Title: Nearly Gone
Series: none
Author: Elle Cosimano
Published: Penguin; 2014
400 pages, kindle edition
Source: Gifted to me from Sarah
Rating: 3.5 stars
Description (from 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.
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.
My Thoughts:
Despite all of the negative reviews Nearly Gone has received from my GR friends, I actually didn't mind it at all. Shocking yes, I know! It wasn't one of the best books I have ever read, but I honestly just didn't have that much to criticise about it. Maybe because I set such low standards? Regardless, the characters were decent, the plot was interesting and the romance was actually sweet. What more can I ask for?
Nearly was a decent protagonist. I didn't have any real qualms with her. Sure, she was a little distracted at times, but she wasn't ridiculously dependant, pathetic or stupid so what can I fault, really? That in itself is an improvement to a lot of the other female YA protagonists. Reece wasn't bad either. I actually liked him a lot. He wasn't overly protective of Nearly and he didn't go all alpha-male on us - yes, I know, another shocker! He was sweet, smart and just well, decent. He wasn't a real stand out character and he didn't have that many star qualities, but really was a decent character and I liked him.
The mystery was well plotted. I was intrigued, always on my toes and kept guessing. It wasn't predictable. It wasn't clichéd. It wasn't dull. Once again, what more can you ask for?
The faults I will pick out were:
1) I didn't like the way Anh and Jeremy were treated. They didn't do anything wrong and I felt like they were blamed for things that really had little to do with them. Also the very slight romantic angle that was attempted by Jeremy wasn't needed.
2) The killer's confession at the end. We all want to know the motive and reasons behind the killer's murders but a big-all confess at the end? No, its too info-dumpish and just bores the readers. It needs to be stretched out a little more since its meant to be the climatic moment of the novel.
Overall, I wasn't blown away by this but nor was I disappointed. It was decent, fun and better then I expected. I will definitely be checking out more of Elle Cosimano's work.
Nearly was a decent protagonist. I didn't have any real qualms with her. Sure, she was a little distracted at times, but she wasn't ridiculously dependant, pathetic or stupid so what can I fault, really? That in itself is an improvement to a lot of the other female YA protagonists. Reece wasn't bad either. I actually liked him a lot. He wasn't overly protective of Nearly and he didn't go all alpha-male on us - yes, I know, another shocker! He was sweet, smart and just well, decent. He wasn't a real stand out character and he didn't have that many star qualities, but really was a decent character and I liked him.
The mystery was well plotted. I was intrigued, always on my toes and kept guessing. It wasn't predictable. It wasn't clichéd. It wasn't dull. Once again, what more can you ask for?
The faults I will pick out were:
1) I didn't like the way Anh and Jeremy were treated. They didn't do anything wrong and I felt like they were blamed for things that really had little to do with them. Also the very slight romantic angle that was attempted by Jeremy wasn't needed.
2) The killer's confession at the end. We all want to know the motive and reasons behind the killer's murders but a big-all confess at the end? No, its too info-dumpish and just bores the readers. It needs to be stretched out a little more since its meant to be the climatic moment of the novel.
Overall, I wasn't blown away by this but nor was I disappointed. It was decent, fun and better then I expected. I will definitely be checking out more of Elle Cosimano's work.
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