Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the...
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Dec 15, 2011
joє
rated it: 
lo's brother died and the whole family still hasn't coped with the loss. falling into this dark abyss, where they distance themselves from each other more and more. when one day, she gets tangled in the murder of a stripper, things start to change. (pene)lo(pe) obsessively tries to solve the case, as the police doesn't even really try to look behind the curtains, which in turn makes her the target of the killer who's still on the loose. of course lo finds out more than she bargained More...
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Sep 05, 2011
Karl
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I thought the book has potential. The story was original, and the characters interesting. However, parts were corny and stupid. The artsy homeless guy was particularly unbelievable to me. I got so sick of "tap tap tap, banana" that I almost threw the book out. So either the author brilliantly conveyed the emotion of OCD, or he was just annoying.
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Feb 05, 2012
Kavanand
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Sixteen-year-old Lo's family has fallen apart since the death of her brother a year earlier. Her father works all the time, her mother rarely leaves her bedroom, and Lo's obsessive compulsive disorder is threatening to overwhelm her. Her life is built around numeric rituals, like repeating things three times and tapping on her leg nine, nine, and then six times. She also hoards objects in her room and keeps everything arranged in a precise order. Through her obsessive collecting, she ends up wit
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Sep 29, 2011
Valen
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The Cover: The cover is amazing! I really love it and whoever designed it did a brilliant job! It also actually has something to do with the story itself. 5 out of 5!!
Teaser Quote: "I think you're being slightly paranoid." Graham exchanges a look with Pike . . . "Have you ever experienced delusions? Hallucinations of any kind?" She pauses, asks in a gentle sing-song voice of principals and priests. " Have you ever heard any voices?"
"No - More...
Teaser Quote: "I think you're being slightly paranoid." Graham exchanges a look with Pike . . . "Have you ever experienced delusions? Hallucinations of any kind?" She pauses, asks in a gentle sing-song voice of principals and priests. " Have you ever heard any voices?"
"No - More...
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Feb 04, 2012
Amanda
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Penelope (aka "Lo") enjoys collecting things, especially timeless items that others have thrown aside. She's developed a sort of OCD-like kleptomania due to her many moves across the country throughout her life -and things only got worse after her brother died. Then she finds the gorgeous butterfly pendant of a murdered girl at a local flea market and she finds herself pulled into the mystery of the girl's murder, which is strangely entwined with the death of her brother.
But More...
But More...
Feb 13, 2012
Pamela
rated it:
I recently had a conversation with a first year college student that I’ve known from the time she was 5 years old. I asked her about the last movie she saw; it was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and I commented that it was too sexual and violent towards women for me to watch, and she said yeah, but I guess I’m from the “desensitized generation.” If the book The Butterfly Clues is any indication of what is marketed as YA than I can see why. The only thing YA about this book, is that the story i
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Jan 24, 2012
Jessica
rated it: 
How on earth do I explain to you how much I loved The Butterfly Clues? It seems like anything I say just won't be enough. There is a mystery at it's core, and one that is beautifully done. I had no idea the entire time where the story line was ultimately taking me. However it's so much more than that. Layered on top of it all is the story of a girl who is looking for redemption, the inability to let go of the past, and the deep want to face the future head on. This book is amazing.
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Be More...
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Jan 27, 2012
Cassi aka Snow White
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I have a soft spot for characters who are just a little bit mentally ill. Maybe it's because I've watched Benny and Joon too many times (favorite movie, must watch). It could also be that slightly mentally ill narrators have a distinctive voice that I find compelling. Whatever the reason, The Butterfly Clues pulled me in.
"Every school a fresh reminder: no one wants to get to know the new kid, especially if the new kid is a weirdo who spends every second of every day trying no More...
"Every school a fresh reminder: no one wants to get to know the new kid, especially if the new kid is a weirdo who spends every second of every day trying no More...
Sep 09, 2011
TheCannibalGirl
rated it:
Kate Ellison has portrayed 'Lo' perfectly. You step into the mind of someone with a serious illness. You feel the confusion, the drive to do things that you don't want to do. I believe Kate spent so much time on the overwhelming character of Lo that the other characters were lacking. You have the boyfriend- a street-wise artist stealing art supplies from dumpsters and living in abandoned buildings. He wasn't a very compelling character, just another part of the scenery. You have the dead strippe
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Feb 17, 2012
TheBookSmugglers
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Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers
Tap, tap, tap. Banana.
Penelope Marin (Pe-ne-lo-pe Ma-rin, 6 syllables, 6 is a good number), is a seventeen year old high school junior, a daughter, a sister, and afflicted with obsessive compulsive disorder. Since her brother Oren's death a year earlier, Lo's compulsions and rituals have increased in intensity - she has to tap three times and say banana before entering or leaving a room; she repeats things in multiples of three, six, o More...
Tap, tap, tap. Banana.
Penelope Marin (Pe-ne-lo-pe Ma-rin, 6 syllables, 6 is a good number), is a seventeen year old high school junior, a daughter, a sister, and afflicted with obsessive compulsive disorder. Since her brother Oren's death a year earlier, Lo's compulsions and rituals have increased in intensity - she has to tap three times and say banana before entering or leaving a room; she repeats things in multiples of three, six, o More...
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Sep 25, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
I got my copy of The Butterfly Clues from netgalley but if I saw this book in a shop I would buy it alone for its cover. It may not be one of the prettiest covers I have seen, but the way the butterfly is splatted with blood would draw me in straight away.
From reading the description is doesn't give you a good idea of Lo. When I made a start on The Butterfly Clues I realised pretty quickly the Lo has some OCD and Kleptomania issues, but rather than it working against Lo, it helps to bring More...
From reading the description is doesn't give you a good idea of Lo. When I made a start on The Butterfly Clues I realised pretty quickly the Lo has some OCD and Kleptomania issues, but rather than it working against Lo, it helps to bring More...
Feb 08, 2012
Anna (AnnaReads.com)
rated it:
I don’t know what I expected based on the title and cover of this book, but The Butterfly Clues is so much MORE.
It's a twisty thriller that kept me guessing and kept my heart pounding. It's an unlikely romance that took me pleasantly by surprise. It's a deep, troubling look into the mind of a young woman suffering from debilitating grief, guilt and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Lo’s OCD was stunningly captured in this debut novel. Yeah, maybe I saw through a few of the twists More...
It's a twisty thriller that kept me guessing and kept my heart pounding. It's an unlikely romance that took me pleasantly by surprise. It's a deep, troubling look into the mind of a young woman suffering from debilitating grief, guilt and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Lo’s OCD was stunningly captured in this debut novel. Yeah, maybe I saw through a few of the twists More...
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Dec 05, 2011
Angie
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If you've ever felt an overwhelming, irrational desire or need ot count something, or arrange something, or say or do something repeatedly, or else your world will fall apart, you've got a small idea of what Lo is going through. She seems to be dealing with her brother's disappearance and death, and her family's disintegration, by becoming OCD. She takes risks, like wandering the dangerous part of Cleveland called Neverland. She accidentally gets almost in the middle of a murder, and then she be
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Nov 12, 2011
Alexa Loves Books
rated it:
I saw this striking cover on NetGalley and it compelled me enough to want to check out the synopsis of the book. Highly intrigued by the promise of a girl compelled to collect souvenirs or trinkets from each town she's moved to, and her eventual involvement in trying to figure out a crime, I immediately took it upon myself to read this novel.
This novel was nothing like I expected it to be. While reading it, I experienced an inordinate amount of emotions - I felt sorry for Lo, I fel More...
This novel was nothing like I expected it to be. While reading it, I experienced an inordinate amount of emotions - I felt sorry for Lo, I fel More...
Sep 09, 2011
Anncleire
rated it:
3,5
“Look at us” Flynt says his voice growing theatrical, dramatic, releasing the hug to claps both of my hands “stuck in the middle, hovering on the line between two worlds”
“I think this is where we belong” I say…
Lo, diminutivo per Penelope, è una ragazza piena di problemi, la sua famiglia è stata devastata dal lutto e per mantenere sotto controllo la sua vita esegue tutta una serie di rituali e di manie nervose: dal contare le buche per terra, al colpirsi la coscia More...
“Look at us” Flynt says his voice growing theatrical, dramatic, releasing the hug to claps both of my hands “stuck in the middle, hovering on the line between two worlds”
“I think this is where we belong” I say…
Lo, diminutivo per Penelope, è una ragazza piena di problemi, la sua famiglia è stata devastata dal lutto e per mantenere sotto controllo la sua vita esegue tutta una serie di rituali e di manie nervose: dal contare le buche per terra, al colpirsi la coscia More...
Aug 28, 2011
SHANA - Sizzling Reads
rated it:
3.5/5 STARS!
The Butterfly Clues review on Sizzling Reads
Overall this was an enjoyable read.
I had a hard time recovering from the beginning though. When I start a book utterly confused, I'll end it that way if the author doesn't ease me into the story. Usually when that happens it's just a bump in the road, and the story tends to mellow out; it happens all the time. Sadly, this didn't do that. I felt for Lo, I really did, and I know what it feels like to More...
Oct 17, 2011
Michele
rated it:
Review can also be found on my blog.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ (3.5/5 stars)
The Butterfly Clues is about Penelope “Lo” Marin, who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She has habits and rituals that she must do before entering a room, compulsions to steal things, superstitions that certain numbers are better than others. She finds herself in Neverland, a bad neighbourhood, when a murder happens right near her. She then becomes obsessed with the victim and finding out who kill More...
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ (3.5/5 stars)
The Butterfly Clues is about Penelope “Lo” Marin, who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She has habits and rituals that she must do before entering a room, compulsions to steal things, superstitions that certain numbers are better than others. She finds herself in Neverland, a bad neighbourhood, when a murder happens right near her. She then becomes obsessed with the victim and finding out who kill More...
Jan 21, 2012
Savannah (Books With Bite)
rated it:
The start of this book confused me a little. The way the book started in pushing the reader start into the story is good. I like that i was forced into something I didn't understand. Though after a few chapters in, the author gave enough back round history for me to find my footing and seemingly fell into the story after that. Not only was I completely intrigued but knew that this is a book I was going to chase till the end.
Lo is a lonely girl searching for meaning. After a great loss More...
Lo is a lonely girl searching for meaning. After a great loss More...
Jan 25, 2012
Rachel
rated it:
Wow, there was a lot more going on it this book than I thought just from reading the synopsis and looking at the cover! At the beginning, you are thrust into Penelope (Lo)'s life and then you learn more about her as the book goes on. I was confused about quite a bit at first but then it made sense later. You find out, in passing, that Lo's brother has died but you are not really told a lot about it until later. I was confused as to why the death of a stripper was so important to Lo but then you
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Jan 16, 2012
Reading
rated it:
Review Written by Andrea @ Reading Lark
Source: Publisher
http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2012/01/...
The Butterfly Clues is a superb first novel by 2012 debut author, Kate Ellison. You never know what to expect from the new kids on the YA fiction block, but Ellison is definitely an author to watch. The Butterfly Clues is a dark, haunting mystery. Lo, the main character, is an unlikely detective whose OCD compels her to complete odd rituals and forces her one track mind to se More...
Source: Publisher
http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2012/01/...
The Butterfly Clues is a superb first novel by 2012 debut author, Kate Ellison. You never know what to expect from the new kids on the YA fiction block, but Ellison is definitely an author to watch. The Butterfly Clues is a dark, haunting mystery. Lo, the main character, is an unlikely detective whose OCD compels her to complete odd rituals and forces her one track mind to se More...
Feb 20, 2012
Merin
rated it:
Thank you to EgmontUSA (via NetGalley) for the e-galley of The Butterfly Clues.
I have mixed feelings upon finishing this book. On the one hand, it is probably a great example of what a family goes through when it loses someone (in this case, the son). Lo's parents have completely lost touch with reality, her mom living in a haze of anti-depressants and sleeping pills, and her father working 16+ hours a day. Neither of them realize exactly what Lo is dealing with, or even try to parent More...
I have mixed feelings upon finishing this book. On the one hand, it is probably a great example of what a family goes through when it loses someone (in this case, the son). Lo's parents have completely lost touch with reality, her mom living in a haze of anti-depressants and sleeping pills, and her father working 16+ hours a day. Neither of them realize exactly what Lo is dealing with, or even try to parent More...
Oct 18, 2011
Ryan
rated it:
When starting this novel it is hard to tell if you have walked into the life of someone who is tripping on a foreign substance or just crazy. What you come to realize is that Lo probably has OCD which is made very apparent when she has to “tap, tap, tap, banana” before she does practically anything. As this teenager explores further and further away from her home life she meets Flynt who is a character unto himself. In this weird ride there is a mission to find all the “butterfly clues” that
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Feb 20, 2012
Amber
rated it:
Penelope “Lo” Marin and her parents have moved from city to city because of her dad’s work but seem to be in for the long haul in Ohio since her brother, Oren, died there the year before and her mother became listless and disconnected. Before her brother’s death and all throughout her childhood, Lo has collected, and at times stolen, quirky objects that appeal to her, but the urge to take objects has increased. When she sees a butterfly pendant at the local flea market, she must have it, especia
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Oct 07, 2011
Trista
rated it:
This book had its great moments but it had more boring moments. It's a very good mystery but the entire book is just a complete wreck. Penelope has OCD and its not being treated. Everyone in her life is ignoring her and it and slowly she is ruining herself. Putting herself at risk for something that had nothing to do with her. A dead cat on your porch would have been a huge clue that says, "Maybe I should go to the police or stay out of it because they clearly killed this one girl that they
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Sep 12, 2011
Infinite Playlist
rated it:
Lang und breit
Der Leser wird auf der ersten Seite direkt ins Geschehen geworfen. Es bleibt kaum Zeit sich Protagonistin Lo erst mal anzuschauen oder sich zu fragen, was es mit ihrem Bruder Oren auf sich hat. Schon ist man mittendrin in einer kleinen, dreckigen Gasse von Neverland und entkommt nur knapp einem Schuss.
Nach diesem turbulenten Anfang wurde ich Stück für Stück mit Informationen gefüttert. Es hat gedauert bis ich in Erfahrung bringen konnte unter welchen Umständen Ore More...
Der Leser wird auf der ersten Seite direkt ins Geschehen geworfen. Es bleibt kaum Zeit sich Protagonistin Lo erst mal anzuschauen oder sich zu fragen, was es mit ihrem Bruder Oren auf sich hat. Schon ist man mittendrin in einer kleinen, dreckigen Gasse von Neverland und entkommt nur knapp einem Schuss.
Nach diesem turbulenten Anfang wurde ich Stück für Stück mit Informationen gefüttert. Es hat gedauert bis ich in Erfahrung bringen konnte unter welchen Umständen Ore More...
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Feb 21, 2012
Megan
rated it:
This was a good book. I only gave it two stars because I didn't feel as if I should give it the same rating as some of my three star books because I liked them more.
In the beginning I had some trouble some bonding with the main character Lo. But then as I think about it maybe that was the authors point? You see, Lo isn't like everyone else she has OCD. She has urges to tap, count and even steal things. However as the book progresses you'll start to understand the mind of someone with More...
In the beginning I had some trouble some bonding with the main character Lo. But then as I think about it maybe that was the authors point? You see, Lo isn't like everyone else she has OCD. She has urges to tap, count and even steal things. However as the book progresses you'll start to understand the mind of someone with More...
Nov 21, 2011
Aparajitabasu
rated it:
An innovative idea, a great story line and an amazing book cover. I present my views of The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison.
Here is the summary of the book:
Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some se More...
Here is the summary of the book:
Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some se More...
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Feb 02, 2012
Julie
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This review first appeared on my blog: http://www.knittingandsundries.com/2012/...
Lo (Penelope) has OCD - she has to do things in multiples of threes (count, tap, brush her bangs back) and she can't go through any door without a tap, tap, tap, "banana". She also feels compulsions to take items that she feels calling to her.
Her family has moved a lot due to her father's job as a consultant, and her brother Oren died (we find out when and why in small pieces). Af More...
Lo (Penelope) has OCD - she has to do things in multiples of threes (count, tap, brush her bangs back) and she can't go through any door without a tap, tap, tap, "banana". She also feels compulsions to take items that she feels calling to her.
Her family has moved a lot due to her father's job as a consultant, and her brother Oren died (we find out when and why in small pieces). Af More...
Feb 14, 2012
Adam
rated it:
REVIEW ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON SHELF-AWARENESS.COM.
This debut novel probes a haunting mystery with an unforgettable protagonist.
Seventeen-year-old Penelope "Lo" Marin has collected beautiful things all her life, treasures from each town she's lived in (11 total). But since her brother, Oren, died, her hobby has evolved into an obsession. While wandering through a "sad, strange part of Cleveland"--Neverland, the city of lost children--Lo barely escapes g More...
This debut novel probes a haunting mystery with an unforgettable protagonist.
Seventeen-year-old Penelope "Lo" Marin has collected beautiful things all her life, treasures from each town she's lived in (11 total). But since her brother, Oren, died, her hobby has evolved into an obsession. While wandering through a "sad, strange part of Cleveland"--Neverland, the city of lost children--Lo barely escapes g More...
Sep 21, 2011
Jessie (Ageless Pages Reviews)
rated it:
The Butterfly Clues has a lot going for it - an engaging and different heroine, a convoluted murder mystery and a teenage romance with real chemistry and feeling that doesn't become saccharine or overwrought. With an intriguing beginning and a simple, easy, almost sparse style of writing, this is a novel that sneaks up on you and can be devoured in several enveloping stints of reading. With much more emotion and feeling than I had expected, Ellison wove a spellbinding tale of Penelope "Lo"
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