michelle_pink_polka_dot's review
3.0
3.5ish Stars. The cover made me think this book would be creepy, and in no way was that the case. This isn't a horror, it's a mystery-- and not a very thrilling one at that. The characters are chemically induced for the entirety of the book and the last 50 pages provided nothing new or interesting. I didn't hate it, and found it completely readable, but I was still expecting so much better.
This book is total cover bait. I thought I was going to get a creepy, horror-type book, but this was NOTHING like that. This was a standard YA Mystery with a lot of sex, drugs, and nothing that thrilling happening.
While I didn't hate the book, I think that going into it with expectations of having creepy scenes in the woods threw me off. The tub on the cover is mentioned briefly in the book, but plays no role in anything.
Here's what the book IS about: Finley is visiting her Maine hometown for the first time since her best friend has gone missing/presumed dead, and she's ready to set the town on fire (literally). In a drug induced haze, she sets out to prove that Betty's ex-boyfriend, Calder, killed her.
Here's why this is a 3 star book instead of 5 star mystery: It's not even a mystery!! We know what happened to Betty and nothing new comes to light as a result of Finley's antics. There are drugs like WOAH. Everyone is pill popping in this book-- and I'm no straight-edge, but it got annoying. The last 50 pages were YAWN. Nothing new or exciting happened and I was SO BORED.
I had major issues with the "love triangle" because it just didn't feel all that "loving" on any of the sides. Serena could've been a really interesting character (she's a girl who crushed on Betty and Finley develops feelings for her), but she felt like a placeholder. Owen (a guy Finley looks at like a big brother, but also has sex with) didn't do it for me either. Maybe it was all the drugs?? Maybe they just weren't good people?? Something was definitely missing there.
OVERALL: Confusing cover for a non-horror book. I was expecting creepy, but got a sub-par mystery. I'm going to give it 3 stars because I did want to find out answers, but I was hoping for shocking revelations that never came. I say read if you like YA that doesn't hold back on the drugs and sex.
My Blog:
Pink Polka Dot Books
This book is total cover bait. I thought I was going to get a creepy, horror-type book, but this was NOTHING like that. This was a standard YA Mystery with a lot of sex, drugs, and nothing that thrilling happening.
While I didn't hate the book, I think that going into it with expectations of having creepy scenes in the woods threw me off. The tub on the cover is mentioned briefly in the book, but plays no role in anything.
Here's what the book IS about: Finley is visiting her Maine hometown for the first time since her best friend has gone missing/presumed dead, and she's ready to set the town on fire (literally). In a drug induced haze, she sets out to prove that Betty's ex-boyfriend, Calder, killed her.
Here's why this is a 3 star book instead of 5 star mystery: It's not even a mystery!! We know what happened to Betty and nothing new comes to light as a result of Finley's antics. There are drugs like WOAH. Everyone is pill popping in this book-- and I'm no straight-edge, but it got annoying. The last 50 pages were YAWN. Nothing new or exciting happened and I was SO BORED.
I had major issues with the "love triangle" because it just didn't feel all that "loving" on any of the sides. Serena could've been a really interesting character (she's a girl who crushed on Betty and Finley develops feelings for her), but she felt like a placeholder. Owen (a guy Finley looks at like a big brother, but also has sex with) didn't do it for me either. Maybe it was all the drugs?? Maybe they just weren't good people?? Something was definitely missing there.
OVERALL: Confusing cover for a non-horror book. I was expecting creepy, but got a sub-par mystery. I'm going to give it 3 stars because I did want to find out answers, but I was hoping for shocking revelations that never came. I say read if you like YA that doesn't hold back on the drugs and sex.
My Blog:
Pink Polka Dot Books
elizabethwebb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
skinnygetout's review against another edition
4.0
One of the darkest books I've ever read. Finley returns to her hometown (a coastal town in Maine) the summer after she graduates from high school to investigate the mysterious death/disappearance of her best friend Betty. What she fins out when she returns home is more messed up than she thought. All of the teenagers in the town are eating painkillers like candy, avoiding the ugly truth that their town is dying. As the story unfolds and Fin uncovers more of the mystery, she smokes, drinks, and eats drugs, and develops sexual relationships with more than one person.
A great murder mystery/ghost story/thriller. Not for the faint of heart.
A great murder mystery/ghost story/thriller. Not for the faint of heart.
lazygal's review
3.0
Nothing surprising here. Fin's grief and reaction to Betty's death, her search for the killer and interactions with people in the incredibly small Maine town she mostly grew up in are all predictable. The unpredictable? Her relationship with Serena, which didn't feel quite real (not that it couldn't happen, just that given her feelings for Owen it wasn't plausible except as shock value... or someone suggesting to the author that adding it would be a good idea). Teens might enjoy this more than I did, hence the three stars.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
bolynne's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed reading this and I felt that I had a hard time putting it down, but only because I wanted the payoff. The characters and the dialogue and such weren't especially as interesting as I'd have hoped. But I can't put down a mystery unless I've got the resolution. Overall, it was just good.
cassidyjoan's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts
thelifeoflaura's review against another edition
4.0
Fin and Betty’s close friendship survived Fin’s ninth-grade move from their coastal Maine town to Manhattan. Calls, letters, and summer visits continued to bind them together, and in the fall of their senior year, they both applied to NYU, planning to reunite for good as roommates.
Then Betty disappears.
What follows is Fin returning to Maine to see if she can find Betty and discover what actually happened to her best friend. With claims against the 'boyfriend' that she can't prove, Betty goes a little crazy, pushing everyone away in her desire to discover what really happened to Fin. However, not everything is quite as it seems. Brilliantly written with twists and turns that will leave you guessing until the last page!
Then Betty disappears.
What follows is Fin returning to Maine to see if she can find Betty and discover what actually happened to her best friend. With claims against the 'boyfriend' that she can't prove, Betty goes a little crazy, pushing everyone away in her desire to discover what really happened to Fin. However, not everything is quite as it seems. Brilliantly written with twists and turns that will leave you guessing until the last page!
pagesplotsandpints's review against another edition
4.0
Initial Impressions 2/14/17 and full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 4/17/17: 3.5 - 4 stars
A GOOD IDEA was interesting from start to finish but my passion for it sort of went in waves. The beginning was interesting but I wasn’t sure where it was going yet. The middle was thrilling and I tore through the book (well, I would have it I wasn’t listening to an audiobook and was forced to read at a level pace). The ending culminated well but got a little out there in regards to how things tied up. I liked the way that the book ended and yet the circumstances as to how the characters resolved the “case” was a little bizarre.
I was excited to pick up A GOOD IDEA because I had loved Cristina Moracho’s debut, ALTHEA & OLIVER. This book was quite different — a mystery/thriller versus realistic fiction — but I do love that both books took place in the 90s. It wasn’t really a “period piece” but I’m guessing that was Moracho’s time as a teen since it’s been revisited twice and I do like that “write what you know” concept in this case. I also enjoy things NOT set in present day because the slight throwback allows for less technology to get in the way. The concept of no cell phones (or at least no smart phones) really breaks that form of constant communication and allows plot to wander instead of technology making things unrealistic. Everyone is not a quick phone call or text away and people don’t have cameras attached to their hips. I appreciate the break from technology and allowing the book to run away with an idea!
This is another book that may aim towards a more mature young adult audience with consistent drug usage, language, and sexual activity. I read a few reviews that felt like these things were overboard but for small town Maine (or small town anywhere) and a lack of technology (not like I know what the 90s were like as a teen), I didn’t think anything was really out of bounds. It wasn’t my personal experience as a teenager but that doesn’t mean it’s unrealistic.
It was interesting to see Finley dig into the past by stirring up questions about her best friend Betty’s murder. Betty “disappeared” and everyone knew she had probably died but without actual evidence, no one really wanted to actually admit it. With a confession in the air (not a spoiler — we know this from the beginning) that didn’t stick, Finley needs to prove that the confessor is actually guilty and that they’re punished for taking her best friend’s life but loyalty gets in the way and made things even more dangerous for Finley. It was really interesting to have an answer from the start and have the characters race through a series of theories and scenarios. Was this confession really what happened? How much more is there to the story? Is it a lie? Is it a cover up for something else? Is Betty even really dead? These are all questions that the characters ask themselves and as the reader, I really started to question everything as well. The obvious answer is presented to the reader at the very beginning, but is it the CORRECT answer?
The ending got a little strange and maybe a bit too dramatic for my tastes. The beginning was pretty realistic, focusing more on the internal struggles of each character that added to the drama and confusion of the overall mystery. The ending got a little too villain-y for me (also not a spoiler because that’s not even in relation to the final answer of the mystery) and it just really sadly turned me off for just a bit. BUT I did like how the very, very end wrapped up and the solid conclusion left me satisfied with the book overall.
Oh, and we also really did find a bathtub in the woods on a hike.
A GOOD IDEA was interesting from start to finish but my passion for it sort of went in waves. The beginning was interesting but I wasn’t sure where it was going yet. The middle was thrilling and I tore through the book (well, I would have it I wasn’t listening to an audiobook and was forced to read at a level pace). The ending culminated well but got a little out there in regards to how things tied up. I liked the way that the book ended and yet the circumstances as to how the characters resolved the “case” was a little bizarre.
I was excited to pick up A GOOD IDEA because I had loved Cristina Moracho’s debut, ALTHEA & OLIVER. This book was quite different — a mystery/thriller versus realistic fiction — but I do love that both books took place in the 90s. It wasn’t really a “period piece” but I’m guessing that was Moracho’s time as a teen since it’s been revisited twice and I do like that “write what you know” concept in this case. I also enjoy things NOT set in present day because the slight throwback allows for less technology to get in the way. The concept of no cell phones (or at least no smart phones) really breaks that form of constant communication and allows plot to wander instead of technology making things unrealistic. Everyone is not a quick phone call or text away and people don’t have cameras attached to their hips. I appreciate the break from technology and allowing the book to run away with an idea!
This is another book that may aim towards a more mature young adult audience with consistent drug usage, language, and sexual activity. I read a few reviews that felt like these things were overboard but for small town Maine (or small town anywhere) and a lack of technology (not like I know what the 90s were like as a teen), I didn’t think anything was really out of bounds. It wasn’t my personal experience as a teenager but that doesn’t mean it’s unrealistic.
It was interesting to see Finley dig into the past by stirring up questions about her best friend Betty’s murder. Betty “disappeared” and everyone knew she had probably died but without actual evidence, no one really wanted to actually admit it. With a confession in the air (not a spoiler — we know this from the beginning) that didn’t stick, Finley needs to prove that the confessor is actually guilty and that they’re punished for taking her best friend’s life but loyalty gets in the way and made things even more dangerous for Finley. It was really interesting to have an answer from the start and have the characters race through a series of theories and scenarios. Was this confession really what happened? How much more is there to the story? Is it a lie? Is it a cover up for something else? Is Betty even really dead? These are all questions that the characters ask themselves and as the reader, I really started to question everything as well. The obvious answer is presented to the reader at the very beginning, but is it the CORRECT answer?
The ending got a little strange and maybe a bit too dramatic for my tastes. The beginning was pretty realistic, focusing more on the internal struggles of each character that added to the drama and confusion of the overall mystery. The ending got a little too villain-y for me (also not a spoiler because that’s not even in relation to the final answer of the mystery) and it just really sadly turned me off for just a bit. BUT I did like how the very, very end wrapped up and the solid conclusion left me satisfied with the book overall.
Oh, and we also really did find a bathtub in the woods on a hike.