Tobula klasta

by Rebecca James

Paslaptingai, praeities prisiminimų kankinamai naujokei Katrinai savo draugystę pasiūlo žavi ir charizmatiška mokyklos numylėtinė Alisa.

Nerūpestingas ir linksmas gyvenimas gramzdina Katriną užmarštin, tačiau po dailia Alisos išore slepiasi žiauri ir sužalotos sielos jauna mergina, kuri kėsinasi sugriauti ją supančių žmonių gyvenimus. Neilgai trukus prasideda apsėsti ir pavojingi dviejų merginų žaidimai.

Kas iš tiesų įvyko tą naktį, kai buvo nužudyta Katrinos sesuo?

Genres: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Rebecca James is the author of BEAUTIFUL MALICE, SWEET DAMAGE and COOPER BARTHOLOMEW IS DEAD. She has worked as a waitress, a kitchen designer, an English teacher in both Indonesia and Japan, a barmaid, and (most memorably) a mini-cab telephone-operator in London. Rebecca lives in Warrnambool, Australia, with her partner and their five children.

Reviews

[Vinaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book and thought, "I wish I had written that!"? For me, that usually happens only with two kinds of books. Firstly, the ones that are so fabulous, you have a serious case of writer's envy (On my list, the top spot there is occupied by The Kingkiller Chronicles), or the ones that take a truly fabulous idea and ruin it so horrifically, you can hear the Muses scream in pain (Tiger's Curse, I'm looking at you). But for the first time ever, I found a book that I thought was pretty damn decent and enjoyable, even, and still felt a sense of incompletetion, and a longing to go back and retell the story my way.

Beautiful Malice feels like someone handed you one of those mini cupcakes. Just one. It's great in that one small mouthful, but after you're done, you're SO dissatisfied! So yes, I DID enjoy Beautiful Malice while I was reading it, but now that it's over, I can't really say it fulfilled any literary dreams.

I've heard this book being called a 'psychological thriller'. If that's what the author intended, she is so far off the mark, she might as well be in Africa. But if you treat it as simple YA contemporary fiction, I think James does a pretty damn decent job. Katherine Patterson has been living in a self-enclosed bubble of isolation ever since her sister died. Her life is a pattern of gray, until she's pulled out of the slump and forced into actually living by the advent of Alice into her life. But her new friend may not be everything she seems to be, and slowly, Katherine begins to realize that maybe Alice isn't the best thing to happen to her after all.

The best character in this book is, of course, Alice. Alice steals the show on Page 1, and holds it firmly right up to the very end. She's a very real person; I've met someone like her before, a narcissistic sociopath, and reading Beautiful Malice brought back some very vivid memories. The thing that really made Beautiful Malice for me was how understandable Alice felt It's not so much that she's evil, even though the main character tries to demonize her several times, as a reader, I felt the conflict in her character; her desperate longing for attention, her inability to look beyond the circumstances of her own life, her need to be everything to everyone in her life - these are the classic traits of someone with abandonment issues, and when you think about it like that, she feels less evil, and more... disturbed.

The friendship between Alice and Katherine was interesting, but it was the one between Katherine and Robbie that was the most fleshed out, and had the most heart. Robbie reminded me of Dick from I'll Never Be Young Again, so desperately in love with a woman who's all wrong for him. I really liked the way the author developed the bond between these two lost characters, not a hint of sexual feeling, not right until the last few chapters, when Katherine is dating Mick and maybe, just maybe, Robbie realizes what he's lost, even while he's struggling to accept the truth about Alice.

The thing that struck me most about this book was how very understated the emotions were. It was an interesting way to approach a "psychological thriller", but not a very effective one. Even as I admired the approach, and the setting and the way the story played out, I felt like something was missing. I wanted more, more emotion, more chills down my spine, more evidence of the fact that Alice was disturbed and unstable and potentially dangerous. I felt like she faded away in those parts, after her true colours were exposed to Katherine. Instead of becoming more threatening and invasive, her character becomes secondary to the drama of Katherine's pregnancy. And so, in the end, I don't feel like Alice was responsible for what happened to Mick at all. I mean, sure, she initiated the events that led to tragedy, but it was a choice he made, that resulted in an unforeseen accident. There is no hint that she was, in fact, planning for what happened to happen.

All in all, this was a quick, easy read and quite enjoyable. I'll give it the Aussie YA stamp of approval, but not whole-heartedly. I feel like the post-reading experience was nowhere close to as fulfilling as it would have been if the author had been less restrained with the drama. I think this might actually be the first time I've called for a book to be more dramatic! So, worth a read, definitely, but nowhere close to the top of the Aussie YA food book chain.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am amazed at these glowing reviews. I found this book far-fetched, melodramatic, and lacking in any sense of genuine emotion. None of the characters are fully developed and they serve mainly as plot devices for a poorly structured, ludicrous story.

[Karagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

After the murder of her younger sister, Katherine Patterson starts a new life at a new school as she attempts to escape the media, her parents’ depression, and her own guilt. There, she meets Alice and quickly begins a friendship with the clearly narcissistic sociopath. Eventually, she also bonds with fellow victims of Alice’s rancorous personality, finding love and peace despite her friend’s antics.

For the entire first half of this book, I felt dragged through a world of mostly text book, one-dimensional characters. With the second half offering slight surprises here and there, I was only mildly interested enough to keep reading. The deaths were dull and unimaginative. The constant time jumping, likely written to arouse suspense and curiosity, left me in a state of annoyance and frustration as it completely disrupted the flow of what, from my understanding, was meant to be a thriller. Quite honestly, the only thrill I got was in the anti-climactic end as Katherine got her chance at what I stretch to call a happily ever after.

The only character who held an inkling of appeal to me was Robbie, a young man who has lost his mother and who finds no support or comfort from his emotionally wrecked father. One who is willing to succumb to the poison that is Alice so as to feel even an iota of happiness that she able to give him despite the destruction she brings to his heart and mind.

*Won through the Goodreads first-reads giveaway.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katherine Patterson is sitting under a tree reading a book when Alice Parrie comes along inviting her to her eighteenth birthday. Katherine is taken aback as she's not evens friends with Alice and has never associated with her. Although Katherine declines her offer, Alice is persistent and won't take no for an answer.
It's been awhile since Katherine's been anywhere to socialise as she prefers her own company. Katherine is hiding a dark and very deep secret which she's carried with her since her sister, Rachel was murdered. Since that day her life changed completely.

After being at the party a short time Katherine starts to relax and mix with some of the guests. Katherine also meets Alice's boyfriend, Robbie who seems to be quite a nice guy considering the way Alice treats him sometimes. The way Alice acts seems a little strange and Katherine wonders if there isn't something not quite right with her.

Katherine finds herself being friends with Alice and Robbie and together the three of them will share fun times, but at times Alice can be mean and cruel which makes Katherine believe there is more to her than meets the eye. Robbie and Katherine get along really well and he starts confide in her and she wishes she could do the same. Knowing that if people find out her deep, dark secret it could affect those around her and is she ready to turn their lives upside down as well as her own.

I really enjoyed this book which had me hooked from the first page. If enjoy psychological thrillers then look no further because this book is for you. A story about betrayal and revenge that will leave you wanting more. Highly recommended.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another massive disappointment.

The good stuff, first, so that you guys can bear in mind that I'm not just a jealous bitch giving it a poor rating because it was sold in a bidding war. But honestly? I couldn't see what the fuss was all about.

It was, I guess, a compelling read. Although I'm not quite sure why -- I can't say that I cared very much about the plot and, although I love YA thrillers, especially of the psychological variety, I couldn't say that there was any massive driving questions that had me chewing my nails. I read it in a couple of hours and, considering the reading funk I've been in lately, that was quite an achievement. I loved the Australian setting, as I do love Australian settings in general, but there was no real sense of place. Okay, she name-drops Australian places, e.g. Coffs Harbour, and distinctly Aussie stuff like the HSQ, but there's no description of the place that could make me go NOM NOM NOM AUSTRALIA. It was just a generic setting with a few individual names thrown in.

The best parts of the novel were the characters of Alice and Philippa (whose name I kept reading as Pippa, for no apparent reason), which is funny because they couldn't have been further apart on the personality spectrum. While Philippa is endearing, sweet and believable, Alice is toxic, evil and manipulative. However, Philippa is written realistically, although I did wonder what she was doing hanging out with much younger people? (More on that later.) Her relationship with Mick is sweet and I guess Mick is sweet. There are a few funny lines, but nothing particularly earth-shattering.

Katherine's memories of how her family were presented in the press after her sister's mother got to me but made perfect sense. Sometimes I think about my own family, "if someone let a journalist in now and they transcribed all of this, we would sound like the worst dysfunction junction out there" - but because it's your own family, insider's perspective tells you that none of that stuff means what it would appear to mean to an outsider (if that makes sense?). The only part of the novel that James handled with any subtlety was Katherine defending her parent, saying that they weren't pushy, just ambitious - this was the only part where Katherine's voice really came off for me, because I felt, as a reader, that she didn't sound like she was in denial. She sounded like she meant it, and I could relate to that.

The very best part of the novel, and really the only part that pushed it out of the one and a half star rating for me, was how realistic Alice felt. There have been a number of notorious bitches in YA fiction. However, most of these antagonists are never developed past "she's a bitch becaue SHE IS!!!!" Alice is given a better treatment in that she's actually given a mental illness. Alice is the classic absolute narcissist, not just in the sense that the whole world exists as Alice's mirror which shows her as she would like to see herself, but in the sense that she is an exhibitionist, cruel and calculating without any reason to be - yet James times these pretty perfectly, so it doesn't leave the reader going, "Why is she being so crazy with no apparent motivation?" but her intended, "That bitch has PROBLEMS." Alice was actually given a few creepy details that I enjoyed, such as her leaving the cubicle door open. This makes me sound weird, and I hated reading about it - it made me feel squirmy and uncomfortable - but that was James's intention. Alice is the only character that came off at all.

However, this is where I have to bridge the gap between praise and criticism. I relished the Alice parts because James showed elements of Alice's character, and the depth of her narcissism, with fairly subtle stuff like Alice not wanting to travel because no-one would know her abroad. However, James isn't satisfied until she has beaten that horse to a bloody pulp. James, you are wrtiing for a YA adult, but YAs are not morons. We know a narcissist when we see one, even if some of us wouldn't know what to call them. We don't need a psychology master's student (Philippa) running around telling us that Alice has "issues." We understand how badly Alice's mother abandoning her must have screwed her up and that it's probably the reason behind her actions -- we don't need that vomit-inducing, sanctimonious paragraph that Katherine delivered to Robbie at the end. We get that Alice is not 100% monster. We don't need Katherine laying out all of Alice's problems and giving us a mini-justification.

Even worse, we didn't see nearly enough of Alice's charm. Katherine kept telling us that she had it, but being hot/pretty and having charm and charisma are two different things. When Alice's sanity starts to slip, she doesn't seem charming - she just seems loud and obnoxious. Maybe that is the point, but the only scene (yes, one scene in the 300+ page novel) that I felt any sense of Alice's charismatic presence was in the "morning after" scene where she sobs all over Katherine with her bullshit apologies. (That was a great scene, by the way.)

I finished this book in less than a day. Given the plot, I thought I would love it - I love books that are about mentally unstable antagonists, creepy friends, darkness and real-life horror. So I thought I would love this book. It didn't bother me that it was dark, and that's not why I'm marking this down.

I hated the writing. It wasn't "bad", per se. It was just...blah. Average. And I actually think thriller is one of those genres where you can't get away with even average writing; you have to be right there, all the time, with the protaganist. Else the plot just falls down dead in the water, which Beautiful Malice did for me. Katherine wasn't an unlikeable narrator, but she was incredibly cardboard. She was just "average", too.

James didn't seem to have any grasp of the most basic writing 'rule': show, don't tell. I am not a huge 'rules' person and I think a good balance of showing and telling is the way to go. But seriously? James never showed us anything. She only ever told us. Case in point: "I don't want to leave Mick." "Alice could be so charming sometimes." "I was Rachel's number one fan." We never really see any of Mick or Alice's more endearing qualities; Katherine just sort of tells us that they have them, and we're supposed to believe it. Alice is not a character that we're supposed to feel sympathy for, but she never felt like a character at all - just a collection of volatile traits. This makes moments that are supposed to show the characters' changing their minds or showing hidden depths - e.g. Katherine admitting to Philippa that she had been angry at Rachel on the night she died.

Also, the writing felt incredibly stilted to me. I was never there with Katherine, not once. James is a writer with absolutely zero subtlety and practically no talent for writing dialogue. The characters don't speak realistically; instead of spending time building up relationships and awww moments, James givesx us exposition-heavy clunkiness, such as Philippa saying, "You seem so much older than seventeen" to Katherine as a reason why the 24ish woman would hang out with a high-schooler on a regular basis. Robbie's guilt about his mother is given the handwave treatment; I almost think I would have liked this book more if it had focused on the relationship between Robbie and Alice, because Robbie was actually a great character - a guy whose mother's death had left him in such a guilty mess that he almost felt like he deserved the monstrous treatment Alice gave him.

There's a startling lack of direct dialogue in this novel. Direct dialogue is not James's strong point, but it is odd how little of it she uses. For example: when describing her relationship with Robbie and Alice (who the reader has only just met), she says, "We had a lot of conversations about the music we liked." Well, how about showing us some of those conversations, James? The lack of character relationships totally undermined the rest of the novel.

An odd thing to complain about, but a thing nonetheless: I had no idea of time frame. It's true that Beautiful Malice is non-linear, with HORRIBLE flash forwards to an adult Katherine -- I'm all for trying new things in YA, but that had no place in it and I've got no idea what that was even in it to start with, because arguably it spoiled the best not-twist of the novel (Katherine's pregnancy). However, for example, the book opens with Katherine and Alice's first real meeting and blabs through that for a while, then skips forward to Katherine and Robbie's first meeting, then skips forward again, with no indication of how long, to when Katherine and Robbie and Alice are all BFFs. That was jsut very odd to me.

The climax was also the most badly-written part of the story. (Sorry, the hypocrisy: that sentence was horribly written, too.) It was vague, confusing, uninteresting and just muddled. Why is it that James could write about rape (admittedly in a vague way), pregnancy, sociopathy, abduction, guilt, sex and nudity, but she couldn't write a good scene of violence? I'm not an overly gory person, but I felt that the whole Mick jumped into the water and, oh well, that was the end of him and Alice thing was just such a cop-out. My blood was not pounding. My heart was not racing. More than anything I was scanning the pages going, "what the hell is going on?"

The plot twists had such little setup and failed to see their relevance that I was just underwhelmed by most of them. For example, the big one about Rachel's murder just elicited a "so?" reaction from me. Alice hasd already done so many horrible things by that point that I couldn't say one more betrayal made it any worse. The Alice/Rachel thing was quite good, I guess, but the betrayal lost its impact as James telegraphed that Alice had no genuine feelings for Robbie from the very beginning, and it just felt so disconnected. I think that was the main problem -- I love drama, and even melodrama, but James's plot was very poorly structured as well. There seemed to be no driving tension - even when Alice went mad there were a lot of bunny boiler cliches; a lot of it seemed to have on real connection, so even though it was interesting, it felt like it was lurching from one inevitable obstacle to another.

There is probably more, but on the whole, Beautiful Malice was just a half-baked, inconsistent disappointmnent. There are no relationships, no tension and no real mystery. Next time, maybe show what your characters are thinking/feeling and what their intentions are, rather than infodumping them through blocks of boring text. Generous 2 stars.

[Leanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I haven’t been so impressed by a book in quite a while. I was lucky enough to receive a copy for review and picked it up one day last week intending to read just a few chapters. Two hours later I was totally engrossed in the story and couldn’t put it down. This rarely happens to me, but here James has written a psychological thriller that will grab you from page one. Seriously, the start of the book is excellent. What an opener!

When we are introduced to Katherine, she has suffered a great trauma in her life, and so when the beautiful and popular Alice insists on befriending her, she doesn’t resist, despite her reservations and the warning signs right from the start that Alice may come with more than a few problems of her own. Having experienced a few toxic friendships myself, I found the depiction and the dynamics of their friendship fascinating and very believable. Of course, this is not just a friendship gone wrong. This case is extreme and there are very dark elements at work here. Both girls have their secrets. Alice made me uncomfortable right from the start of the book. I guessed her darkest secret about half way through the book, and when I did I knew she would stop at nothing to get revenge on Katherine. She’s unpredictable and downright scary at times. This is a friendship which never sits comfortably with the reader, and an ominous feeling pervades from the start of the book. Alice is very menacing, unhinged, and some of her actions from stalking to downright horror will give you chills. I read an article about this book a while back in which it was said to contain elements of Single White Female, and having read it I thoroughly agree.

For me the book revolves around the concept that one bad decision can change your life, cost you the thing you love the most, and define you forever if you let it. Katherine has the courage to overcome this, while Alice doesn’t, with disastrous consequences. The writing is fast paced and addictive, jumping between different points in Katherine’s life. Sometimes I find this style hard to follow, but that didn’t happen here. I was so engaged with the characters and the relationships in the book that I just wanted to find out more. I connected with a lot of the relationships in the book, and I have to say the story evoked quite an emotional response from me. I loved Robbie and Katherine’s friendship, and was pleased for her when Mick and Philippa entered her life, and she finally saw Alice’s true colours.

I generally review books without giving spoilers, but I had to try extra hard here as I know most people won’t have read the book yet, and I really wouldn‘t want to spoil the surprises for anyone. Overall I thought this was an excellent read. I felt sad when I finished the book because even though it’s brilliantly concluded, I was still left wanting more. I can’t wait to read the next book from Rebecca James!

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather sick, twisted tale of guilt and repression but mostly guilt.
Four principal characters, Katherine, Alice, Robbie and Mick. There is an other character Rachel, Katherine's sister, she not there a lot but without her there wouldn't be a story.
Rachel, 13 years old, gets raped and murdered whilst in Katherine's care, who is only 15 years old herself.
Katherine is so full of guilt, over the death of her sister, that she withdraws from the world.
Katherine leaves Melbourne and goes to Sydney to finnish her schooling.
Along comes Alice who befriends Katherine. Alice's bright vivacious personality soon gets Katherine feeling much better about herself.
But there's a dark side to Alice. Alice's behaviour is Bipolar like, super highs and vindictive lows.
Robbie, Alice and Katherine are a threesome, with Alice and Robbie a supposed couple and Katherine an Robbie strictly platonic. But Alice treats Robbie like a doormat and Robbie just eats it up.
Alice's behaviour becomes increasingly vindictive and cruel and Katherine would like to break away but can't.
Katherine meets Mick and falls head over heels in love with him.
Now Alice is out of control vicious.

There is no shades of grey in this book. The characters are either unbelievably nice and caring or just putrid.
The only character that lit up the pages was Alice, who was so full of hatred and anger and wasn't backwards in showing it. The rest were just beige.
This is a YA book and I am no YA. That's probably why the book felt a little under done to me.
Recommended for YA. 3 stars was the best I could do.

[MaryG2E · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5★s
This book is a real page-turner. I couldn't put it down and read it from cover to cover in one day.
The story is well-structured and flows very well. Although it is not a new concept, it is given a fresh perspective, being centred around a group of Australian young adults as they finish their final year of school and take the first steps into a new life.
The central character, Katherine Patterson, has suffered a terrible tragedy a few years earlier, with the murder of her younger sister, Rachel. Katherine's involvement in the circumstances surrounding Rachel's death has both immediate and long-term repercussions for both herself, her parents and her relationships in the school and broader communities.
From the moment Alice lobs into lonely Katherine's life, things will never be the same again. Beautiful, charming, funny Alice seems to be the perfect bestie for Katherine, but gradually the darker side of Alice's nature emerges, plunging Katherine and her mates into a sea of trouble. Eventually Alice's grim secret is revealed...with an interesting twist in the tail which I did not see coming.

[Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado bastante!!!!!. Ha sido un libro que me ha enganchado desde la primera página, que me ha metido en la historia y me ha dejado con la intriga. Siempre te dejaba con ganas de seguir leyendo. Una historia que te conmueve y de la que no te esperas el final. Solo puedo decir que lo leáis porque os gustará!

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful Malice is the literary version of a Lifetime Movie. Ya know, the bad people are really bad and the good people are simply too nice to be true. It’s heavy on the drama, slightly predictable, and mostly forgettable. But you still find yourself completely hooked.

Really, I intended to write a review of this book weeks ago when I finished, but now I’m glad I didn’t. It’s not that great of a book and just not worth the time I would have put into the review. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it while reading it and found it to be incredibly entertaining. But it’s not the most original. Or best written. Or surprising. So… YA readers enjoy. Adult readers of YA, save this one for a day you’re feeling light and fluffy =)

[Rhiannon Ryder · Rating 2 out of 5]

About this time last year you may remember a crazy amount of hoopla about debut author Rebecca James. After a large quantity of rejection letters from agents, her manuscript was pulled from a unsolicited slush pile and started a crazy world wide bidding war for the publishing rights.

While on one of my google hunts for new info, I typed in J.K. Rowling and ended up looking at a bevy of articles about the pandemonium surrounding Ms James, many of which were questioning if she would be the next J.K. Rowling, the author of the last books to have created such a phenomena. I immediately started following her blog, spending several months reading back posts and waiting to hear more about the Y.A. thriller she'd sold.

Like J.K. Rowling she was bordering on bankruptcy when the book finally took off, she had children (four sons) and she'd written the book on her off time. Her blog was amusing and down to earth, I was totally intrigued and dying to get my hands on her book after it had caused so much excitement. Shortly after the news went wide though, she dropped her blog and had an under construction website that no matter when I clicked on it, seemed to go nowhere. I eventually stopped checking up on what the progress was and forgot her name, only to be reminded about her while flipping through the confirmed guest list for the IFOA (international festival of authors in Toronto) in early October. I was thrilled she was coming and surprised her book, Beautiful Malice, had been released (at long last) in July. Why hadn't I caught this sooner? I quickly ordered my copy through Amazon, and decided to head down to her reading and interview this past Friday morning.

The synopsis going around was roughly this: Katherine and her family have moved and started a new life after a devastating tragedy, leading her to befriend Alice, a seemingly perfect start to a new life. Except friendship with Alice is not what it seems, and could quite possibly have lead her into a whole new web of danger.

Beautiful Malice was a very quick read, but completely unimpressive. I absolutely cannot imagine what caused all the excitement in the first place! The first person, present tense, narrative is awkward and lead me to my first ever instance of noticing the narrative while reading. Normally I'm so caught up that unless I'm asked (the hubby generally loathes first person, so it comes up) I don't tend to take note of the type of narrative at all. Jarring and unpolished sounding, Beautiful Malice's narrative is immediately noticeable, which took me out of the thread of the story repeatedly.

The story jumps back and forth from two years in the past, gradually revealing what exactly has happened to her sister, to present time with Alice, to five years in the future. Each told in present tense. I'm supposing this is meant to create the tension of the story, each component only revealing tiny little bits at any given time, so you find yourself deep into the book before much is revealed. But so many of the characters are unlikable or participating in situations I find unbelievable that it kills a lot of the tension for me. Especially the main thriller component, Alice. Why any of the other characters are supposed to like her, the charisma she is supposed to exude, it's all lost on me. She's odd, unlikable, and so obviously psychotic, the idea Katherine is supposed to be so enamored of her makes me quickly dislike Katherine too.

Totally beyond all of these issues is the fact this book so often strays into totally adult material and in such a way I feel like the publishers are trying to purposefully make it a cross over book. Neither totally Adult nor totally Y.A., but some weird middle ground. Maybe if they'd focused on one, they could have weeded out some of the problems and come out with a well written book, because lets face it, the only books that appeal to adults and kids/teens alike are the well written ones. I was repeatedly reminded of that terrible movie Wild Things, not a flattering comparison.

In the end I was badly disappointed, and I'm not even remotely interested in the supposed "sexy, psychological thriller series" Her publishers envisage her carrying on with. Needless to say I didn't go to her interview, no need trying to pretend interest when I was so under-impressed by the book.

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erzählt wird die Geschichte der 17-jährigen Katherine, deren jüngere Schwester Rachel vor 2 Jahren ermordet wurde. Da ihr Nachname damals durch die Presse gegangen ist, ändert sie ihn und zieht zu ihrer Tante nach Sydney, um die Vergangenheit hinter sich zu lassen. Dort freundet sie sich mit Alice an, die hinter ihrer wunderschönen, fröhlichen Art eine dunkle Seite verbirgt, die Katherine mehr und mehr zu schaffen macht.
Parallel dazu erfährt der Leser, was an jenem Abend passierte, als Rachel ermordet wurde und was 5 Jahre später geschehen wird.
Meine Meinung
Mir hat das Buch gut gefallen, es ist sehr flüssig und spannend geschrieben, die Charaktere sind interessant und Liebenswert (mit Ausnahme von Alice natürlich).
Allerdings hatte ich das Gefühl, dass Alice's Intrigen doch recht schnell aufgeklärt werden. Auch konnte ich nicht ganz nachvollziehen, wie Katherine Alice so oft vergeben konnte.
Der Spannungsaufbau ist hervorragend, wird aber gleich zu Anfang gestört, da man erfährt, dass Alice sterben wird. Auch gleich von Anfang an zu wissen, dass Katherine in ein paar Jahren alleinerziehende Mutter sein wird, nimmt mehr Spannung, als die Information erzeugt.

[ALPHAreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you only read one book this year, let it be `Beautiful Malice'.
Oh. My. God. I read this in one sitting, cover to cover, because I literally could not tear my eyes away.

The story opens with these ominous words:

I didn't go to Alice's funeral.

An older Katherine narrates the novel, recounting the events that changed her life. She is at once in the present day, grown-up and with a child of her own - and with hindsight and insight she tells the story of her life in Melbourne, on the day her sister died.
But the crux of the story is set when Katherine is 17. She is living in the aftermath of her sister's suspicious death, which led to a media-furore and prompted Katherine to flee Melbourne and seek anonymity and refuge in the Sydney suburbs. It is here, at Drummond High, that Katherine meets and befriends Alice.

Beautiful Alice - with blonde hair, sun-kissed skin and laughing blue eyes. Through Alice, Katherine meets and bonds with Robbie, a handsome young man who is besotted with Alice despite her reluctance to commit.
The three of them form a close friendship and Katherine starts to live her life once more, without the black cloud of despair that's been hovering since Melbourne and her sister's death.

But pretty soon the cracks begin to show. Alice is not a well girl. She lives her life in extremes and is constantly bouncing from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other. She can be a lovable, easy-going and loyal friend one minute, or a conniving, narcissistic menace the next. At first Alice's egocentric behaviour seems to be that of any spoilt teenager - perhaps maximized because of Alice's model-like beauty and the fact that she is all but emancipated from her parents. But as the story progresses Katherine, and readers, see that Alice's fissure runs much deeper.

Rebecca James has written such a chillingly captivating villain in Alice that even though she makes your skin crawl, you can't help but be utterly captivated by her. Much in the same way Katherine and Robbie can be enchanted by Alice's `joie de vivre' one moment, and disgusted by her narcissism the next.

While reading this I was literally gasping out loud, shaking my head and muttering to myself - I couldn't believe some of Alice's actions, or how far she would go... It got to the point where, even though she sickened me, I was bizarrely fascinated with Alice. She is one of the best female villains I have ever read. Think Annie Wilkes in `Misery', Joan Crawford in `Mommie Dearest' or Sharon Stone in `Basic Instinct' and you'll start to get an idea of what kind of she-villain Alice is.

`Beautiful Malice' is a thriller/suspense YA novel, but the book is accessible to an older readership, particularly because of the more sinister underpinnings of the story. This is not a comfortable YA book - but it does make for addictive reading. The plot is dark and twisted, and Alice even more so. But Rebecca James is a damn good storyteller - and once she starts weaving this tangled web you won't be able to stop until you reach the final, chilling end.

I can't praise this book enough. `Beautiful Malice' is yet another shining example of the Young Adult genre's growing popularity and widening readership. The genre is no longer just for the audience of its namesake - adults are reacquainting themselves with a genre that is growing more sophisticated and garnering more publicity than books in its adult counter-part. `Beautiful Malice' is one book that will appeal to young adults and adults alike for its dark themes and gripping plot.

You absolutely, positively, without a doubt MUST read this book. Seriously!

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had seen Beautiful Malice around but had never paid attention to it. Then someone pointed it out and said it was amazing, so I looked into it, and saw that it was classed as a psychological thriller. I absolutely love psychological thrillers so I just had to get my hands on it.
If I don’t like a book, there is usually at least one thing that I find enjoyable about a book. With Beautiful Malice, I found nothing to like. I don’t know what happened, but Beautiful Malice just did absolutely nothing for me, I did not like it one iota.
The narrative is hard to follow, it’s quite choppy and just when I thought I knew what was happening there is a time shift in the next paragraph and it feels so empty, as though something is missing. It was so weird.
Nothing happens for a really long time in the book and you already know what is going to happen in the end. About 70 pages into Beautiful Malice I was considering calling it a day, but I thought, it had to get better, so I persevered all the way to the end.
I’m not going to lie; the ending was just as awful as the rest of the book. It seemed like the whole book was set up for this ending, but then when you actually reach the ending it was so anti-climactic and it tried to be mysterious and suspenseful but ended up being choppy, and inconsistent. I found it hard to understand what was going on to be honest.
The book is classed as a young adult book but I think it is for the older YA audience as it features older people and mature themes.
My biggest problem with Beautiful Malice is that it seemed so unrealistic and unbelievable. I could not, for one second, suspend my disbelief, as everything just seemed so unbelievable. I couldn’t understand how the events could happen and I couldn’t understand the characters interactions.
There are so many people that absolutely love Beautiful Malice, it just didn’t appeal to me at all. I’m not sure what I had expected from Beautiful Malice, but whatever it was, I just didn’t get it.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this from work like forever ago and then promptly forgot all about it. So when I finished all my planned reading for the #AroundtheWorldAThon, I decided it was finally time to give this one a shot. And I sped through it in a couple of hours.

This is basically a story told in three time periods, but the three stories are interwoven. So one section of the story is Katherine's backstory and the horrible thing that happened to her sister that caused her family to move from Melbourne to Sydney. One section is once Katherine's in Sydney and attending school and tells the story of her friendship with a pretty fucked up girl named Alice. And one section is set five or six years after the Alice section and Katherine's a parent.

The Alice section reminded me a hell of a lot of My Sister Rosa in that it deals with a character who's clearly a psychopath. There were some parts of Alice's story that I saw coming (dating Robbie's dad, for instance. Which, EW NO) and there were other parts that were so surprising that I had to stop and stare at the wall for a minute until I processed the "OMG WHAT" of it all.

Frankly, I could have done without the Katherine As A Parent part, although I understand why it was included. It brings the story full circle. But it was also kind of a weird thing to have in a YA book. So. If you like fast paced and occasionally creepy thrillers that float somewhere between YA and new adult, give this one a go.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. It was different to what I usually read but I had heard a lot about it on the publishing grapevine so was quite excited when it arrived at my store.

So at first it was a little slow. I think having Katherine revert between teenage and adult disrupted the flow of the story. The prologue was good and an epilogue would have worked from her adult perspective but I think the book would have worked better having flowed throughout the whole experience as a teenager. It was a little jumpy.

All the same though a very interesting story. An intriguing storyline, I guessed that Alice's brother had something to do with Rachel's murder rather early on in the piece however i dont think this took anything away from the storyline, i still wanted to know the how's and why's and what the ending could possibly be.

I did like the whole Alice drowning thing, it seemed a fitting end but Mick dying as well was probably a little too much.

Anyway, I've given it 4 stars because it was an enjoyable read, particularly for those that are looking for a easy, action-filled read. However the writing style might get a little annoying after a while so I hope in her next novel her style matures.

[TALITA · Rating 2 out of 5]

sentimentos mistos sobre este livro

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acabo de terminarlo y debo reconocer que no pensé que me engancharía y me gustaría tanto.

[Missy (Missy's Reads & Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First line: I didn't go to Alice's funeral.

At the beginning of Beautiful Malice, we meet a girl named Katherine who is talking about a girl's funeral. We don't know who Alice is, only that Katherine doesn't go to her funeral and that she is pregnant. From there, we're shifted from present (years after Alice's death), to the past when Katherine met Alice, to a past being remembered - a past when Katherine Patterson was Katie Boydell and her younger sister, Rachel, was still alive. As the chapters bounce back and forth, we're weaved into a twisted story of death, guilt, grieving, friendship, romance, betrayal, and so much more.

Though some people may have found the jumping around confusing or just all our irritating, it seemed to only strengthen the suspense for me and kept me flipping through the pages, reading like a maniac. I think the skipping around worked well for this particular story because it kept giving you clues and insight into each of the times. While you know Alice dies, you don't know about Alice - so you get more into the time when Katherine and Alice become friends. While Katherine is grieving, you don't exactly know how and why her sister was killed - so you get chapters sporadically on the day that Rachel was killed. Honestly, all three time lines build up and come to the perfect conclusion(s) at the perfect time at the end of the book. All loose ends are completely tied.

*I think one problem that some people had was the actual location the book was set. I have an ARC, so I don't know if it's fixed in the final version - but I've heard that the book was set in Australia, but for some reason they decided to take out those references for the US copies? I'm not sure how true all of that is. I can understand the confusion, but specific locations (ie- cities, states, countries) never bothered me as long as the setting is drawn out well.

The characters were fleshed out well and kept to their own persona. Katherine was a heroine with a very tragic past, but I think that she handled her situations well, given the circumstance. Alice was definitely a mental-case, and you definitely love to hate her. Her friend with Katherine is certainly what I would call a toxic friendship - it's not a healthy relationship, but you can't help but somehow you just can't seem to let go. I love how James handled this with Katherine and Alice. Katherine's reasons for holding onto her friendship with Alice was realistic and something you can empathize with if you've ever been in that type of relationship before. Philippa comes into the story a little later on. She's a great female character that becomes the healthy (read: not psychotic) best friend of Katherine. I love Philippa. She's a keeper. Then there are the two main boys: Robbie and Mick. I fell in love with both! Robbie has a very rocky relationship with Alice - another toxic one - and it takes something extreme for him to break ties with her. His friendship with Katherine grows and I'm glad they were able to find one another and become strong friends. Mick is also another lovable character. He's the love interest for Katherine and he's pretty much an "A" in my book. The story between those two is so very bittersweet.

I'll have to admit that I guessed Alice's intentions about half-way through the book. That didn't stop me from reading, though. Rachel's death was a little graphic and some of the scenes were hard to read, but I think they were necessary and it gives you a better feel of what Katherine witnessed and how it ended up shaping her into the person she became afterward. Like the relationship between Katherine and Mick, the ending of the story is bittersweet. While it's heart-wrenching and tragic, there are some happy things that come out of it ... so it's a good compromise.

I want to say so much more about this book, but there's just no way of saying more without spoiling something for someone. All I can say is that I definitely recommend this to those that like psychological thrillers and, if you're anything like me, you'll be left wanting more. I cannot wait to read more from Rebecca James!

[Jeann (Happy Indulgence) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review has also been posted on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!

Beautiful Malice is about an unhealthy friendship that turns toxic and malicious. From its innocent beginnings getting to know a person, breaking them out of their shell and suddenly becoming BFFs, the novel takes an unexpected dive where the same friend becomes psychotic, co-dependent and downright scary. I haven’t read any books that delve into the topic as deeply as Rebecca James has, and it is frightening because of how realistic it is.

Katherine has moved to Sydney with her parents to start a new life, away from the intense media scrutiny and reputation that has been built after her sister was murdered. She keeps to herself at her new school but one day, befriends the charismatic, beautiful girl called Alice. Alice is friendly and charming at the start, but slowly reveals her dark side as she spirals into self-destructive, malicious behaviour. This is the story of how Katherine escapes from a toxic friendship and Alice’s evil clutches.

Beautiful Malice is an intense, addictive and compelling read. Alice is a truly psychotic character, going from sweet and friendly to scary and hurtful throughout the book. The dark depths to what she does to Katherine and Robbie in the book is horrific, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I just needed to find out what was wrong with her and how it was all going to be resolved throughout the book. It’s the type of book that tells us the ending at the start, and we sort of have to put the pieces together as we’re reading the novel.

It was refreshing to see the focus of the novel to be on the friendship and the drama rather than the romance itself. Although there is a bit of insta-love, I’m sort of glad there was a bit of happiness in Katherine’s life, after being subject to such a horrible friendship and past.

Published as a young adult book in 2010, I think this book more accurately matches up with the new adult genre today. The high school drama and romance takes a back seat and the book deals with some real, psychological issues such as toxic friendships, dealing with murder, teenage pregnancy and bullying. I think Rebecca James has done a fantastic job with the genre and proud to say that she’s an Aussie author.

From its innocent beginnings, to finding happiness, to its inevitable crash and burn, Beautiful Malice was enveloping from start to finish. I found it scarier than a B grade horror movie, and that’s how you know when a psychological horror is done well. Perhaps the scariest part of all is that I know people who have exhibited signs of what Alice has done, creating endless drama just for attention and her own self-satisfaction. I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers and new adult reads that aren’t solely focused on the romance. Now if you excuse me, it’s time to go to sleep with the lights on…

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seventeen-year-old Katherine Patterson was quietly absorbed in her school work, happy to be by herself. She wanted no-one, needed no-one, so when the vivacious and friendly Alice bounced over to her, she was shocked with the invitation for Alice’s 18th birthday party in a few days. Katherine had only been at Drummond High for a short while, having moved from Melbourne to Sydney to try to forget her past. She thought if she told no-one it would go away. She would keep the past a secret forever, never telling a soul.

When Alice wouldn’t take no for an answer, Katherine found herself caught up in the excitement of preparing for the party. She thought that just this once she would have a good time; her life would return to its mundane existence soon enough. She was living with her Aunt Vivian and with her travelling for her work, Katherine found herself on her own most of the time. She enjoyed the solitude; but suddenly, and against her own silent advice, she found a friend in Alice.

Gradually drawn into Alice’s life like a magnet, Katherine found herself having fun; fun wasn’t something she thought she would ever have again. And when she met Alice’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Robbie, the three of them became best friends. But Alice was a moody, changeable person; bright, sparkly and flirty one minute, cruel and vindictive the next. Poor Robbie didn’t know where he stood with her.

As time moved forward, secrets were unleashed. Dark and sinister, secrets from the past which threatened to undo the partial peace Katherine told herself she had found. For it seemed the many secrets from the past were set to collide with the present day, with disastrous consequences.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Beautiful Malice is the first I’ve read by Rebecca James, sister to Wendy James whose writing I enjoy. This was a dark and intense tale with some extreme twists – the final twist I certainly didn’t see coming. It’s classed as YA, because of Katherine and Alice’s age I expect, but it most definitely can be read and enjoyed by everyone. Highly recommended.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping psychological thriller exploring toxic friendship, manipulation/control and mental illness. Katherine is an intensely private high school senior hiding a dark secret about a tragedy in her family's past. She is surprised to attract the attentions of a beautiful, popular, wild girl named Alice who appears set on gaining her friendship and trust. Gradually Katherine's defenses are worn down by Alice's charms and soon she finds herself confiding the truth about her past. Despite signs of Alice's recklessness, insensitivity and at times cruelty, Katherine hopes their friendship is real and loyal. It's not long before Alice's behavior grows more sinister and she begins to use what she knows about Katherine to hurt and intimidate her. Things spiral out of control in ways Katherine could never have imagined.

A clever twisting tale that kept me on the edge of my seat. Even though I knew Alice was bad news I couldn't take my eyes off her, waiting to see what she would do next. Little glimpses into her motivations keep her sympathetic but also frightening, making her character particularly powerful. Katherine, the protagonist is richly 3 dimensional and her journey of self protection to self awareness is heart felt, moving and fascinating to observe through the beautifully weaved timelines. The story is narrated from masterfully integrated points in time reflecting on events before/during/after. I am rather in awe of Rebecca James' storytelling. She has that marvelous light touch that keeps you whipping through the pages while the body blows come. The twists are whiplash material. I couldn't put it down.

[Misha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful Malice is definitely an engrossing read.
However I felt there are both good and bad points about the novel. My first thought after reading the book was - "good but not as great as the hype".
Described as "shocking", "chilling", I had expected a stellar psychological thriller. After reading books by Jennifer McMahon and Barbara Vine (both of them write adult fiction), this book just didn't live up to my expectations.
Having said that Beautiful Malice is still praiseworthy since its the author's debut.

The writing is great. The characters are really well-written. The transition between the three time periods is smooth.
I really felt for Katherine. Alice did freak me out quite a bit. I once knew a person like that - she was not as crazy as Alice but close enough...

Beautiful Malice , overall, is definitely gripping. The scary part is that these things so happen and such people do exist. In real life, there are no happy endings.

The underlying feeling of something bad about to happen is really intense throughout the book. You feel that anytime something can go wrong.

The book also addresses certain really relevant themes- of loss, guilt and fear. This fast-paced book will make sure that you are unable to detach yourself from the book.

There are parts that are really disturbing - the part about Katherine's sister's death. Honestly, I felt scared at that part since I have a younger sister of my own.

Overall:
Not the best thriller , but good enough .

Recommended?
Yes! For lovers of YA Contemporary fiction

[Maryan Heffernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So. Were you glad, deep down? Were you glad to be rid of her? Your perfect sister? Were you secretly glad when she was killed? This is an intense and simply unputdownable psychological thriller from an exciting new voice.

Katherine has moved away from her shattered once-perfect family to start a new life in Sydney. There she keeps her head down until she is befriended by the charismatic Alice, and her life takes her in new directions. But there is a dark side to Alice, and as we learn the truth of Katherine’s sister’s death and Alice’s background their story spirals to an explosive finale.

This is a days read and cleverly crafted to keep you turning the next page and the next.Rebecca has captured the perfect psychological thriller. It is a shame that this Australian novel had to have its identity changed for the American readership who cant deal with Sydney or Melbourne or their mothers being called anything else but Mom.The rest of the world both English and non English speaking can cope why do Americans remain so insular?

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very well told story with a creepy atmosphere, a pace that makes you hold your breath and a story with so many twists and turns it can leave you spinning.

But I loved the adventure of it. The first half starts slow and unfolds some details. It isn't until the 2nd half that things are revealed and the plot just get thicker, deeper and more disturbing.

until you are left with a very haunting conclusion.
Even though I knew elements of the story well before they were revealed, it didn't make them any more comforting or less awful.

and Chapter 22 will stick with me as one of the most horrific chapters I've read. It was perfect in it's shocking truth and I respect Rebecca James for not shying away from it but also not giving gory details. It was done so well even with it's brutal honesty.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a lot of teen fiction (I am a high school teacher) and was recommended Beautiful Malice by a trusted friend. It is a wonderful, if sometimes shocking book. I won't ruin the plot. It strikes a real chord about teenage (and any age) friendship and how manipulative some people are especially when they are 'cool' and glamorous.

It's set in Australia. Australian writers tend to have that 'to the point' style which is perfect for young adult books. Rebecca James has that.

I also gave the book to my 17 year old niece who devoured it in 24hrs....Enough said.

One of the best books I have read in what is still this year here!

[Mª Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐

[Jennys Bücherkiste · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hier geht's zur Rezension auf meinem Blog.

Rezension:
Von diesem „Superdebüt“ (Für Sie), das „voll den Nerv“ (Brigitte) trifft und „weltweit in 36 Länder verkauft“ (Rowohlt) wurde, war ich auf Seite 51 dermaßen genervt, dass ich den Rest nur noch überflogen habe. Die Geschichte beginnt damit, dass die zurückgezogene Katherine, die lieber für sich allein ist und dementsprechend auch keine Freunde hat, vom hübschesten und beliebtesten Mädchen der Schule zu ihrer Party eingeladen wird. Wie diese vermeintlich unrealistische Situation zustande kommt, wird später zwar noch erklärt, Katherines Reaktionen jedoch nicht. Obwohl sie einfach nur allein sein möchte, sagt sie zu. Und das nicht nur für die Party, sondern auch gleich für das Treffen vorher, bei dem sie sich gemeinsam fertig machen wollen. Es dauert ungefähr eine Stunde, dass sind sie die dicksten Freundinnen – obwohl sie vorher nie ein Wort miteinander gewechselt haben. Dass Alice zwar charismatisch, aber auch aufdringlich, arrogant, narzisstisch und berechnend ist, geht an Katherine irgendwie völlig vorbei. Für mich las sich diese ganze Freundschaft an den Haaren herbei gezogen. Gleiches gilt auch für die Beziehungen zu den anderen Charakteren. Es ist immer Freundschaft oder Liebe auf den ersten Blick.

Überhaupt sind die Charaktere ein großes Problem der Geschichte. Sie sind alle flache Prototypen. Robbie und Mick sind die süßen, lieben, gutherzigen Gentlemen. Ben ist ein oberflächlicher Macker, der nur Sex im Kopf hat. Alice ist der Inbegriff einer psychisch gestörten, narzisstischen, arroganten, intriganten, grausamen, aber natürlich bildhübschen Barbie, die Männer und Frauen jeden Alters sofort um den Finger wickeln kann. Ihre Gegenspielerin ist Philippa, ein sanftes, nettes, bodenständiges Liebchen, das viel zu perfekt ist, um wahr zu sein. Protagonistin Katherine hat ein wenig mehr Tiefgang, versinkt aber im Grunde das gesamte Buch über in Selbstmitleid, sodass andere Eigenschaften kaum hervortreten.

Neben interessanten Charakteren geht dem Buch auch die Spannung völlig ab. Das liegt unter anderem daran, dass es kaum Handlung gibt. Im Grunde entstehen nur einige Instant-Freundschaften und Katherine verbringt Zeit mit ihren neuen Freunden. Statt über die Handlung Spannung aufzubauen, wird immer wieder auf Katherines Gedanken und Gefühle eingegangen, die sich aber nie ändern. Es wird auf jeder zweiten Seite wiederholt, dass sie ein dunkles Geheimnis hat, das niemals jemand erfahren darf, und dass sie sich fürchterlich schuldig fühlt. Dabei ist dieses Geheimnis für mich als Leser überhaupt nicht geheim, weil es mehr als überdeutliche Hinweise gibt und weil die Geschichte zu verschiedenen Zeitpunkten erzählt wird. Die Kapitel springen von der Gegenwart zwei Jahre in die Vergangenheit oder fünf Jahre in die Zukunft und wieder zurück. Diese Sprünge haben die Geschichte unglaublich vorhersehbar gemacht, weil sie alles verraten haben. In den Kapiteln, die in der Vergangenheit spielen, wird das dunkle Geheimnis dargestellt, falls jemandem die ständigen Hinweise noch nicht ausgereicht haben. Und die Kapitel in der Zukunft verraten alles, was im Laufe der Geschichte noch passiert. Der erste Satz verrät bereits, dass Alice tot ist. Der zweite Satz verrät, dass Katherine damals schwanger war. Mehr Handlung hat das Buch dann auch nicht.

Fazit:
Dieses hoch gelobte, international verkaufte Buch war für mich eine einzige Enttäuschung. Auf Seite 51 hatte ich keine Lust mehr und habe den Rest nur noch überflogen – just in case. Besser wurde es leider nicht mehr. Die Charaktere sind flache Prototypen und es gibt nur Instant-Liebe bzw. Instant-Freundschaften, die an den Haaren herbeigezogen wirken. Auf jeder zweiten Seite wird wiederholt, dass die Protagonistin ein dunkles Geheimnis hat, das jedoch offensichtlich ist, weil es mehr als genug Hinweise gibt. Außerdem spring das Buch zwischen drei Zeitpunkten, wodurch sehr früh alles verraten wird. Der letzte Rest Handlung geht im Selbstmitleid der Protagonistin unter. „Die Wahrheit über Alice“ war langweilig, nicht lesenswert und bekommt dafür nur eine Schreibfeder.

[Βαλεντινα · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Χάρηκες κατά βάθος? Χάρηκες που την ξεφορτώθηκες? Την τέλεια αδελφή σου? Μέσα σου χάρηκες όταν τη σκότωσαν?"

Αυτό ήταν το πρώτο βιβλίο της Rebecca James που διάβασα και σίγουρα δεν θα είναι το τελευταίο.

Το βιβλίο έχει να κάνει με μία 17χρονη κοπέλα την Κάθριν η οποία μετακομίζει σε άλλη πόλη ύστερα από τον θάνατο της αδερφής της. Θέλει να κάνει μία νέα αρχή ως μία άγνωστη σε μία νέα πόλη. Η μοναξιά της όμως δεν θα κρατήσει για πολύ καθώς γνωρίζει την Άλις μία κοπέλα πολύ πιο διαφορετική από εκείνη που της μεταδίδει τόση θετική ενέργεια και ζωντάνια. Καθώς όμως ο καιρός περνάει η Άλις αρχίζει να φέρεται πολύ παράξενα και σιγά-σιγά αρχίζουν να έρχονται στην επιφάνεια μυστικά του παρελθόντος.

Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο το κάνω συνανάγνωση με την κολλητή μου από τον Αύγουστο αν και τελικά κατέληξα να το τελειώσω μόνη μου αρχές Οκτώβρη. Και δεν μετανιώνω γιατί κατά την γνώμη μου η καλύτερη εποχή για να διαβάσεις ένα τέτοιου είδους βιβλίο είναι ξεκάθαρα Φθινόπωρο.

Τώρα σχετικά με το περιεχόμενο του βιβλίου: Γιατί αγαπητή συγγραφέας να μας πεις από το πρώτο και όλας κεφάλαιο τι γίνεται στο τέλος? Συνήθως οι συγγραφείς που επιλέγουν αυτή την μέθοδο έχουν μία πολλή έξυπνη στρατηγική έτσι ώστε να αποστομόσουν ακόμα περισσότερο τον αναγνώστη. Η συγκεκριμένη συγγραφέας όμως δεν είχε κάποια τακτική με αποτέλεσμα, στις τελευταίες πενήντα σελίδες να μην έχω σχεδόν κανένα ενδιαφέρον.

Η ιστορία εξιστορείτε σε 3 χρόνους:
1. Στο Παρελθόν, όταν πέθανε η αδελφή της Κάθριν
2. Στο Παρελθόν που είναι η ζωή της Κάθριν μετά τον θάνατο της αδερφής της (που στην ουσία είναι και το μεγαλύτερο μέρος της ιστορίας)
Και
3. Στο Παρόν (δεν λέω κάτι άλλο για το παρόν επειδή είναι τεράστιο spoiler παρόλο που το μαθαίνουμε από το πρώτο κεφάλαιο)

Επίσης έχω να πω πως μετά από ένα σημείο η συγγραφέας κατέληξε να μην κάνει σχεδόν καθόλου αναφορά στην Άλις με αποτέλεσμα όταν την ξανά ανέφερε μετά από 3 κεφάλαια, να έχω ξεχάσει την ύπαρξη της και να μην έχω κανένα ενδιαφέρον για αυτό τον χαρακτήρα.

Στην αρχή επίσης ήταν λίγο αργό αλλά μετά πήρε φόρα και σε συνδυασμό με την γραφή της συγγραφέας (που την λάτρεψα) απογειώθηκε η ιστορία.

Ένα αρκετά καλό ψυχολογικό θρίλερ που θα μπορούσε όμως να ήταν πολύ καλύτερο. Παρόλα αυτά θέλω σίγουρα να διαβάσω και κάτι άλλο από την συγγραφέα (Μάλλον θα πάω στο "Κρυφές Αμαρτίες").
3/5✨️✨️✨️

[Lisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gespannt habe ich darauf gewartet, dieses Buch „Die Wahrheit über Alice“ von Rebecca James lesen zu können, nachdem ich das Promovideo und das interessante Cover gesehen habe. Dies ist der Debütroman der Autorin und ich hoffe sehr stark, dass sie uns mit weiteren Büchern erfreuen wird, da ich dieses Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen konnte und es trotz Unistress innerhalb von 3 Tagen durch hatte.
In „Die Wahrheit über Alice“ wird die Geschichte der 17-jährigen Katherine erzählt. Sie hat bereits einen schweren Schicksalsschlag hinter sich und hofft nun, an einer neuen Schule neu anfangen zu können. Vor zwei Jahren wurde ihre gerade mal ein Jahr jüngere Schwester vergewaltigt und anschließend ermordet und Katherine gibt sich nach wie vor die Schuld an dem Unglück. Sie erlaubt es sich nicht glücklich zu sein und trauert nach wie vor um Rachel. Als Katherine an die neue Schule kommt, lernt sie Alice kennen.
Alice ist wunderschön, beliebt, redegewandt und offenbar immer gut gelaunt. Aber das ist noch nicht alles, nein, sie gerade sie möchte mit Katherine befreundet sein, die sich zögerlich und vorsichtig auf diese neue Freundschaft einlässt. Sie erlebt eine schöne Zeit und fühlt sich angenommen, erlebt aber immer wieder, dass sich Alice ohne besonderen Grund scheußlich verhält und versucht ihr wehzutun. Katherine will sich das nicht eingestehen, sieht es aber auch an Alices Verhalten gegenüber Robbie, einem Jungen, der unsterblich in Alice verliebt ist und der auch zu ihrem Freund wird.
Mit der Zeit merkt Katherine, dass sie Alice gar nicht wirklich kennt und als sie sich in Mike verliebt und in dessen Schwester Phillipa eine gute Freundin findet, überschlagen sich schließlich die Ereignisse und Alice zeigt ihr wahres Gesicht …
Das Erste, was an diesem Buch auffällt ist wohl das wunderschöne Cover, es zeigt ein wunderschönes Mädchen auf die Rosenblüten herabregnen, ein Zeichen der Verwandtschaft, allerdings auch eine Warnung, dass alles vergänglich und nichts von Dauer sein kann. Man erfährt bereits im ersten Kapitel, dass Katherine nicht gut auf Alice zu sprechen ist und man erfährt einiges durch die Zeitsprünge in der Erzählung, allerdings muss man bis zum Schluss lesen, um endlich „die Wahrheit über Alice“ zu erfahren.
Ich habe in mehreren Buchläden gesehen, dass dieses Buch als Jugendbuch eingestuft wird, dies trifft meiner Meinung nach aber nicht zu. In dieser Geschichte erfährt man viel über die menschliche Psyche und teilweise war ich entsetzt, wie bösartig und niederträchtig Alice sein kann. Ich würde diese Buch unter keinen Umständen Personen unter 16 Jahren empfehlen, da es viele Rückschläge und die Trauer in Katherines Leben beschreibt. Allerdings kann ich dieses Buch wirklich allen anderen empfehlen, da dieses Buch nicht nur wütend auf Alice macht, sondern auch schön zeigt, was man alles verkraften kann, wenn man Menschen an seiner Seite hat, die an einen glauben und einen unterstützen.
Besonders begeistert war ich von Mick und Philippa, aber auch Robbie ist ein interessanter Charakter und zeigt sehr schön, was passieren kann, wenn man sich in die falsche Person verliebt.
Als Fazit kann ich nur sagen, dass ich froh bin, dieses Buch gelesen zu haben, da es mich wirklich zum Nachdenken angeregt hat und es mir bewusst gemacht hat, wie gut es mir geht und wie dankbar ich für die Leute in meinem Leben bin.