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Envy (Empty Coffin #1)

by Gregg Olsen (Goodreads Author)

3.33 of 5 stars 3.33 · rating details · 1,255 ratings · 365 reviews

Murder is such a dirty word…

New York Times bestselling adult true crime author Gregg Olsen makes his YA debut with Empty Coffin, a gripping new fiction series for teens based on ripped-from-the-headlines stories…with a paranormal touch.

Crime lives--and dies--in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka “Empty Coffin”), Washington. Evil lurks and strange thi...more

Hardcover, 285 pages

Published August 23rd 2011 by Splinter

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May 11, 2012 Monica! rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: whodunit, i-see-dead-people, your-reality-alarms-me, read-in-2011, reasonably-realistic, this-must-be-what-pain-feels-like, buckets-of-snark, but-wait-theres-more, great-now-my-eyes-are-bleeding

I picked Envy up on accident, friends, thinking it was A Certain Slant of Light. Who knew that there were two practically identical YA books featuring dead girls in old-fashioned bathtubs?

I feel like I can’t be blamed for the confusion....

But whatever, you know I never turn down a new book! And this one promises to take me to the edge and push me right over, which seems a little tasteless given that the book is apparently about suicide, but I'm still up for it!!

Right off the bat, I could tell I...more

31 likes · like · see review

Mar 05, 2013 Mike rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, bad-books-have-good-covers, death-by-characterization, detailed-reviews, magic, not-so-good-ya, suicide, teen-pregnancy, thank-god-for-the-lack-of-hype, urban-fantasy, murder-mystery, 2013-male-author-challenge, 2013-paranormal-and-fantasy-challen

I abandoned this book around 170 pages in. To be fair, it wasn't entirely the book's fault. I currently have way too many books out from the library, so I need to get through books as fast as I can. So if something's not holding my attention, I'm probably not going to finish it.

And this book really didn't hold my attention. This is probably due to the pacing. The mystery was engaging at first, but then the pace slowed to a crawl, and I got bored of it. A lot of the book doesn't consist of the ch...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 24, 2013 Elena rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: are-you-fucking-kidding-me, boring

Ore della mia vita perse.
L'ho finito a stento e faccio fatica a ricordare quello che ho letto perché praticamente dormivo.
Non so che dire.

Tra la confusione delle prime pagine ho capito che la ragazza è stata trovata morta nella vasca da bagno dalla madre a causa di un probabile ed ingiustificato suicidio.
Due gemelle vecchie amiche della suicida non credono alla storia che gira così si mettono ad indagare. A parte il fatto che non provano quasi nessun sentimento alla notizia non capisco perché do...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Amy (Turn the Page) marked it as abandoned

‘Some of this story is completely true. And some of it isn’t. Like truth, evil comes in all sorts of flavors. Some bitter. Some deceptively sweet. Sometimes it comes with a heavy price. Most people don’t invite evil into their lives. The dirty little secret is that an invitation isn’t necessary. Locked doors don’t matter. Neither do fancy security systems. Evil is kind of amazing when you think about it. She knows how to get inside.’

Author’s Note

My main issue with Envy is that I really didn’t ge...more ‘Some of this story is completely true. And some of it isn’t. Like truth, evil comes in all sorts of flavors. Some bitter. Some deceptively sweet. Sometimes it comes with a heavy price. Most people don’t invite evil into their lives. The dirty little secret is that an invitation isn’t necessary. Locked doors don’t matter. Neither do fancy security systems. Evil is kind of amazing when you think about it. She knows how to get inside.’

Author’s Note

My main issue with Envy is that I really didn’t get on with the style of writing. I found it painful to read, awkward, plodding, and melodramatic while attempting to be ominous. Olsen tries very hard to create a strong sense of tension, suspense and mystery by over dramatizing every. little. thing, through repetition, bullet points and italics.

‘Neither girl knew it right then, but the night Katelyn Berkley died was the beginning of something that would change everything.

Everything.

Every. Single. Thing’

~ page 16

‘And finally, not far away, one person got online and started deleted the contents of a file folder marked KATELYN. Inside were copies of emails, messages and photographs that had meant to trap and hurt her so hard. Each item had been designed as payback.

Delete.

Delete.

Delete.

~page 22

It’s not the least bit subtle, was irritating, and frankly, as a reader, I felt a little talked down to. I believe this is the author’s first YA book (he has, according to the back of the ARC, written several best-selling adult novels), and the way in which he over-emphasizes significant details tells me he doesn’t yet understand or trust his younger audience. Instead of allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions, he bashes us over the head with it.

The editor’s note (which may or may not appear in the final publication), had a similar effect, ‘Young Adult readers beware: there are no cupcakes, ponies or rainbows in this book. Life is messy. Death happens. Evil is all around you – and right within these pages. Envy is just the beginning. Don’t wait for Gregg to push you… jump in.’ The whole thing is just trying too hard.

Aside from the style of writing, the paranormal aspect felt weak. Taylor and Haley, twin protagonists who don’t believe Katelyn killed herself (with an espresso machine, in the bath), have some odd abilities. Haley is compelled to inanimate objects and with a touch can ‘see’ a memory or feeling. Taylor receives coded messages from the dead when she is submerged in water. They first sense something isn't right surrounding Katelyn’s death when, in the middle of the night, from their bedroom window, they see a small boat spell out the message ‘Look’ in the water. (I’m still not quite sure how or why the boat did this, something to do with the foam in the water creating the letters, either way, it's all too random for me).

The characters are flat and lack any sort of personality. The almost clinical way Envy is written makes it very difficult to form any sort of emotional attachment to anyone, something not at all helped by the fact that the majority of the characters came across as fairly unlikable in any case. I’m also not a fan of using text message speech within a narrative, which Olsen utilizes quite a lot, while failing to create an authentic teenager voice.

Basically, everything, from the editor’s opening letter, to the author’s misogynistic note, (considering how women have long been blamed as the root of evil, I don’t particularly appreciate the labeling of ‘evil’ as ‘she’), to the writing, it all served to annoy the hell out of me. Maybe I was simply in a bad mood, maybe this book just put me in a bad mood, but there it is. It’s a shame, because this could have been a solid story about the growing issues of cyber-bullying. As it was, I wasn't interested in finishing this one.(less)

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Jul 15, 2011 Tami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-giveaways, 2011

I haven't received yet, just saw today that I had won. Waiting for its arival. 6/28/11
Just received my copy. Hope to start soon, I have 2 books in line first. 7/11/11
Started this last night. 7/14/11
Finished during lunch today. 7/15/11

Small town along the Western Coast that was originally inhabited by an Indian tribe. One high school girl is found dead in the bathtub from electrocution. Was it suicide, an accident or homicide? She has an ex bff/frenemy that lives next door. Two girls that are twi...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was initially drawn to this book by the eerie cover so I really wasn’t too sure what to expect when I started it. Was it going to be scary, the mystery to easy to figure out or just another YA paranormal book? Well I can tell you I was pleasantly surprised with what I got. Envy is a dark, cleverly written mystery with a very real threat.

Envy takes place in Port Gamble, a small town in Washington State, and centers around twin girls Hayley & Taylor. The central plot of the book revolves aro...more I was initially drawn to this book by the eerie cover so I really wasn’t too sure what to expect when I started it. Was it going to be scary, the mystery to easy to figure out or just another YA paranormal book? Well I can tell you I was pleasantly surprised with what I got. Envy is a dark, cleverly written mystery with a very real threat.

Envy takes place in Port Gamble, a small town in Washington State, and centers around twin girls Hayley & Taylor. The central plot of the book revolves around the mysterious death of another local teen Katelyn. The girl’s desperately want to learn the truth surrounding her death and as they delve deeper into the mystery, we soon come to realize that there is more to Hayley & Taylor as well.

I thought the plot was interesting (especially as a parent) but I have to admit I was a little nervous at the beginning that I knew exactly where the story was going since Gregg uses a true event as the basis for his story. I don’t want to give anything away in case you aren’t familiar with the actual case but I can say he twisted it up and gave me a bit of a surprise at the end. My biggest pet peeve in mystery novels is when I can figure out what happened to easily so I was happy that Gregg threw me for a bit of a loop at the end.

I enjoyed the paranormal elements in the book but hope we get a little more information in the next book. His characters are definitely a bit on the darker side and I wasn’t quite expecting that. Can you say mean girls? It makes me thankful that I am no longer in high school but makes me nervous as a parent.

My biggest complaint with the book was the text/IM messages between characters. Gregg uses them a lot throughout the beginning of the book and they were so distracting. I had no idea what they were trying to say half the time. I found it so frustrating trying to decode them and it completely took me out of the story. Do teens really text like that? If so, it’s annoying. UGH!

Overall I really liked the book. I thought it touched on a real issue that needs to be addressed but at the same time gave readers a clever mystery to unravel as well. I look forward to discovering more about Hayley & Taylor and what other secrets may be revealed in Port Gamble. (less)

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Jul 21, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I found out via Daisy Chain Book Reviews that one of my favorite true crime authors was now delving into the world of young adult fiction I was way excited! Who better to weave together true crime, mystery, and paranormal fantasy into a fast paced young adult novel than Gregg Olsen? For years young adult mysteries have languished being replaced with the ever -popular paranormal romance. While these books have had elements of mystery in them they are mainly focused on the romantic entangleme...more When I found out via Daisy Chain Book Reviews that one of my favorite true crime authors was now delving into the world of young adult fiction I was way excited! Who better to weave together true crime, mystery, and paranormal fantasy into a fast paced young adult novel than Gregg Olsen? For years young adult mysteries have languished being replaced with the ever -popular paranormal romance. While these books have had elements of mystery in them they are mainly focused on the romantic entanglements of humans and otherworldly creatures such as vampires and werewolves. What happened to just a good old-fashioned mystery? One where you have to piece together clues and sort through the red herrings to figure out who-dunnit? Now that Gregg Olsen has entered the YA fray with Envy, the first installment of his Empty Coffin series, there is a fresh new voice that expertly encompasses all of the elements of a “can’t put the book down” mystery mixed with all of the things we love about YA novels.
Port Gamble, Washington is not your average scenic small town. Bad things happen there. Behind the historic homes and beautiful beaches there is evil, and the first thing one learns is that evil never takes a holiday. Things were not going well for Katelynn Berkley. She was depressed and lonely, shutting herself off from everyone who once cared about her. Former friends Taylor and Hayley Ryan knew that Katelynn needed help, yet they had a difficult time accepting that Katelynn’s unexpected Christmas evening demise was actually a suicide. First there was the manner in which Katelynn supposedly used to kill herself, an espresso machine in the bathtub. Next, were the cryptic messages they were sure Katelynn was sending them from beyond the grave. Messages they felt would unlock the mystery behind Katelynn’s untimely death. As twins, Taylor and Hayley share a psychic connection beyond the boundaries of normal sibling relationships. They have kept the extent of their connection a secret from everyone except each other. How would anyone else be able to understand that they can catch glimpses of the past and future and possibly receive messages from the dead? Their gift has been something that they never gave much thought to until the death of their former friend. Taylor and Hayley want to know the truth behind Katelynn’s death and agree to use their abilities in solving what they come to believe is her murder.
The idea of psychic twins might seem a little far-fetched, but Gregg Olsen does a masterful job of creating a subtly to their messages that makes the storyline completely believable. The messages Taylor and Hayley receive are little more than feelings and glimpses they get when they come into contact with something that belonged to Katelynn. These bits of information are what help to propel them in their quest to discover the truth about Katelynn’s death. The cast of characters who reside in Port Gamble are brilliant. Every family has a secret they wish to keep hidden. This not only adds to the creepy factor of the story, but also sets up numerous plotlines for future installments. One of my favorite characters was Starla Larsen. Her name alone is genius. What better name than Starla for a girl who feels that she is better than everyone around her and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Starla is the proverbial “mean girl” in the story and she plays the part well. A villain the reader will relish to learn more about.
One of the things that make Envy an engrossing story is the way in which Gregg Olsen weaves fact with fiction throughout the book. While Port Gamble and its residents are his own creation the plot is loosely based on the true story of Megan Meier. Megan was thirteen years old when she committed suicide after being horrifically cyber bullied. Her case brought attention to the cruelty that can be perpetuated by both teens and adults through the various social media outlets many of us innocently enjoy. By using what he knows best, true crime, Olsen creates a story that keeps the reader captivated until the very end. Some of the plot choices he makes are extremely bold and refreshing in that he chose not to soften the events of his story just because it is being written for a young adult audience. There are more than a few OMG moments throughout Envy!
While Katelynn’s story comes to a satisfying resolution not all loose ends are tied up in the final chapters of Envy. The second novel in the series, Betrayal, is set for release in the fall of 2012 and promises to deliver on some of the edgier themes touched upon in the first book. Might we see the very first well -done young adult serial killer novel? I hope so! Gregg Olsen definitely has the experience and talent to tackle a topic of that magnitude. I definitely recommend Envy for any reader who loves to be scared, but you might just want to sleep with the light on!
Envy is set for release in September 2011. Click HERE to watch the trailer!
(less)

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Oct 10, 2012 Petra Sýkorová rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, rc-review, czech, krimi, young-adult

Gregg Olsen se narodil v Seattlu, ale žije v Olalla spolu se svou ženou, dcerkami dvojčaty, třemi kuřaty a dvěma psy. V průběhu své kariéry napsal řadu detektivních románů postavených na reálných, smyšlených a hlavně děsivých událostech. Dokázal čtenářům přinést detailní a fascinující vyprávění příběhů lidí, kteří se ocitili ve víru podivných událostí.

Gregg má na svém kontě 8 knih literatury faktu, 8 románů, novelu a povídku do autorské povídkové sbírky, kterou editoval Lee Child. Patří mezi jed...more Gregg Olsen se narodil v Seattlu, ale žije v Olalla spolu se svou ženou, dcerkami dvojčaty, třemi kuřaty a dvěma psy. V průběhu své kariéry napsal řadu detektivních románů postavených na reálných, smyšlených a hlavně děsivých událostech. Dokázal čtenářům přinést detailní a fascinující vyprávění příběhů lidí, kteří se ocitili ve víru podivných událostí.

Gregg má na svém kontě 8 knih literatury faktu, 8 románů, novelu a povídku do autorské povídkové sbírky, kterou editoval Lee Child. Patří mezi jednoho z nejlépe prodávaných spisovatelů New York Times a USA Today. Byl hostem televizních stanic jako je History Channel, Learning Channel a Discovery Channel. Objevil se také v Dateline NBC, William Shatner’s Aftermath, Deadly Women on Investigation Discovery, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show a spoustě dalších pořadů. Závist je jeho první knihou pro dospívající.

Katelyn bývávala milá a přátelská holka, z níž se postupem času stal pouze šedivý odraz svého bývalého já. Neměla moc přátel a ani rodinné prostředí nebylo zrovna ideální. Na Štědrý den ji matka našla ležet ve vaně plné vody, mrtvou, nehybnou. Byla to sebevražda?

Tahle otázka nedá spát dvojčatům Haley a Taylor Ryanovým. Už od mala dokázaly cítit a vidět věci, ze kterých by ostatním nejspíš vstávaly vlasy hrůzou na hlavě. Dvojčata ví, že na údajné sebevraždě není něco v pořádku a pomalými krůčky se dávají do pátrání po pravdě. A ta se nebude všem líbit.

V českém překladu se tu a tam vyskytla chybička, u níž jsem se vždy pozastavila na pár vteřin a pak se zase věnovala samotnému příběhu. Originál jsem nečetla, tudíž neposoudím, nakolik je český překlad věrný. Ale opominu-li ty chybky, kniha měla spád. Věty nebyly nijak dlouhé, vše tak působilo úderně, někdy i jako by z jiného světa. Přece jenom je zvykem poslední doby cpát do románů šílenější souvětí vedle ještě šílenějšího. Já vždycky preferovala kratší věty. A v případě tohoto lehce strašidelného příběhu se kratší věty rozhodně neminuly účinkem.

Musím říct, že kniha je geniální. Kroutíte hlavou? Gregg svůj příběh skvěle postavil na zcela běžném problému dnešní doby a přiokořenil to trochem paranormálna. Hlavně slušnou hromádkou víceméně morbidních informací z úst otce dvojčat a psychologického rozboru ze strany jejich matky. Není tedy divu, že dvojčata svým chováním ani trochu nezapadají do běžného obrázku teenagerů. A to je jenom dobře.

Styl vyprávění knihy je totiž natolik atypický, že knihu čtenáři budou buď milovat, nebo nesnášet. Zlatý střed nejspíš neexistuje. Není se čemu divit. Krátké, úderné věty, skákání v ději z minulosti do přítomnosti a naopak, pohled na příběh od několika postav, zvláštní průběh příběhu a samotné odhalení ke konci knihy nesedne hned tak někomu. Já jsem si knihu naopak parádně užívala. Sice jsem si k žádné z postav nevybudovala žádný větší vztah, ale takhle přesně to dle mého Gregg zamýšlel.

Pokud máte rádi trochu děsivé řeči o seriových vrazích, zvláštní a nevysvětlitelné schopnosti, o kterých se veřejně raději nemluví, jste fanoušky Tima Burtona, říkáte si, jestli vám v hlavě bude někdy znít hlas vypravěče z knihy Stopařův průvodce po Galaxii, anebo dumáte nad všemi možnými i nemožnými věcmi, je tahle kniha právě pro vás.

Gregg se nebojí psát o problémech otevřeně. Ať už se mluví o šikaně mezi dospívajícími, o internetové šikaně, o fóbiích, zášti, chlípnostech, o rodinných problémech, o vyšším dobru a tak vůbec. Nejde o typickou knihu, některé věci možná odhalíte sami, jindy si budete říkat, že je to už trošku moc, závěr vás ovšem překvapí. Ale vezmete jej takový, jaký je. Výborná kniha, která si zaslouží 5 hvězdiček. Netrpělivě očekávám pokračování.

----------------Reakce po dočtení knihy----------------
Výborná kniha.(less)

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Sep 10, 2011 Alyssa Snyder rated it 5 of 5 stars

There was a lot of great things about Envy, first and for most this book really made me think. I thought about the story this book itself tells but also thought about how true this could be. Things like what happen in Envy really do actually happen. Everyday. Aside from his fabulous characters I also enjoyed his writing style. It was the first book of his I have read and am considering his adult novels. I'm still really curious and anxious for the next book, but I have no doubts it will be just...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, first-reads, non-ebook

I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway. I didn't realize the book was based on a true cyberbullying case until the end. I am not surprised a girl like Starla would use what happened to try to gain her 15 minutes of fame. The worst part is there really are a lot more tees like her as witnessed in the news recently!

The story was great, and this has become one of my new favorite YA series. I loved the characters, and I cannot wait for the next book.

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May 30, 2011 Ken Eveleigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Port Gamble, Washington, is a town filled with secrets; some of them will get you killed. Twins Haley and Taylor Ryan are convinced that their friend Katelyn didn't die by accident and using their "special gifts" they are on the search for the truth. There are twists and turns aplenty and I was engrossed from the beginning.

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Nov 08, 2011 Paula Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I read the blurb of this book it sounded really exciting , but little did I realise the take that the novel was going to have . It screamed with so many different angles and in ways the way it connected though of course, some of the storylines did not connect with the main plot - so in parts you may be a tad confused but once you have finished the novel , you will catch up sooner than later. Envy starts with the death of Katelyn , a fifteen year old girl in the small neighbourhood. Everyone...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Bilal rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is my first review, and it's going to be a short one.

I liked this book and I finished it in a very short amount of time, which is pretty exceptional because I'm a very slow reader. I loved the suspense, the mystery and the twins. I thought the twins were very interesting, and all throughout the book I kept thinking that this story would make a pretty good movie/tv show.
However, when I finished the book I realised I didn't get all the answers I wanted.

*SPOILER ALERT*

-First of all, why did i...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Eric Townsend rated it 3 of 5 stars

Envy is a mixed bag. On one hand I enjoyed the story and was unable to put the book down until I had finished it. On the other, some of the writing drove me a bit crazy, as well as the point of views.

Envy uses multiple (and by that I mean somewhere around 10) points of view in order to share information with the reader. It is effective but it just feels a bit busy, too many thoughts from too many different people. Also, because we see the point of view of so many different characters the amount...more Envy is a mixed bag. On one hand I enjoyed the story and was unable to put the book down until I had finished it. On the other, some of the writing drove me a bit crazy, as well as the point of views.

Envy uses multiple (and by that I mean somewhere around 10) points of view in order to share information with the reader. It is effective but it just feels a bit busy, too many thoughts from too many different people. Also, because we see the point of view of so many different characters the amount of info dumps to flesh them out is somewhat ridiculous. That type of information sharing goes on throughout the entire book, not just in the beginning like with most books that focus on one, or maybe two/three, point(s) of view.

As for the writing, it was little things, and more so in the beginning. For the first few chapters there was some variation of “something big is about to happen/everything is going to change” stated over and over again. I don’t really understand why, the reader can pretty much infer that important things are going to occur, it is the beginning of the book we are talking about. There were creepy lines that didn’t fit such as on page 39 “However, the girls felt no mercy for those who perpetrated evil intentionally. Their souls were dark and always would be.” Pretty serious stuff for teenagers and a bit over the top. Also, there were random words used that don’t make sense given that the audience is YA, such as with “scintilla” which essentially means a very small amount.

The “twin-sense”, especially the way it was written, kept making me think “wonder twin powers activate!” which I can’t imagine is a good thing when reading a book about figuring out why someone died.

However, like I said in the beginning part of the review, I did enjoy the story. There were clues for the reader to find along the way just as the sisters were and seeing if you can figure out “who done it” before the characters do is always fun. The plot twists were convincing and didn’t feel contrived. As for the main characters, though they did suffer from being very similar by default since they are twins, I enjoyed reading about them. They felt realistic (sans superpowers/twin telepathy) and were likable enough. Beth, the best friend of the twins, was done very well. She was a character that the reader was supposed to detest and by page 59 I officially wanted to dropkick her so mission accomplished!

Overall I thought Envy was a solid book. The story was there to work with and though the execution at times felt a bit off to me the experience was a good one. I already have Betrayal so I look forward to reading that sometime soon-ish and seeing how the story continues. If the positive elements of Envy are carried through and developed I think that book could be stellar.

Rating: 3/5(less)

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Jan 04, 2013 Arielle Green rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book took me places I never thought a book could take me...the fact that this book was partially made up of real life events made it all the more appealing and dismal at the same time

The story revolves around a sophomore named Kaitlyn Berkley who was found dead in her tub. As the book progresses you are trying to figure out whether her death was accidental or premeditated (suicide)

The main characters of the book are two twins named Hayley and Taylor who are trying to solve the mystery of th...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Owen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Spoilers

In Envy, a girl named Katelyn is living in the historic small town of Port Gamble, Washington. She dies. But we don't know if it was a suicide, homicide, bullying, whatever. Until the end. I'll admit, that part was unpredictable. I hate it because people are always like "That book was so predictable" and I can never predict anything. I don't know why. So, Katelyn dies and her two friends are sad, twins Hayley and Taylor. However, they think something bad is going on here. They decide to...more Spoilers

In Envy, a girl named Katelyn is living in the historic small town of Port Gamble, Washington. She dies. But we don't know if it was a suicide, homicide, bullying, whatever. Until the end. I'll admit, that part was unpredictable. I hate it because people are always like "That book was so predictable" and I can never predict anything. I don't know why. So, Katelyn dies and her two friends are sad, twins Hayley and Taylor. However, they think something bad is going on here. They decide to investigate and end up uncovering a whole lot of stuff. Bad stuff.

I originally saw this book on Goodreads several months ago. The cover had me hooked and then I found it at one of my local libraries. I was so excited when I remembered what it was. The plot of this book is very complicated. You don't know who it really focuses on (the series I mean). I have to admit, this book is kind of like an extended prologue for the rest of the series, until the end. I know some people didn't like it but I thought it was pretty good. My one complaint was with the characters. The author didn't really separate Hayley and Taylor's personalities. I know they are identical twins and are similar. But I have a fraternal twin brother and we couldn't be any more different. Hopefully in the sequel, Betrayal, the author is able to make their personalities become more prominent. Also, there are so many other characters and barely any are actually important. The ones that are, you can't tell. Even Katelyn, of course she dies in the first chapter but he could've still featured her character more. Also, the town in this book is seriously f'ed up. It has small town problems but on such a huge, kind of unrealistic scale. Horrible car crashes, teen death, domestic violence, it goes on and on. The author tries to fit in Katelyn's death with an anniversary of a car crash, but I didn't think that part was essential to the story. Over all, I think this book is good and worth reading. Did I mention how cool the cover is?

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Nov 07, 2012 Annabell rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven’t read any books in the Young Adult genre that mainly came off as suspense thrillers with paranormal elements mixed into the plot so Envy was a book I was looking forward to diving into. It gave off the promise of being something that would surprise me and it very well did!

I had expected a story filled with ghosts who would help the main characters solve the death or come to terms with something life changing but instead I found a story ripped from real life headlines. Envy dissects how...more I haven’t read any books in the Young Adult genre that mainly came off as suspense thrillers with paranormal elements mixed into the plot so Envy was a book I was looking forward to diving into. It gave off the promise of being something that would surprise me and it very well did!

I had expected a story filled with ghosts who would help the main characters solve the death or come to terms with something life changing but instead I found a story ripped from real life headlines. Envy dissects how bullying, even through the internet, can have deadly consequences.

Hayley and Taylor are not only sisters but twin sisters. They share each other’s thoughts and finish each other’s sentences. But the two couldn’t be any more different. Hayley is more gentle and patient whereas Taylor is straight to the point and emotional. They also happen to share a secret no one knows about and they never talk about to anyone else: they’re psychic. When their ex-best friend Katelyn is found dead in her bathtub on Christmas morning, everyone in the small town of Port Gamble, Washington, automatically suspects suicide but Hayley and Taylor aren’t as convinced as everyone else. One evening Taylor is staring out her window watching a boat decorated for the Christmas season when suddenly the word LOOK forms in the water. Taylor instantly commands her sisters attention and so begins the journey Hayley and Taylor will face to discover just exactly how Katelyn died and who was really responsible.

The beginning to Envy is somewhat misleading which was one of the best parts to the book. You don’t really know how the beginning ties into the rest of the story until closer to the end and I was ACTUALLY surprised by the discovery. I had suspected two of the characters to be apart of what happened to Katelyn but not the third one that came out of the blue, at least for me. I also loved how dark the story was without having many in-your-face-paranormal-moments. The darkness built within the story came from the way the human characters behaved and interacted, from the secrets everyone is holding onto and the desperate need to keep them from finding their way to the surface.

All of the characters relationship are told separately and gradually become intertwined with each other. There’s a lot going on throughout the book which was somewhat of a draw back at times because you wanted to focus on mainly one aspect of the book before moving on. But eventually every hidden secret and revealed truth and every relationship connects with each other to reveal a pretty messed up story.

The paranormal element to the story—the fact that Hayley and Taylor are psychic—played out gradually as the story progressed. First in small glimpses then in larger doses. I liked learning about their gifts but still feel confused about them. Since Envy is the set up to the series I can let that go since I’m guessing the author will further explore what the girls can do in future books.

I also loved how complicated the adult characters secrets were as much as the teenagers secrets. Katelyn’s mom, Sandra, is not all she seems at first and for most of the book, the reader won’t have as much sympathy for her as others but will discover a misconception about her at the end. At first I just couldn’t fully feel bad for Sandra. She was an alcoholic who refused to admit she had a problem and a “poor me” attitude that annoyed me, even though she lost a daughter my sympathy for her only went so far. That is until the truth about why she always drank was revealed. It’s heartbreaking, the guilt and regret she had to live with for so long.

There are many backstories to the adult and young adult cast: Hayley and Taylor, Starla—the gorgeous, totally stuck-up, mean as hell cheerleader. Beth—the best friend to Hayley and Taylor who is angst ridden and jealous of the twins relationship but she carries scars of her own. Teagan—Starla’s younger brother who seems like every typical teenage boy but underneath he has some dark secrets of his own. Katelyn—even though she dies at the beginning of the book her secrets and family life come to the surface as Hayley and Taylor work to uncovering the truth. Mindee—Starla and Teagan’s mom who doesn’t have a clue about raising her kids and cares more about looks then substance. Kevin Ryan—Hayley and Taylor’s Dad who is a famous crime writer, using other people’s tragedies to make a living and who loves his daughters more than anything else in the world. Valerie—Hayley and Taylor’s mom who works at an asylum and has kept a secret from her daughters since they were babies. Savannah Osteen-the specialist from the university who studied Hayley and Taylor when they were babies because they were apart of a special being done about babies who spoke in full sentences at just ten months old.

There are a few issues I had with the book. All of the teenage characters come off flat. It’s hard to tell them apart since all their personalities come off one dimensional. The adult characters come off just at flat at times so I hope there is more depth to them as the series moves forward since I do like some of them. There is a good amount of repetition at times and moments where scenes seemed to dragged out the story more than needed. I also didn’t fully like the ending. Where I did like discovering those responsible for what exactly happened to Katelyn and how each played a part, and was surprised by one character’s role in particular, the rest of the ending was wrapped up too nicely. Two of the characters that played an intricate part in what happened to Katelyn got away with a slap on the wrist while the third character I could be okay with since the character genuinely came off remorseful and heartbroken and he has to live with what was done for the rest of his life; but I still wanted their to be more of a punishment. Then again in real life sometimes evil walks away with nothing more than a smile on its face. I also couldn’t stand the scenes where text messaging was involved!! I don’t think that’s actually what teenagers sound like when they text and sometimes I just couldn’t make out what the text was trying to say.

Envy at its core is more than just about a girl who died in a bathtub via electrocution. It’s a story detailing how gossip, rumors, resentment, regret, guilt, and shame can ultimately destroy not just ourselves but the people we love and sometimes permanently.

It was a pretty great start to a series that shows promise.

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Oct 21, 2012 Patricia Mishaela rated it 1 of 5 stars

I do respect the author and views/opinions of those who have read and liked/loved the book but here's my opinion with this one:

I started this book with EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH hopes for the story because one: the catchy synopsis which is about crime d/t cyber bully (which I've never read before..) and second: its enticing cover. but then I'm still in the middle of the first chapter when the sentences started to piss me off but I still decided to give it a push thinking it might wear off in the next c...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Aria rated it 2 of 5 stars

Review can also be found here.

Envy by Gregg Olsen is a story that explores a serious topic like how Jay Asher’s Th1rteen R3asons Why which is the other reason why I picked and brought this book back home with me. (The first reason is that I’ve always been intrigued by crime-related stories.) I was really psyched to read this book and with all those praises for Envy on the first and second page, I was really looking forward to reading this book. However, after half of the book, I was growing more...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Tracy rated it 2 of 5 stars

At points I was really into this book, at others, I wasn't. I guess it kept my interest enough to keep the pages turning but that's it. I didn't like how things were explained. They were either over done or notexpalined at all and sometimes the scenes in the book were too detailed but yet I felt like I was missing something. I didn't like the way he revealed some clues, or the way he would introduce new characters that only stayed in it for maybe a chapter or two. None of the characters had any...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Amy Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished-reading

I started out listening to this audiobook. To be honest, I almost turned it off and wrote it off as a bad "free credit" investment with audible.com. But halfway through, the book latched into me and I found myself wanting to read it. So I ended up grabbing the ebook off of Barnes and Noble. I think audiobooks sometimes suffer if they yse the wrong reader. Just an opinion. The characters sounded better in my head. Anyway, it's a fast read. The main plot centers around cyberbullying. Gregg Olsen i...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Alexa rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, teenbooks

The problem with badly written mysteries is that you have to finish reading them to find out what happened, but it is rarely satisfying. This book was not any different. first, you have to plow through 300 pages of badly written dialogue and stereotypical, unsympathetic teenagers. In fact, I'm not sure there were any likable characters in this book aside from Katelyn, who died within the first 5 pages.

I believe the reader is supposed to sympathize with Hayley & Taylor, the mildly psychic twi...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Kristin Lundgren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, ya-fantasy, ya-teen

This was an odd book for me - I usually read in the fantasy/SF grouping of teen books, and this was more along the lines of paranormal/teen angst. Done by an award winning true crime journalist, it's his first book for teens, and although he comes with the credentials of having two daughters, I'm not sure all the book meshed with what teens are thinking, saying and texting. Based on a story ripped from the headlines of a young girl who commits suicide, a pair of twins, with some paranormal abili...more This was an odd book for me - I usually read in the fantasy/SF grouping of teen books, and this was more along the lines of paranormal/teen angst. Done by an award winning true crime journalist, it's his first book for teens, and although he comes with the credentials of having two daughters, I'm not sure all the book meshed with what teens are thinking, saying and texting. Based on a story ripped from the headlines of a young girl who commits suicide, a pair of twins, with some paranormal abilities to reach out and "see" what the dead and the living are thinking, decide to investigate why their friend, who had drifted away in HS, was now dead. Their father was a crime writer, and so they had been surrounded with death and investigations since birth, which make the idea more plausible - plus the pull they feel from the visions. The book is done in a heavy modern teen style, with interspersions of faux newspaper articles, notes, and texts - it's the texts that bother me. While I have no idea of how and what my daughter texts, the texting language he used jarred on me - it's not what she uses when she texts me. She usually uses fairly complete sentences and words. Some of them were obvious texting changes that even I make, others not so much, and some were just hard to figure out - you have to sound then out in your head, and in context, and that slows me, the reader, down. Teens may have no problem - I'm guessing he ran it through his daughters, but without knowing their ages, I can't guess at it's accuracy. One word in particular stumped me for a long while "boud" - I finally figured it was meant to be "about," but why change the last letter? It probably means something else all together .-)

All in all, a decent "chiller" read, with another book in this series coming. I'd read it, in the hopes that I feel a little more depth from the teen characters (the adults were drawn a little deeper to me), and to see what the rest of the mystery surrounding this interesting locale, a old logging historic place town near Port Orchard and Bremerton has in store. Since this is such a topical book, and makes many references to brands, styles, and other teen things, it might date itself quickly.(less)

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Jan 09, 2012 Katie Cody rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary

“Envy” was such a fascinating read that I read it in almost a day. The plot was very well developed and only bits and pieces of the mystery were revealed so it really felt like I was figuring out this mystery right along with the two heroines Hayley and Taylor. It wasn’t only just one mystery either, the death of Katelyn opened up a whole can of worms in this small town. There is also a bit of a surprise ending as well.

The relationships in this story played a big part in not only solving the mys...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Kirsty (Book - Love - Bug) rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is Gregg Olsen’s debut in the YA market, and what a fabulous start. Envy is the first in the Empty Coffin Series; books set in Port Gamble (aka Empty Coffin). These thrillers have a paranormal edge to them, which refreshingly doesn’t see a vampire, werewolf or angel in sight!

Olsen has a fantastic writing style; he tells the story mainly in the present with a series of flashbacks interwoven in. When described this may sound a little confusing but actually works wonderfully.

The storyline ce...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Hylary Locsin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

On Christmas night, fifteen-year-old Katelyn Berkley’s mother is horrified when she discovers her daughter’s lifeless body in the bathtub. Although her peculiar death (a mini-espresso machine’s plunge into the water lead to her fatal electrocution) is deemed an accident, the general consensus in the small town of Port Gamble, Washington is that Katelyn committed suicide. Unsatisfied with both expl...more Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

On Christmas night, fifteen-year-old Katelyn Berkley’s mother is horrified when she discovers her daughter’s lifeless body in the bathtub. Although her peculiar death (a mini-espresso machine’s plunge into the water lead to her fatal electrocution) is deemed an accident, the general consensus in the small town of Port Gamble, Washington is that Katelyn committed suicide. Unsatisfied with both explanations, twins Hayley and Taylor Ryan set out to determine what really happened to the girl they used to be close in years past. Hayley and Taylor aren’t ordinary teenagers, however. They share a gift: the ability to psychically connect with energies left from those who have passed on. Using their gifts they discover that Katelyn’s life was far from perfect. After not making the cheerleading squad lead to a falling out with her best friend, the uber-popular mean girl, Starla, Katelyn had turned to an online boyfriend to help deal with the trials and tribulations of high school. As Hayley and Taylor dig deeper into her life, they learn that Katelyn’s online boyfriend might not have been who he said he was, and his true identity may hold the key to learning what really happened to Katelyn.

This first installment in best-selling author Gregg Olsen’s new series for young adults proves to be a bit of a mixed bag. Even without reading the jacket, it is clear that this is Olsen’s first venture into writing for teens. The writing style is very much adult mystery with teen references and lingo tossed in. At first this style is difficult to get used to, but eventually becomes less noticeable as the story progresses. The plot of the novel is interesting, but has its peculiarities. The manner of Katelyn’s death is, in a word, odd. Death by electrocution from a mini-espresso machine in the bathtub? There are also oddities interspersed throughout the novel, from graphic descriptions of Katelyn’s autopsy, to psychic Scrabble, some of the plot points come off as simply strange. The ending of the novel in particular is quite peculiar. Despite these shortcomings, Envy is somewhat enjoyable. The connection between the twins, Hayley and Taylor, is intriguing as are the references to real-life crime cases that the novel is loosely based on. The setting, the small town of Port Gamble, Washington, plays a major role in setting the somber tone of the novel, and Olsen does a good job of describing the world in which the plot takes place. The next novel in the series, Betrayal, is mentioned in the final pages of the book as being set for release in fall 2012. Hopefully Olsen can improve upon this first novel in the sequel; if he can he has the makings for an original and interesting series.

I was really interested to read this novel, especially since it is written by not only a man but a best-selling adult author, two traits that you don’t find as often in young adult literature. My one thought throughout the novel was how obvious these two traits were in the construction of the book: from the language to the plot. That said, I did actually enjoy the novel. True crime is generally confined to an adult audience, but I think that Olsen has found an interesting way to bring it to teens. I’m looking forward to seeing what else he comes up with. (less)

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Nov 01, 2011 cecilia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: green-covers, objects-covers

I believe envy may not be the first in YA suspense – but it reminds me more strongly of its adult version (similar to how The Season takes the historical romance genre and makes it more youthful). It reminds me of cryer's cross with a similar creepy factor to it. Yet I feel that the difference between them is that cryer's cross had a more supernatural ending and envy simply relies on more realistic events that can actually happen to anyone.

THE GOOD BITS
{YA version of adult suspense.} I don’t rea...more I believe envy may not be the first in YA suspense – but it reminds me more strongly of its adult version (similar to how The Season takes the historical romance genre and makes it more youthful). It reminds me of cryer's cross with a similar creepy factor to it. Yet I feel that the difference between them is that cryer's cross had a more supernatural ending and envy simply relies on more realistic events that can actually happen to anyone.

THE GOOD BITS
{YA version of adult suspense.} I don’t read much suspense, especially after a few all-nighters with Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta vs serial killers. Nothing defines the suspense genre better than the reader’s growing sense of dread as the pages turn, and envy definitely channels this necessary reaction! With creepy interludes of an unknown villain, I braced myself for a horror that defies imagination that reveals whose sick mind was behind Katelyn’s death.

{Inspired by real tragedies relating to cyber-bullying.} Gregg Olson incorporates cyber-bullying into envy – and the result of it simply horrifies me to no end. The Internet has such a wonderful function, but when used for evil intentions, it can be a powerful weapon for bullying. envy makes me wonder how exactly we can stop such violence when it isn’t even very tangible – how does one de-program the tech-savvy bullies and make them feel the consequences of their actions?

{Unexpected twist with unpredictable ending.} The ending of envy took me completely by surprise – and it definitely will leave readers wondering just where Gregg Olson wants to take this series. Katelyn’s death seemed so straightforward at first in the beginning, but the Ryan twins suspect foul play with their uncanny sixth sense. As more players enter the field to look into Katelyn’s death whether to uncover the truth or reap the benefits of bad news, I was not even close to piecing the whodunit together.

THE BAD BITS
{Too many characters in the kitchen.} Throwing different people into the mix helps to keep the suspense building. I wonder who will finally discover the truth, who will hinder the investigation, who was behind the crime., who suffers, who simply doesn’t care – and it keeps me on my toes. However, I thought some of the characters were a little distracting as they served not the immediate story of Katelyn’s death, but existed for the overall series storyline. It works for TV series like LOST or VERONICA MARS where each episode was a mini-mystery with hints of the finale, but in envy I found it a little distracting.

{Misleading cover?} Is it just me, or does the cover remind anyone else of the girl from THE RING? Very creepy – too creepy in fact for a book with no ghostlies or other bumps in the night. I don’t think I would have picked envy up if I had realized it was suspense.

{Twin “specialness” not fully developed. } I suspect that the Ryan twins will be the stars of the EMPTY COFFIN SERIES, and envy is merely the tip of the iceberg as to what exactly these twins can or cannot do. I am not entirely convinced that this “specialness” works for the series yet. I wish also that the twins stood out from each other more because they are still “Hay-Tay” to me and not as individual as say Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield.

THE OVERALL
While the EMPTY COFFIN SERIES may promise to be different from current YA books, I cannot say that envy left me with a definite sense of “AHA! This is what YA is missing from its shelves!” It was a decent suspense, but nothing that blew my socks off. It will be interesting to see if Book 2 will deliver a more potent reaction… (less)

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Oct 04, 2011 Ashley (The Bibliophile's Corner) rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is the second book that I have judged by it's cover, only to be let down.

First, let me say that I loved that the author choose to focus on cyberbullying. This is a social problem that I feel very strongly about and it is never okay.

Unfortunately, this is all that the book had going for it. The book centers around twin sisters who have this weird twin power thing that can only be harnessed when one looks at water and when one submerses herself in water. I truly didn't understand it until t...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Envy, the first in the empty coffin series is my first fiction ever and I was totally enthralled with the book cover, the story and the characters. I couldn't put the book down! Gregg Olsen is a top notch writer of true crime and fiction. I identified with the twins, Hayley and Taylor who used their paranormal senses to piece together the events leading up to Katelyn's untimely death, Katelyn because of her teen angst and Katelyn's parents who are devastated by Katelyn's death.

I really liked tha...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Dot rated it 1 of 5 stars

I haven't read Olsen's other writing, and I don't read a lot of true crime books, either. However, I do read a lot of YA fiction, and this book just didn't work for me.

I visited Port Gamble earlier this year, and Olsen dropped the ball when it came to setting the scene properly. There's a few asides about the historical property management and how old the houses are, but he never takes the opportunity to give a flat-out description of the town's small scale and quaintness. That's a real shame,...more

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About Gregg Olsen

Throughout his career, Gregg Olsen has demonstrated an ability to create a detailed narrative that offers readers fascinating insights into the lives of people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

A New York Times bestselling author, Olsen has written seven nonfiction books, three novels, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.

The award-winning author has been a guest o...more

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Books by Gregg Olsen

Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest

Abandoned Prayers: The Incredible True Story of Murder, Obsession and Amish Secrets

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Quotes from Envy

“If only these walls could talk…the world would know just how hard it is to tell the truth in a story in which everyone’s a liar.” — 25 people liked it

“Some of this story is completely true. And some of it isn't. Like truth, evil comes in all sorts of flavors. Some bitter. Some deceptively sweet. Sometimes it comes with a heavy price. While most people don't invite evil into their lives, the dirty little secret is that an invitation isn't necessary. Locked doors don't matter. Neither do fancy security systems. Evil is kind of amazing when you think about it. She knows how to get inside.” — 8 people liked it

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