A review by meganmreads
Escape Theory by Margaux Froley
3.0
For some reason, Escape Theory immediately reminded me of the show The Best Years that used to be on Teen Nick (right when the channel became Teen Nick after being previously known as The N.) I think the main character, Devon, reminded me a lot of Samantha from The Best Years, despite the completely different plot of the show.
I liked Escape Theory and I admired Devon for attempting to get to the bottom of Hutch’s death and figure out what happened when no one else did. I loved the whole mystery and the way Devon (along with myself) suspected various people throughout the novel of foul play. Did Hutch kill himself? If so, why? What caused it? If not, how did he die? Was he murdered? Is someone responsible? Why isn’t anyone else suspicious? Is Devon just trying to hold onto the past? Is Devon making a big deal over nothing? All of these questions were floating around and it made for an interesting read.
I enjoyed the plot of Escape Theory and getting to know the characters. From Devon and the people involved in her life to Hutch and the people surrounding his, a lot of different types of people made an appearance in the novel and they all played a role. While the book had a mystery aspect to it, it was also a great YA coming of age novel because Devon grew into herself and learned a lot of important lessons thanks to Hutch’s influence in her life.
I only gave Escape Theory 3 stars because, as much as I enjoyed the novel, I found it lacking in execution. I wanted more from it and I needed it to be a bit more serious in some places. There were certain events and scenes I didn’t see the importance of and Devon’s relationship with her roommate was weird. While I understand certain exchanges were supposed to display their friendship, it gave the book a sort of immature feel to it and didn’t work for me as well as I’d hoped.
Overall, Escape Theory was a good read and I would recommend it to others, especially if you are looking for something a little less run of the mill in the YA genre.
Review originally published at Love, Literature, Art, and Reason: http://meganm922.blogspot.com/2013/05/reviewescape-theory-keaton-school-1-by.html
I liked Escape Theory and I admired Devon for attempting to get to the bottom of Hutch’s death and figure out what happened when no one else did. I loved the whole mystery and the way Devon (along with myself) suspected various people throughout the novel of foul play. Did Hutch kill himself? If so, why? What caused it? If not, how did he die? Was he murdered? Is someone responsible? Why isn’t anyone else suspicious? Is Devon just trying to hold onto the past? Is Devon making a big deal over nothing? All of these questions were floating around and it made for an interesting read.
I enjoyed the plot of Escape Theory and getting to know the characters. From Devon and the people involved in her life to Hutch and the people surrounding his, a lot of different types of people made an appearance in the novel and they all played a role. While the book had a mystery aspect to it, it was also a great YA coming of age novel because Devon grew into herself and learned a lot of important lessons thanks to Hutch’s influence in her life.
I only gave Escape Theory 3 stars because, as much as I enjoyed the novel, I found it lacking in execution. I wanted more from it and I needed it to be a bit more serious in some places. There were certain events and scenes I didn’t see the importance of and Devon’s relationship with her roommate was weird. While I understand certain exchanges were supposed to display their friendship, it gave the book a sort of immature feel to it and didn’t work for me as well as I’d hoped.
Overall, Escape Theory was a good read and I would recommend it to others, especially if you are looking for something a little less run of the mill in the YA genre.
Review originally published at Love, Literature, Art, and Reason: http://meganm922.blogspot.com/2013/05/reviewescape-theory-keaton-school-1-by.html