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carleneinspired's review against another edition
4.0
Find this review and others at Carlene Inspired.
Veronica Mars, I mean Kylene Danners, is back! It took me a lot longer to get into Don't Say a Word than the previous novel, Dare You To Lie, but somewhere at 45% I was suddenly all in. Once the story started clicking in place for me, mixing the overarching story line, the previous novel's plot, and the present's together, I got where things were going. Kylene is no typical high school student and her high school is no typical high school. Sure, there's the jocks and the outcasts and the teachers too into their status, but then there's the girls working in prostitution and an undercover student too. The novel takes place right after the previous, so there's no time jump to adjust to and Amber Lynn Natusch did the suspense lovers right by making her characters continue to recover from the events through out this novel. Thank you. Kylene is banged up, mentally scarred, and just as determined as ever. She continues to be stubborn, witty, and quite the smart A, but she sure is an entertaining character.
In Don't Say a Word Kylene has to finally switch back into her role as student, daughter, granddaughter, and friend. Of course, no one can stop her from helping Agent Dawson out on his case so the secrets, sneaking around, and crime solving continues on. Drug issues are a thing of a past, now they're taking on prostitution and Kylene's name just might be at the top of the list. It's twisted, fast-paced, and yet still has just the right amount of high school drama. We get some more details on her father's case as well, just enough to keep us hanging until the next release though.
Amber Lynn Natusch's Hometown Antihero series is the perfect mystery suspense series for NA readers. It's what I would have liked in high school and college, and it definitely continues to fit the bill for me in my late twenties. It's got the right amount of humor, age appropriate drama, and all the suspense a young Nancy Drew could want.
ARC provided.
Veronica Mars, I mean Kylene Danners, is back! It took me a lot longer to get into Don't Say a Word than the previous novel, Dare You To Lie, but somewhere at 45% I was suddenly all in. Once the story started clicking in place for me, mixing the overarching story line, the previous novel's plot, and the present's together, I got where things were going. Kylene is no typical high school student and her high school is no typical high school. Sure, there's the jocks and the outcasts and the teachers too into their status, but then there's the girls working in prostitution and an undercover student too. The novel takes place right after the previous, so there's no time jump to adjust to and Amber Lynn Natusch did the suspense lovers right by making her characters continue to recover from the events through out this novel. Thank you. Kylene is banged up, mentally scarred, and just as determined as ever. She continues to be stubborn, witty, and quite the smart A, but she sure is an entertaining character.
In Don't Say a Word Kylene has to finally switch back into her role as student, daughter, granddaughter, and friend. Of course, no one can stop her from helping Agent Dawson out on his case so the secrets, sneaking around, and crime solving continues on. Drug issues are a thing of a past, now they're taking on prostitution and Kylene's name just might be at the top of the list. It's twisted, fast-paced, and yet still has just the right amount of high school drama. We get some more details on her father's case as well, just enough to keep us hanging until the next release though.
Amber Lynn Natusch's Hometown Antihero series is the perfect mystery suspense series for NA readers. It's what I would have liked in high school and college, and it definitely continues to fit the bill for me in my late twenties. It's got the right amount of humor, age appropriate drama, and all the suspense a young Nancy Drew could want.
ARC provided.
saschadarlington's review against another edition
5.0
4 1/2 stars
While reviewers suggest that Don’t Say a Word by Amber Lynn Natusch would appeal to viewers of Riverdale, I’m more likely to recommend this book for aficionados of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars. Ky Danners is next in line for snarky teenage, take-no-prisoners heroine.
What I didn’t know but quickly realized as I read, was that Don’t Say a Word is actually book two in the Hometown Antihero series. Natusch deftly filled in the blanks, but because I liked Don’t Say a Word so much, I will go back and read book one.
read more: https://saschadarlington.me/2019/09/17/review-of-dont-say-a-word/#.XYJVdyhKhPY
While reviewers suggest that Don’t Say a Word by Amber Lynn Natusch would appeal to viewers of Riverdale, I’m more likely to recommend this book for aficionados of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars. Ky Danners is next in line for snarky teenage, take-no-prisoners heroine.
What I didn’t know but quickly realized as I read, was that Don’t Say a Word is actually book two in the Hometown Antihero series. Natusch deftly filled in the blanks, but because I liked Don’t Say a Word so much, I will go back and read book one.
read more: https://saschadarlington.me/2019/09/17/review-of-dont-say-a-word/#.XYJVdyhKhPY
aryelweasley's review against another edition
5.0
As good as it's predecessor. This continuation of the Hometown Antihero series left me wanting more more more in the best way possible.
Plenty of mystery, a dash of romance, thrilling pace and a sassy protagonist equate to one fantastic read. Veronica Mars vibes are strong with this antihero and I absolutely love it.
Plenty of mystery, a dash of romance, thrilling pace and a sassy protagonist equate to one fantastic read. Veronica Mars vibes are strong with this antihero and I absolutely love it.
barbrokatrin's review against another edition
2.0
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
I found this to be a bit unbelievable. I don’t believe that a FBI agent can go undercover at a HS as her ex, even if he is a rookie. It was a bit boring, picked up towards the end but by then the book was ruined for me
I found this to be a bit unbelievable. I don’t believe that a FBI agent can go undercover at a HS as her ex, even if he is a rookie. It was a bit boring, picked up towards the end but by then the book was ruined for me
lelaroseyyi's review against another edition
4.0
I really wanted to title this like "where the heck is my romance?" but honestly, there absolutely were scenes that had me screeching (inside my head I promise....mostly). I just wanted MORE. I understand that the age gap needed to be played out carefully, which is definitely why I'm excited now that our main character has turned 18. While I'm not demanding spice, it's nice to see the potential of a responsible age gap relationship. When she was 17 it felt as though AJ really was the only option for a romantic relationship.
It's also so nice to have a main character who struggles! Again bringing Veronica Mars into this but a wonderful thing about Veronica is that you can see that her mysteries really wear down on her. Veronica is a human, and the same can be said for Ky. We see our main character struggling to get over the events of the last book in a PTSD fashion, which is not only a wonderful tie-in to the previous novel but also gives Ky a really human side. Nobody can go through these things and come out unscathed, as weird as it sounds I really do love a character that has this PTSD side. It's also so well done that it's not a part of Ky as a character. Her struggles aren't her personality, she isn't an alcoholic because of what she's been through, and she actively works to get through her fears and anxieties.
It's also so nice to have a main character who struggles! Again bringing Veronica Mars into this but a wonderful thing about Veronica is that you can see that her mysteries really wear down on her. Veronica is a human, and the same can be said for Ky. We see our main character struggling to get over the events of the last book in a PTSD fashion, which is not only a wonderful tie-in to the previous novel but also gives Ky a really human side. Nobody can go through these things and come out unscathed, as weird as it sounds I really do love a character that has this PTSD side. It's also so well done that it's not a part of Ky as a character. Her struggles aren't her personality, she isn't an alcoholic because of what she's been through, and she actively works to get through her fears and anxieties.
czytamzkotem's review against another edition
5.0
OMG I love this book, I love this series and I'm dying to read book number 3! I do not even know how to survive for a whole year. I recommend this book to all fans of young adult, mystery and detective genre. Also for fans of Karen M. McManus books: "One of us is Lying" and ”Two Can Keep a Secret” and tv show "13 Reasons Why”. I'm telling you you'll love this book! The writing style, the characters, sarcastic dialogues and a really good sense of humor are everything. I adore smart, brave and mouthy Kylene. I really like the chemistry of the trio - Kylene, Dawson, and AJ and appreciate all dangerous mysteries. If you haven't read the book number one - "Dare You to Lie" don't hesitate because these books are really worth reading and you will definitely be having huge fun with them.
owlsreads's review against another edition
1.0
1.5 stars.
*
Don’t Say a Word has a wonderful beginning, but things quickly go downhill as the story progresses. The novel has been (mistakenly?) marked as a possible standalone, yet there is some context missing if the reader jumps right into it without having read the previous installment—which happened to be my case. The fast pace and writing are pretty engaging, but the plot execution is a bit of a mess.
Amber Lynn Natusch creates an intricate mystery story here. There are a lot of players involved, and the perspective of a teenager trying to solve a crime is as fun as it is really messy. Kylene’s arrogance often reaches the point of stupidity and the lack of development regarding the investigation on her father doesn’t help matters.
I disliked this. The writing is pretty solid, but the plot development and execution is a mess. Disclaimer that when I requested this as an ARC, it was marked as a standalone. While you can follow along without having read the previous book, which is what I did, there are still pretty big chunks of story missing. Natusch does a good job at playing catch up, but quite a few significant plot points don’t translate from one book to another. And the main one regarding Kylene’s father, which seems to be brought over from the first book, gets almost no development throughout the entire novel.
Kylene is… so arrogant. I’m sure this perfectly describes a lot of teenagers out there, but having her as the only POV character here made things difficult for me. She thinks she’s smarter than everyone else and, during several occasions, she says so to other more competent characters. The fact that she’s presented as the only person capable of solving crimes while the Sheriff and the FBI Agent in the story aren’t capable of investigating things by themselves is… odd, to say the least.
And the love triangle! That involves said 23-year-old FBI Agent! And Kylene, the 17-year-old high school student, plus her also teenage ex-boyfriend. That is SUCH a weird choice to make ESPECIALLY when one of the plot points in the novel is about an adult committing statutory rape, and Kylene outright calls him a pedophile in her head—which also isn’t good as the girl who is raped is around 16-17 years old and this misrepresents the definition of pedophile and pedophilia and that can cause harm to real life victims of childhood sexual abuse.
So, yeah, Don’t Say a Word is really not the book for me. I’m sure lots of readers will have fun with it, as there is a lot of tension of the danger and romance kind with the mystery and the love triangle. I just really couldn’t connect to Kylene and the direction the plot took didn’t work for me.
*
Series: #2 in the Hometown Antihero series.
POV: Told from Kylene’s POV.
Content Warnings:
Instalove:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
Cliffhanger: No.
HEA:
Up Next: TBA.
*
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*
“Do what you think is best.”
Don’t Say a Word has a wonderful beginning, but things quickly go downhill as the story progresses. The novel has been (mistakenly?) marked as a possible standalone, yet there is some context missing if the reader jumps right into it without having read the previous installment—which happened to be my case. The fast pace and writing are pretty engaging, but the plot execution is a bit of a mess.
Amber Lynn Natusch creates an intricate mystery story here. There are a lot of players involved, and the perspective of a teenager trying to solve a crime is as fun as it is really messy. Kylene’s arrogance often reaches the point of stupidity and the lack of development regarding the investigation on her father doesn’t help matters.
I disliked this. The writing is pretty solid, but the plot development and execution is a mess. Disclaimer that when I requested this as an ARC, it was marked as a standalone. While you can follow along without having read the previous book, which is what I did, there are still pretty big chunks of story missing. Natusch does a good job at playing catch up, but quite a few significant plot points don’t translate from one book to another. And the main one regarding Kylene’s father, which seems to be brought over from the first book, gets almost no development throughout the entire novel.
Kylene is… so arrogant. I’m sure this perfectly describes a lot of teenagers out there, but having her as the only POV character here made things difficult for me. She thinks she’s smarter than everyone else and, during several occasions, she says so to other more competent characters. The fact that she’s presented as the only person capable of solving crimes while the Sheriff and the FBI Agent in the story aren’t capable of investigating things by themselves is… odd, to say the least.
And the love triangle! That involves said 23-year-old FBI Agent! And Kylene, the 17-year-old high school student, plus her also teenage ex-boyfriend. That is SUCH a weird choice to make ESPECIALLY when one of the plot points in the novel is about an adult committing statutory rape, and Kylene outright calls him a pedophile in her head—which also isn’t good as the girl who is raped is around 16-17 years old and this misrepresents the definition of pedophile and pedophilia and that can cause harm to real life victims of childhood sexual abuse.
So, yeah, Don’t Say a Word is really not the book for me. I’m sure lots of readers will have fun with it, as there is a lot of tension of the danger and romance kind with the mystery and the love triangle. I just really couldn’t connect to Kylene and the direction the plot took didn’t work for me.
*
Series: #2 in the Hometown Antihero series.
POV: Told from Kylene’s POV.
Content Warnings:
Spoiler
Statutory rape. Forced prostitution.Instalove:
Spoiler
Eh.Love Triangle:
Spoiler
Yup.Cheating:
Spoiler
Eh.Cliffhanger: No.
HEA:
Spoiler
Not yet.Up Next: TBA.
*
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.