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Six Months Later

Natalie D. Richards (Goodreads Author)

3.79 · Rating details · 7,181 ratings · 990 reviews

She has everything she's ever wanted. But not her memory...

When Chloe fell asleep in study hall, it was the middle of May. When she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life.

Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with ...more

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Paperback, 323 pages

Published October 1st 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire

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The Shadowhunter's Codex by Cassandra Clare

YA Books - Publishing October 2013

122 books — 354 voters

2013 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade)

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· 7,181 ratings · 990 reviews

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Dec 03, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it it was ok

Shelves: mental-illness, high-school, ya, romance, boring-main-character, mystery

- So, Khanh, what did you think of this book?

- I'll tell you what I think, after I brush my hair. Did you guys know the average human loses anywhere from 50 to 100 hairs a day?

- No, I didn't know that, but it's irrelevant. I'm asking you now, what did you think of this book?

- Well, there are many important facts to take into consideration when I rate a book. For example, I have to look at the characters. I have to think about the plot, and the setting. For example, if it's a dy---

- KHANH! WHAT D ...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Giselle rated it liked it

Shelves: own, arc

I know I'm in the minority here but I think all the 5 stars gave me too-high expectations for this one. It is very close to a 4 star read so I'm far from hating it but, I expected more - or at least different.

I can understand why so many love it though. Suddenly waking up with no memory of the last 6 months is a very terrifying premise. One that had me completely stupefied, and thus absolutely engrossed. Chloe's narrative is written with all the disorientation, annoyance, and anxiety of someone I know I'm in the minority here but I think all the 5 stars gave me too-high expectations for this one. It is very close to a 4 star read so I'm far from hating it but, I expected more - or at least different.

I can understand why so many love it though. Suddenly waking up with no memory of the last 6 months is a very terrifying premise. One that had me completely stupefied, and thus absolutely engrossed. Chloe's narrative is written with all the disorientation, annoyance, and anxiety of someone who may or may not be going crazy. As you can expect no one believes the "nonsense" she seems to be spouting. She's an easy to like character with a fierce determination to get to the bottom of things. She knew something just wasn't right and I liked that about her. The more we read, the more Chloe finds out things that deepens the mystery, increasing the anticipation in turn. It is definitely very addicting and made reading this book a real thrill.

On the other hand - the one not making fist pumps of awesome - when we finally do get answers for the big old mysterious missing 6 months, I was pretty disappointed. It was a touch too out there for me. I was hoping for something more psychological, and thus more poignant. As it stands, not only does it feel like a familiar plot to me now, but the big reveal left a lot to be desired. Answers are thrown at us without delving into them, leaving me with nothing but new questions and cocked eyebrows.

One thing that was a hit or miss was the romance. I really enjoyed the connection between Adam and Chloe. Adam himself I grew to adore. I liked seeing Chloe kick Mr Donkeyface to the curb. I loved that it was kept secondary to the mystery. But then.. what I did not like was how it all turned out. I kind of ended up disliking Adam despite any regret he had. It may not even be fair to him since some of it was out of his control, but alas. I think it's the fact he kept it from her. Lastly, I wished Chloe didn't over analyze and/or obsess over Adam so often - though this is really a minor complaint as it was easy to ignore.

All in all, I was expecting something that would just BLOW my freaking socks off, you know, and then it just didn't. It's certainly not a bad book by any means. I was fully entertained and it had my gears turning at full steam throughout. I was simply expecting a massive psychological-thriller that, although started that way, ended up being something else.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

...more

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Jul 14, 2013 Emily Anne rated it really liked it

Shelves: clever, technology-y, love-that-love-interest, so-awesome, thriller, suspense

Six Months Later was quite an amazing read! Natalie D. Richards has created a wonderful plot, well developed characters, and a story that will leave you breathless. I cannot recommend Sic Months Later highly enough to fans of mysteries, thrillers, and contemporaries.

I think the beginning is set up amazingly. The first chapter sucked me in, and then once I got to the second chapter... well let's just say I was a goner. There is a reason I read this book in one sitting. I bet most you will read i Six Months Later was quite an amazing read! Natalie D. Richards has created a wonderful plot, well developed characters, and a story that will leave you breathless. I cannot recommend Sic Months Later highly enough to fans of mysteries, thrillers, and contemporaries.

I think the beginning is set up amazingly. The first chapter sucked me in, and then once I got to the second chapter... well let's just say I was a goner. There is a reason I read this book in one sitting. I bet most you will read it like I did, with your eyes glued to the page and the tendency to ignore the things happening around you.

The characters were very enjoyable. Chloe was, well, kind of a wreck most of the novel, but who could blame her? She forgot six months of her life! Despite that, I liked her very, very much. She was smart, realistic, and an overall memorable character. Adam was another one of my favorite characters! I wasn't too sure about him at first. However, I grew to really like him as we are introduced to him properly. I won't say more for fear of spoilers, but I promise all of you will love him!!!

I can't not mention Maggie. She was so sweet, and I really felt for her. Maggie is Chloe's former best friend. They were very close, but when Chloe wakes up it seems they are not friends any more, and it seems to be all Chloe's fault. You can see how broken stuttering yet strong Maggie is, and I was rooting for the friendship to be rebuilt the entire time.

Now, let's mention the plot. Well, long explanation short, it was pure genius. Just... no words. This has been the best mystery/suspense I have read in a while, maybe since I read Rebecca a few months ago! I was kept guessing, which is an enormous treat for me! Even in some of my favorite thrillers, I figure out the twist, no matter how masterful, before the characters. However this was not the case in Six Moths Later!

Overall, this is a shining diamond! Six Months Later exceeded my already high expectation, and the I was so happy I had the chance to read this book. The novel has such a killer plot and awesome characters! If this book sounds up your alley, go pick the story up!

4.5/5 Stars
...more

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Dec 16, 2013 Marisa rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: People easily surprised and bad at solving mysteries

1.5 stars

I wanted to like this book. Really, I did. My friend lent me a copy and praised it, but as soon as I got through the first three chapters...

I hated it. Vehemently. My younger sister can attest to my outbursts of rage at certain points of the book.

A major issue I have with Six Months Later is realism. In writing this story, the author should have consulted someone with expertise concerning college applications nowadays. This would have prevented many of the errors and misconceptions pre ...more

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Aug 17, 2013 Melanie rated it liked it

Shelves: blog-tour, me-likes-you, contemporary, books-i-own, mystery, love-triangle, could-have-been-so-much-better, romance, e-arc, young-adult

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.

What would you do if six months of your life has been wiped out? Who would you tell--would you tell? When Chloe falls asleep in the middle of school and wakes up lying in the snow, in complete confusion of how she got there and why Adam was by her side. After all, she always thought Adam as a complete creepo. Soon, she finds out that she is dating Bla See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.

What would you do if six months of your life has been wiped out? Who would you tell--would you tell? When Chloe falls asleep in the middle of school and wakes up lying in the snow, in complete confusion of how she got there and why Adam was by her side. After all, she always thought Adam as a complete creepo. Soon, she finds out that she is dating Blake, a boy who she'd only dared to have a crush on before and that her academics have soared sky high. Even though her new life seems perfect, her childhood best friend, Maggie isn't in it. During the six months, something made their friendship snap.

The characters in Six Months Later were fun, but already just a day after finishing, I can't recall much of their personalities. Like Chloe's memory, mine's been washed away about anything I truly felt about the characters. I as easily frustrated with Chloe, she took some time to tell her parents what had happened to her memory- though I appreciated that she could keep calm in a shocking twist of events. Maggie was also enjoyable, I love that Natalie Richards created an undeniably flawed character--one the stutters and is really hard to accept people as Chloe's ex-best friend. Her character wasn't shallow, in the sense she'd just forgive Chloe easily, like nothing major happened but she wasn't difficult and stubborn about Chloe's attempt at rekindling a friendship either.

The romance was one of my favourite aspects. There is a slight hint of a love triangle but it's really non-existent. Adam was really sweet, I adored his personality- not possessive but a nice balance between humour and empathy. And Blake was just a jerk face. Another aspect that was highly liked was the plot. I was confused just like Chloe was about past memories and the way we find out more about her six months was fun and well paced.

My main issue, was how believable the reason behind Chloe's memory loss was. I wasn't totally satisfied with the answer and it made no spence because it just induced more plot holes and questions to no end.

All in all, an entertaining read with a few problems with plot holes and the characters. Still recommended! ...more

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Jun 27, 2013 Romily Bernard rated it it was amazing

Okay, so truth in advertising: Yes, I blog with this author. Yes, we're friends. I'm sure some people will think that's going to make me crazy biased, but I don't review books on GR unless I LOVED them and this one? I loved it. Truly.

Okay. So disclaimer aside, let's get to the good stuff. I won't bother with a synopsis because y'all know I can't summarize for crap so I'll stick to what I liked.

Chloe. She's a great heroine and so so so human. Here's a girl who wakes up to a whole new life and, af ...more

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Sep 22, 2013 Stephanie rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc-galley, predictable, mystery-thriller, 2013-october, memory-loss

This review and others are posted at Inspiring Insomnia.

Before you decide to read Six Months Later, you should ask yourself this question: Are you OK reading a mystery that is not mysterious whatsoever? I'm not particularly adept at guessing endings, but in this case, I figured out the big secret very early on. As I continued reading , it became increasingly evident that I was correct. I was still prepared to enjoy myself, but everything here fell apart as the ending neared, and the story grew This review and others are posted at Inspiring Insomnia.

Before you decide to read Six Months Later, you should ask yourself this question: Are you OK reading a mystery that is not mysterious whatsoever? I'm not particularly adept at guessing endings, but in this case, I figured out the big secret very early on. As I continued reading , it became increasingly evident that I was correct. I was still prepared to enjoy myself, but everything here fell apart as the ending neared, and the story grew increasingly sillier.

What makes this so disappointing is that Six Months Later started off very strongly. Chloe falls asleep at her desk one summer day, and when she wakes up, she's still at her desk, but there is snow on the ground. No one else is in the room. Strangest of all, her fingernails are dirty, and her clothes are different. What happened??? Sounds like a great start, right?

But after the opening, everything starts to go off the rails. Chloe soon realizes that six months of her life disappeared, and she's understandably terrified. But for reasons I still don't understand, she keeps her memory loss a secret for a long time. She plays dumb to her parents and those around her, even as she realizes her life completely changed during that period. She somehow became a genius, she's dating, Blake, the hottest guy in school who barely knew she existed before, and she's suddenly popular.

Her confusion leads her to overlook what is blindingly obvious to us: There's something VERY off about Blake. He sends her strange, menacing texts. He follows her around and pops up in odd places. And he seems to have some ulterior motives for dating Chloe.

This story wouldn't be complete without a love triangle, so let's throw in another hot guy, Adam, who's clearly into Chloe, unlike Blake, the supposed boyfriend. He's supposed to be a "bad boy," but you'll laugh when you learn about the crime that got him in trouble. On the surface, Adam's crime was robbing a pharmacy, but with the way the story was headed, I knew we'd be given a suitable and sympathetic explanation for the crime. I did not, however, expect that he'd be painted as some kind of Robin Hood/Boy Scout hybrid.

The author's attempt to paint Adam as a Prince Charming isn't entirely successful. He knows Chloe lost her memory, but he becomes irrationally angry when Chloe is informed of his little pharmacy shenanigans. He believes that she should have somehow deduced the heroic reason for his crime, even though she barely knows him. (Keep in mind: Chloe got to know Adam during her "missing" six months, so to the present-day Chloe, he is basically a stranger.)

At Six Months Later nears its end, Chloe is in serious danger, and she hems and haws while other characters insist that she call the cops. Even I was thinking, "Call the cops, dummy!" But because it wasn't convenient to the plot, she doesn't listen. Again, more predictability ensues with the unveiling of the Big Bad who nicely delivers the standard explanation for all of the preceding dastardly deeds.

Note - I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jul 25, 2013 Juhina rated it really liked it

Shelves: for-review, own, raincoast, my-arcs

ummm. what? How have I never heard of this?

*goes to email Sourcebooks*

I need this book in my life right now! I am LOVING all the mystery novels Sourcebooks has been releasing, like Truly, Madly, Deadly, and now this one!

---------
Review

Contemporary mystery novels have officially become a favorite sub genre of mine. Six Months Later is a strong addition to this sub genre. I love how creative authors get with the mysteries but never cross the line to an absurd and unrealistic plot line. Six Month ummm. what? How have I never heard of this?

*goes to email Sourcebooks*

I need this book in my life right now! I am LOVING all the mystery novels Sourcebooks has been releasing, like Truly, Madly, Deadly, and now this one!

---------
Review

Contemporary mystery novels have officially become a favorite sub genre of mine. Six Months Later is a strong addition to this sub genre. I love how creative authors get with the mysteries but never cross the line to an absurd and unrealistic plot line. Six Months Later follows Chloe, a high schooler who wakes up one day in the library with no recollection of the past six months of her life.. and what is weird is that her life took a 180 degree turn. She is now top of her class, the top 1% percentile with her SAT score and is now miss popular. Frustration isn't the only emotion Chloe exhibited throughout the novel. If I was in her place, I would have gone crazy.

What I liked about Chloe is that she was calm, collected, and didn't blabber on to everyone about her memory gap. However I kind of disliked her naiveté in reading people and the situation she is in. Maybe the author made the readers too observant but when Chloe would speak to people, sentences like "He's suddenly jittery and distracted. Shuffling papers and checking his phone" would always be present and very obvious to us. Chloe is making this observation, and it wasn't the first or last observation she has made that is like that so I kept on hoping she would confront these people but nothing, nada. I also wished she confided in her parents but her mother is a nightmare, she herself needs to get into therapy for her constant anxiety, so I somewhat understood her difficult situation.

Reading Six Months Later was like watching an episode from a crime/police show (think The Mentalist if it was pre-death, or Criminal Minds) with that heavy feeling on your shoulder that something is up and something big is going down at the end of the episode, or book in this case. I always eat that up. I know I got frustrated in the process but I still needed to know what the deal is with the memory loss and the sudden shoot up of Chloe's IQ and popularity. Natalie D. Richards narrates it in a way that doesn't give anything away so you are seriously left making up the randomest and weirdest theories to try and figure out ahead of time what the plot twist is.. and no, I wasn't able to guess, at all. There is romance in Six Months Later and I thought it was very adorable and stomach butterfly inducing. The characters are all very mysterious, to keep them suspicious, so you don't get to find much about most of them but they all felt like they had a legitimate backstory and history that is purposefully kept away from us on purpose.

I am a sucker for mystery novels, but I AM picky regarding them since I watch so many mystery shows that I can now accurately predict plot twists left and right. Which is why it is hard for me to really enjoy a mystery novel but Six Months Later was fantastic. I definitely recommend it to mystery novel fans. ...more

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May 17, 2013 Shadowe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Great Read, Got a Chance to read the ARC, The Beginning is just creepy, I can't imagine falling asleep in class, and waking up 6 months later with all new friends and a whole new life.

The Plot keeps you riveted, and just when you think you have figured it out, Richards throws you a new curve.

The writing style is very witty, and the Dialog is so natural, I was not just reading the conversations I was hearing them.

Great characters, once it got going, I couldn't put it down. I read it in 2 days, ...more

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Mar 05, 2019 Jocelyn Rivera rated it really liked it

I recently read 6 Months Later by Natalie Richards I really liked when Chloe started to realize that she was falling in love with Adam because I have the same love for my dog and it was just a beautiful moment. It was a great book, very suspenseful and the ending was just shocking. It was also very interesting to watch Chloe piece together the whole mystery.

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Sep 18, 2014 Gabby rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2-star-books, just-no, audiobooks-i-listened-to, dnf, thrillers-or-mystery, disappointed, over-freaking-hyped, lost-interest, romantic-suspense, young-adult

This book has been on my TBR for over a year now, and I finally decided to give it a read, and that was pretty disappointing. This book has so many cliches and lacks realism. It started off interesting enough - our main character Chloe waking up randomly missing the last six months of her life. It started off intense and promising, but I quickly lost interest as it turned into a cheesy high school drama. Instead of doing everything she possibly can to figure out what the fuck happened to her (as This book has been on my TBR for over a year now, and I finally decided to give it a read, and that was pretty disappointing. This book has so many cliches and lacks realism. It started off interesting enough - our main character Chloe waking up randomly missing the last six months of her life. It started off intense and promising, but I quickly lost interest as it turned into a cheesy high school drama. Instead of doing everything she possibly can to figure out what the fuck happened to her (as I would and I think anyone would), Chloe thinks people will think she's crazy if they found out she can't remember anything, so she tries to carry on in her life and figure out what's going on all on her own, which was so annoying. All the confusion could have been avoided if she just asked somebody.

Instead of figuring out what's going on in her life, Chloe gets involved in this very dramatic love triangle. She is apparently dating this guy named Blake who is a total douchebag but her parents love him and he's the golden boy at their school so she's so confused as to why she doesn't actually like him. Then there's Adam who is this beautifully tragic (cliche as fuck) character, who she is so in love with out of nowhere and she just wants to stare at his good looks all day long. Obvoisuly Blake and Adam butt heads trying to get Chloe's attention and it became this over the top, cheesy love triangle, while all I wanted was to figure out what the fuck happened to Chloe.

Then there's her friendship with Maggie who is supposedly her best friend in the world but six months later and they had some sort of fight and Maggie won't talk to her and she won't even fill her in on anything that happened, which was equally annoying. Also, the way Chloe's education plays out was completely unrealistic. She goes from a completely average student to becoming a fucking genius within six months, and she gets near perfect SAT scores and gets accepted into all the best colleges in the country like okay.. Even though she was a mediocore student in high school up until her senior year which has barely even started by the way. It's so unrealistic. I know it's a small technicality but it's annoying.

By the half way point I didn't even really care how it ended anymore, I completely lost interest. I basically feel exactly the same way as Khanh so feel free to read her review if you would like to know any of my other thoughts, but I just don't care enough to talk about this book anymore. ...more

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Aug 14, 2013 Jess at Such a Novel Idea rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, own-arc, 2013-reads, to-review

Read this review and more at Such A Novel Idea!

Why You Should Buy It

This creeptastic mystery will grab you by the lapels from the first word and won't let go until the very end. Six Months Later is everything to love in a great mystery thriller book.

My Thoughts

*I received this e-book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.*

There are some books that you have to get into to. You have to push through the first few chapters before the rewards pay off. And then there are those books that gra Read this review and more at Such A Novel Idea!

Why You Should Buy It

This creeptastic mystery will grab you by the lapels from the first word and won't let go until the very end. Six Months Later is everything to love in a great mystery thriller book.

My Thoughts

*I received this e-book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.*

There are some books that you have to get into to. You have to push through the first few chapters before the rewards pay off. And then there are those books that grab you from the first word. Six Months Later happened to fall in the later category. From the first moment I opened it, I was hooked. I spent the entire book confused, stomach in knots, wondering what was going on. This book was downright creepy!

The writing was great, but beyond that the story was so captivating. I mean, pages into the story she is waking up six months in the future, so you spend most of the book wondering what happened to this poor girl. The confusion, twists and turns were just enough to propel the story through to the end.

There is one other thing I want to mention about the book. I LOVE how Chloe realizes that all the changes in her life that everyone seems to love are just not her. She is a strong enough individual to understand that being things you aren't just to please others is not what life is about. And especially when she comes to the conclusion that the things she has to be to date a boy she liked aren't who she is, we really get to see what a mature and intelligent character we are dealing with.

As a person who normally figures the plot out early in a book, I was pleasantly surprised to NOT know what was going on for most of the book. I had all kinds of wild theories going on: pod people, aliens, mind control, comas, etc. Trying to figure out what was going on was just as fun as reading the book.

And even when you find out what is going on, there still isn't relief. I was so nervous, so invested in Chloe that I couldn't slow down until I knew she was safe. And that, my friends, is why I enjoyed this book so much. It was everything to love in a mystery thriller.

Rating 4.5/5 ...more

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Sep 04, 2013 Beth (YA Books Central) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: guest-review, blog-tour, romance

WOW!!! I was hooked after the first chapter. I could not put this book down! Literally read the entire thing in one day!

Chloe is your typical high school junior. She is feeling the pressure from everyone to improve her grades and prepare for the SAT. Chloe has spend her high school career being best friends with Maggie and crushing on the popular guy Blake.

During study hall Chloe decides to take a quick nap and when she wakes up she realizes that either she slept for six months for something r ...more

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Aug 01, 2013 The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

We are The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club, to know more about this book, go to the post in our website:

Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards

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About The Book:

Chloe didn't think life would change your sleeping in study hall. It's one class and a tiny nap, what could possibly go wrong? The worst thing that can happen to her is fail his SAT.
However, when C ...more

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May 24, 2017 Janna rated it liked it

Shelves: ebooks

Chloe falls asleep in the middle of the study hall. When she wakes up she realizes she misses 6 months of her life. Now she has everything she's ever wanted. She's a popular girl, has perfect grades, and is finally dating her all time crush. When her best friend ignores her, she realizes something is wrong and she's determined to find out what ...

Six Months Later started off very promising, but when I was halfway through I started losing my interest. The characters are flat and I found it hard t ...more

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Oct 18, 2013 Liz Barnsley rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Liz by: Nenia ⭐ Literary Garbage Can ⭐ Campbell

Chloe didn't think about it much when she nodded off in study hall on that sleepy summer day. But when she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life. Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her.

An alluring and addictive r ...more

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May 04, 2016 Kurt Dinan rated it it was amazing

YA is in desperate need of more books like this--a page-turning thriller with a tough female protagonist. I blasted through this book in two days needing to solve the mystery of Chloe's missing six months. A great read and a great time.

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Aug 13, 2013 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-book-read, kindle-books

4.5 Stars!
I love a good mystery and I also happen to love the YA genre but sadly there just aren't enough mysteries in this genre for whatever reason. For I don't know how long I have been saying that I wish more writers would branch out of the paranormal and into the mystery, because really, the stretch isn't too bad and thankfully someone out there is listening because this year I have noticed a few YA mysteries popping up more and more and I couldn't be more excited about it. Not only are the 4.5 Stars!
I love a good mystery and I also happen to love the YA genre but sadly there just aren't enough mysteries in this genre for whatever reason. For I don't know how long I have been saying that I wish more writers would branch out of the paranormal and into the mystery, because really, the stretch isn't too bad and thankfully someone out there is listening because this year I have noticed a few YA mysteries popping up more and more and I couldn't be more excited about it. Not only are they popping up but a lot of them, like this one, are popping up with a lot of fuss and noise so of course the mystery lover in me can't ignore them. I have to check them out to see what all the fuss is about and in this case, I am so glad I did.

I am going to admit something that hopefully doesn't sound bad, I am good at solving mysteries in stories. I almost always know whodunit before the story is over, which is okay, it comes with devouring so many great mysteries when I was younger, but every now and then one will come along that will keep me wondering completely until the end and when that happens I absolutely love it because, let's face it, always knowing the ending (so to speak) isn't always fun. And even though I did guess some of the things going on, I didn't guess them all, not even close.

I still wasn't sure if certain people could be trusted or what, if anything, their role was in what was going on. And that is the other thing, what in the world was going on. Because you knew something was, just not all the details. And oh boy, was it a fun journey finding out!

I loved Chloe. She was stubborn and feisty and not one to be pushed around. I loved how determined she was to find and have all the answers, even if that meant getting hurt along the way.

I don't want to go into too much detail because really this is just one of those reads that you need to experience for yourself without anyone giving anything away.

If you love a good suspense, a good mystery with a dash of romance thrown in, this is a must read.

Richards made a fan out of me and I know I will be picking up whatever she writes next. ...more

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Jul 01, 2013 Sheri Adkins rated it it was amazing

Read an early copy of Six Months Later and loved it! It creeped me out in the best way possible and kept me up late for several nights, turning the pages, until I finished. Chloe, the main character, was amazing and I loved that the story was told through her. Everything is happening so fast to her and it’s like we’re right there with her, trying to piece together this puzzle at the same time. She’s brave when she has to be, but her choices are hard and I kept asking myself what I would do in he ...more

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Oct 17, 2014 Praxedes rated it really liked it

This book gets 4 stars because it is so perfect for High School students. The language, tone, and emphasis are just right for this age, and the subject matter is interesting if not entirely original. It begins as a mystery but includes sub themes of family, friends, and the demands to excel academically in the increasingly competitive atmosphere of college entrance exams.

Unlike many YA books which turn parents into caricatures or obviate them altogether, this novel portrays realistic relationshi ...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Leigh Anne rated it it was amazing

I was fortunate enough to read an ARC of this amazing novel, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the YA genre, and/or suspense/thrillers. The author does a wonderful job of pulling the reader into the story, and building interest in her characters. I loved how the suspense of the plot kept me turning the pages! I've loaned out my ARC to family/friends, and they've enjoyed it too. I can't wait to read the published version when it comes out! In fact, I've already pre-ordered my copy.

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Jul 23, 2013 Karen Karn rated it it was amazing

Great read! I was hooked from the first sentence. My sympathies went right out to Chloe in her lost time dilemma. Loved Adam's sweetness and concern. The clues kept me glued to see what was going to happen next!

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Feb 16, 2013 Jen rated it it was amazing

Was given the opportunity to read this book before it becomes available. loved it. very exciting book, keeps you guessing beginning to end. Can't wait to read it again.

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Oct 02, 2013 Ellen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, blog-tours

I really enjoyed Six Months Later. Imagine a row of books that are all in similar shades of pastel, nothing wrong with pastel mind you, but then imagine one that just pops out like a neon light....well that is what Six Months Later was like for me. It just stood out among the many books I have read lately providing such a refreshing and much needed change of pace. Six Months Later is a YA thriller that had the feel of reading a movie to me. One day in study hall, Chloe falls asleep. When she aw I really enjoyed Six Months Later. Imagine a row of books that are all in similar shades of pastel, nothing wrong with pastel mind you, but then imagine one that just pops out like a neon light....well that is what Six Months Later was like for me. It just stood out among the many books I have read lately providing such a refreshing and much needed change of pace. Six Months Later is a YA thriller that had the feel of reading a movie to me. One day in study hall, Chloe falls asleep. When she awakens, it is no longer May, but wintertime. There is snow on the ground, it's cold, and it's dark outside. Chloe has a major WTH has happened moment, knowing something is terribly wrong. She has dirt under her fingernails, she isn't wearing the same clothes, and when she checks her cell phone she finds that it is November, six months later than the last thing she remembers. To say she is freaked out is putting it mildly. When she fell asleep, she was your average student, not really too popular, but not in the unpopular crowd either. Now, she finds that not only is she in the popular crowd, she's aced her SAT, her best friend Maggie won't even speak to her, and she's supposedly dating the high school jock Blake, who she has crushed on what seems like forever. Yet when she is around Blake, when he touches her, she can't understand why it totally creeps her out, and why when she sees or is around hottie bad boy Adam Reed, she wants to just melt in a puddle, and feels like he is the only one she can trust.

Desperate to find out what has happened, but not wanting to give too much away for fear of being labeled totally nuts and wind up institutionalized, she reveals just enough to her parents to let them know she's having a "memory issue," and begins to try to find out what's happened to her, tries to figure out who she can trust, and also who she can't. As she digs deeper into this mystery it seems that for every answer she finds, she has just as many if not more questions. Chloe knows something is terribly wrong, even dangerous, as she gets closer to finding the truth she seeks.

Six Months Later is filled with mystery, suspense, and yes, romance. I totally loved Chloe's character. She is snarky, determined, and her inner dialogue had me laughing so many times. I also really liked hottie bad boy Adam. There was a lot more to him that meets the eye, and the chemistry between him and Chloe was electric. Maggie, Chloe's best friend was really great to, but Blake definitely had the creeper vibe going on. The story is fast paced and kept me turning the pages to see what happened next. I don't want to give too much away, because the mystery is what makes the story so good. I was able to figure out some things, and other things were surprising, as the truth began to unravel. Six Months Later is filled with mystery, suspense, danger, romance, just the right amount of humor, and has that thriller feel that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I thoroughly enjoyed it and most definitely would recommend it.

Favorite Quotes:
"We're late for English," Blake says, pointing me toward a door at the end of the hallway. I guess that's one mystery solved. Only eight billion or so to go.

My parents look up from the news when I come in. Mom's been crying. Again. It's getting seriously melodramatic in this house. I'm half-expecting a mournful instrumental score to play every time I leave a room.

I scroll over the list, feeling my face curdle like day-old milk. It's like I've been possessed by an academic pep rally. When the hell did I start saying crap like "for sure?"

The men's room door swings shut with a yellow "Restroom Being Cleaned" sign dangling from the handle. It's like a silent dare. Yeah. Well, there's a reason I streaked Clementine Drive in my undies in the middle of February. I'm not the kind of girl who turns down a dare. I push the door open and slide into the world of urinals and general male restroom ickyness.

"You and mom aren't fighting are you?" I ask. He lifts his fingers from the steering wheel, halfheartedly waving that off. "No, Mom's deep cleaning. I'm looking for excuses." He's a bad liar, but I didn't expect anything about him would be different. It took him a year to get used to the idea of a weeping cherry tree in the front flower bed. The guy's not big on change. He's kind of like a glacier with hair.

I fold the papers and tuck them into my purse and head inside. I've got government next, which is almost as interesting as watching paint dry.

"So do I actually get to eat with you, or is this a drive-by flirt."

Oh, God, she figured it out, and I'm about to be busted. Again. I'm going to be grounded until I have grandchildren. ...more

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Sep 23, 2013 Heidi rated it really liked it

Chloe is an average student at best. On this sunny afternoon in May, Chloe finds herself stranded in study hall where she is supposed to be studying madly for her upcoming SATs. Yet, she can't bring herself to crack open a book. The sunshine is warm against her skin, and she instead chooses to take a quick cat nap. She wakes up to a dark and deserted classroom, and out the window snow is falling. She is shocked to find that it is now November. Somehow she is missing six months from her life. Wha ...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Hannah rated it it was ok

Shelves: own-finished-copy, 2014

I was going into this expecting a character-driven novel. I had assumed the explanation for Chloe's memory loss would be psychological, and that the novel would be spent exploring Chloe's character and the way that she has changed. However, none of this is really case: Six Months Later is really a mystery, and ll the stuff about the memory loss and the way that Chloe has changed is only used as a starting point for that mystery storyline. And while this wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, it wa I was going into this expecting a character-driven novel. I had assumed the explanation for Chloe's memory loss would be psychological, and that the novel would be spent exploring Chloe's character and the way that she has changed. However, none of this is really case: Six Months Later is really a mystery, and ll the stuff about the memory loss and the way that Chloe has changed is only used as a starting point for that mystery storyline. And while this wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, it wasn't what I expected, and I didn't like the way the story worked too much: the whole thing seemed over-the-top and unrealistic to me.

Even if Six Months Later is more of a mystery than a character-driven novel, I still think that the characters should play an important role, and should therefore be fully-developed. Sadly, they stayed very one-dimensional for me: I never felt like I really got to know Chloe, and the secondary characters are stereotypical and underdeveloped.

The mystery, though, I did really enjoy. The premise of Six Months Later is intriguing, and that's what kept me turning the pages. Even if i didn't like the resolution all that much, I still really enjoyed Chloe's investigations about what caused her loss of memory. The situation is scary, both in the traditional way that mysteries often are, and in a psychological way, since we don't know if there was an outside force involved or if something inside the main character's mind caused the loss of memory. Trying to figure it all out, and the thrill of the mystery, were my favorite parts of the novel.

But even if I liked the journey of trying to figure it out, the resolution left me very disappointed. Like I said, I was expecting something psychological, and this wasn't it. The whole story seemed a little ridiculous to me - I didn't understand the motivations of anyone involved, some of the details didn't match up, and I just didn't find the resolution realistic.

Another thing that bothered me about Six Months Later is the way that mental illness is addressed. Since it's not a psychological story or character study, this is not the main focus, but it's still mentioned throughout the novel. For the most part, though, this is only when Chloe is defending herself and saying she isn't "crazy," as if her anxiety issues were the most humiliating thing in the world. Especially since Chloe wants to study psychology, I found such a negative portrayal of mental illness disconcerting. The portrayal of Julien's character is particularly problematic in this context, especially because we don't really get a resolution as to what happened to her.

All in all, I'm just very disappointed by Six Months Later. Instead of a character-driven, psychological thriller, I got a failed attempt at a mystery. The unrealistic plot, the underdeveloped characters, and the implications about mental illness made it impossible for me to enjoy this novel.

Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo... ...more

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Sep 30, 2013 Joy (joyous reads) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cant-put-these-down, favourites

Cruising down the highway of IDGAF*, Chloe was pretty much satisfied with being a mediocre student. She leaves the academic brilliance to her best friend, Maggie. As long as she could keep out of trouble and get a decent score on her SATs, she’s fine with the status quo.

But when she wakes up from a nap during study period a straight -A student, "disoriented" might just be putting it a little mildly. She lost six months of her life; she lost Maggie’s friendship along the way and somehow gained t Cruising down the highway of IDGAF*, Chloe was pretty much satisfied with being a mediocre student. She leaves the academic brilliance to her best friend, Maggie. As long as she could keep out of trouble and get a decent score on her SATs, she’s fine with the status quo.

But when she wakes up from a nap during study period a straight -A student, "disoriented" might just be putting it a little mildly. She lost six months of her life; she lost Maggie’s friendship along the way and somehow gained the attention of the school’s token bad boy. Everything's confusing and no one seems to understand much it sucked to be missing six months' worth of memory.

Her parents, however, are thrilled with the new Chloe but Chloe, herself is less than. So she sets out to discover what's missing, starting with Adam – the bad boy whom she apparently called in distressed. Little by little, she tries to piece together missing sections of her memory while trying to live the strange life that she woke up to.

This book didn’t have to work too hard in engaging its readers. The entire experience has me preoccupied with the mystery of what had happened to Chloe and how her life has so drastically change from page one to merely a couple of pages later. And those looking for romance will not be disappointed either. Adam, the bad boy, pitches in with secrets of his own.

Chloe’s character was understandably one dimensional. She’s focused on one task and one task only. Some readers would find her lacking, but I digress. If you’re looking to read more into her, then you’re missing the entire point of the novel.

Richards did a phenomenal job with keeping the atmosphere of the book rife with mystery. It felt like anytime soon I was going to be given a piece that would instantly click in my head that would eventually resolve her puzzling memory loss. But to no avail. I had to wait deeper into the book. It wasn’t easy and yet it’s so conveniently done. What else could erase a memory but a side effect of a [insert spoiler here]?

From the first moment I read the synopsis of the book, I have this instantaneous feeling that I would love it. So when I found it on a recent bookstore jaunt, I didn't waste much time. Six Months Later is one of those rare instances when I’ve looked forward to reading it that I was scared it would be such a disappointment. But it wasn't. Consider my expectations reached and exceeded. This novel had me engrossed just by reading the synopsis; but the synopsis had nothing on the content. Well plotted, well written, with a well concealed mystery that will hook you by the second page. Definitely one of my best reads for 2013.
...more

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Jul 25, 2013 Alexia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Disclaimer: I received this e-galley from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:
I was coming off a lousy book so I was hoping that I would like this book. I needed a good book and that was exactly what I got. I started this book and finished it under 24 hours. It was a really amazing book. It was a great page turner that wove many themes into it. Friendship, forgiveness, trust, good vs. evil and above all, the idea of doing the right thing even if you may lose the admiration that you ...more

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Aug 21, 2013 Rachel Webb rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs

Plot: Chloe is a typical teenager with a slight slacker problem, but one day she wakes up in her school and doesn't remember the last 6 months of her life, but suddenly she is dating her long time crush, has amazing grades and her SAT scores guarantee her a spot in any college she wants. However, her best friend is no longer speaking to her, and dating the most popular guy at school isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book and it's rare I can find a go ...more

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Sep 24, 2013 Pintip Dunn rated it it was amazing

I LOVED this book. For so many reasons. First of all, the writing is just gorgeous. This book is filled with lines like this: "I lean closer to the window, but the snow refuses to be anything other than what it is. It falls thickly on the brown grass, clinging to the spindly branches of barren trees." I love it when words roll around my tongue like a mouthful of jewels -- and Richards manages to create this sensation without distracting one bit from the story.

Then, there's the suspense. The way ...more

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