kaitlynnn099's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
pauline1512's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
albon's review
2.0
Very, very disappointing compared to the last book.
"Never Have I Ever" (that I gave a 3.5, I believe) had me on my toes and I never knew what was around the next corner, but this book was very flat.
It's just not that interesting when "Suspect of the Book/Threat of the Week" is, supposedly, behind bars in a prison. With Emma thinking it's Thayer, there is never any underlining danger with the exception of maybe the last 15 pages.
Where is the suspense, Sara Shepard? I have no doubt she'll step it up in the next book of course, especially as we know who is "Suspect of the Book/Threat of the Week" (I'm still working on a name. It can be used when talking about the Pretty Little Liars books as well.)
"Never Have I Ever" (that I gave a 3.5, I believe) had me on my toes and I never knew what was around the next corner, but this book was very flat.
It's just not that interesting when "Suspect of the Book/Threat of the Week" is, supposedly, behind bars in a prison. With Emma thinking it's Thayer, there is never any underlining danger with the exception of maybe the last 15 pages.
Where is the suspense, Sara Shepard? I have no doubt she'll step it up in the next book of course, especially as we know who is "Suspect of the Book/Threat of the Week" (I'm still working on a name. It can be used when talking about the Pretty Little Liars books as well.)
surpriseitem's review
3.0
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Okay, so it took me who knows how long to finish this book. I think I might have started it in March. I agree with many people, this book never deserved to see the light of day. It was predictable: Thayer is Emma's suspect, Sutton gets flash backs, WOAH! THAYER'S NOT SUTTON'S KILLER! NO WAY! It got a little better through out the story, but not by much.
Okay, so it took me who knows how long to finish this book. I think I might have started it in March. I agree with many people, this book never deserved to see the light of day. It was predictable: Thayer is Emma's suspect, Sutton gets flash backs, WOAH! THAYER'S NOT SUTTON'S KILLER! NO WAY! It got a little better through out the story, but not by much.
geofroggatt's review
3.0
Foster child Emma Paxton is finally starting to get the hang of walking in her dead twin sister's shoes, even as she tries to track down Sutton's murderer. Sutton was no angel, and the pranks she and her friends pulled leave Emma with a long list of suspects. The most mysterious of them is Thayer Vega, who's currently missing, a fact which many of Sutton's friends blame on her. Emma has no idea what Sutton did that could have driven Thayer away. Until Thayer himself shows up on her doorstep. Emma begins to wonder, is Thayer back to get his revenge, or is it possible he already has? This story was much more interesting than the previous book. I liked the introduction of Thayer’s character and how it shakes up the character dynamics and storyline. Hearing about Alex, Emma’s friend from Las Vegas who knew about the twin switch, was a little jarring for me because she was only mentioned briefly in the first book and not at all in the second. This book’s storyline was much more intriguing than the second book’s, and I liked how this book deepened the mystery of Sutton’s killer. This book does depict the idea of mental illness and neurodivergence poorly (much like the Pretty Little Liars franchise), but as most teenagers aren’t educated on neurodivergence and seeing how the media and society depicts the mentally ill, certain reactions to mental illness are not surprising or unrealistic. One of Sutton’s friends makes an amnesia joke when Emma asks certain questions, and it made me think, Emma should have orchestrated an accident and faked amnesia if she wanted to ask questions about Sutton’s life so openly. I’m sure that that plan would have caused some problems of its own, and people in Sutton’s life could have just lied to Emma or taken advantage of her amnesia, but I think that if Emma had faked amnesia after pretending to be Sutton for awhile, she could have compared how people acted towards her before and after the fake accident and narrowed down her list of murder suspects. Regardless, I liked this book much better than the previous book, which felt like filler. This book made me realize how often Emma briefly notices someone watching her before they hide behind something. This also happened in the Pretty Little Liars books, but it felt more effective there. Had I been Emma in those situations, I would have chased down whoever she thought was watching her and confronted them. I’m still not sold on the Emma and Ethan romance. Emma is a moderately interesting character, but I’m not interested in Ethan as a person. I liked how this book explored the ramifications of the twin switch on Emma’s personality and character. The exploration of assuming your twin’s identity and “becoming the mask” is something that I wish this book series explored more. It’s hard to believe any of the motives for the suspects in any of the first few books because the true identity of the killer will most likely be revealed in the second to last or the final book in the series, however this book’s prime suspect was much more interesting than the suspects in the second book. Even though I feel as though the second and third books did little to advance the overall main plot, I am still interested and curious enough about the mystery to continue reading almost immediately after finishing the previous book.
lestaslettering's review
1.0
DNF!!
Okay I give up. Emma is stupid! Just so like her twin. You know people are going to prank your boyfriend but you go to his house and tell him nothing, because, what? You are afraid you will lose your reputation? Social standing? And hot and cold attitude of Laurel, I mean are you a doormat or a bitch? None of the characters are likeable, one-dimensional. Even Ethan fell flat. There's no intrigue or a big gotcha like the second book. And narrative is frustrating. Sutton is dead for god's sake. It is one thing to even stick with a ghost's narrative but a ghost who has amnesia..how convenient? And then in the same chapter you talk about Emma's thoughts? How the fuck would Sutton know that? And then Sutton refers to herself as Sutton did that blah blah..and then she's back to I? And the twitter twins? Is that how teenage girls talk, like seriously? What's wrong with the city? What the fuck is wrong with the elderly characters?
The failure is not keeping a mystery, Ms. Shephard, but letting everyone else in the story know what's going on except Emma and the readers. Its downright cruel and gets really boring after a while. First off Ethan and Emma was insta love, I really don't care if they break up, but you are using a classic dumb bitch method to break the only atleast a 10% likeable character(Ethan), Cliché!!
Okay I give up. Emma is stupid! Just so like her twin. You know people are going to prank your boyfriend but you go to his house and tell him nothing, because, what? You are afraid you will lose your reputation? Social standing? And hot and cold attitude of Laurel, I mean are you a doormat or a bitch? None of the characters are likeable, one-dimensional. Even Ethan fell flat. There's no intrigue or a big gotcha like the second book. And narrative is frustrating. Sutton is dead for god's sake. It is one thing to even stick with a ghost's narrative but a ghost who has amnesia..how convenient? And then in the same chapter you talk about Emma's thoughts? How the fuck would Sutton know that? And then Sutton refers to herself as Sutton did that blah blah..and then she's back to I? And the twitter twins? Is that how teenage girls talk, like seriously? What's wrong with the city? What the fuck is wrong with the elderly characters?
The failure is not keeping a mystery, Ms. Shephard, but letting everyone else in the story know what's going on except Emma and the readers. Its downright cruel and gets really boring after a while. First off Ethan and Emma was insta love, I really don't care if they break up, but you are using a classic dumb bitch method to break the only atleast a 10% likeable character(Ethan), Cliché!!
siobhanl_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
woolyj's review against another edition
5.0
This is probably the best of the three books. Fast paced a bit of a turner but the story kept you going. Very good.
almondmilklattes's review
3.0
3/5: definitely my least favorite so far. it was kind of slow and boring at the beginning but picked up at the end.