Pages: 388
Published: March 25th 2014 by Kathy Dawson Books
Series: N/A – Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed from the library
Amazon • TBD • Kobo • Goodreads
Nearly Boswell knows how to keep secrets. Living in a DC trailer park, she knows better than to share anything that would make her a target with her classmates. Like her mother’s job as an exotic dancer, her obsession with the personal ads, and especially the emotions she can taste when she brushes against someone’s skin. But when a serial killer goes on a killing spree and starts attacking students, leaving cryptic ads in the newspaper that only Nearly can decipher, she confides in the one person she shouldn’t trust: the new guy at school—a reformed bad boy working undercover for the police, doing surveillance. . . on her.Nearly might be the one person who can put all the clues together, and if she doesn’t figure it all out soon—she’ll be next.
I’m sure I have mentioned this no less than ten times on the blog, Nearly Gone was one of my most anticipated reads of 2014. It immediately grabbed me by the synopsis and I could not wait to finally get my hands on it.
Nearly was a fantastic main character. She was incredibly smart, and worked very hard to get there. She was very determined to get somewhere after high school and that was a very redeeming quality in her. The determination also helped her push through to try to figure out who was killing her classmates. Reece, the badass classmate was also a character I liked as well. No surprise here, he drives a motorcycle, he’s gritty, and has a dangerous story. I fall for this trope every time, and there was no exception here.
The mystery aspect was really well done. It was unbelievable at parts but it kept me hanging on to the very last page. I actually did not get up until I finished it from beginning to end! I loved that science was woven into every clue, and the killer played into the fact that Nearly was obsessed with reading the personal ads. It’s impossible to trust hardly any of the characters, I had no idea what was going on, who was guilty, who played a part… I was all of the place. I love that in a thriller, because that’s how I want to feel when I’m reading. Nearly is incredibly smart, but despite that, she doesn’t do some silly things however. That’s what made the story unbelievable at times, but it’s so attention grabbing, I didn’t think about it while I was reading it.
One of my favorite things about this story was that although Nearly lived in a trailer park her life didn’t have that stereotypical aspect of that is normally depicted. Often the parents are not around, abusive, drug addicts, etc… but that’s not the case for Nearly. Sure, her mother is a stripper, but it’s to provide the best life she can for Nearly after her father abandons them. She wasn’t the best mother ever, but she did what she could for Nearly, and it was obvious she loved her very much. I enjoyed that because the stereotype is not the way for everyone that has grown up in a trailer park but that’s what is normally portrayed in books.
I was pleasantly, pleasantly surprised with the ending and who the killer actually was. I expected to figure out this mystery long before the ending and I didn’t.. when it was revealed who it was, I definitely had a bit of a WTF moment. I was kept guessing the entire time, and Elle Cosimano does a great job of making you think the killer is EVERY character that Nearly encounters. Wow, I was shocked!
Elle Cosimano’s debut novel is sure to keep you guessing and I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a great YA thriller.
Now I’m even more excited to read this book! Great review Lauren. =D
Thanks Bieke 🙂 I hope you enjoy it too!!
I’ve been getting into more thrillers lately so I’ll definitely be adding this one to my TBR. I just read Don’t Look Back by JLA and LOVED it and I was literally just on Jamie’s blog reading her review of Far From You which also sounds like an amazing thriller. I normally guess who did it, but I didn’t in Don’t Look Back and it sounds like this one will keep me guessing as well which of course, makes it that much more fun!
I always guess who did it too and it is SOO much better when you cant! Don’t Look Back and Far From You are both on my TBR, especially Don’t Look Back 🙂 I hope you love this one too Rebecca!!!
I haven’t gotten to this one yet (and I so want to now) but it’s just my type of read. Serial Killer. Mystery. Just yes. Nearly (I really hate the name) but she definitely sounds like a headstrong character, which I also appreciate (and love). I’m kind of a sucker for the bad boy things too, (when they’re done good and not annoying or the over stereotyped “bad boy”)so I’ll have to see on that one. So glad the “trailer park life” part wasn’t stereotypical as well, I really do hate that (especially when it comes to TV shows too) not everybody who has to live like that is there because of the same things. And see, her mother may be a stripper (and that side of things sounds like it was done well, by separating the “mother” part of it) she’s doing what she has to do, and I respect anyone for that. Glad you enjoyed it! 😀
Gosh, I hate that name too!! It’s so strange. YES! There are so many stereotypical tv shows about it as well, very annoying. I hope you enjoy this one too 😀
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