chlo_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I think mystery YA novels are just starting to irk me because I’m having a hard time believing teens can do it better than police/FBI/professionals
lindsay1212's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
asiyahrana's review against another edition
I didn't like the way that the book was written, it felt very blunt and the characters didn't appear to have much depth, or much personality. The way they talked was very blunt, and the book wasn't written eloquently at all.
ruth_rb's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
mossfloor's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
afox98's review against another edition
4.0
If you like Mindhunter, you'll love this book. I've been trying to think of a way to describe the writing, and I think I'll call it "of substance." I didn't even realize until about 3/4 of the way through it was a YA novel. Emma Lewis, the only survivor of a horrific serial killer, and Travis Bell, the son of a US marshal killed in a standoff with a different serial killer, are recruited by the FBI. Their mission is specific - interview 5 teenaged serial killers on the premise that the young criminals are more likely to open up to someone their own age than older FBI agents. After a couple of the interviews, Emma and Travis catch on that their research is tied to an active case through one of their interview subjects. The more involved they get, the more you see their pasts catch up with them and throw them off their game a bit--completely realistic, considering their age and lack of experience in the field. The characters - both the heroes and the villains - are written well, with their strengths and flaws explored. The plot has a few stretches for me but the story is tied together well enough that I can overlook them. Thoroughly enjoyable dark read.
rfonta69801's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
alexabookish's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. couldn’t put this down. and there’s nothing i love more than teens doing the FBI’s job better than them
percyflies's review against another edition
Couldn’t get into this. There was nothing that specifically turned me off with the writing style but I just found it boring and it didn’t suck me in or make me feel anything.
I’ve read other teens working for the FBI stories. While it’s always going to require some suspension of disbelief, the way these characters were treated and thrown in was entirely unbelievable. I was also cringing throughout at how they spoke and acted in the situations they were placed into. It actually makes sense that teens would sound like they’re just trying to cosplay as real agents and stumble through their questioning, but it felt like the book wanted me to think they were doing an amazing job while I could see first hand how bad it was.
I’ve read other teens working for the FBI stories. While it’s always going to require some suspension of disbelief, the way these characters were treated and thrown in was entirely unbelievable. I was also cringing throughout at how they spoke and acted in the situations they were placed into. It actually makes sense that teens would sound like they’re just trying to cosplay as real agents and stumble through their questioning, but it felt like the book wanted me to think they were doing an amazing job while I could see first hand how bad it was.