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The Girl in the Park
When Wendy Geller's body is found in Central Park after the night of a rager, newspaper headlines scream,"Death in the Park: Party Girl Found Strangled." But shy Rain, once Wendy's best friend, knows there was more to Wendy than just "party girl." As she struggles to separate the friend she knew from the tangle of gossip and headlines, Rain becomes determined to discover the truth about the murder. Written in a voice at once immediate, riveting, and utterly convincing, Mariah Frederick's mystery brilliantly exposes the cracks in this exclusive New York City world and the teenagers that move within it.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published April 24, 2012
70 people are currently reading
2352 people want to read
About the author
Mariah Fredericks
27 books685 followersMariah Fredericks was born, raised, and still lives in New York City. She graduated from Vassar College with a degree in history. She is the author of the Jane Prescott mystery series as well as The Lindbergh Nanny, which Nelson DeMille called, "a masterful blending of fact and fiction that is as compelling as it is entertaining." The Wharton Plot, was named one of the best mysteries of 2024 by Library Journal. "An Edith Wharton scholar could read Ms. Frederick’s novel with profit and amusement."—Wall Street Journal. Her next novel, The Girl in the Green Dress, featuring Zelda Fitzgerald and New Yorker writer Morris Markey, is out September 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
June 14, 2012
I enjoy mysteries, but I am not a huge fan of the writing, overall plot, or the characters in this book. The killer also seemed pretty obvious as soon as he/she shows up. There are also some pretty tasteless scenarios, starting with "I jerked him off" from one of the main characters at just 7% in. Probably won't bother some readers, but that sort of thing (written in that way) is definitely not to my taste.
May 16, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author, Mariah Fredericks, is clearly capable of writing books that are nearly impossible to put down. The characters, the genre, and the underlying themes all work so well to convey a message of empowerment towards people, more specifically young women, everywhere. It has a very clear audience of young adults, and I do think that it can help them in a lot of ways. Unlike many murder mysteries that use the content to show how dangerous life can be, this one shows how important it is to take risks.
The genre of this book is a fictional mystery. It may also overlap into youth fiction. The intended audience is young adults, specifically the 15-19 years of age crowd. I think maybe older people could read it, but considering that it is set in a high school they may not have as much of a connection to it. It uses a murder to show how corrupt society can be, because the press blames Wendy for her own death. In general it is just very current and very gripping for people interested in this genre and this issue.
Themes against victim blaming stand out. They contribute to the work because for the most part, the public in this story, including people who knew her, blame Wendy for her own death. These themes are very effective because in the end it is seen that Wendy’s death wasn’t her fault, but rather the fault of a man who lost control of himself. Another theme I see is that you should speak up. The main character started out very quiet, but Wendy’s death forced her to speak up, especially as she started uncovering more information. They are very effective, because these themes both contribute to each other and move the plot forward.
This author’s style is accessible to all readers. Some of it is written more formally, but mostly it is informal and relatable. Some quotes that exemplify this are the quotes from Wendy. For instance “go get em tigress!” and “Most people, myself included, talk too much. You listen. AND you think. Time to give up the silence girl!” give a more casual and relatable feel. It really highlights the fact that she has a way of giving Wendy life, even though Wendy is dead. It is also written with a style of suspense. Everything is complex, and every event contributes to the bigger picture. While there is a lot of foreshadowing, it is all incredibly subtle, and you don’t realize that it was there until you look back on it. For instance, as soon as she brings the murderer into the picture, you feel a sense of suspicion, and definitely worry for Rain (the main character), but it isn’t directly associated with the murderer.
This book is a fantastic mystery, in my opinion, with all the unpredictable twists and turns books of this genre should have. The characters really worked for me, and even though I don’t share any of the issues of the main character, I was still able to empathize with her. The book definitely has both a logical and emotional appeal. I was emotionally invested in what had happened to Wendy and was genuinely angry with the other characters who brushed it off, and with her killer. As far as the logic goes, I really liked watching the whole mystery be solved and finding out how everything came about. This is a book for anyone who likes the unexpected.
The genre of this book is a fictional mystery. It may also overlap into youth fiction. The intended audience is young adults, specifically the 15-19 years of age crowd. I think maybe older people could read it, but considering that it is set in a high school they may not have as much of a connection to it. It uses a murder to show how corrupt society can be, because the press blames Wendy for her own death. In general it is just very current and very gripping for people interested in this genre and this issue.
Themes against victim blaming stand out. They contribute to the work because for the most part, the public in this story, including people who knew her, blame Wendy for her own death. These themes are very effective because in the end it is seen that Wendy’s death wasn’t her fault, but rather the fault of a man who lost control of himself. Another theme I see is that you should speak up. The main character started out very quiet, but Wendy’s death forced her to speak up, especially as she started uncovering more information. They are very effective, because these themes both contribute to each other and move the plot forward.
This author’s style is accessible to all readers. Some of it is written more formally, but mostly it is informal and relatable. Some quotes that exemplify this are the quotes from Wendy. For instance “go get em tigress!” and “Most people, myself included, talk too much. You listen. AND you think. Time to give up the silence girl!” give a more casual and relatable feel. It really highlights the fact that she has a way of giving Wendy life, even though Wendy is dead. It is also written with a style of suspense. Everything is complex, and every event contributes to the bigger picture. While there is a lot of foreshadowing, it is all incredibly subtle, and you don’t realize that it was there until you look back on it. For instance, as soon as she brings the murderer into the picture, you feel a sense of suspicion, and definitely worry for Rain (the main character), but it isn’t directly associated with the murderer.
This book is a fantastic mystery, in my opinion, with all the unpredictable twists and turns books of this genre should have. The characters really worked for me, and even though I don’t share any of the issues of the main character, I was still able to empathize with her. The book definitely has both a logical and emotional appeal. I was emotionally invested in what had happened to Wendy and was genuinely angry with the other characters who brushed it off, and with her killer. As far as the logic goes, I really liked watching the whole mystery be solved and finding out how everything came about. This is a book for anyone who likes the unexpected.
July 5, 2018
Every other month or so I read a YA and often am glad I did.
And truly I just don't know what I expected with this one. Maybe something other than the dysfunction and anxious unhappiness that cored it?
I did read every word. It's easy read and not overlong. I'd give the prose flow a 3 star. At points it seem so detached despite the angst of Rain's thoughts/ observations.
This is about a Manhattan elite private high school and the out of control kids (IMHO) and dynamics of "popular" within it.
Worst aspect was the plot for me. Run of the mill, below average and the reveal/ summation to how it becomes resolved? Not realistic whatsoever. That was 1 star.
And truly I just don't know what I expected with this one. Maybe something other than the dysfunction and anxious unhappiness that cored it?
I did read every word. It's easy read and not overlong. I'd give the prose flow a 3 star. At points it seem so detached despite the angst of Rain's thoughts/ observations.
This is about a Manhattan elite private high school and the out of control kids (IMHO) and dynamics of "popular" within it.
Worst aspect was the plot for me. Run of the mill, below average and the reveal/ summation to how it becomes resolved? Not realistic whatsoever. That was 1 star.
July 7, 2012
Rain Donovan used to be best friends with Wendy, but they haven't really spoken in years. Early one morning, Wendy's body was discovered in a park. She'd been strangled. Rain wants to give Wendy justice, so she quietly starts investigating herself. Her first hunch, however, leads to the wrong person being accused. Now Rain is short on time to figure out what really happened, and the answer might be more then she's willing to face.
At first I didn't realize this was a mystery. I thought it was another YA realistic fiction book about a girl found murdered. Have you noticed there are a lot of them in the past year or so? So I was in a particular mindset when I started reading it and was not ready for the twists and turns a mystery has.
After the first person was accused, but it clearly wasn't the right person, I realized what it was. Then I thought it was kind of a lame mystery because the actual killer was super obvious. But well done Mariah Fredericks because she put in several good twists that kept me guessing and I didn't actually figure out who really did until close to the end.
Rain was a complex character who had many reasons for doing what she did. Rain has a cleft palate, which causes a lisp. While she had speech therapy that helped, Rain is afraid to speak. She's a listener and an observer. At the end of her high school career, the role she's fallen in to is "the girl people can talk to." She nonthreatening and she listens. This puts her in a very good position for finding things out.
When Wendy first moved to town at the beginning of high school, she and Rain became friends, but Wendy always wanted to be in the popular crowd. Wendy was loud and brash and completely her own person, and yet she had an intense desire to be loved and wanted. This led her to hooking up with a lot of boys, and in many cases, hooking up with the boys who girlfriends had been cruel to her. This is important to know because after her death, there were some who felt "she got what she deserved." She was a slut, she should have been more careful, it's her own fault. Getting with a lot of different people and actively stealing other people's boyfriends is not something I support, but does it mean you deserve to get murdered? Sure doesn't. It leads us back to the, "but look at what she was wearing!" defense. It doesn't matter what a girl is wearing, she doesn't "deserve" to get attacked.
I liked that Rain had a very supportive mother who was actively a part of her life who loved and cared for her. She wasn't in the book a ton (and when I say she was supportive I don't mean she was supportive of her kid investigating a murder) but she was a refreshingly realistic parental character who wasn't having a meltdown or falling apart. She acted like an adult. It made me realize how rare it is to kind functioning adults in YA.
I ended up really enjoying this story, and while it's not Ellis Peters, it was a good and engaging mystery that kept me guessing. There were definitely a couple moments when I wanted to yell, "Rain, WTF are you doing? You know that's the murderer, why are you going off alone with this person?" But she had to so it could all have a dramatic conclusion and the murderer could reveal their whole dastardly plan. Because that's how it always works, right?
At first I didn't realize this was a mystery. I thought it was another YA realistic fiction book about a girl found murdered. Have you noticed there are a lot of them in the past year or so? So I was in a particular mindset when I started reading it and was not ready for the twists and turns a mystery has.
After the first person was accused, but it clearly wasn't the right person, I realized what it was. Then I thought it was kind of a lame mystery because the actual killer was super obvious. But well done Mariah Fredericks because she put in several good twists that kept me guessing and I didn't actually figure out who really did until close to the end.
Rain was a complex character who had many reasons for doing what she did. Rain has a cleft palate, which causes a lisp. While she had speech therapy that helped, Rain is afraid to speak. She's a listener and an observer. At the end of her high school career, the role she's fallen in to is "the girl people can talk to." She nonthreatening and she listens. This puts her in a very good position for finding things out.
When Wendy first moved to town at the beginning of high school, she and Rain became friends, but Wendy always wanted to be in the popular crowd. Wendy was loud and brash and completely her own person, and yet she had an intense desire to be loved and wanted. This led her to hooking up with a lot of boys, and in many cases, hooking up with the boys who girlfriends had been cruel to her. This is important to know because after her death, there were some who felt "she got what she deserved." She was a slut, she should have been more careful, it's her own fault. Getting with a lot of different people and actively stealing other people's boyfriends is not something I support, but does it mean you deserve to get murdered? Sure doesn't. It leads us back to the, "but look at what she was wearing!" defense. It doesn't matter what a girl is wearing, she doesn't "deserve" to get attacked.
I liked that Rain had a very supportive mother who was actively a part of her life who loved and cared for her. She wasn't in the book a ton (and when I say she was supportive I don't mean she was supportive of her kid investigating a murder) but she was a refreshingly realistic parental character who wasn't having a meltdown or falling apart. She acted like an adult. It made me realize how rare it is to kind functioning adults in YA.
I ended up really enjoying this story, and while it's not Ellis Peters, it was a good and engaging mystery that kept me guessing. There were definitely a couple moments when I wanted to yell, "Rain, WTF are you doing? You know that's the murderer, why are you going off alone with this person?" But she had to so it could all have a dramatic conclusion and the murderer could reveal their whole dastardly plan. Because that's how it always works, right?
March 31, 2012
It's been so long since I've read a mystery that I had forgotten how much I love reading them. Looking for clues. Trying to read the characters and guess who the murderer is and what the outcome will be. This book definitely delivered all those and so much more.
Very well written and very well paced, The Girl in the Park kept me turning pages and not wanting to put it down. Fredericks had me guessing who the murderer was at each turn while making me second guess myself moments later.
Fredericks puts an interesting spin on the usual murder mystery by giving us the story from the victim's former best friend, Rain. As the story unfolds so does the victim Wendy Geller's character. Rain struggles standing by watching the media and her classmates tear Wendy apart with gossip and portray her solely as the 'party girl' that may have been asking for what she got. We not only get incredible characterization of Wendy here, but of Rain and everyone surrounding the murders as well.
As she investigates Wendy's death, Rain's life is revealed to us as well. She learns a lot about herself and where her choices have brought her as she remembers more about Wendy and the friendship they had as well as where some of her current choices might be taking her.
As the story came closer to the end and I finally began to realize who the murder was I also realized that this was definitely not the whole point of this story. For me it was more about the fact that we never really know someone fully. There are so many angles to everyone involved in this story, too and including our narrator. I'm an adult, I know this already, but sometimes we tend to forget it. We tend to let the media sell us a view. We let the gossip pull us in and allow us to pass judgement. There are so many characters here that on the surface lend themselves to easy judgement. Watching each character unfold, seeing different sides to them was all part of making this a richly detailed and vividly delivered story.
An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher through Net Galley.
May 16, 2012
One evening while lurking on NetGalley, I saw the cover for The Girl in the Park caught my eye - it was so eerie that I needed to know more about this book. I lurked around and saw a few reviews on Goodreads comparing it to Nancy Drew and that really got me curious, besides I was on a huge Stephen King kick. So I requested, and was thrilled when I could download this book.
One thing I really liked about Mariah Fredricks writing was how realistic it was - not that I've experienced a murder mystery - but that the characters were very real. I didn't absolutely love everyone in the book, which was great because that's how life works. There are people that scratch at you, that you would suspect in a case like this. And they all felt very real, likable or not.
Not only are the characters real, but the experience of death in the teenage crowd was very real to me - Alive? Wendy wasn't necessarily liked by everyone, but in death all of a sudden the student population was covered in grief. It brought me back to my high school days when a friend passed away. All of a sudden, everyone was heartbroken, even if they'd never really met him. This was much that way, and as frustrating as it was to read? It was real. And I like books that are real.
The Girl in the Park is a great, quick read. I was impressed by the lack of predictability and the realism. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good YA thriller.
One thing I really liked about Mariah Fredricks writing was how realistic it was - not that I've experienced a murder mystery - but that the characters were very real. I didn't absolutely love everyone in the book, which was great because that's how life works. There are people that scratch at you, that you would suspect in a case like this. And they all felt very real, likable or not.
Not only are the characters real, but the experience of death in the teenage crowd was very real to me - Alive? Wendy wasn't necessarily liked by everyone, but in death all of a sudden the student population was covered in grief. It brought me back to my high school days when a friend passed away. All of a sudden, everyone was heartbroken, even if they'd never really met him. This was much that way, and as frustrating as it was to read? It was real. And I like books that are real.
The Girl in the Park is a great, quick read. I was impressed by the lack of predictability and the realism. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good YA thriller.
March 22, 2012
By page 4 of The Girl in The Park I knew with absolute certainty that, even if I hated the story and the mystery just sucked, I would be shown why and not told. I read the conversations between Rain and her mother, then Rain and Ms. Geller over again a few times to be certain that it really had been only four pages, yet I already knew so much about Wendy, Rain, and their relationships with each other and their mothers. Fredericks has honed down her words until each and every one pack a potent visual punch. The novel rushes forward but never let me behind. It was thoughtful and thought-provoking, moody and suspenseful, disturbing yet ultimately uplifting. Rain succeeds in her attempt to discover Wendy's murderer; but the most important discovery she makes is herself.
I am so impressed by so much of what Fredericks has done in The Girl in The Park. There are moments that feel so very dark and bleak, but the tone of the book as a whole is much more complex because - at its core - the book is honest. I love the way Fredericks deals with Rain's disability and the long lasting influence it has on how she views herself. How Wendy and Rain's friendship develops, grows, changes...then fades away. I like that Rain never really has a love interest because she hasn't yet learned to love herself. I am awed by how well Fredericks' shows all the varying aspects of Wendy's character without invalidating the others. Her characters are almost entirely shades of grey.
The mystery, too, was very well executed (except, perhaps, for the bad-guy-explains-it-all monologue toward the end.) There is successful foreshadowing - hints and clues that keep us one step (but only one step) ahead of Rain in pursuit of the murderer. As for that honesty mentioned earlier? It is shown in the suspects to full effect. Fredericks doesn't rely on last minute character assassination, previously unknown redemptive traits suddenly revealed, or a good guy just grossly misunderstood - everyone remains as they ever were. I love that Fredericks shows that just because someone is a thoroughly nasty jerk does not necessarily mean they are capable of murder, and It may seem a bit grandiose to say this, but as I thought about what I would write in this review of The Girl in The Park, I kept coming back to some things I've heard Sister Helen Prejean and Vincent Harding say about justice, revenge and vengeance; about how the quest for each can become something just as dark as the original act and should never be what gives your life meaning. Fredericks does a wonderful job of showing Rain find meaning for her life within herself - and that is a powerful thing for a who-done-it.
I am so impressed by so much of what Fredericks has done in The Girl in The Park. There are moments that feel so very dark and bleak, but the tone of the book as a whole is much more complex because - at its core - the book is honest. I love the way Fredericks deals with Rain's disability and the long lasting influence it has on how she views herself. How Wendy and Rain's friendship develops, grows, changes...then fades away. I like that Rain never really has a love interest because she hasn't yet learned to love herself. I am awed by how well Fredericks' shows all the varying aspects of Wendy's character without invalidating the others. Her characters are almost entirely shades of grey.
The mystery, too, was very well executed (except, perhaps, for the bad-guy-explains-it-all monologue toward the end.) There is successful foreshadowing - hints and clues that keep us one step (but only one step) ahead of Rain in pursuit of the murderer. As for that honesty mentioned earlier? It is shown in the suspects to full effect. Fredericks doesn't rely on last minute character assassination, previously unknown redemptive traits suddenly revealed, or a good guy just grossly misunderstood - everyone remains as they ever were. I love that Fredericks shows that just because someone is a thoroughly nasty jerk does not necessarily mean they are capable of murder, and It may seem a bit grandiose to say this, but as I thought about what I would write in this review of The Girl in The Park, I kept coming back to some things I've heard Sister Helen Prejean and Vincent Harding say about justice, revenge and vengeance; about how the quest for each can become something just as dark as the original act and should never be what gives your life meaning. Fredericks does a wonderful job of showing Rain find meaning for her life within herself - and that is a powerful thing for a who-done-it.
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December 14, 2012This book was out of my comfort zone. I did not enjoy it as I much as I thought I would. It was to unusual and everything just happened to perfectly fall into place. I believe this book could of been better if it had added things that sounded like real life scenario. Mariah Fredericks did a horrendous job of making the characters come to life, well at least in my opinion.
This book is about a shy girl named Rain struggling to find the murder of her use-to-be best friend, Wendy Geller. Rain always thought that Wendy was a try-hard, that she would never take no for an answer. One night Wendy had dragged Rain to a girl named Sasha's party. Sasha has a boyfriend named Nico, who Wendy adored. Wendy was boy crazy, in every way. She was the kind of girl that went for another girls boyfriend. Rain had been Wendy's ride home, so when Wendy told Rain she didn't need a ride, Rain immediately left. Rain had a speech problem. When she was born she had no roof to her mouth, so doctors had to pull the sides of her mouth in, leaving a hole in the roof of her mouth.
The next morning Rain gets a call from Wendy's mother, saying that Wendy had not come home the previous night. Rain told her that she must have slept over at Sasha's house. Unfortunately later that day, a girl was found dead in the park. The body was Wendy Geller. The school acted like they were at wreck by all of this, but many people thought Wendy deserved it. She had been beaten to death. With the talk of new work city as " Death in the park: Party girl found dead," rain new she had to stop it. She got a hold of the detective on the case of Wendy's death. The detective had told Rain a secret, that they found an E pin. An E pin was a gift given to the students that stood out that year. Wendy was not one of the students. Soon Rain started putting everything into place, Wendy wanted to leave with Nico, and Nico's girlfriend had 2 E pins. Had Nico's girlfriend given one to him, or had Sasha killed Wendy out of jealousy. No, it couldn't have been Sasha, because she had been in her room the whole time everything went down, Rain knew because she had checked on her before she left. It must have been Nico.
This book is about a shy girl named Rain struggling to find the murder of her use-to-be best friend, Wendy Geller. Rain always thought that Wendy was a try-hard, that she would never take no for an answer. One night Wendy had dragged Rain to a girl named Sasha's party. Sasha has a boyfriend named Nico, who Wendy adored. Wendy was boy crazy, in every way. She was the kind of girl that went for another girls boyfriend. Rain had been Wendy's ride home, so when Wendy told Rain she didn't need a ride, Rain immediately left. Rain had a speech problem. When she was born she had no roof to her mouth, so doctors had to pull the sides of her mouth in, leaving a hole in the roof of her mouth.
The next morning Rain gets a call from Wendy's mother, saying that Wendy had not come home the previous night. Rain told her that she must have slept over at Sasha's house. Unfortunately later that day, a girl was found dead in the park. The body was Wendy Geller. The school acted like they were at wreck by all of this, but many people thought Wendy deserved it. She had been beaten to death. With the talk of new work city as " Death in the park: Party girl found dead," rain new she had to stop it. She got a hold of the detective on the case of Wendy's death. The detective had told Rain a secret, that they found an E pin. An E pin was a gift given to the students that stood out that year. Wendy was not one of the students. Soon Rain started putting everything into place, Wendy wanted to leave with Nico, and Nico's girlfriend had 2 E pins. Had Nico's girlfriend given one to him, or had Sasha killed Wendy out of jealousy. No, it couldn't have been Sasha, because she had been in her room the whole time everything went down, Rain knew because she had checked on her before she left. It must have been Nico.
June 1, 2012
If I am reading a mystery I want a surprise ending...I knew who did it as soon as the character was introduced. Maybe it's all those years of watching Masterpiece Mystery or the ridiculous amount of times I played Clue in 3rd grade, but this one was just too obvious. The side stories about rich kids, New York prep schools, and mean girls was just the same as any other YA fiction and it just didn't feel like anything new at all.
March 2, 2012
Loved the mystery writing, and though I am so very bored with the lives of rich, spoiled, New York teens, the storytelling and plotting redeems the book from my "no" pile--my teens are liking this a lot.
December 4, 2013
it was alittle confusing in the beginning of the book but once I got to the middle it was easy to understand
September 10, 2017
The only thing I liked about this book is the cover.
I found the main character too annoying and whiney. I just didn't like her at all.
Wendy... I only feel bad that she died. Everything else that happen to her before her death is her on damn fault. I feel like the author wants us to have complete sympathy for Wendy but I just have very little.
It did keep me a bit entertain and that's why I didn't give it one star.
I found the main character too annoying and whiney. I just didn't like her at all.
Wendy... I only feel bad that she died. Everything else that happen to her before her death is her on damn fault. I feel like the author wants us to have complete sympathy for Wendy but I just have very little.
It did keep me a bit entertain and that's why I didn't give it one star.
June 26, 2024
i think i have a girlcrush on sasha
April 18, 2012
Rain is the shy girl in school, the one who only talks when absolutely necessary and who is very good at disappearing into the background. She was born with Cleft Palette and although she has had corrective surgery done and taken speech therapy, years later she still feels like the odd one out, the one all the other kids point at and make fun of because of the way she talks. So, to cope she has perfected the art of not getting noticed. Only one person made her feel like she wasn't such a freak, her once best friend Wendy Geller. Wendy saw her like she was something special, something she wanted to be.
Wendy was a party girl, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks who ended up in a private school, the one Rain attended, where most of the kids there were the sons and daughters of someone famous and definitely rich. Wendy was one of the few exceptions and as an exception she was also seen as a plague. The trailer trash girl who wanted to fit in so badly, she spent tons of time her first year trying to be accepted into the popular group. One girl noticed that she was trying too hard and brought that to her attention. That girl was Rain.
Rain and Wendy's friendship grew for a while but eventually drifted apart. Wendy's obsession with being part of the in-crowd and the anger she felt when she was cast away, turned her into the boyfriend-stealing slut of the school, so to say. Wendy found the perfect way to get back at the snooty girls in school. You don't say hi back, I steal your boyfriend. It was that plain and simple in Wendy's eyes. Not so for Rain, who really wanted Wendy for once to have her own boyfriend, and not someone else's. Wendy eventually becomes fixated in getting this one guy Nico Phelps, also taken, and posts a video on Facebook promising the guy that she was going to get him. This public challenge became the talk of the school. The day of the party Rain and Wendy have a brief talk right before Nico shows up with his girlfriend. Not wanting to be around for the scandal that was about to get unleashed, Rain heads home and calls it a night. The next day the headlines are all over the place "Wendy Phelps, found dead in Central Park", but who killed Wendy? Was it Nico because she wouldn't leave him alone? Was it Nico's girlfriend? Or was it one of the many girls that Wendy crossed by getting with their boyfriends?
As a contemporary mystery, this book was enjoyable. I felt at times that the pace of the book was slow and it did take me a while to get into it. I felt that there were holes with the way the police investigation was presented. How in the world could a key piece of evidence be confused for something else? Doesn't the police take proper pictures and documentation? I also felt that these so called investigators were hardly doing any "investigating" and Rain was the one doing all the work. It just didn't feel believable to me. Plot issues aside, I felt that the story was very heart warming, although I felt a stronger connection to the girl that died, Wendy, than the main character who is narrating the story. This I think is because Rain constantly flashes back to memories of the days she and Wendy were closer friends and I felt that Wendy, with all her flaws, was still a good loyal friend to Rain. I did feel bad for Rain when the other students were mean to her, pretending they couldn't understand what she said, just to make her feel more inadequate. I was a bit disappointed that there was no romance in the book, since Rain does have a crush on someone but the romance never really develops.
All things considered, I did enjoy this book quite a bit, even if it frustrated me at times. I would give this book 3 stars. Maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea as they say, but it could definitely be yours. The book was well and clearly written and the story is one that breaks your heart. I did get teary-eyed at the end when Rain reminisces and talks about how what happened to Wendy changed her life as well, move me it did.
(Originally reviewed at JJiReads.blogspot.com)
Wendy was a party girl, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks who ended up in a private school, the one Rain attended, where most of the kids there were the sons and daughters of someone famous and definitely rich. Wendy was one of the few exceptions and as an exception she was also seen as a plague. The trailer trash girl who wanted to fit in so badly, she spent tons of time her first year trying to be accepted into the popular group. One girl noticed that she was trying too hard and brought that to her attention. That girl was Rain.
Rain and Wendy's friendship grew for a while but eventually drifted apart. Wendy's obsession with being part of the in-crowd and the anger she felt when she was cast away, turned her into the boyfriend-stealing slut of the school, so to say. Wendy found the perfect way to get back at the snooty girls in school. You don't say hi back, I steal your boyfriend. It was that plain and simple in Wendy's eyes. Not so for Rain, who really wanted Wendy for once to have her own boyfriend, and not someone else's. Wendy eventually becomes fixated in getting this one guy Nico Phelps, also taken, and posts a video on Facebook promising the guy that she was going to get him. This public challenge became the talk of the school. The day of the party Rain and Wendy have a brief talk right before Nico shows up with his girlfriend. Not wanting to be around for the scandal that was about to get unleashed, Rain heads home and calls it a night. The next day the headlines are all over the place "Wendy Phelps, found dead in Central Park", but who killed Wendy? Was it Nico because she wouldn't leave him alone? Was it Nico's girlfriend? Or was it one of the many girls that Wendy crossed by getting with their boyfriends?
As a contemporary mystery, this book was enjoyable. I felt at times that the pace of the book was slow and it did take me a while to get into it. I felt that there were holes with the way the police investigation was presented. How in the world could a key piece of evidence be confused for something else? Doesn't the police take proper pictures and documentation? I also felt that these so called investigators were hardly doing any "investigating" and Rain was the one doing all the work. It just didn't feel believable to me. Plot issues aside, I felt that the story was very heart warming, although I felt a stronger connection to the girl that died, Wendy, than the main character who is narrating the story. This I think is because Rain constantly flashes back to memories of the days she and Wendy were closer friends and I felt that Wendy, with all her flaws, was still a good loyal friend to Rain. I did feel bad for Rain when the other students were mean to her, pretending they couldn't understand what she said, just to make her feel more inadequate. I was a bit disappointed that there was no romance in the book, since Rain does have a crush on someone but the romance never really develops.
All things considered, I did enjoy this book quite a bit, even if it frustrated me at times. I would give this book 3 stars. Maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea as they say, but it could definitely be yours. The book was well and clearly written and the story is one that breaks your heart. I did get teary-eyed at the end when Rain reminisces and talks about how what happened to Wendy changed her life as well, move me it did.
(Originally reviewed at JJiReads.blogspot.com)
April 22, 2012
Main character Rain tries to stay quiet and avoid notice. She has a cleft palate that still affects her speech patterns, despite a lot of speech therapy. This definitely makes her stand out among the YA books I've read, reminding me most of Wonder by R. J. Palacio, which is amazing by the way. Both main characters are freaks because of deformities they were born with, but both are also really great people. From reading Auggie's viewpoint in Wonder and Rain's in The Girl in the Park, it's so obvious how smart they are and how much they have to offer.
Rain's a really nice person. She's the kind of girl who will help someone out just because they're in pain. Even if that person is the most popular girl in school and has never been kind to her, Rain will listen to her and comfort her when she's down, because that's what she does. This is how she befriends Wendy, a transfer student. Watching Wendy, Rain sees someone who wants so desperately to be popular that she stands no chance of achieving her goal. Rain offers her advice and tries to be friends, even though they are completely different.
One thing that did bother me was something that just was not believable, namely that the school sent out a message saying that students who did not feel up to coming the day after Wendy's death would not be marked absent. No real school would do this. Why? Because EVERY SINGLE STUDENT would suddenly feel the strange need to mourn for Wendy, whether they knew her or not, liked her or not. What schools do, and I have experienced this, is still have the exact same attendance policy, but make the guidance counselors extra available for people to talk to if they're sad. Seriously, if a school is going to make attendance optional that day, they might as well just close altogether, because that's how many kids would show up. Does this matter at all with regards to the plot? No.
Death is really awkward, especially with the advent of all of this web interconnectivity. The Girl in the Park does a pretty good job of highlighting this fact, although I don't imagine that's something all readers are going to take away from it. Wendy wasn't even very well-liked, but, in death, suddenly she's missed and fascinating and everyone's sad, even though many of them probably wished she would leave the school, if not the living world. Kids go to right on her facebook wall about their condolences and how awesome she was, though they may never have thought of it and though Wendy cannot actually read these messages. Whenever someone I know dies, which thankfully is not often, this same sort of furor erupts. There's this desire to be closest to the tragedy, to garner attention because of it, which I'm seriously creeped out by and do not approve of. Was grief always so public?
The Girl in the Park reminds me a lot of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, although the issues they are dealing with are not exactly the same. They do, however, share themes of popularity and being afraid to speak up. Rain's distance from others, although certainly not as extreme, is also a commonality between the two. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy the depressingly honest YA books by authors like Anderson and Bick.
Rain's a really nice person. She's the kind of girl who will help someone out just because they're in pain. Even if that person is the most popular girl in school and has never been kind to her, Rain will listen to her and comfort her when she's down, because that's what she does. This is how she befriends Wendy, a transfer student. Watching Wendy, Rain sees someone who wants so desperately to be popular that she stands no chance of achieving her goal. Rain offers her advice and tries to be friends, even though they are completely different.
One thing that did bother me was something that just was not believable, namely that the school sent out a message saying that students who did not feel up to coming the day after Wendy's death would not be marked absent. No real school would do this. Why? Because EVERY SINGLE STUDENT would suddenly feel the strange need to mourn for Wendy, whether they knew her or not, liked her or not. What schools do, and I have experienced this, is still have the exact same attendance policy, but make the guidance counselors extra available for people to talk to if they're sad. Seriously, if a school is going to make attendance optional that day, they might as well just close altogether, because that's how many kids would show up. Does this matter at all with regards to the plot? No.
Death is really awkward, especially with the advent of all of this web interconnectivity. The Girl in the Park does a pretty good job of highlighting this fact, although I don't imagine that's something all readers are going to take away from it. Wendy wasn't even very well-liked, but, in death, suddenly she's missed and fascinating and everyone's sad, even though many of them probably wished she would leave the school, if not the living world. Kids go to right on her facebook wall about their condolences and how awesome she was, though they may never have thought of it and though Wendy cannot actually read these messages. Whenever someone I know dies, which thankfully is not often, this same sort of furor erupts. There's this desire to be closest to the tragedy, to garner attention because of it, which I'm seriously creeped out by and do not approve of. Was grief always so public?
The Girl in the Park reminds me a lot of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, although the issues they are dealing with are not exactly the same. They do, however, share themes of popularity and being afraid to speak up. Rain's distance from others, although certainly not as extreme, is also a commonality between the two. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy the depressingly honest YA books by authors like Anderson and Bick.
March 20, 2012
This was another ARC from Netgalley.com which I just finished last night. The Girl in the Park, comes out April 24th, published by Random House Children’s Books.
The Girl in the Park, is a mystery. Wendy is dead. Body found in the park after a party. She wasn’t the most popular girl in school and had a reputation for being a wild party girl who would do anything. The press makes her look horrible, victim or not. Rain though, former good friend, has a hard time accepting this. She knew Wendy was flawed, they hadn’t been friends in a while but she still remembered the girl who made her feel special and knows she wasn’t all bad. Either if she was she didn’t deserve what happened to her. Almost by mistake she sets out to find out who killed her friend. No one will speak up for Wendy then it’s up for her to try.
Now I will warn you that I did figure out who did it pretty early on in the book. I know some of my friends have a problem with things like that. For me it depends on the story. In this book I didn’t mind at all. I knew I was right but reading along finding new evidence that either helped or hurt my suspect was enjoyable. Because it’s not just a story of finding out who murdered Wendy, but a story about Rain and her coming to terms with herself and the things that have happened in her life.
I have to say I really like the main characters Rain and Wendy. Yes, Wendy dies in the beginning. So how can she be a main character? Easy, we learn about her life, all the different aspects of her, what she did who she was before she was killed. I felt like with each passing page I got to know both characters even better. Now Rain. I have to say at first this name caught my attention, and I liked it. Different and cute. It also played in well with the difficult teasing. She isn’t perfect, speech problems, cleft pallet…anyone who has been in high school and wasn’t top tier popular will totally feel for her.
Rain doesn’t speak much. Never speaks up for herself given the teasing she’s endured through most of her life, a habit that is hard to break. A fear. Still she is drawn to figure this out even if it causes more problems because after all she is really good at listening to people. Sometimes they just might say something they don’t want anyone to really know.
Overall I would give this book a solid 4 Stars. I liked it. It intrigued me. I knew who did it but that didn’t take away, for me anyways, from the story. Again the book comes out April 24th and if you like a good mystery and self journey check it out.
http://functioninginsanity.blogspot.c...
The Girl in the Park, is a mystery. Wendy is dead. Body found in the park after a party. She wasn’t the most popular girl in school and had a reputation for being a wild party girl who would do anything. The press makes her look horrible, victim or not. Rain though, former good friend, has a hard time accepting this. She knew Wendy was flawed, they hadn’t been friends in a while but she still remembered the girl who made her feel special and knows she wasn’t all bad. Either if she was she didn’t deserve what happened to her. Almost by mistake she sets out to find out who killed her friend. No one will speak up for Wendy then it’s up for her to try.
Now I will warn you that I did figure out who did it pretty early on in the book. I know some of my friends have a problem with things like that. For me it depends on the story. In this book I didn’t mind at all. I knew I was right but reading along finding new evidence that either helped or hurt my suspect was enjoyable. Because it’s not just a story of finding out who murdered Wendy, but a story about Rain and her coming to terms with herself and the things that have happened in her life.
I have to say I really like the main characters Rain and Wendy. Yes, Wendy dies in the beginning. So how can she be a main character? Easy, we learn about her life, all the different aspects of her, what she did who she was before she was killed. I felt like with each passing page I got to know both characters even better. Now Rain. I have to say at first this name caught my attention, and I liked it. Different and cute. It also played in well with the difficult teasing. She isn’t perfect, speech problems, cleft pallet…anyone who has been in high school and wasn’t top tier popular will totally feel for her.
Rain doesn’t speak much. Never speaks up for herself given the teasing she’s endured through most of her life, a habit that is hard to break. A fear. Still she is drawn to figure this out even if it causes more problems because after all she is really good at listening to people. Sometimes they just might say something they don’t want anyone to really know.
Overall I would give this book a solid 4 Stars. I liked it. It intrigued me. I knew who did it but that didn’t take away, for me anyways, from the story. Again the book comes out April 24th and if you like a good mystery and self journey check it out.
http://functioninginsanity.blogspot.c...
June 4, 2012
A well crafted mystery with a interesting central character, The Girl in the Park pulls in some known elements in a well done way. Though the choppiness of the chapters and scenes, and the rapid switching between past and present, made it hard for me to fully delve into the book, there is still something addicting and intriguing about the book. Pulling in some rough emotional aspects, and having a quick pacing, The Girl in the Park is a fast but thrilling read.
Rain is more than just the shy girl – she’s the girl who’s been bullied enough due to her cleft palate and speech problems that she’s quiet and keeps to herself. When Wendy busted through that, and befriended her despite the physical problem, she definitely left a mark on Rain. Though the girls aren’t really friends now, there is still a quiet sense of kinship that drives Rain to want to find the truth behind Wendy’s death. Pulling in instances from the past and cataloging not only the good times but the bad times between them as well, Rain goes through a tremendous amount of growth that is scripted in a choppy yet well done way. Though she has her moments of weakness, and definitely has a few flaws, she’s a great character with a strong story and drive in her.
Wendy is brash and showy, the kind of girl who goes after other girl’s boyfriends and seems to have no qualms about it. A girl who gets around, and one who is the life of the party even in a bad way, it’s almost no surprise when she turns up dead on the park. Still, despite the in your face way about her, Wendy had a soft side to her, and was a great friend when it counted. Though she was the kind to get hurt easily, and created her own problems, readers will sympathize with her, and not just because she ends up dead.
The mystery around Wendy’s death, and the ensuing investigation, are well executed in a smart and realistic way. With little clues dropped here and there, but keeping the bigger things hidden, readers will make some connections but not all of them, giving them some feeling of control while still eager to find out the truth. Having a strong emotional and sympathetic element to it, and almost painful in the full scope, the actual reasons for everything are both realistic and understandable.
Quietly enthralling, though hard for me to get into due to the style of the writing and scene shifts, The Girl in the Park is a fast and fun read. I love murder mysteries, and this one didn’t disappoint. With a captivating central character, and pulling in some great elements, this one is enjoyable and worthwhile.
Rain is more than just the shy girl – she’s the girl who’s been bullied enough due to her cleft palate and speech problems that she’s quiet and keeps to herself. When Wendy busted through that, and befriended her despite the physical problem, she definitely left a mark on Rain. Though the girls aren’t really friends now, there is still a quiet sense of kinship that drives Rain to want to find the truth behind Wendy’s death. Pulling in instances from the past and cataloging not only the good times but the bad times between them as well, Rain goes through a tremendous amount of growth that is scripted in a choppy yet well done way. Though she has her moments of weakness, and definitely has a few flaws, she’s a great character with a strong story and drive in her.
Wendy is brash and showy, the kind of girl who goes after other girl’s boyfriends and seems to have no qualms about it. A girl who gets around, and one who is the life of the party even in a bad way, it’s almost no surprise when she turns up dead on the park. Still, despite the in your face way about her, Wendy had a soft side to her, and was a great friend when it counted. Though she was the kind to get hurt easily, and created her own problems, readers will sympathize with her, and not just because she ends up dead.
The mystery around Wendy’s death, and the ensuing investigation, are well executed in a smart and realistic way. With little clues dropped here and there, but keeping the bigger things hidden, readers will make some connections but not all of them, giving them some feeling of control while still eager to find out the truth. Having a strong emotional and sympathetic element to it, and almost painful in the full scope, the actual reasons for everything are both realistic and understandable.
Quietly enthralling, though hard for me to get into due to the style of the writing and scene shifts, The Girl in the Park is a fast and fun read. I love murder mysteries, and this one didn’t disappoint. With a captivating central character, and pulling in some great elements, this one is enjoyable and worthwhile.
October 15, 2011
I wasn't too excited to read this book. I guess because there wasn't much buzz around it and I'd never heard of it before I was given the chance to review it. But then I started reading.
At first we're introduced to Rain, a girl with a hole in the top of her mouth that means for a lot of her life, she couldn't talk properly. Couldn't pronounce her s's or t's. Got picked on a lot at school for being the girl who spoke like a three year old. And the only person who gave her the chance to be herself? Who tried to get her to speak up and not be scared to talk? Party girl, Wendy Geller, who made a game of sleeping with the boyfriends of girls who pissed her off.
The book is heart breaking and hope inducing and beautiful all in one. When Wendy is killed, she and Rain aren't so close anymore. You know how it is. Friends start to realise they actually don't have much in common anymore. But her death still rocks Rain, and when it's all people can do to slander Wendy's name, Rain decides to finally speak up.
There were a lot of characters to remember and interact with throughout the novel. And Fredericks does a fantastic job in developing each secondary character so we remember who they are even fifty or so pages after they were first mentioned. Though the story is told in present tense, day by day as the police investigation goes on, we're thrown back in time every so often to get a real look at the characters we're dealing with. There's much mystery around the killer, and just when I think I know who it is, I'm thrown a new clue that ruins everything.
Towards the middle, I was totally invested in finding out who the killer was. I wasn't disappointed, although when Rain confronts them, I did long for a more...dramatic show down I guess. Because everything else was so honest, I expected a hugely honest and raw scene of revelations. It slightly lacked there for me.
But all in all I very much enjoyed this book. I'm liking thrillers more and more, and the whole 'whodunnit' aspect of this novel was definitely done well and realistically. It was fun piecing the clues together, and Rain was a smart character that made her own decisions and thoughts while at the same time learning that if you have something to say, you should speak up and say it.
4 out of 5 stars. Recommend to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery.
At first we're introduced to Rain, a girl with a hole in the top of her mouth that means for a lot of her life, she couldn't talk properly. Couldn't pronounce her s's or t's. Got picked on a lot at school for being the girl who spoke like a three year old. And the only person who gave her the chance to be herself? Who tried to get her to speak up and not be scared to talk? Party girl, Wendy Geller, who made a game of sleeping with the boyfriends of girls who pissed her off.
The book is heart breaking and hope inducing and beautiful all in one. When Wendy is killed, she and Rain aren't so close anymore. You know how it is. Friends start to realise they actually don't have much in common anymore. But her death still rocks Rain, and when it's all people can do to slander Wendy's name, Rain decides to finally speak up.
There were a lot of characters to remember and interact with throughout the novel. And Fredericks does a fantastic job in developing each secondary character so we remember who they are even fifty or so pages after they were first mentioned. Though the story is told in present tense, day by day as the police investigation goes on, we're thrown back in time every so often to get a real look at the characters we're dealing with. There's much mystery around the killer, and just when I think I know who it is, I'm thrown a new clue that ruins everything.
Towards the middle, I was totally invested in finding out who the killer was. I wasn't disappointed, although when Rain confronts them, I did long for a more...dramatic show down I guess. Because everything else was so honest, I expected a hugely honest and raw scene of revelations. It slightly lacked there for me.
But all in all I very much enjoyed this book. I'm liking thrillers more and more, and the whole 'whodunnit' aspect of this novel was definitely done well and realistically. It was fun piecing the clues together, and Rain was a smart character that made her own decisions and thoughts while at the same time learning that if you have something to say, you should speak up and say it.
4 out of 5 stars. Recommend to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery.
April 13, 2012
Posted Here:
http://www.betweenthepagesreviews.com...
The Girl in the Park was a very fast, interesting read. In as little as only 200+ pages I got a great story. Fredericks really delivered with this one. It took me a couple chapters to get “into” the book. But, after that I had no problem at all giving The Girl In The Park all of my attention.
Wendy hung out with the wrong people. The party girl that she became led her to something that she could not come back from. Wendy for me was not one of my favorite characters. She was rather selfish, and just wanted to do what she wanted.. even though her choices, made her seem incredibly .. what’s the word?... stupid. Yes, she just wanted to be loved. But, doing the things she did was not the way to go about it. Being the popular girl in school comes with having enemies as well.
Rain feels that she must find out what has happened to Wendy. Even though she and Wendy really have not been since Wendy just left Rain, for her new life. The Popular life. Rain feels she should do something, anything. To help find out what happened. Who had done this to Wendy? And Why? After their last encounter before Wendy’s death. Rain just knows that something was off about Wendy. The way she was acting maybe? Something was totally not right with her. Rain sets out to find out exactly what was going on with Wendy, and how she ended up dying.
While reading The Girl in the Park, you as a reader will get to know the person that Wendy was. How she ended up being the person she died as.
Fredericks really wrote a bone chilling, murder mystery. These are never easy books to read. Espically when lives are taken.
I was relieved to see that Fredericks kept you on your toes. Once I was sure I knew who the killer was, until I doubted myself. The writing keeps you wanting to know what is going to happen. You feel for the characters. You want the best for them. You see things happening, that you wish would be prevented, but in life that’s not how things goes. This book was a great fast, day time read!! Day time, because you know.. Me.. I am seriously scared at night, when I read things like this. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. With a satisfying ending!
http://www.betweenthepagesreviews.com...
The Girl in the Park was a very fast, interesting read. In as little as only 200+ pages I got a great story. Fredericks really delivered with this one. It took me a couple chapters to get “into” the book. But, after that I had no problem at all giving The Girl In The Park all of my attention.
Wendy hung out with the wrong people. The party girl that she became led her to something that she could not come back from. Wendy for me was not one of my favorite characters. She was rather selfish, and just wanted to do what she wanted.. even though her choices, made her seem incredibly .. what’s the word?... stupid. Yes, she just wanted to be loved. But, doing the things she did was not the way to go about it. Being the popular girl in school comes with having enemies as well.
Rain feels that she must find out what has happened to Wendy. Even though she and Wendy really have not been since Wendy just left Rain, for her new life. The Popular life. Rain feels she should do something, anything. To help find out what happened. Who had done this to Wendy? And Why? After their last encounter before Wendy’s death. Rain just knows that something was off about Wendy. The way she was acting maybe? Something was totally not right with her. Rain sets out to find out exactly what was going on with Wendy, and how she ended up dying.
While reading The Girl in the Park, you as a reader will get to know the person that Wendy was. How she ended up being the person she died as.
Fredericks really wrote a bone chilling, murder mystery. These are never easy books to read. Espically when lives are taken.
I was relieved to see that Fredericks kept you on your toes. Once I was sure I knew who the killer was, until I doubted myself. The writing keeps you wanting to know what is going to happen. You feel for the characters. You want the best for them. You see things happening, that you wish would be prevented, but in life that’s not how things goes. This book was a great fast, day time read!! Day time, because you know.. Me.. I am seriously scared at night, when I read things like this. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. With a satisfying ending!
November 15, 2012
I just loved the cover of this book and after reading the synopsis I was hooked. Wendy and Rain were once best friends but then Wendy starts to run on the wild side. Rain watches her friend wondering what happened, only knowing that deep down inside she knows the true Wendy. The Wendy she knows had a “huge heart and could keep a secret”. Rain doesn’t run with the crowd because she feels as if they are always staring and making fun of her, laughing at her cleft palate and the way that she talks. So Rain stands on the sidelines, mentally taking notes of everything. Wendy is getting quite a reputation with other peer’s boyfriends which she is quite proud of and the night of a big party is going to be no different. Wendy leaves the party alone, or so they say but her body is discovered the next day in the park. As the police scramble to piece the puzzle together, Rain does some investigating of her own as she feels she is the only person who has anything good to say about Wendy and she wants to uncover the truth. Was Wendy still dating Ellis at the time of the party and was he upset and take matter into his own hands or was it Nico, the guy she was trying to “catch “, the one she was talking about on her Facebook page? Rain points the finger at Nico and the police arrest him, but the drama doesn’t stop there, no way! Girl drama, more investigations and then we discover the link with the evidence. It was quite the page turner.
It’s not very often you read about a girl named Rain and even when she was wrong (which she was a few times) she didn’t give up. She was a strong character who took a strong beating from her classmates but she held on to what was important to her, her friendships and truthfulness. I had a hard time putting this book down as it moved along rather quickly. I really thought I had the pieces all figured out then I saw something else that changed my mind. This is a book for a mature reader as there is drinking and mentioning of sex throughout the book.
It’s not very often you read about a girl named Rain and even when she was wrong (which she was a few times) she didn’t give up. She was a strong character who took a strong beating from her classmates but she held on to what was important to her, her friendships and truthfulness. I had a hard time putting this book down as it moved along rather quickly. I really thought I had the pieces all figured out then I saw something else that changed my mind. This is a book for a mature reader as there is drinking and mentioning of sex throughout the book.
May 15, 2012
The Girl in the Park tugged at my heartstrings, as I struggled with Rain, the main character, to come to terms with the death of a friend and struggle to understand who committed this awful crime.
Wendy and Rain used to be best friends, but Wendy started to hang out with a wilder set, and became obsessed with boys. Rain is at a party with Wendy, and talks to her a little bit, but Wendy has decided to set her sites on a boy -- one who of course has a girlfriend -- and Rain has no idea that this will be the last conversation she and Wendy will ever have.
The news media is painting a picture of Wendy as a slutty, wild girl. Rain knows that there is more to her one-time friend than this picture. Rain recalls some of the times that Wendy was a true friend, especially when she helped her feel more comfortable speaking. Rain was born with a cleft palette, and since she still speaks with a lisp, she rarely speaks at all. Rain has been the victim of bullying, and Wendy used to help her through that.
The only way the Rain can come to terms with Wendy's death is to find out who did this and why. Rain becomes an amateur detective, confiding her suspicions to a teacher and then to the police.
The Girl in the Park has a lot of twists and turns, and even though I suspected who the perpetrator was, I really wasn't certain until the end. The Girl in the Park did contain some convenient plotting, one thing in particular that was missed by the police, but Rain was such a sympathetic character that all I really cared about was her well-being and her success in finding the killer.
Fredericks' secondary characters filled out the story nicely, but really Rain was the focus. I got some of the other names mixed up a few times. The pacing was excellent, and I found it easy to keep reading The Girl in the Park to the end. I think teens will enjoy this well-crafted mystery, and will enjoy the twists, turns, and surprise ending.
Wendy and Rain used to be best friends, but Wendy started to hang out with a wilder set, and became obsessed with boys. Rain is at a party with Wendy, and talks to her a little bit, but Wendy has decided to set her sites on a boy -- one who of course has a girlfriend -- and Rain has no idea that this will be the last conversation she and Wendy will ever have.
The news media is painting a picture of Wendy as a slutty, wild girl. Rain knows that there is more to her one-time friend than this picture. Rain recalls some of the times that Wendy was a true friend, especially when she helped her feel more comfortable speaking. Rain was born with a cleft palette, and since she still speaks with a lisp, she rarely speaks at all. Rain has been the victim of bullying, and Wendy used to help her through that.
The only way the Rain can come to terms with Wendy's death is to find out who did this and why. Rain becomes an amateur detective, confiding her suspicions to a teacher and then to the police.
The Girl in the Park has a lot of twists and turns, and even though I suspected who the perpetrator was, I really wasn't certain until the end. The Girl in the Park did contain some convenient plotting, one thing in particular that was missed by the police, but Rain was such a sympathetic character that all I really cared about was her well-being and her success in finding the killer.
Fredericks' secondary characters filled out the story nicely, but really Rain was the focus. I got some of the other names mixed up a few times. The pacing was excellent, and I found it easy to keep reading The Girl in the Park to the end. I think teens will enjoy this well-crafted mystery, and will enjoy the twists, turns, and surprise ending.
November 2, 2011
Review can also be found on my blog Just a Lil Lost
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ (3.5/5 stars)
The Girl in the Park initially reads like a cautionary tale: wild party girl makes enemies, wanders into the park alone at night and trouble finds her. But things are not always as they appear. Wendy Geller is the aforementioned girl in the park. She loves the party scene and getting the attention of the boys, especially those already spoken for. When her body is found in Central Park, the gossip spreads through the school that she had asked for it. Narrated by Wendy's friend Rain, she doesn't believe all the stories being told about her deceased friend and vows to find the culprit.
I always love a good mystery story, and when I saw this Netgalley title, set in New York City nonetheless, I was immediately interested. Fredericks does a great job at setting the tone of the novel right off the top. The reader is quickly pulled into the world of an elite New York City school, filled with the teenage drama that is familiar to many. I found the novel quite easy to read and easy to follow, though I could see where the story was headed about halfway through. Perhaps I need to stop thinking so far ahead when I read... This happened to me with a few other books too and bums me out when I end up being right because I absolutely hate spoilers - so I feel like I'm spoiling it for myself!
Overall, Fredericks weaves a well thought out, layered tale in a classic whodunit style, while setting it in the modern day setting.
The Girl in the Park is available April 2012
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ (3.5/5 stars)
The Girl in the Park initially reads like a cautionary tale: wild party girl makes enemies, wanders into the park alone at night and trouble finds her. But things are not always as they appear. Wendy Geller is the aforementioned girl in the park. She loves the party scene and getting the attention of the boys, especially those already spoken for. When her body is found in Central Park, the gossip spreads through the school that she had asked for it. Narrated by Wendy's friend Rain, she doesn't believe all the stories being told about her deceased friend and vows to find the culprit.
I always love a good mystery story, and when I saw this Netgalley title, set in New York City nonetheless, I was immediately interested. Fredericks does a great job at setting the tone of the novel right off the top. The reader is quickly pulled into the world of an elite New York City school, filled with the teenage drama that is familiar to many. I found the novel quite easy to read and easy to follow, though I could see where the story was headed about halfway through. Perhaps I need to stop thinking so far ahead when I read... This happened to me with a few other books too and bums me out when I end up being right because I absolutely hate spoilers - so I feel like I'm spoiling it for myself!
Overall, Fredericks weaves a well thought out, layered tale in a classic whodunit style, while setting it in the modern day setting.
The Girl in the Park is available April 2012
August 9, 2011
I am loving this whole netgalley.com thing. The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks isn’t due out until next April but I’ve got it on preorder for the library. I’ve never read Fredericks before, but I will look for her books now. Looking for a solid YA mystery? The Girl in the Park is a great one. Set in NYC it tells of the murder of Wendy Geller through the POV of her former best friend, Rain Donovan.
Wendy was a party girl. She loved being the center of attention, flirting with guys and stealing them from girls who treated her badly. The whole boyfriend-stealing thing didn’t make her the most popular girl in her elite private school, and when she ends up in Central Park, the victim of sexual assault and strangulation, there’s a lot of blame-the victim going on.
Even though she and Wendy had drifted apart, Rain feels guilty for not looking out for her friend and takes it upon herself to find the killer. There are some decent and believable suspects. Nico, the dangerous creep who had a brief fling with Wendy, is suspect number one.
This book is a short and quick read and one that I had trouble putting down. It might not be the most complex of mysteries, but it is definitely worth reading.
If you want to see the review with links, check out www.revingsblog.blogspot.com
Wendy was a party girl. She loved being the center of attention, flirting with guys and stealing them from girls who treated her badly. The whole boyfriend-stealing thing didn’t make her the most popular girl in her elite private school, and when she ends up in Central Park, the victim of sexual assault and strangulation, there’s a lot of blame-the victim going on.
Even though she and Wendy had drifted apart, Rain feels guilty for not looking out for her friend and takes it upon herself to find the killer. There are some decent and believable suspects. Nico, the dangerous creep who had a brief fling with Wendy, is suspect number one.
This book is a short and quick read and one that I had trouble putting down. It might not be the most complex of mysteries, but it is definitely worth reading.
If you want to see the review with links, check out www.revingsblog.blogspot.com
June 8, 2012
This book was intense, and had a more bittersweet ending than my usual preferred happy one, but I really liked it in the end. It explores friendship and belonging, betrayal and murder, all in the setting of an exclusive high school in New York City. Rain and Wendy, both on the fringes of the popular crowd at school, used to be friends--once. Times have changed, though, and they've turned into the kind of acquaintances who might only exchange a few words at a party or in the halls at school. The morning after one of those parties, Wendy is discovered in Central Park, murdered. Rain, for reasons even she isn't clear about for much of the book, feels compelled to uncover the truth of her murder.
Mariah Fredericks really wrote a page turner with this one! I, along with Rain, kept taking her cleverly disguised wrong plot turns--and though I did pick up on an early clue that Rain missed, I didn't quite understand the motivation until later on(and was actually relieved to be proven right on the whodunit part, because it solved the one rather big part of the story that I was extremely uncomfortable with). Due to certain aspects of the story, I'd say this is definitely more of a high school on up story, but well worth the read. I'll be looking for more from this author for sure.
Mariah Fredericks really wrote a page turner with this one! I, along with Rain, kept taking her cleverly disguised wrong plot turns--and though I did pick up on an early clue that Rain missed, I didn't quite understand the motivation until later on(and was actually relieved to be proven right on the whodunit part, because it solved the one rather big part of the story that I was extremely uncomfortable with). Due to certain aspects of the story, I'd say this is definitely more of a high school on up story, but well worth the read. I'll be looking for more from this author for sure.
August 5, 2016
The Girl in the Park is a really good and interesting book to read. I usually don't read that many mystery books but it caught my attention from the beginning to the end, considering I read it all in about a day. The characters are believable and I was interested to see how the relationships between the classmates was developed with the popular and less popular kids.
The book is full of emotion because of the death of Wendy, one of Rain's friends. The pain from the loss to the family and from the loss of a friend and the fact that one of them may be lying as it might be the killer makes the book very easy to read. It is interesting to see the thoughts of the main protagonist as she tries to figure out who did the murder and why he/she did it.
But I think the most interesting thing to watch is the media coverage of the murder and how the reporters will do anything for a piece of information and criticize Wendy for being killed in the park. You can sense and see how the tabloid titles affect public opinion and how they can ruin a persons name.
I definitely recommend to people to read this book even to people who don't like that much reading mystery books.
The book is full of emotion because of the death of Wendy, one of Rain's friends. The pain from the loss to the family and from the loss of a friend and the fact that one of them may be lying as it might be the killer makes the book very easy to read. It is interesting to see the thoughts of the main protagonist as she tries to figure out who did the murder and why he/she did it.
But I think the most interesting thing to watch is the media coverage of the murder and how the reporters will do anything for a piece of information and criticize Wendy for being killed in the park. You can sense and see how the tabloid titles affect public opinion and how they can ruin a persons name.
I definitely recommend to people to read this book even to people who don't like that much reading mystery books.
November 3, 2011
The summer before my senior year of high school I lost a friend of mine. It was a terrible shock to everyone that knew and loved him. I remember my friends grieving together and trying to make sense of the loss. Traumatic events leave a mark on the fabric of your life. It is a hurt that diminishes but is never forgotten.
The discovery of Wendy Geller's lifeless body in a park leaves a group of friends and fellow students reeling over the death of their friend in THE GIRL IN THE PARK. Each person deals with the death differently, but is ultimately changed forever by her senseless and tragic death. THE GIRL IN THE PARK was an emotional journey for me and forced me to recall past memories. The story is remarkably written. I found myself getting so engrossed in the story reading well into the night. This mystery will keep you turning pages and rooting for the truth to come to light.
The discovery of Wendy Geller's lifeless body in a park leaves a group of friends and fellow students reeling over the death of their friend in THE GIRL IN THE PARK. Each person deals with the death differently, but is ultimately changed forever by her senseless and tragic death. THE GIRL IN THE PARK was an emotional journey for me and forced me to recall past memories. The story is remarkably written. I found myself getting so engrossed in the story reading well into the night. This mystery will keep you turning pages and rooting for the truth to come to light.
June 1, 2014
The Girl in the Park is the story of a shy girl named Rain that is trying to solve the mystery of her only friend's murder. At the start of the book, Rain finds out that there is a dead and abused girl found in the park. That girl happens to be her best friend Wendy. She was just hanging out with her at a party the night before, though she had left early. She wonders if she could have prevented the murder if she would have stayed. She is determined to find out who the murderer is, going from one suspect to another until she finds the one.
This book definitely didn't have any shortage of mystery and surprise. Those who like murder mysteries and clue hunting should read this book. It was also a story with unique characters and situations. It explores the craziness that goes through some people's minds and what the effects are of that. It is a good test on whether you can solve the mystery yourself.
This book definitely didn't have any shortage of mystery and surprise. Those who like murder mysteries and clue hunting should read this book. It was also a story with unique characters and situations. It explores the craziness that goes through some people's minds and what the effects are of that. It is a good test on whether you can solve the mystery yourself.
February 21, 2012
There were two main reasons why I really liked this book. The mystery was definitely the first thing about the book that drew me in. I love love LOVE a good mystery that delivers. That is realistic. The Girl in the Park definitely has this. Throughout the whole book I found myself nodding my head in agreement whenever Rain suspected somebody. By the end of the end of book, I found myself going Ah-ha! So THAT'S who did it!, because I honestly didn't know.
The other aspect was the story behind the mystery: Rain's friendship with Wendy (the dead girl). Although I would have loved to have learned more about what exactly Wendy did that made Rain go through such a drastic change, I could see how Rain changed because of her. I love seeing Rain continue to solve the mystery despite how scared she was.
This a definitely a novel you should pick up. 4 stars!
The other aspect was the story behind the mystery: Rain's friendship with Wendy (the dead girl). Although I would have loved to have learned more about what exactly Wendy did that made Rain go through such a drastic change, I could see how Rain changed because of her. I love seeing Rain continue to solve the mystery despite how scared she was.
This a definitely a novel you should pick up. 4 stars!
June 27, 2012
I found this book to be all too predictable and disappointing. I at first felt a little empathy for the main character, Rain, who is trying to find out who killed her estranged best friend Wendy. However as the book dragged on not only did my empathy disappear I found Rain's character to be too naive and whiney. Then there is the victim Wendy whom any reader would find very difficult to like. But the biggest disappointment was how easily predictable the outcome of this story was. Virtually immediately after the character is introduced any long time murder mystery reader like myself will figure out who the killer is and what happened and the rest of the pieces fall into place, again, predictably throughout the remainder of the book.If written just a little bit better this storyline could have been more interesting. As it was I was just annoyed at the end.
July 12, 2021
I'm trying not to be so picky about what I read, but then I end up disappointed, so I'm not sure what to try next. This was an ebook from my library and if I was 14 or 15 I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more.
As an adult I found myself cringing and rolling my eyes through the entire story.
Rain is supposed to be 16 (maybe 17, I'm honestly not sure) but she comes across as much, much younger. She has a supportive mother but never talks to her. She has a terrible time at school and never talks about it. I honestly can't tell you anything about Rain except she has red hair. I don't know what classes she likes. I don't know know what hobbies she enjoys. I have no idea what she looks like beyond being a red-head who wears chopsticks in her hair.
And on that note. There were so many things that would never 'fly' today in this story. A white girl wearing chopsticks in her hair (and not just in one scene, but it's mentioned multiple times, it's her default hair style I think), to casual mentions of the word r*t*rd (four separate times), to the sl*t shaming that riddles the entire book. Not to mention the terrible way the adult-child relationship is handled.
Characters don't have to be perfect. I'm not asking for that, but everyone felt extremely flat. Names were thrown at you so quickly, with no context, that it was easy to forget who was who and why you should care. Characters were assumed white until given a reason not to be. Nico, who you would think we be Italian, is actualy a blond white boy. Ellis, who you would assume to be white actually has parents from India (but you don't know tihs until so late in the book you've already made him awhite boy). As far as I could understand Ellis was the only non-white character in the book and even he white-washed himself and went by Ellis instead of his given name (I tried to look up his name but my Kindle app apparently doesn't believe in the search function any more. I'm sorry Ellis, I am also now white-washing you). I'm not even sure if you learn his last name is Patel until it's too late for you to put it all together.
The sl*t shaming is out of control. But also incredibly juvenile. It read like something from the 1960s at times where sex is taboo. And to be honest, the entire story felt like it was written 40 years ago and not published in 2012. There are two parties, the ones who think Wendy is a 'home-wrecker' and the others who just want the juicy gossip and drama on facebook. Neither party gets explored. There's no discussion about how both sides are awful. There's no introspect or thought or even passing comments about how gross all the sl*t shaming is. Rain doesn't like it but never does much about it. Never talks about it. I don't need a PBS after-school special but some kind of commentary would have been nice.
The writing was dated. Teens would says things like 'gotta zoom' and 'that she was' and it all felt stilted and awkward.
I'm avoiding talking about the most annoying part of the entire book. Rain never actualy DOES anything. People just tell her things. She stumbles upon information. She never actively does anything to solve the murder. She just bumbles around and people open up and tell her deep dark secrets.
The police are incompetent, they don't even ask for pictures of things they are investigating. EVERYONE jumps to conclusions. Rain is beyond guilty of this. At one point someone makes a veiled reference to an incident and she's 100% convinced this makes the person guilty. She stumbles upon some circumstantial evidence and the refuses to even look at any other possibility.
The book also wants you to think Wendy is a terrible person. And maybe she is. But no one has any shame in making fun of a dead girl. No one seems to feel sorry. Classmates are being interviewed and laughing about things. I'm not saying the entire world needs to be sad and cry every two seconds, but the whole thing felt so bizarre.
I'm not going to spoil anything about the real murderer, but it was extremely obvoius from the start.
Also, the teacher is super gross and I don't get it (spoiler free).
So, why two stars and not one?
It's short. The writing isn't terrible (I've read much better and worse, so overall it was okay). The mystery was probably fine for a teen who hasn't read a lot of mysteries, or someone who doesn't really care about the mystery aspect of the book and just wants to see it play out.
It was written a decade ago, and times have changed. I hope. I hope a teen reading this today would be so off-put by the sl*t shaming and the grooming and the grossness of messing around with other people's boyfriends that they'd refuse to continue the book.
There's something here about trusting the right people and standing up for friends. But it gets lost in the theme. Had that been a bit more at the forefront. Had Rain tried to do something to honor Wendy without the school being involved. Had SOMETHING, ANTYHING, been done to let Rain stand up for herself this could have been much better.
Ugh. You know what. This is a one-star book. It really doesn't do much. This storyline has been done a million times. The Main Character changes but nothing else does. Another 5,000-10,000 with Rain being more assertive or finally standing up for herself or Wendy and it could have bumped it up to 2 stars, but it's lacking and it's thin and it introduced nothing new to this genre of story.
"Strong" language warning (I didn't keep detailed notes, so not accurate, sorry and thanks to a wonky Kindle app I can't search either)
Far too many sl*t shaming references (basically if you can think of it, it was likely in the book)
Mild language scattered throughout (sh*t, h*ll, d*mn)
I don't remember any f-bombs
I'm on a one star reading streak and it makes me sad.
As an adult I found myself cringing and rolling my eyes through the entire story.
Rain is supposed to be 16 (maybe 17, I'm honestly not sure) but she comes across as much, much younger. She has a supportive mother but never talks to her. She has a terrible time at school and never talks about it. I honestly can't tell you anything about Rain except she has red hair. I don't know what classes she likes. I don't know know what hobbies she enjoys. I have no idea what she looks like beyond being a red-head who wears chopsticks in her hair.
And on that note. There were so many things that would never 'fly' today in this story. A white girl wearing chopsticks in her hair (and not just in one scene, but it's mentioned multiple times, it's her default hair style I think), to casual mentions of the word r*t*rd (four separate times), to the sl*t shaming that riddles the entire book. Not to mention the terrible way the adult-child relationship is handled.
Characters don't have to be perfect. I'm not asking for that, but everyone felt extremely flat. Names were thrown at you so quickly, with no context, that it was easy to forget who was who and why you should care. Characters were assumed white until given a reason not to be. Nico, who you would think we be Italian, is actualy a blond white boy. Ellis, who you would assume to be white actually has parents from India (but you don't know tihs until so late in the book you've already made him awhite boy). As far as I could understand Ellis was the only non-white character in the book and even he white-washed himself and went by Ellis instead of his given name (I tried to look up his name but my Kindle app apparently doesn't believe in the search function any more. I'm sorry Ellis, I am also now white-washing you). I'm not even sure if you learn his last name is Patel until it's too late for you to put it all together.
The sl*t shaming is out of control. But also incredibly juvenile. It read like something from the 1960s at times where sex is taboo. And to be honest, the entire story felt like it was written 40 years ago and not published in 2012. There are two parties, the ones who think Wendy is a 'home-wrecker' and the others who just want the juicy gossip and drama on facebook. Neither party gets explored. There's no discussion about how both sides are awful. There's no introspect or thought or even passing comments about how gross all the sl*t shaming is. Rain doesn't like it but never does much about it. Never talks about it. I don't need a PBS after-school special but some kind of commentary would have been nice.
The writing was dated. Teens would says things like 'gotta zoom' and 'that she was' and it all felt stilted and awkward.
I'm avoiding talking about the most annoying part of the entire book. Rain never actualy DOES anything. People just tell her things. She stumbles upon information. She never actively does anything to solve the murder. She just bumbles around and people open up and tell her deep dark secrets.
The police are incompetent, they don't even ask for pictures of things they are investigating. EVERYONE jumps to conclusions. Rain is beyond guilty of this. At one point someone makes a veiled reference to an incident and she's 100% convinced this makes the person guilty. She stumbles upon some circumstantial evidence and the refuses to even look at any other possibility.
The book also wants you to think Wendy is a terrible person. And maybe she is. But no one has any shame in making fun of a dead girl. No one seems to feel sorry. Classmates are being interviewed and laughing about things. I'm not saying the entire world needs to be sad and cry every two seconds, but the whole thing felt so bizarre.
I'm not going to spoil anything about the real murderer, but it was extremely obvoius from the start.
Also, the teacher is super gross and I don't get it (spoiler free).
So, why two stars and not one?
It's short. The writing isn't terrible (I've read much better and worse, so overall it was okay). The mystery was probably fine for a teen who hasn't read a lot of mysteries, or someone who doesn't really care about the mystery aspect of the book and just wants to see it play out.
It was written a decade ago, and times have changed. I hope. I hope a teen reading this today would be so off-put by the sl*t shaming and the grooming and the grossness of messing around with other people's boyfriends that they'd refuse to continue the book.
There's something here about trusting the right people and standing up for friends. But it gets lost in the theme. Had that been a bit more at the forefront. Had Rain tried to do something to honor Wendy without the school being involved. Had SOMETHING, ANTYHING, been done to let Rain stand up for herself this could have been much better.
Ugh. You know what. This is a one-star book. It really doesn't do much. This storyline has been done a million times. The Main Character changes but nothing else does. Another 5,000-10,000 with Rain being more assertive or finally standing up for herself or Wendy and it could have bumped it up to 2 stars, but it's lacking and it's thin and it introduced nothing new to this genre of story.
"Strong" language warning (I didn't keep detailed notes, so not accurate, sorry and thanks to a wonky Kindle app I can't search either)
Far too many sl*t shaming references (basically if you can think of it, it was likely in the book)
Mild language scattered throughout (sh*t, h*ll, d*mn)
I don't remember any f-bombs
I'm on a one star reading streak and it makes me sad.
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