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worldsunlikeourown's review
3.0
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
Recent high school graduate Natalie is obsessed with true crime, much to her overprotective mother’s dismay, who does everything she can to discourage it. This is the last summer before everyone heads off to college and it should be a time to enjoy herself with her friends and party, but things take a turn when her favorite teacher and mentor, Mrs Halsey is murdered. Her teacher was the only one who understood her curiosity and interest in true crime, so Natalie is determined to find out who is responsible and begins her own investigation.
Between the true crime obsessed protagonist and her having a podcast, this premise brought to mind two of my favorite mystery/thriller novels: Truly Devious and A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, so I knew I had to read this book. This was a fast paced and engaging thriller with plenty of twists and turns that held my attention from start to finish. The narration style is very good, and it drew me into the story easily. I did however think, that Natalie’s podcast would have played a more central role in the story, but it’s barely mentioned outside of being one of the reasons for her investigation. The mystery itself was quite interesting, but I found Natalie and friend Katie’s investigation to be rather lacklustre – it was the plot that had my interest rather than the girls’ sleuthing which was a bit disappointing.
The inclusion of Natalie’s mom, Helen’s past perspective, struck me as a strange choice initially, but it becomes clear that there was a second mystery in this past timeline, which added another layer of suspense to the story. The storylines didn’t really converge until the very end of the book, but it certainly allowed the reader to pick up hints of why Helen is so against Natalie’s interest in true crime and provides a better understanding of her character. Natalie herself was not a character I particularly enjoyed, and with the series of incredibly reckless and ill advised decisions she made, I did not find her to be very relatable or even sympathetic. What this book does highlight very well is the fine line true crime enthusiasts must walk as they balance their interest in such a morbid topic while also remembering that these are about real people and their family and friends affected by these crimes. It’s something that Natalie discovered very quickly that reading about, and obsessing over true crimes is very different from seeing it in real life, especially since it involved someone she knew and was close to.
As for the ending, I felt like things came together way too quickly in the final chapters to the extent that I couldn’t fully enjoy the reveal. There wasn’t enough indication in the past timeline to allow the reader to begin to come to this conclusion until the facts were stated in the present timeline to join the dots, so it felt a bit clunky. Overall, this was an interesting read and a solid YA novel that teens would likely enjoy.
Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
Recent high school graduate Natalie is obsessed with true crime, much to her overprotective mother’s dismay, who does everything she can to discourage it. This is the last summer before everyone heads off to college and it should be a time to enjoy herself with her friends and party, but things take a turn when her favorite teacher and mentor, Mrs Halsey is murdered. Her teacher was the only one who understood her curiosity and interest in true crime, so Natalie is determined to find out who is responsible and begins her own investigation.
Between the true crime obsessed protagonist and her having a podcast, this premise brought to mind two of my favorite mystery/thriller novels: Truly Devious and A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, so I knew I had to read this book. This was a fast paced and engaging thriller with plenty of twists and turns that held my attention from start to finish. The narration style is very good, and it drew me into the story easily. I did however think, that Natalie’s podcast would have played a more central role in the story, but it’s barely mentioned outside of being one of the reasons for her investigation. The mystery itself was quite interesting, but I found Natalie and friend Katie’s investigation to be rather lacklustre – it was the plot that had my interest rather than the girls’ sleuthing which was a bit disappointing.
The inclusion of Natalie’s mom, Helen’s past perspective, struck me as a strange choice initially, but it becomes clear that there was a second mystery in this past timeline, which added another layer of suspense to the story. The storylines didn’t really converge until the very end of the book, but it certainly allowed the reader to pick up hints of why Helen is so against Natalie’s interest in true crime and provides a better understanding of her character. Natalie herself was not a character I particularly enjoyed, and with the series of incredibly reckless and ill advised decisions she made, I did not find her to be very relatable or even sympathetic. What this book does highlight very well is the fine line true crime enthusiasts must walk as they balance their interest in such a morbid topic while also remembering that these are about real people and their family and friends affected by these crimes. It’s something that Natalie discovered very quickly that reading about, and obsessing over true crimes is very different from seeing it in real life, especially since it involved someone she knew and was close to.
As for the ending, I felt like things came together way too quickly in the final chapters to the extent that I couldn’t fully enjoy the reveal. There wasn’t enough indication in the past timeline to allow the reader to begin to come to this conclusion until the facts were stated in the present timeline to join the dots, so it felt a bit clunky. Overall, this was an interesting read and a solid YA novel that teens would likely enjoy.
lynguy1's review
3.0
Killing Time by Brenna Ehrlich is an engaging young adult mystery novel featuring eighteen year-old Natalie Temple and her mother Helen Temple, and alternates settings between current times in Ferry, Connecticut and about 19 years ago in Evanston, Illinois. Natalie is a true crime enthusiast. Therefore, when her favorite teacher is murdered, Natalie is determined to investigate even though she will have to hide that investigation from her mom. The other timeline gives us a look at Helen when she first went to college and how the events there have shaped her life and attitudes.
Although Natalie has a lot of typical teen emotions, actions, and feelings, she’s doesn’t tend to go to parties or date. She views her mother as overprotective, strict, and controlling. In her summer before college, she is purging stuff from her room, shopping for college, interning at the local newspaper, working in her mom’s diner, co-hosting a true crime podcast, and now investigating a murder.
Readers get some insight into Helen’s college personality, but her current emotions are mainly seen through Natalie’s eyes. Both Natalie and Helen make mistakes that could easily be avoided, but that also made them seem realistic. Despite their flaws, I cared enough to want to find out what happened. Natalie’s best friend Katie Lugo and childhood friend Jonathan Pressman are actually the most likeable characters and provide some humor and stability. The main and supporting characters are described well and I could easily visualize them.
The writing flows reasonably well and was descriptive enough to allow readers to easily visualize Ferry and the relevant characters, houses, and businesses. The plot is somewhat twisty, but the pacing seemed a little slow to me. Part of this may have been due to the somewhat overly long descriptions. One quibble that I have is that a little communication could have significantly reduced the angst. However, that added to the suspense. The pop culture references made the novel feel relevant and appropriate to the times. The highlight for me was the character interactions. However, there was one scene dealing with consent that seemed to be glossed over. Poor decisions and immature actions abound in this novel. The ending was a little predictable and fast, but tied up the loose threads with a beautiful bow. Themes include murder, grief, regrets, teen mistakes, friendship, parenting, and more.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book. Readers of young adult mysteries may want to check this one out.
Inkyard Press and Brenna Ehrlich provided a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for March 08, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 3 star review will be posted 3-4 days after it is published at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Although Natalie has a lot of typical teen emotions, actions, and feelings, she’s doesn’t tend to go to parties or date. She views her mother as overprotective, strict, and controlling. In her summer before college, she is purging stuff from her room, shopping for college, interning at the local newspaper, working in her mom’s diner, co-hosting a true crime podcast, and now investigating a murder.
Readers get some insight into Helen’s college personality, but her current emotions are mainly seen through Natalie’s eyes. Both Natalie and Helen make mistakes that could easily be avoided, but that also made them seem realistic. Despite their flaws, I cared enough to want to find out what happened. Natalie’s best friend Katie Lugo and childhood friend Jonathan Pressman are actually the most likeable characters and provide some humor and stability. The main and supporting characters are described well and I could easily visualize them.
The writing flows reasonably well and was descriptive enough to allow readers to easily visualize Ferry and the relevant characters, houses, and businesses. The plot is somewhat twisty, but the pacing seemed a little slow to me. Part of this may have been due to the somewhat overly long descriptions. One quibble that I have is that a little communication could have significantly reduced the angst. However, that added to the suspense. The pop culture references made the novel feel relevant and appropriate to the times. The highlight for me was the character interactions. However, there was one scene dealing with consent that seemed to be glossed over. Poor decisions and immature actions abound in this novel. The ending was a little predictable and fast, but tied up the loose threads with a beautiful bow. Themes include murder, grief, regrets, teen mistakes, friendship, parenting, and more.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book. Readers of young adult mysteries may want to check this one out.
Inkyard Press and Brenna Ehrlich provided a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for March 08, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 3 star review will be posted 3-4 days after it is published at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
gggina13's review
2.0
Thanks to edelweiss and the publisher for this early copy!
Right off the bat, I don't think marketing "to a generation of murderinos" (a term at the very least popularized by My Favorite Murder) is cool when there's literally a line bashing a made up podcast that makes jokes and gets stuff wrong about crime details. I mean, sure, I'm sure that's not everyone's cup of tea when it comes to a crime podcast, but it's a *podcast*, it's not your criminal justice professor giving a lecture. It just feels a little misleading for me to have read this based on that pitch. But, anyway, that was just one line of this story.
This story starts with Natalie finding out her favorite teacher was murdered. Natalie already has a true crime podcast, but she wants to investigate her teacher's murder herself so that she doesn't get "forgotten." It's pretty brutal, though; this girl starts recording as soon as she gets to her teacher's memorial service.
The thing about her podcast is that I am never shown anything about her podcast prior to, or almost even during, the story. It's not like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder... there's no recording sessions other than Natalie sometimes remembering to record people's statements on her phone. It made me not care that she had a podcast, because I was really only told and not shown.
Natalie meets a boy named Kurt and they have a really weird relationship. He is sweet, but a little pushy, and Natalie even talks about how she feels like he stole their first kiss from her and feeling uncomfortable about it. I DID NOT LIKE THIS PART. Especially because she sees him the next day and decides that she does think it's okay that she likes him and never mentions the questionable consent kiss ever again. Even if this is a realistic situation that teens find themselves in, there needs to be something in the book challenging it, in my opinion. Teens aren't stupid and they don't need things spelled out for them, but with issues of consent I think it's important to cement the idea in their heads that consent isn't only important but necessary.
Natalie's mom is WILDLY protective. It is so annoying, lol. What's even more annoying is that her mom forgets to be protective when it's convenient for the story. You find out via flashbacks that her mom is like that because she also dealt with someone she knew becoming a victim of a crime. The flashback portions are fine and all, but it's just kind of there. It's hard to attach the version of Natalie's mom that you know to the college freshman in the flashbacks. What's REALLY weird is that we are all so old now that YA protagonist's MOMS have cell phones in flashbacks and the timelines check out for that. But, I digress.
The actual mystery ending is alright. All the loose ends tied up pretty well. I still had a little tear in my eye on the last page. But overall this just was another "true crime podcast" YA book and not the best one I've ever read, either.
Right off the bat, I don't think marketing "to a generation of murderinos" (a term at the very least popularized by My Favorite Murder) is cool when there's literally a line bashing a made up podcast that makes jokes and gets stuff wrong about crime details. I mean, sure, I'm sure that's not everyone's cup of tea when it comes to a crime podcast, but it's a *podcast*, it's not your criminal justice professor giving a lecture. It just feels a little misleading for me to have read this based on that pitch. But, anyway, that was just one line of this story.
This story starts with Natalie finding out her favorite teacher was murdered. Natalie already has a true crime podcast, but she wants to investigate her teacher's murder herself so that she doesn't get "forgotten." It's pretty brutal, though; this girl starts recording as soon as she gets to her teacher's memorial service.
The thing about her podcast is that I am never shown anything about her podcast prior to, or almost even during, the story. It's not like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder... there's no recording sessions other than Natalie sometimes remembering to record people's statements on her phone. It made me not care that she had a podcast, because I was really only told and not shown.
Natalie meets a boy named Kurt and they have a really weird relationship. He is sweet, but a little pushy, and Natalie even talks about how she feels like he stole their first kiss from her and feeling uncomfortable about it. I DID NOT LIKE THIS PART. Especially because she sees him the next day and decides that she does think it's okay that she likes him and never mentions the questionable consent kiss ever again. Even if this is a realistic situation that teens find themselves in, there needs to be something in the book challenging it, in my opinion. Teens aren't stupid and they don't need things spelled out for them, but with issues of consent I think it's important to cement the idea in their heads that consent isn't only important but necessary.
Natalie's mom is WILDLY protective. It is so annoying, lol. What's even more annoying is that her mom forgets to be protective when it's convenient for the story. You find out via flashbacks that her mom is like that because she also dealt with someone she knew becoming a victim of a crime. The flashback portions are fine and all, but it's just kind of there. It's hard to attach the version of Natalie's mom that you know to the college freshman in the flashbacks. What's REALLY weird is that we are all so old now that YA protagonist's MOMS have cell phones in flashbacks and the timelines check out for that. But, I digress.
The actual mystery ending is alright. All the loose ends tied up pretty well. I still had a little tear in my eye on the last page. But overall this just was another "true crime podcast" YA book and not the best one I've ever read, either.
lizmbones's review
3.0
The author/main character’s views of My Favorite Murder aren’t new or edgy and honestly have no place in this book, especially when the term murderinos is used in the marketing materials. The three stars are for the plot itself being interesting, especially the way the past and present tied together in the end. But the murderer is predictable, the motive spotty at best, and the podcast that this book is supposedly about is almost never shown (and the content of their podcast sounds a lot like MFM, again a podcast that the MC claims to hate). The amount of times I wanted to yell, “You’re not a journalist, you’re a teenager,” was far too many.
kgnade's review
2.0
I received an advanced reader copy of Killing Time from Inkyard Press via NetGalley, in return for my honest opinion.
Killing Time by Brenna Ehrlich is a story about friendship, growing up and realizing that adults make mistakes too. Natalie Temple recently graduated high school and is hoping to survive the summer without her strict mom, Helen, finding out about her true crime podcast. Mrs. Halsey, Natalie’s favorite teacher has been murdered- Natalie’s set on finding the killer while Helen becomes more overbearing.
With the help of her childhood friends, Katie and Jonathan, Natalie seeks the truth about Mrs. Halsey’s demise and falls for a local bad boy. Meanwhile Helen’s past is slowly revealed showing the events that shaped her into the person she is today.
This was one a slow moving book filled with unlikable characters. Killing Time is available now.
#brennaehrlich #killingtime #netgalley #arcs #advancedreadercopy #ya #yabooks #youngadult #youngadultbooks #mystery #mysterybooks #suspense #suspensebooks #readin2022 #inkyardpress #whatthebook #bookreviews #readersofinstagram #bookaholic
For more of my reviews visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhattheBook/ or http://whatthebook-reviews.tumblr.com/ or follow me on Instagram @whatthebook__.
Killing Time by Brenna Ehrlich is a story about friendship, growing up and realizing that adults make mistakes too. Natalie Temple recently graduated high school and is hoping to survive the summer without her strict mom, Helen, finding out about her true crime podcast. Mrs. Halsey, Natalie’s favorite teacher has been murdered- Natalie’s set on finding the killer while Helen becomes more overbearing.
With the help of her childhood friends, Katie and Jonathan, Natalie seeks the truth about Mrs. Halsey’s demise and falls for a local bad boy. Meanwhile Helen’s past is slowly revealed showing the events that shaped her into the person she is today.
This was one a slow moving book filled with unlikable characters. Killing Time is available now.
#brennaehrlich #killingtime #netgalley #arcs #advancedreadercopy #ya #yabooks #youngadult #youngadultbooks #mystery #mysterybooks #suspense #suspensebooks #readin2022 #inkyardpress #whatthebook #bookreviews #readersofinstagram #bookaholic
For more of my reviews visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhattheBook/ or http://whatthebook-reviews.tumblr.com/ or follow me on Instagram @whatthebook__.
smilesgiggle's review
3.0
I enjoyed the audio - though at times I was lost as to which character was speaking. The timeframe for the "then" character was confusing to me as well. Likely due to listening and performing other tasks.
Natalie's favorite teacher dies - and appears to be a suspicious death. Natalie is beyond devastated - the summer before college looming ahead. Natalie befriends Kurt, a roommate of a friend; with the promise of a reward, they work together to chase leads.
Helen's friend in a class disappears - Helen begins her own investigation. Her college newspaper assigns Helen the article - she finds herself at the mom's house, listening to stories. Though Helen and school have seemed to move on, Helen refuses to her friend's death disappear from the spotlight.
Great twists. Some slow areas but overall a good story.
Natalie's favorite teacher dies - and appears to be a suspicious death. Natalie is beyond devastated - the summer before college looming ahead. Natalie befriends Kurt, a roommate of a friend; with the promise of a reward, they work together to chase leads.
Helen's friend in a class disappears - Helen begins her own investigation. Her college newspaper assigns Helen the article - she finds herself at the mom's house, listening to stories. Though Helen and school have seemed to move on, Helen refuses to her friend's death disappear from the spotlight.
Great twists. Some slow areas but overall a good story.
so_that_happened_'s review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed reading this book, but it wasn’t my favorite. There was never really anything super surprising happening, no major twists, and while I enjoyed the characters for the most part, they weren’t my favorite. It was a nice, easy read, and the only reason it took me a month to read was because I forgot I was reading it.
ashleysumm's review
4.0
She won't let this story go untold...
Natalie can hardly believe the news that her favourite teacher, Mrs. Halsey, has been murdered. Mrs. Halsey has always encouraged Natalie's fascination with crime and murder. This means everything to Natalie, as her mom, Helen, is very strict and disapproving of her interests. As an aspiring journalist, Natalie decides to investigate Mrs. Halsey's murder and report the facts. Sifting through rumours, tips, and difficult emotions, Natalie leans on her best friend and a mysterious boy for help with her investigation. Can Natalie set the record straight, or is she in over her head?
As someone who loves to play detective, I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the alternation between Natalie's story and her mom's story. I loved that I was able to understand Helen better while reading her chapters. I was pleased that some of my theories ended up being correct. I read the eARC for this novel and listened to the audiobook. I was a little turned off by the unnecessary, negative comments that seem to be directed at the My Favorite Murder podcast. Everyone likes different things, but I found it inappropriate and off-putting. I enjoyed the narrator's portrayal of the characters but I was pulled out of the story at times when the mic made her breathing seem loud. Despite these minor setbacks, I loved this novel and would recommend it to YA thriller readers!
Natalie can hardly believe the news that her favourite teacher, Mrs. Halsey, has been murdered. Mrs. Halsey has always encouraged Natalie's fascination with crime and murder. This means everything to Natalie, as her mom, Helen, is very strict and disapproving of her interests. As an aspiring journalist, Natalie decides to investigate Mrs. Halsey's murder and report the facts. Sifting through rumours, tips, and difficult emotions, Natalie leans on her best friend and a mysterious boy for help with her investigation. Can Natalie set the record straight, or is she in over her head?
As someone who loves to play detective, I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the alternation between Natalie's story and her mom's story. I loved that I was able to understand Helen better while reading her chapters. I was pleased that some of my theories ended up being correct. I read the eARC for this novel and listened to the audiobook. I was a little turned off by the unnecessary, negative comments that seem to be directed at the My Favorite Murder podcast. Everyone likes different things, but I found it inappropriate and off-putting. I enjoyed the narrator's portrayal of the characters but I was pulled out of the story at times when the mic made her breathing seem loud. Despite these minor setbacks, I loved this novel and would recommend it to YA thriller readers!
notlikethebeer's review
5.0
I reaaaaaally enjoyed this!!! I love a podcast novel, but I felt like this particularly excelled in it's exploration and dissection of the genre - to that end, I really loved the 'message' of the book. There were hella twists, and I liked how the dual plot line was utilised. I also felt like the storyline involving the person with a sex offence conviction was really well handled. My main question was how the main character got away with so much! - but other than that, a truly fantastic book.