all of them are on the detective’s radar. Told in a 4-part story, each segment is from the point of view of each of the suspects.
Touted as a perfect read for fans of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars, Alibi certainly lives up to that statement – and then some. Full of steamy lust, deceit and lies, the relationships of these characters converge and dissipate at a moment’s notice. Beginning with Charles’ story, each of the subsequent tales adds to or corrects the established narrative. While understandably that this is a collection of all 4 volumes, I felt it got a bit repetitive. Some conversations and scenes played out almost in full on several accounts where I felt it could have been acknowledged and perhaps moved along – although I do understand the point to establish the same moment in time to link the stories.
I also personally felt it a bit confusing at times with the jump in months that established time in the story. “End of August” or “End of October” didn’t really stand out to me in terms of what was going on with each character at that time. It’s not until I read a bit further into those sections that I remembered what was going on. There were some moments that were occurring in the present, and then flashbacked to recall their stories but at times it didn’t feel completely clear that was happening.
That being said, I am absolutely enthralled and amazed with how well these four volumes meshed together in such a cohesive way given that there were 4 authors – one to each part. I’d be curious to find out the writing process… whether they each took turns in a row to add to an established plot with their own character’s voice, or if they all sat down together to decide on the direction of where it would go beforehand, and then build off of it. A fantastically woven murder mystery that leaves you wondering who killed Abby, while adding a lot of red herrings or diversions along the way. All loose ends are cleverly explained and tied up, and just when I thought they had forgotten to answer one particular moment from the first volume, there it comes at the end. Very very well plotted out. I actually thought I had it all figured out by the 2nd volume at one point and was – thankfully – wrong as I would hate for the story to have cheapened out with that route.
The story is available in separated parts, but that just seems redundant to me. For a fairly quick read, you need to consume all 4 parts together to find out the full story of what happened to Abby Shelton.
Abby is found dead, face down in a pool and all those around her are the suspects. From her boyfriend to her best friend, her rival to her secret lover – all of them had reason to want her dead and all of them are on the detective’s radar. Told in a 4-part story, each segment is from the point of view of each of the suspects.
Touted as a perfect read for fans of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars, Alibi certainly lives up to that statement – and then some. Full of steamy lust, deceit and lies, the relationships of these characters converge and dissipate at a moment’s notice. Beginning with Charles’ story, each of the subsequent tales adds to or corrects the established narrative. While understandably that this is a collection of all 4 volumes, I felt it got a bit repetitive. Some conversations and scenes played out almost in full on several accounts where I felt it could have been acknowledged and perhaps moved along – although I do understand the point to establish the same moment in time to link the stories.
I also personally felt it a bit confusing at times with the jump in months that established time in the story. “End of August” or “End of October” didn’t really stand out to me in terms of what was going on with each character at that time. It’s not until I read a bit further into those sections that I remembered what was going on. There were some moments that were occurring in the present, and then flashbacked to recall their stories but at times it didn’t feel completely clear that was happening.
That being said, I am absolutely enthralled and amazed with how well these four volumes meshed together in such a cohesive way given that there were 4 authors – one to each part. I’d be curious to find out the writing process… whether they each took turns in a row to add to an established plot with their own character’s voice, or if they all sat down together to decide on the direction of where it would go beforehand, and then build off of it. A fantastically woven murder mystery that leaves you wondering who killed Abby, while adding a lot of red herrings or diversions along the way. All loose ends are cleverly explained and tied up, and just when I thought they had forgotten to answer one particular moment from the first volume, there it comes at the end. Very very well plotted out. I actually thought I had it all figured out by the 2nd volume at one point and was – thankfully – wrong as I would hate for the story to have cheapened out with that route.
The story is available in separated parts, but that just seems redundant to me. For a fairly quick read, you need to consume all 4 parts together to find out the full story of what happened to Abby Shelton.
weweresotired's review
3.0
See the full review at Short & Sweet Reviews.
This book is full of drugs, sex, and lies, and these teenagers inhabit a world that sometimes only seems to exist in movies. Everyone is rich and glamorous and could have anything they want. It's a little hard to believe that these kids are all only supposed to be 17 or so, which is always the biggest hurdle I have in reading books like this.
I really liked the idea of seeing the story take place from each character's viewpoint. Although it got repetitive to read the same conversation multiple times, you still could glean something new each time. But for that reason, I'd probably recommend reading the stories over a longer period of time rather than all in a row like I did, so that you have a little distance between each story.
Each character leaves something out, to protect themselves or to protect someone else involved, so you really need to read all four stories to get a complete picture of what happened that night -- and even then, I was still left with a whole lot of questions! I did find myself trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together as I read, because you clue in very quickly to the fact that not all is as it seems. Each of the characters has a pretty good reason to want Abby dead.
I did feel like the ending was very abrupt, like some other readers have mentioned, and the ending mostly left me wanting to know what happened next. It resolved the question of "who killed Abby Shelton" but raised a whole bunch more instead! I also had some problems with the characterizations of Parker and Abby, who are both talked about in harsh terms for being "loose", Parker especially, as she has a reputation of sleeping with a lot of guys. Charles and Mason aren't exactly innocent in those regards either, but no one is running around calling them derogatory names because of it. Parker and Abby both have lots of other less than great qualities that could be focused on, but instead the authors choose to focus on that and shame them for it. Yeah, it's what happens out in the "real world" too, but that doesn't mean I have to like it or be comfortable with it.
This book is full of drugs, sex, and lies, and these teenagers inhabit a world that sometimes only seems to exist in movies. Everyone is rich and glamorous and could have anything they want. It's a little hard to believe that these kids are all only supposed to be 17 or so, which is always the biggest hurdle I have in reading books like this.
I really liked the idea of seeing the story take place from each character's viewpoint. Although it got repetitive to read the same conversation multiple times, you still could glean something new each time. But for that reason, I'd probably recommend reading the stories over a longer period of time rather than all in a row like I did, so that you have a little distance between each story.
Each character leaves something out, to protect themselves or to protect someone else involved, so you really need to read all four stories to get a complete picture of what happened that night -- and even then, I was still left with a whole lot of questions! I did find myself trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together as I read, because you clue in very quickly to the fact that not all is as it seems. Each of the characters has a pretty good reason to want Abby dead.
I did feel like the ending was very abrupt, like some other readers have mentioned, and the ending mostly left me wanting to know what happened next. It resolved the question of "who killed Abby Shelton" but raised a whole bunch more instead! I also had some problems with the characterizations of Parker and Abby, who are both talked about in harsh terms for being "loose", Parker especially, as she has a reputation of sleeping with a lot of guys. Charles and Mason aren't exactly innocent in those regards either, but no one is running around calling them derogatory names because of it. Parker and Abby both have lots of other less than great qualities that could be focused on, but instead the authors choose to focus on that and shame them for it. Yeah, it's what happens out in the "real world" too, but that doesn't mean I have to like it or be comfortable with it.
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