Criminal

Jun 05, 2013 Lottie Eve rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5-- A strong, solid novel, but I had a few quibbles.

I believe that there are different ways to love someone. After reading so many books, watching so many movies and T.V. shows, I think that I have found out about many of those ways. But Criminal is the first novel that I have read that features such a dark, startling honest story about the consequences of being utterly blinded by love. But awhile this is a strong and solid story, I did have a few quibbles here and there.

The Things That I Like...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Danny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read Review at Bewitched Bookworms

When Love Makes Blind...

Nikki has a sad life and lives in a part of the city where danger and crimes are just around the corner. Having horrible parents (who are not allowed to be called parents at all) Nikki lives with a motherly friend and focuses nearly completely Dee. She loves Dee with all her heart and this love feels rather desperate as he is the only thing in Nikki's live that feels like a light in the dark. Nikki would do anything for Dee and .. I me...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Vanessa Booke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Written by our reviewer Rory:

Matter of factly, somberly, subtly (no sudden rise of dramatic words here to try to make a point that is already made by the situation alone), and so richly researched that it makes you wonder what author Terra Elan McVoy must have felt during that work, Criminal reminds young adult readers that there will be personal hells of one’s own making, hopefully metaphorical prisons that we find ourselves in, having to hit bottom before we can sort ourselves out and start an...more Written by our reviewer Rory:

Matter of factly, somberly, subtly (no sudden rise of dramatic words here to try to make a point that is already made by the situation alone), and so richly researched that it makes you wonder what author Terra Elan McVoy must have felt during that work, Criminal reminds young adult readers that there will be personal hells of one’s own making, hopefully metaphorical prisons that we find ourselves in, having to hit bottom before we can sort ourselves out and start anew. McVoy chooses a physical prison in a story about Nikki, underage for beer but a little younger than Dee, her almost 21-year-old boyfriend, for whom she would do anything. To her, it’s out of passionate, unyielding, the world-knows-nothing-else love, but it’s actually because her life has been so bad, abused by a drug-addicted mother and raised by a grandmother who was good only as far as goodness can go when life has been broken so many times over. Nikki was raised by her grandmother when Cherry, her mother, went deep into her addiction, but then she died and that was the end of that hope.

Nikki doesn’t know where life can go, that it possibly can get better. Her best friend Bird, who she lives with, could be the way for her to see that, but all she wants is Dee.

Forget that she aided him in a horrific crime in which he shot and killed a deputy.

Forget that Bird told her long before that that Dee was bad news. She still brought him to Bird’s house, in front of Bird’s little daughter, disrupting her life, ignoring her moral reactions. Bird remained quiet, but she knew it was bad.

But, love conquers all.

This is tense, pit-of-your-stomach writing, a gradual dread that grows colder, hoping for a better life for Nikki, somehow, some way, but expecting the worst because she stupidly shrugged off Bird’s reactions, the only one that could help her. Love can make you blind, and sometimes it ruins lives, even those like Nikki’s that look ruined enough from the outset. McVoy also goes deep into the legal process, which looks just as bad for Nikki, triggering her to do a lot of thinking while she waits and waits and waits. You’ll be thinking about this novel for a while after because McVoy seems like a journalist just there to get it all down, to observe a lot of this, but never to judge. She has done great service to whatever inspired her to write Criminal, and all those who helped her along the way. Nikki is an example of what not to do in one’s own life, not to get that caught up in love when it becomes dangerous, but also an example of hope, that we can eventually see, that we can improve, can do better with our lives, even if it takes the worst to light the way. Read it and understand.(less)

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May 23, 2013 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: new-adult-challenge-2013

Three Stars: A brutally honest look at what happens when you are blinded by love.

Nikki awakens to the harsh tones of the cell phone. The ring seems to be barking doom doom doom.....Dee falters out of bed and answers. The police want him to come in for questioning. Dee insists that Nikki accompany him, assuring her everything will be fine as long as she sticks to the story. They rehearse the story over and over on the way to the police station. But everything is not fine. Soon Nikki's fragile wo...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Kelly Hager rated it 4 of 5 stars

Terra Elan McVoy's first novel, Pure, is one of my favorite books ever. Her next two were good but nowhere near as great as Pure was (I haven't read her fourth novel, the one before this one). And so when I was accepted for the blog tour for Criminal, I was excited and nervous. I wasn't sure if she'd ever write something I loved as much as I do Pure.

This one isn't up to Pure status, either, but it was close.

Reading this as a grownup, I wanted to shake Nikki. It was SO OBVIOUS that Dee is bad new...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Rashika rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good-female-leads, 2013-favorties, mind-blown, mystery-thriller, new-adult-adult, read-2013, realistic-contemporary

This is not a book for everyone. Not everyone will love it as much as I did and some people will find it boring. But for me this book was so beautiful. I am not sure there are enough words to describe the beauty of this book.

The other day I was trying to explain what happened in this book to someone and I ended up rambling. I am not sure how I’ll manage to write this review.

When I requested this book I was kind of scared because it sounded so intense and I wasn’t wrong. This isn’t YA, its somewh...more

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Jun 13, 2013 ExLibris_Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nikki's head is a sad and confusing place to be, but that is where the reader must remain throughout Criminal. I, for one, am glad that we only got her point of view because I'm not sure I would have felt so much sympathy for her had we watched it from the outside. That whole inside view of the evolution of poor decisions, desperation, and tragedy is what made this book so gripping. I think that if you grow up in a house where you are loved and valued, you take for granted how much that confiden...more

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May 08, 2013 Rhiannon Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, life-transitions, southern

With no family to lean on, Nikki is newly 18 and mixed up with Dee. Blinded by love she makes an irreversible mistake and lands in the middle of a homicide investigation. When police start putting pressure on her only friend, Bird, Nikki knows it's time to start talking. Speaking to the police, she doesn't confess the events of August 24th, not exactly. But the police have information that she doesn't know.

It is uncomfortable hearing Nikki beg Dee for attention or to call her because one can re...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Tasha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen

Nikki loves Dee but her friends warn her about him. Her best friend Bird is particularly worried that Dee is dragging Nikki into dangerous situations. Since Nikki lives with Bird, because her mother is too drug addled to take care of her or make a home for her, Bird’s opinion usually carries a lot of weight. But not where Dee is concerned. It’s not until Nikki finds herself in a very dangerous situation where someone is killed by Dee and Nikki drives the getaway car that Nikki discovers a lot of...more Nikki loves Dee but her friends warn her about him. Her best friend Bird is particularly worried that Dee is dragging Nikki into dangerous situations. Since Nikki lives with Bird, because her mother is too drug addled to take care of her or make a home for her, Bird’s opinion usually carries a lot of weight. But not where Dee is concerned. It’s not until Nikki finds herself in a very dangerous situation where someone is killed by Dee and Nikki drives the getaway car that Nikki discovers a lot of the truths the Dee has been hiding from her. Now Nikki is in serious trouble and Bird may be drawn into the situation as well. Nikki has to make some good decisions quickly before her bad decision changes her entire life. Love is supposed to be what life is all about, so what happens when you can’t count on love after all?

McVoy pulls no punches in this gripping teen novel. Nikki is a troubled protagonist whose perspective on what is happening is clearly skewed by the sexual attention that Dee pours on her and the warped way in which he treats her otherwise. While that relationship is at the heart of Nikki’s troubles, McVoy does not shy away from making sure that Nikki and the reader understand that while it may be a factor, Nikki must still take responsibility for her own actions. Nikki’s legal situation and the criminal process make for a taut read, as Nikki learns about herself and the TV version of jail is shattered into one that is transformational for those willing to change.

This book can be painful to read at times, since Nikki starts so deeply into Dee’s control and lies that she is starting to disappear herself. By the time the crime is committed, readers will be almost screaming at Nikki for her poor choices. It becomes almost too much when she continues to defend him, not recognizing the situation he has placed her in. Throughout Nikki is not a character to be admired, but by the end, she has become strong, honest and has learned a lot. This is a teen novel filled with character growth that is done gradually and realistically.

Brutally honest and filled with moments of dark and light, this book speaks to false love disguised as real love and the desperate lengths one might go to for it. Appropriate for ages 16-18.(less)

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Jun 10, 2013 Zoe added it

Shelves: 2013

This was the first book I’ve read by Terra Elan McVoy, and it definitely made me want to read more of her books. Though this book was at times slow, it was beautifully written. From the very first page, I was interested in Criminal. The story automatically drags you in, and demands to be read.

Nikki is not an easy character to read though. Her obsession with Dee is beyond annoying. However, I was kind of expecting her to be at least a little bit obsessed with him- so I suppose I was partly prepar...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Asheley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contempmonth13

Two things: 1) This book is written by an author that I love and 2)
This author wrote the heck out of this book.

This excerpt is taken from my full Three-Things Review and is featured in my 2013 Contemporary Fiction Event on Into the Hall of Books. Read more here: http://www.intothehallofbooks.com/201...

The first thing you need to know is this:
Dee has committed a crime. Gunshots were fired.

Nikki will do anything, say anything to protect him.
Nikki didn't realize when she went to that house with...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Estelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, 2013-new-releases

Review originally published on Rather Be Reading Blog:

Criminal was one of those books I had to hide in another room so I wouldn’t be tempted to keep picking it up way way past my bedtime.

Terra Elan McVoy, queen of summer camp and girls being friends with boys, has created such a tense, horrifying, addicting read in 288 short pages. Nikki is a down on her luck teenager with an addict for a mother, finding a sense of home living with her best friend, Bird, and her baby daughter. But her whole life...more Review originally published on Rather Be Reading Blog:

Criminal was one of those books I had to hide in another room so I wouldn’t be tempted to keep picking it up way way past my bedtime.

Terra Elan McVoy, queen of summer camp and girls being friends with boys, has created such a tense, horrifying, addicting read in 288 short pages. Nikki is a down on her luck teenager with an addict for a mother, finding a sense of home living with her best friend, Bird, and her baby daughter. But her whole life changes when she meets Dee and falls desperately in love. The desperate kind of love that makes you forget everything else, leaves you so undone, that everything else seems unimportant.

Dee is passionate when he’s sexy and when he’s angry, and makes Nikki feel worthwhile and safe. He’s the kind of guy that really knows how to manipulate a situation, knows how to use sex to his advantage and gets Nikki involved in a heartless crime. Before she even knows what’s happening he gives her a disguise, tells her where to drive and when to wait for him. Nikki is scared but not sure what to do, and when she hears the gunshots and sees Dee’s face afterwards, she’s still not sure what to feel.

The next morning Dee is questioned by the cops and promises to contact Nikki when he can. Nikki goes nuts trying to say the right things to the cops when they come to question her, and keeping everything from Bird is really hard. When she realizes the murder Dee has committed may get Bird in big trouble, Nikki confesses just enough to clear Bird from the crime but not enough to keep herself out of jail.

Does this sound like your typical YA?

McVoy has branched out so much; it’s like Criminal is from a different planetary system. Her succinct writing style, the oodles of research that had to be done, and the fact that as a reader, I couldn’t figure out if I thought Nikki was incredibly weak for not standing up to Dee before he killed someone or just totally helpless in the heat of the moment, or if she was really at fault or not when she had no idea what he was planning. Every time she texted him (and wasn’t supposed to), my brain was screaming “Nooo Nikki! Don’t you know they will have a record of those texts to use against you?” (Cue everything I learned from the Casey Anthony trial.)

It’s amazing — even though Nikki is now IN jail, obviously strained her friendship with Bird and lost her job, she still can’t believe anything bad about Dee. She’s afraid FOR him. I kept wondering when she would finally break, when she would finally start to feel angry because she still felt attached to him after the “foundation” of their relationship started to crack. After the authorities let a few of his lies loose. It’s kind of like watching someone wind down from the biggest high of their life and finally be forced to make make do with truth.

In the jail, with this group of girls, and having the opportunity to incarcerate Dee by spilling every detail she can think of, Nikki grows and changes in ways I didn’t fathom. For awhile, she’s detached, guilty, bored, obsessed, apprehensive, difficult. But jail is kind of this blessing; it’s a controlled environment, something she is not used to with her addict mom’s antics, or the disdain she felt from Bird when she was dating Dee. Even when things start to click for Nikki, her life is not without consequence and big unfortunate changes.

Criminal is such a tight, well-written story yet still leaves a lot of room for discussion. I really appreciated the leaps that McVoy took with her writing this go-around; this story about power, lust, and love never felt over-dramatized or black and white. And the fact that I was able to discuss the details at length with my husband just proved to me how versatile a book it was for readers, being able to satisfy a larger audience.
(less)

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May 12, 2013 Richa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, edelweiss, for-review

Originally posted at City of Books

Criminal is an enjoyable YA crime novel, with great writing and an intriguing backstory. This book is similar to others I’ve read this year, but at the same time very different. It addresses some pretty important issues, and I think the way Terra has done that is really effective.

However, the fact that I simply detested the characters dampened my enjoyment of the novel. I felt no connection to any of them. I spent most of the novel yelling at Nikki inside my hea...more Originally posted at City of Books

Criminal is an enjoyable YA crime novel, with great writing and an intriguing backstory. This book is similar to others I’ve read this year, but at the same time very different. It addresses some pretty important issues, and I think the way Terra has done that is really effective.

However, the fact that I simply detested the characters dampened my enjoyment of the novel. I felt no connection to any of them. I spent most of the novel yelling at Nikki inside my head, wanting her to appear in front of me so I could slap some sense into her. And I also really wanted to punch Dee in the face all throughout. Plus, Dee’s always been a girl’s name in previous books I’ve read, so at the beginning I kept picturing a girl instead of an asshole of a guy.

Never have I wanted to slap a fictional character as much as I want to slap Nikki. Seriously! She’s completely blinded by her love for Dee, and so incredibly stupid. She’s so whiny and clingy, and no wonder Dee didn’t want anything to do with her most of the time. I wouldn’t, either. She was obsessed! Sending him 50 texts in a row even though he told her to stay away from him for a while. Thinking Dee actually loved her. Assisting Dee in a murder and not even caring about the guy he killed. I hated Nikki so much. She did gain some wisdom by the end of the novel, thank goodness. I guess jail knocked some sense into her. But better late than never, right? I was actually a little proud of her by the end, even though I despised her so intensely at the beginning.

And Dee. God I hated him. He, also, is blinded by love. But not for Nikki. No, this was for another girl. And that made him do unforgivable things. I hated how he used Nikki, treated her like crap, and then cast her away like trash. But then again, Nikki shouldn’t have taken his crap. She should’ve been strong. Dee was pretty much impossible to even remotely empathize with. He acted so bipolar the whole novel, and he’s so unpredictable. And crazy, of course. The things people do for love… Dee takes that to a whole new level.

Criminal begins after Dee and Rachael have committed the crime. They are then questioned extensively by the police, and despite their well-rehearsed story, a lot of things go wrong. Nikki finally begins to question Dee’s motives, but it’s too late. She is pushed away by the one real friend she has, and her life goes to pieces. I think Nikki did the best she could under the circumstances, though. I did admire her for the choices she made later on in the novel, and I liked the fact that she became very wise towards the end. She learnt from all the mistakes she made, and even though her life will never be the same, she’s recovering.

I’d recommend Criminal to anyone who enjoys this genre, but I warn you about the characters! For me, the characters are one of the most important things in a novel. If I can’t connect with or don’t like the characters, I can’t enjoy the novel as much. This factor is even more important to me than the plot of a novel. So, though this book has potential, and I definitely loved Terra’s writing, the novel in itself was a bit of a disappointment for me. I will try Terra’s other novels, though, because I fell in love with her descriptions and vivid imagery. The writing made this novel redeemable to me.

*Thank you to Simon Pulse for providing me with an eGalley for review*

Rating: 2.5/5(less)

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May 17, 2013 Molly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemporary-or-realistic, mystery-thriller, arc-for-review, 2013, 2013-may

This review and more at wrapped up in books

This book punched me in the gut and broke my heart and left me feeling raw. In Nikki, McVoy has created this character who is both sympathetic and pathetic and who is both hardened by experience and still painfully naive. She is complex and contradictory and while not particularly endearing, impossible to ignore.

Nikki grew up with a stepdad in jail and a drug addict mother who showed her no affection. She gets a job on her own in a hair salon and moves...more This review and more at wrapped up in books

This book punched me in the gut and broke my heart and left me feeling raw. In Nikki, McVoy has created this character who is both sympathetic and pathetic and who is both hardened by experience and still painfully naive. She is complex and contradictory and while not particularly endearing, impossible to ignore.

Nikki grew up with a stepdad in jail and a drug addict mother who showed her no affection. She gets a job on her own in a hair salon and moves in with a friend and starts to build herself a new life. She’s got a boyfriend, Dee, who fills her with desire and makes her feel loved. A boy who blinds her to his faults. A boy she’d do anything for.

The story begins in media res. It’s clear Dee has done something wrong, something bad, but Nikki’s narration only leaves clues. She doesn’t want to even think about what Dee may have done or acknowledge her part in it. She tries to act normal, and she tries to help him cover things up. It’s only much later in the story that Nikki reveals the extent of her actions and we learn what—and why—Dee committed the crime.

And all the reader can do is follow along as Nikki digs herself a deeper hole, shouting “what are you doing?!” the entire time.

McVoy perfectly captures that all-consuming, passionate love for a person who doesn’t deserve it without romanticizing the bad boy. Nikki rationalizes Dee’s condescending, rude, controlling behavior, all because of the way he makes her feel—not loved, exactly, but needed, or consumed. Even as Nikki slowly realizes her mistakes, she still has to face the consequences of her actions. There is no neat, happy ending for Nikki, but there is growth. This novel is painful, but realistic, and the voice was so authentic.

I was very impressed with how accurate and effortless the details in the story were incorporated and how nuanced the characters were. It’s clear that McVoy not only did her research, but has a knack for portraying complicated characters. The issue of race—a sometimes hot-button issue in YA—is handled perfectly. There’s hints to each character’s ethnicity, but only an attentive reader will notice the details. I rather enjoyed and admired this subtle approach, but would be interested in others reactions.

For fans of McVoy’s previous work, the gritty, darker nature of this story may come as a surprise, but the strong writing should carry them through. (less)

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Mar 22, 2013 Kari rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-review-from-publisher-author, read-teen, releases-2013

Review: Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy

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Review: Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy

Posted by Kari on Mar 22, 2013 in Reviews, Young Adult | 0 comments

criminalA searing and gripping read that explores the depths of desperation true love can inspire, from the author of Being Friends with Boys.

Nikki’s life is far from perfect, but at least she has Dee. Her friends tell her that Dee is no good, but Nikki can’t imagine herself without him. He’s hot, he’s da...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Jenni Arndt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-ebook

Being a heavy reader I feel it’s safe to say that I have read all kinds of romances. I have read some sweet ones, some boring ones and some pretty twisted ones. CRIMINAL definitely falls into the twisted category. As we meet Nikki and see how helplessly (and unconditionally) in love (or maybe a better word is obsessed) she is with Dee I found myself hating the romance in this book and pitying Nikki so badly, but that’s exactly how I was supposed to feel.

I could not empathize with Nikki personall...more Being a heavy reader I feel it’s safe to say that I have read all kinds of romances. I have read some sweet ones, some boring ones and some pretty twisted ones. CRIMINAL definitely falls into the twisted category. As we meet Nikki and see how helplessly (and unconditionally) in love (or maybe a better word is obsessed) she is with Dee I found myself hating the romance in this book and pitying Nikki so badly, but that’s exactly how I was supposed to feel.

I could not empathize with Nikki personally, but she did feel like a girl you would see on that A&E show Beyond Scared Straight. She had fallen in love with a gangbanger and embraced the lifestyle in a very unhealthy way. It was incredibly sad as the reader to see the romance for what it was, to see Dee for who he really was and watch Nikki lose everything for him. He didn’t really care about her, he used her and what’s worse is that generally, he wasn’t even nice to her. After he gets called in and questioned by the cops he’s not in the mood to talk so when Nikki tries to get details out of him and work on their alibi this is what he says: “What if I put my fist straight through that mouth of yours, crush your pipes so you can't talk anymore, huh? What if that?” Straight after this (what Nikki views as a) romantic weekend Dee is gone and as she struggles to deal with the fallout from the crime he completely cuts her out of his life. There was a point where I felt really bad for Nikki because she was so naive but as she continuously thought of how much she needed to be in Dee’s arms, or just hear him call her baby I got so frustrated with her! He treated her like complete crap and yet the only thing that she yearned for was to please him in any way possible.

The one solid relationship in Nikki’s life is with her friend Bird whom she lives with because the living situation with her drug addict mother is not good. Seeing Nikki lie to Bird, even when she was pulled into the investigation for the murder frustrated me just as much as her need to please Dee. Bird was the one person in this novel that I had some shred of respect for, she had grown up and gotten her crap together. She was trying to live on the straight and narrow and didn’t stand for what Nikki brought into her life. I think the way that she reacted to everything was completely fair. I guess this is where Nikki’s character starts to grow in the novel, we see her confess to the cops so that the heat is taken off of Bird. As the story progresses we see Nikki (slowly) come to terms with what she had done once she is in jail. She gets blindsided when she gets arrested, she thinks that since she was just driving and didn’t actually kill anybody she should be in the clear which just further enforces her naivety.

I’m not really sure how to feel about CRIMINAL. The novel is full of unlikeable characters who make terrible decisions but I couldn’t put down the story. I haven’t come across a book remotely close to this before and while it was uncomfortable at times to read, I really enjoyed it. I felt bad for Nikki in the beginning, got to a point where I was angry with her and then finally just felt scared for her. I think any book that can pull that much emotion out of you is a good book. I couldn’t put myself in her shoes, her situation was very different from any life I have ever known but there are teens getting themselves mixed up in these criminal lifestyles everyday.

I really enjoyed McVoy’s writing here, it was straight and the the point, not flowery. It served the tone and setting of the story perfectly. She does an excellent job crafting characters that feel authentic and creating a love story that is really about how blind love can make you. What served this story best is how linear the plot was, it was constantly moving forward in the aftermath of the murder and didn't stray at all from the story at hand which makes it a story that you don't want to put down.

An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.(less)

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May 14, 2013 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-arc, edelweiss

More of my reviews can be found at: Take Me Away...

I know I've read a good book when the words start a war within my head long before I've even finished it. And this book did just that. The war was between how conflicted I felt about the characters.
Nikki is so in love with Dee she lets him leave for months without any questions. She can't help it, her life without him is nothing and his dangerous lifestyle is all that she wants. That is until one of his plans turns into a crime. A murderous o...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Gretchen Hohmeyer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, edelweiss, reviewed, on-amazon

I will be the first person to admit that I’m a fairly easy to please reader in a lot of big ways. Sadly, though I appreciated this book’s brutal honesty and unflinching storytelling, it failed me a couple of big ways.

The book opens up with a phone call. Dee and Nikki wake up to the news that the police want to talk to him about something. He tells her to follow, and she dutifully does. They make up a story on the way there to hide the truth: a cop was killed, Dee killed him, and Nikki drew the g...more I will be the first person to admit that I’m a fairly easy to please reader in a lot of big ways. Sadly, though I appreciated this book’s brutal honesty and unflinching storytelling, it failed me a couple of big ways.

The book opens up with a phone call. Dee and Nikki wake up to the news that the police want to talk to him about something. He tells her to follow, and she dutifully does. They make up a story on the way there to hide the truth: a cop was killed, Dee killed him, and Nikki drew the getaway car. She had no idea what was going to happen, or even what really happened, but she loves Dee and she wants to protect him. Though scared out of her wits, she goes along with his plan. But when the police start uncovering the lies and come after the people that have helped Nikki through everything Dee was never there for, she starts questioning her choices and realizing that maybe she is really being blinded by love.

To be honest, I hated Nikki from the second the story started. (Maybe it was the gratuitous sexual actions with which the book began and continued throughout the story.*)It is made clear that she’s always taken care of herself, from when her step-dad went to jail to when her mom spaced out on drugs. She pays her own bills, she has a job that she’s very good at, and she even looks after her friend Bird, Bird’s daughter and even her mother. From what is said about her, there is no doubt that Nikki should be able to stand on her own–and has done so on the past. This makes her complete devotion to Dee is ridiculously out of character. As far as I could tell, he had never done anything remotely large enough for her to destroy the self-made life she’d built for herself and made her dependent on him. Even he says he only bought her beer and weed when she asked for it. (Given the ease of which Nikki forgets her drug problem, she wasn’t really dependent on drugs anyways.) Dee is also never a fleshed out character. He wants sex, and he screams at her. That’s all there is to his character. There was just missing something from Nikki, because I never even felt sorry for her.

There is also the matter of the entire action part of this plot being over by the time the book starts. The murder is rehashed, yes, but in flashbacks. Most of it is waiting, whining and crying. (And doing other inmates’ hair in prison.) The amount of self-discovery that Nikki was undergoing was enormous, yes, but since her character never caught me I cared less and less as each paragraph flew by. It was mostly thinking and self-rumination that guided 95% of the book, and I got bored.

Don’t get me wrong, this book was beautifully written and tackled serious subjects with brutal honesty that was impressive. This just isn’t the kind of book that meshes with every kind of reader, and I admit without shame that I am not the reader for which it was intended. I tried, but I could never connect with any of the characters and so the rest of the self-exploration that occurred never felt important to me.

This book is not one for someone looking for a light read (which you can guess straightaway, let’s be honest). It is also not for someone looking for an action packed thriller. This is an examination of the human psyche that takes its strength from the exploration it takes into the human mind. If you’re looking to wax philosophical, check it out. If not, you’ve been warned.

*The act of sex is only described once, but not in the overt language used in a romance novel. However, there are a few description of sexual actions that take place before sex and a few uses of mid-vulgar language.(less)

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May 25, 2013 The BookWhisperer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: edelweiss

Criminal is a tragic and depressing story about a young girl that must learn the truth of love is blind. From the start Nikki has had a horrible life; with a drug addict mother, and no father she has been sliding by entirely by street smarts. Her one bright light is her friend Bird that has offered her a safe place to stay. Although, not entirely untouched she has falling in love with Dee, a local dead beat that has no interest in helping her overcome her past. Actually, he furthers her decline...more

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May 06, 2013 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I knew the moment that I saw the striking (and utterly perfect) cover of Criminal that it was Terra Elan McVoy, but that it was a very different type of Terra Elan McVoy than readers had ever encountered before. Here, we are not neatly sequestered behind the walls of high school, but very much in the real world. Nikki is a drop out, but one of necessity. She’s never met her father, her step-father’s in jail, and rather than take care of her daughter Nikki’s drug-binging mother only desires to wh...more I knew the moment that I saw the striking (and utterly perfect) cover of Criminal that it was Terra Elan McVoy, but that it was a very different type of Terra Elan McVoy than readers had ever encountered before. Here, we are not neatly sequestered behind the walls of high school, but very much in the real world. Nikki is a drop out, but one of necessity. She’s never met her father, her step-father’s in jail, and rather than take care of her daughter Nikki’s drug-binging mother only desires to whore her kid out for money. For Nikki, getting a job to support herself and moving in with her friend Bird was a way out and the chance at a future. A future she wanted to spend with Dee. Dee, her boyfriend who had left her once but returned saying he needed her. Dee, the only man who’s ever made her feel anything other than used when he touches her.

Criminal is full of sex and desire, the raw and aching kind, not the tender. TEM throws us into the story after the crime has already taken place, when Nikki is set to do anything to protect Dee and very confused and in denial about just what happened when those gunshots went off. This story is a brutal reflection of what people will do when they have passion for another, and the extreme lengths it can take to crawl out of its depths.

What TEM has accomplished so stunningly in Criminal isn’t making readers like her Nikki–at least I certainly never did–it’s making us feel compassion for her. I can imagine myself seeing a girl like Nikki on the evening news, being arrested for her part in a murder. She may not have pulled the trigger, but she was certainly an accessory. I can imagine myself feeling no pity for that girl and hoping for justice on the part of the victim. In Criminal, I was able to really see what it was to be an accessory to murder, unwitting and blindly following the man she loved. I never once felt sorry for Nikki, but I did empathize with her on some level. Haven’t we all at some point made stupid decisions because we believe we’re in love? What sealed my enjoyment of Criminal wasn’t Nikki’s downfall, it was her growth. We see her evolve from this raw ball of emotion incapable of facing reality, to someone who recognizes precisely what she has done. Not only does Nikki realize what the consequences must be, she begins to understand that what will happen to her is justified.

TEM quite purposefully creates a character that is malleable to her readers’ minds. I Tweeted her early on in my reading, curious to know Nikki’s ethnicity, and TEM assured me that while you were given clues to figure it out eventually, she left it vague on purpose. For me, this meant that the character could easily slide into the body of whoever readers wanted her to be. Through this and the material, I feel Criminal widens the audience for TEM’s latest book rather than targeting a different one. Faithful followers will not be disappointed (in fact, I think they’ll be charged with the newness and edge of Criminal), while new readers find something to hold on to. It has diversity, looks at a different economic group than we often see in YA, and looks upon family as something you can make rather than be born into. Criminal involves sex, recreational drug use, and underage drinking, but in realistic and thought-provoking ways. It is safe sex, it shows the negative side-affects of recreational drug use on children, and reveals that poor decisions can be made under the influence of emotions as easily as anything else.

Personally, I don’t read a lot of contemporary so there is a chance I’ve missed the books about teen girl incarceration, but for me this was something new. I look at Criminal as a shining example of what the New Adult label should have been. It is a gritty and true reflection of life in the real world and consequences that mount when you hit that arbitrary age of 18. Eighteen is certainly old enough to know better, and to be held accountable, but looking back 10 years on I realize, it’s certainly young enough to be fool-hardy and emotionally-stupid but sure.

Original review posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.(less)

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Mar 10, 2013 Trae rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA Readers;

Recommended to Trae by: Rebecca S.

Shelves: of_some_literary_merit

I just finished reading the advanced readers' copy of Criminal. Love! (Personal disclaimer -- and bragging rights: Terra is a close personal friend, and so I'm not the most objective reviewer.) Yes, I love it. And the book is about what love can make us do--it's about one of the most common types of love -- the unhealthy type that make us idiots.

While this is the most adult of her books so far, it is still one well-matched to the audience that she's most concerned with: teens and young adult rea...more

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May 13, 2013 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: unreleased, really-want-unreleased, egalley

Review originally posted on my blog http://hobbitsies.net/2013/05/crimina...

I am a massive fan of Terra Elan McVoy's books - they're relatable and realistic and fun and moving. So was I a little bit worried at first before I started Criminal. I knew right away that it was going to be vastly different from her previous books and I was nervous that I wouldn't like it as much.

But you guys, Terra Elan McVoy nailed Criminal. It's such an emotionally-wrought story full of bad decisions and confused ch...more

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May 20, 2013 Andi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: edelweiss

Let me start by saying I find Terra Élan McVoy a fascinating writer. I've read every one of her books and with every book she has surprised me. I find that she doesn't it into a certain category like some writers do. She writes what she feels and goes with it. From Pure, to After the Kiss, to The Summer of Firsts and Lasts, to Being Friends with Boys; each one is a different story that by no way follows a certain formula, and her newest book, Criminal, fits in perfectly. It's grittier than her o...more Let me start by saying I find Terra Élan McVoy a fascinating writer. I've read every one of her books and with every book she has surprised me. I find that she doesn't it into a certain category like some writers do. She writes what she feels and goes with it. From Pure, to After the Kiss, to The Summer of Firsts and Lasts, to Being Friends with Boys; each one is a different story that by no way follows a certain formula, and her newest book, Criminal, fits in perfectly. It's grittier than her other stories, with a darker tone, but still fabulous.

Criminal is the story of Nikki, a girl that lives a hard life, but thinks she has the perfect boyfriend in Dee. Dee claims he loves Nikki and even has a tattooed “N” right over his heart. Nikki would do anything for Dee and does by helping him with a crime that ends in murder. Refusing to see the truth about her boyfriend and the choices she made Nikki continuously lies to herself and the people that have been by her side. And when she ends up in jail for Dee’s crimes she must decide just how much to support the person that may have been the worst decision she has ever made.

Nikki kind of broke my heart in this book. She was such a lost little girl that was just dying to be loved and Dee made her feel that love. Her father was gone, her mother was a joke of a mother and she had no other family. Nikki was desperate for stability and it was blatantly obvious with how she clung on to Dee when all the signs where there showing just how much bad news he was. It made me really sad for her because she was such a bright, smart, tough girl, but she became a stereotype and wrecked her life over essentially a major loser. It pained me how naïve this poor girl was when it came to life and when it came to love, but the great thing about this book was watching Nikki grow. McVoy did an awesome job showing the growth of Nikki from a love stung puppet to a woman that learned what was right and wrong and that Dee was no good for her. And that is what made this book so great in my eyes.

I also found the plot to be very well thought out and even paced. Nothing happened too quickly and Nikki’s reactions to things that were revealed was right on. I believed that she didn’t think she did anything wrong and that she didn’t think she would get arrested. I loved how loyal she felt to Bird and how that played into her motivation for trying to do the right thing. Everything just worked really well together and I think that is what makes McVoy such a remarkable author and a chameleon of sorts. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see where she takes us next.
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Jan 08, 2013 Marci rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: eprepub, published-in-2013, ya, older-teen-read

Ok, disclaimer, I have met the author and so therefore feel predisposed to like her books. That being said this book is a great read. We meet Nichola a street smart young woman, whose boyfriend asks her to lie to the police. She gladly does this, because she loves her boyfriend and sees them having a future together. As the book progresses Nichola wonders why he wants her to lie & what really did happen on that Friday night. She needs to make choices about what's right & wrong and does h...more

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May 12, 2013 Julianna Helms marked it as to-read-or-not-to-read · review of another edition

I want to read this, but I have a feeling that I'll hate hate hate the main character. I know this type of stuff happens, and I'm not being ignorant towards it. It's just that from the reviews I have a gut reaction that this one is going to frustrate me to no end, so I'm probably going to pass on this one.

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May 08, 2013 CasPer "d" Bo0kaHoLic rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is not a hot bad ass love story, if that's the read you're looking for, this is not a love story at all... this is a story about a rather naive and insecure woman so blinded by her love or wanting to belong, to be loved, by her no good drug addict criminal boyfriend who only used her...

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Jun 15, 2013 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-teen-publications

3.5 The song "Stupid Girl" was on repeat in my mind as I read this, which was slightly annoying, but...while I didn't exactly like the book, it's certainly thought provoking and most definitely not for younger teens. Lots of sex, violence, & psychological abuse. Oh, happy times.

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May 21, 2013 Lauren Morrill rated it 5 of 5 stars

An engaging read filled with voices you don't often see in YA. Read it one, fast sitting.

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May 01, 2013 Karis (YA Litwit) Jacobstein rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am a fan of Terra's YA Contemporaries, and CRIMINAL is a total departure from anything Terra has written up until this point, but it is fantastic in its own right. She has made great strides in proving to me that she can write anything. Full review to come.

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Jan 30, 2013 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

wow

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avg rating	preview: Criminal Goodreads rating: 3.58 (67 ratings)
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