gotabookforeverysituation's review against another edition
4.0
First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to the publishers for letting me read The Hanging Girl in advance for an honest review. This review may not be entirely spoiler free, so proceed with caution.
The whole time I was reading The Hanging Girl, I was getting Gone Girl vibes. To me, this is the YA version of Gone Girl. This book kept me guessing the whole time and I think that’s one of the best things about it. I was second guessing myself and the entire time I was reading, I was trying to work out what the hell was going on. Strangely, a few of my earliest guesses turned out to be right (partly, anyway), but I’d brushed them off pretty quickly, already onto the next guess.
Every character was intriguing in their own way, although not necessarily likable (which isn’t always a bad thing and I think in this case it really worked with the storyline). Early into the book I was slightly worried that there was going to be too many characters and each one would be a possible suspect and it would just be an overwhelming read where I couldn’t really distinguish between any of the characters. Luckily, this wasn’t the case at all.
One thing I wish was different about the book, is that I wish there had been more chapters from Paige’s point of view. Obviously, given what happens to Paige, this would have been difficult later on in the book - and even more difficult early on, so as not to reveal too much - but I did wish that after we learned of Paige’s fate, we could’ve seen more from her perspective.
I couldn’t always understand the motivation for the characters to do what they did. It seemed a little far fetched, that they’d go to such lengths for so - seemingly - little gain. As the book went on and more was revealed, I will say that I think it made more sense.
At first, I struggled with the ending, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me that it played out this way. It may not have been the right thing, but it did seem realistic. I was not a fan of the epilogue. I had hoped for more for Skye than this, but it was only a brief look into her new life. I would have preferred to have read it from her perspective and read her explanation, but overall, I was mostly satisfied with how the story was wrapped up.
I really enjoyed The Hanging Girl and will be looking into Eileen Cook’s other books and looking forward to any future releases. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading, but it definitely surpassed my expectations. I didn’t even notice that I was enjoying the book as much as I was until I was about a third of the way in and realised I hadn’t put the book down once. I read The Hanging Girl over an incredibly busy two day period, but even while I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about the book and trying to figure it out.
The whole time I was reading The Hanging Girl, I was getting Gone Girl vibes. To me, this is the YA version of Gone Girl. This book kept me guessing the whole time and I think that’s one of the best things about it. I was second guessing myself and the entire time I was reading, I was trying to work out what the hell was going on. Strangely, a few of my earliest guesses turned out to be right (partly, anyway), but I’d brushed them off pretty quickly, already onto the next guess.
Every character was intriguing in their own way, although not necessarily likable (which isn’t always a bad thing and I think in this case it really worked with the storyline). Early into the book I was slightly worried that there was going to be too many characters and each one would be a possible suspect and it would just be an overwhelming read where I couldn’t really distinguish between any of the characters. Luckily, this wasn’t the case at all.
One thing I wish was different about the book, is that I wish there had been more chapters from Paige’s point of view. Obviously, given what happens to Paige, this would have been difficult later on in the book - and even more difficult early on, so as not to reveal too much - but I did wish that after we learned of Paige’s fate, we could’ve seen more from her perspective.
I couldn’t always understand the motivation for the characters to do what they did. It seemed a little far fetched, that they’d go to such lengths for so - seemingly - little gain. As the book went on and more was revealed, I will say that I think it made more sense.
At first, I struggled with the ending, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me that it played out this way. It may not have been the right thing, but it did seem realistic. I was not a fan of the epilogue. I had hoped for more for Skye than this, but it was only a brief look into her new life. I would have preferred to have read it from her perspective and read her explanation, but overall, I was mostly satisfied with how the story was wrapped up.
I really enjoyed The Hanging Girl and will be looking into Eileen Cook’s other books and looking forward to any future releases. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading, but it definitely surpassed my expectations. I didn’t even notice that I was enjoying the book as much as I was until I was about a third of the way in and realised I hadn’t put the book down once. I read The Hanging Girl over an incredibly busy two day period, but even while I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about the book and trying to figure it out.
amber_is_reading_'s review against another edition
4.0
I was not expecting the plot line of The Hanging Girl - I was pleasantly surprised.
I really enjoyed this because it was just enough of young adult paired with mystery thriller that it worked.
Skye is a cynic and she definitely doesn't believe in her trade - tarot reading. She's trying to save and get out of town when an opportunity falls her way. Though as most things in life, it doesn't go according to plan. Falling way in over her head, Skye's world is beginning to unravel drastically around her. Though she doesn't know it, there is more to her decisions than originally thought.
I love how Skye's true personality often betrays her exterior and that her lack of self esteem is what's truly holding her back.
Thoroughly enjoyed solving the mystery with Skye and learning how things are not always as they seem.
I really enjoyed this because it was just enough of young adult paired with mystery thriller that it worked.
Skye is a cynic and she definitely doesn't believe in her trade - tarot reading. She's trying to save and get out of town when an opportunity falls her way. Though as most things in life, it doesn't go according to plan. Falling way in over her head, Skye's world is beginning to unravel drastically around her. Though she doesn't know it, there is more to her decisions than originally thought.
I love how Skye's true personality often betrays her exterior and that her lack of self esteem is what's truly holding her back.
Thoroughly enjoyed solving the mystery with Skye and learning how things are not always as they seem.
srreid's review against another edition
4.0
A fairly comfortable read at just over 300 pages. Initially sounded like a Strangers on a Train scenario when the main character answered a message left in a book saying she wanted to go ahead with something, but we weren't told what or who for, just that she had to make sure she had an alibi.
As the story unfolds we find out what that initial agreement was - the daughter of a local politician disappears, but how is the main character Candi (or Skye as she wants to be called) involved?
Skye pretends to have visions or read things in tarot cards to help the police solve the crime. Things don't turn out as planned though which is where the twists come in. Something goes wrong, all evidence points to one culprit, or could it be someone else? And just when you think it is all resolved yet another twist rears it's head.
As the story unfolds we find out what that initial agreement was - the daughter of a local politician disappears, but how is the main character Candi (or Skye as she wants to be called) involved?
Skye pretends to have visions or read things in tarot cards to help the police solve the crime. Things don't turn out as planned though which is where the twists come in. Something goes wrong, all evidence points to one culprit, or could it be someone else? And just when you think it is all resolved yet another twist rears it's head.
kayleem93's review against another edition
5.0
Firstly, 5 stars brilliant, will read again and would freely recommend to family/friends.
The Cover - (I said this in my sneak pick review but I shall reiterate) Eye catching cover. Very eerie. I will read/buy anything with tarot cards on it. The woods that make up the background (It's only clear what it is on up close inspection but that might just be my eyesight) are a great nod to some important locations later in the novel. The fact the card is being held in place by rusty nails, sinister indeed!
The Characters -
The main character Skye is sarcastic and cynical, right on point for how I was as a teenage girl, completely over everyone and their cliche cheerleader lives! (weren't we all?). Struggling to fit in with the crowd dealing with money troubles and way too much responsibility she makes some, shall we say, questionable choices. You get the sense she really didn't mean for anything to go the way it did and she was as well intentioned as she could be given what she was in cahoots about.
The kidnapped girl ? B***h ! Spoiled little rich girl with daddy issues. Clearly well written had me scrunching up my nose at her with every sentence.
The best friend Drew, was actually somewhat of a let down, was not in it as much as it seemed she was going to be. Regretably as she was the main LGBTQ and POC rep in this. (Hope I'm not confusing two characters there). She flit in and out of Skye's life seemingly doing not much other than demanding to be told things and having some very unrealistic expectations. Uou would think she would know Skye's situation since they've been BFFs since like third grade.
The Plot- (as spoiler free as I can manage) We have a kidnapping, a fake psychic, some things that are not what they seem, shady ex boyfriends and blackmail. Yes. All of this. Then to top of the plot point sundae we have TWISTS APPLENTY. Oooooh I did not see any of those coming, great mystery writer here people! Misleads and red herrings whilst still giving you clues that when revealed you're like "oh yeah. Duh, how did I not piece that together?" ... Well because I am not Benedict Cumberbatch and no one gave me a script. I was suspecting just about everyone and rooting for no one! Morally ambiguous ending here you should all know that going in.
No faults found by this reader, have a go at it yourself. I am aware that there are some "triggering" things in here that might appear to be glossed over or not addressed well enough but there are only so many pages people and a writer can only do so much.
This is just my opinion which was in no way influenced by anything but my brain, please respect my opnion and I shall respect yours.
The Cover - (I said this in my sneak pick review but I shall reiterate) Eye catching cover. Very eerie. I will read/buy anything with tarot cards on it. The woods that make up the background (It's only clear what it is on up close inspection but that might just be my eyesight) are a great nod to some important locations later in the novel. The fact the card is being held in place by rusty nails, sinister indeed!
The Characters -
The main character Skye is sarcastic and cynical, right on point for how I was as a teenage girl, completely over everyone and their cliche cheerleader lives! (weren't we all?). Struggling to fit in with the crowd dealing with money troubles and way too much responsibility she makes some, shall we say, questionable choices. You get the sense she really didn't mean for anything to go the way it did and she was as well intentioned as she could be given what she was in cahoots about.
The kidnapped girl ? B***h ! Spoiled little rich girl with daddy issues. Clearly well written had me scrunching up my nose at her with every sentence.
The best friend Drew, was actually somewhat of a let down, was not in it as much as it seemed she was going to be. Regretably as she was the main LGBTQ and POC rep in this. (Hope I'm not confusing two characters there). She flit in and out of Skye's life seemingly doing not much other than demanding to be told things and having some very unrealistic expectations. Uou would think she would know Skye's situation since they've been BFFs since like third grade.
The Plot- (as spoiler free as I can manage) We have a kidnapping, a fake psychic, some things that are not what they seem, shady ex boyfriends and blackmail. Yes. All of this. Then to top of the plot point sundae we have TWISTS APPLENTY. Oooooh I did not see any of those coming, great mystery writer here people! Misleads and red herrings whilst still giving you clues that when revealed you're like "oh yeah. Duh, how did I not piece that together?" ... Well because I am not Benedict Cumberbatch and no one gave me a script. I was suspecting just about everyone and rooting for no one! Morally ambiguous ending here you should all know that going in.
No faults found by this reader, have a go at it yourself. I am aware that there are some "triggering" things in here that might appear to be glossed over or not addressed well enough but there are only so many pages people and a writer can only do so much.
This is just my opinion which was in no way influenced by anything but my brain, please respect my opnion and I shall respect yours.
ninalem's review against another edition
4.0
*Thanks again to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Candi Skye Thorn is a senior in high school and has been giving tarot readings for several years now. She doesn’t believe that she actually has psychic abilities but she knows a lot about the people at her school which helps her fake her readings. But when the town’s golden girl goes missing, she decides to help the police with her psychic visions because this time, she has some inside knowledge. Unfortunately though, things don’t go the way Skye expected them to go and suddenly the rest of her senior year is a lot more complicated than she thought it would be.
‘The Hanging Girl’ is the first one of Eileen Cook’s books I’ve read and I already know that it wasn’t the last one. I immediately fell in love with her writing style and I can’t wait to get more of it. If you’re looking for a great YA mystery thriller, this is the book you should choose.
It kept me on the edge of my seat and I just flew through it because I needed to know what was going to happen next. There are several major plot twists in this book and I didn’t see any of them coming. They were very well done and actually made me gasp. Another thing I loved about this book was that it has pretty short chapters. It may sound weird but that’s actually a big plus for me. When I need to take a break for some unexpected reason, I just hate having to stop reading a book in the middle of a chapter just because I would have to read another thirty pages to get to the next one.
The only thing that bothered me a little was that the characters just felt a little flat. I didn’t really feel connected with any of them, not even with Skye even though the book was written from her point of view. But this is just a minor thing and it definitely didn’t destroy my reading experience.
All in all, this was a great book and I really, really enjoyed it. I decided to give it 4 out of 5 stars and I highly recommend you get yourself a copy once it comes out. I’m definitely going to get myself a copy of her other book ‘Without Malice’ now because it’s been on my TBR since it came out.
Candi Skye Thorn is a senior in high school and has been giving tarot readings for several years now. She doesn’t believe that she actually has psychic abilities but she knows a lot about the people at her school which helps her fake her readings. But when the town’s golden girl goes missing, she decides to help the police with her psychic visions because this time, she has some inside knowledge. Unfortunately though, things don’t go the way Skye expected them to go and suddenly the rest of her senior year is a lot more complicated than she thought it would be.
‘The Hanging Girl’ is the first one of Eileen Cook’s books I’ve read and I already know that it wasn’t the last one. I immediately fell in love with her writing style and I can’t wait to get more of it. If you’re looking for a great YA mystery thriller, this is the book you should choose.
It kept me on the edge of my seat and I just flew through it because I needed to know what was going to happen next. There are several major plot twists in this book and I didn’t see any of them coming. They were very well done and actually made me gasp. Another thing I loved about this book was that it has pretty short chapters. It may sound weird but that’s actually a big plus for me. When I need to take a break for some unexpected reason, I just hate having to stop reading a book in the middle of a chapter just because I would have to read another thirty pages to get to the next one.
The only thing that bothered me a little was that the characters just felt a little flat. I didn’t really feel connected with any of them, not even with Skye even though the book was written from her point of view. But this is just a minor thing and it definitely didn’t destroy my reading experience.
All in all, this was a great book and I really, really enjoyed it. I decided to give it 4 out of 5 stars and I highly recommend you get yourself a copy once it comes out. I’m definitely going to get myself a copy of her other book ‘Without Malice’ now because it’s been on my TBR since it came out.
justenjoy's review against another edition
4.0
“I always thought I was brave, but now I realize it it was only because there was never anything I really needed go be scared of.”
melbsreads's review against another edition
3.0
Trigger warnings: kidnapping, shitty parenting, .
So here's my big problem with this book: There's literally never any explanation as to WHY the cops are like "Oh, you had a vision? TELL ME EVERYTHING" when the person telling them that she's psychic and she's had a vision of the abducted girl is like 17 years old and has no history of being psychic to back up her claims. Like...the police seem to spend a LOT of this book relying on her for leads, which seems beyond ridiculous to me.
Basically? I had a hard time suspending my disbelief on this one. I did like that there were plenty of twists and turns in the story, and that we have a protagonist who's operating in a veeeeery grey zone morally. I also liked the discussions of her poverty and how integral it was to some of the decisions that Skye makes.
The big reveal was...yeah. A thing. It was not a thing that I enjoyed, and I literally put the book down and stared at the wall like I was Jim from The Office and the wall was a camera. You know, the "are you seeing this??" face. Aaaand the ending kind of filled me with rage. So...that's a thing that happened.
Spoiler
murderSo here's my big problem with this book: There's literally never any explanation as to WHY the cops are like "Oh, you had a vision? TELL ME EVERYTHING" when the person telling them that she's psychic and she's had a vision of the abducted girl is like 17 years old and has no history of being psychic to back up her claims. Like...the police seem to spend a LOT of this book relying on her for leads, which seems beyond ridiculous to me.
Basically? I had a hard time suspending my disbelief on this one. I did like that there were plenty of twists and turns in the story, and that we have a protagonist who's operating in a veeeeery grey zone morally. I also liked the discussions of her poverty and how integral it was to some of the decisions that Skye makes.
The big reveal was...yeah. A thing. It was not a thing that I enjoyed, and I literally put the book down and stared at the wall like I was Jim from The Office and the wall was a camera. You know, the "are you seeing this??" face. Aaaand the ending kind of filled me with rage. So...that's a thing that happened.
gjj274's review against another edition
4.0
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read Eileen Cooks previous novel With Malice but its been on my radar for a while. After seeing her new novel on NetGalley I thought it would be a great opportunity to give this author a go and I wasn't disappointed. In this story we follow Skye who uses her mother 'gift' of foreseeing the future as a way of making a quick buck by performing fake tarot readings in her school. When the most popular girl in school, Paige goes missing Skye informs the police of a 'vision' she received about Paige's disappearance. As the investigation progresses Skye's visions come under scrutiny and everyone begins to wonder if Skye more involved in the disappearance than everyone first thought.
I must say before I even starting this book I was completely intrigued by the premise. The fortune telling aspect really appealed to me and this made me even more excited to read it. Safe to say I wasn't disappointed. This book took me on such a wild ride, it drew me in hook, line and sinker and didn't let me go until the very end. The pacing was great and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I was on tender hooks though out the story and there were so many twists and turns along the way they took me by surprise. The first big reveal happened about half way through the book and then several reveals happened as we neared the end, with lots being uncovered in the last few chapters. I know some people don't like this way of story telling but personally I don't mind it, it keeps me going right until the very end.
I enjoyed the characters in the book. I thought Paige was great, she was so manipulative and I would love to see a character like her developed into a full blown villain. I also felt quite connected to Skye. At first I felt she kind of deserved what was happening to her but after a while I began to feel a bit sorry for her. All she wanted was a better life for herself but she ended up digging herself in too deep and she struggled to find a way out. Drew was also great, I'd love to have a friend like her.
Overall I thought this was a great thriller with an interesting plot line and full of twists and turns that kept you hanging on until the very end. Fans of YA thrillers will like this one as, I think, it's a good example of the genre. I'm also even more excited to check out Eileen Cooks previous novel and I'll definitely be adding With Malice to my TBR.
This review can also be found on my blog at https://gemmasbooknook.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/review-hanging-girl-by-eileen-cook.html?m=1
I haven't read Eileen Cooks previous novel With Malice but its been on my radar for a while. After seeing her new novel on NetGalley I thought it would be a great opportunity to give this author a go and I wasn't disappointed. In this story we follow Skye who uses her mother 'gift' of foreseeing the future as a way of making a quick buck by performing fake tarot readings in her school. When the most popular girl in school, Paige goes missing Skye informs the police of a 'vision' she received about Paige's disappearance. As the investigation progresses Skye's visions come under scrutiny and everyone begins to wonder if Skye more involved in the disappearance than everyone first thought.
I must say before I even starting this book I was completely intrigued by the premise. The fortune telling aspect really appealed to me and this made me even more excited to read it. Safe to say I wasn't disappointed. This book took me on such a wild ride, it drew me in hook, line and sinker and didn't let me go until the very end. The pacing was great and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I was on tender hooks though out the story and there were so many twists and turns along the way they took me by surprise. The first big reveal happened about half way through the book and then several reveals happened as we neared the end, with lots being uncovered in the last few chapters. I know some people don't like this way of story telling but personally I don't mind it, it keeps me going right until the very end.
I enjoyed the characters in the book. I thought Paige was great, she was so manipulative and I would love to see a character like her developed into a full blown villain. I also felt quite connected to Skye. At first I felt she kind of deserved what was happening to her but after a while I began to feel a bit sorry for her. All she wanted was a better life for herself but she ended up digging herself in too deep and she struggled to find a way out. Drew was also great, I'd love to have a friend like her.
Overall I thought this was a great thriller with an interesting plot line and full of twists and turns that kept you hanging on until the very end. Fans of YA thrillers will like this one as, I think, it's a good example of the genre. I'm also even more excited to check out Eileen Cooks previous novel and I'll definitely be adding With Malice to my TBR.
This review can also be found on my blog at https://gemmasbooknook.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/review-hanging-girl-by-eileen-cook.html?m=1
rxbycocoa's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
My goodness this was awful, I'm sorry. It kept teasing a relationship between the main character and the typical mean girl, but it never happened.
Spoiler
said mean girl was actually my favorite character, but then she was killed off! her mother killed her for such a weak reason, and i hated it so much. she never faced the consequences of a murder.Spoiler
all in all, just a person grappling desperately to make this book mysterious.katiesteff's review against another edition
3.0
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU HAVE ANXIETY BECAUSE IT FUCKED ME UP AND I HAD A BIG RELAPSE BECAUSE OF THE PROTAGONISTS ANXIETY. This is in no way advertised, no TWs in the synopsis which is really disappointing. (Also the ending was not good imo)