Made for You

by Melissa Marr

Bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely books Melissa Marr’s first contemporary YA novel is a twisted southern gothic tale of obsession, romance, and murder. A killer is obsessed with Eva Tilling. Can she stop him, or will he claim her?

When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary

356 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Melissa Marr writes fiction for adults, teens, and children. Her books have been translated into 28 languages and been bestsellers in the US (NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal) as well as overseas. Wicked Lovely, her debut novel, was an instant New York Times bestseller and evolved into an internationally bestselling multi-book series with a myriad of accolades.

In 2024 she released a queer fantasy (Remedial Magic via Bramble), a picturebook about a wee one and his two moms (Family is Family via Penguin), and a DC Comics graphic novel about teen Harley & Ivy (The Strange Adventures of Harleen & Harley).

An Illumicrate edition of 6 Wicked Lovely books will release in 2025.

If she's not writing, you can find her in a kayak or on a trail with her wife.

Reviews

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein guter solider Jugendthriller mit einem erschreckenden Thema: Besessenheit. Ein Jugendlicher verliebt sich in seine Mitschülerin und ist so besessen von ihr, dass er meint, für sie töten zu müssen...
Gut haben mir hier die verschiedenen Perspektiven gefallen. Jedes Kapitel wird aus der Sicht der verschiedenen Protagonisten erzählt; auch der Mörder erhält eine Stimme. Seine Gedankengänge sind schon erschreckend zu lesen!
Weniger gut hat mir gefallen, wie immer wieder betont wird, dass die Protagonistin Eva, in die der Täter verliebt ist, aus der reichsten und einflussreichsten Familie des Ortes stammt. Das so oft zu lesen, hat mich irgendwann ein wenig genervt.
Dennoch hat mich das Buch sehr gut unterhalten können und lange bleibt unklar, wer der Täter ist. So bleibt es immer spannend.
Das Buch richtet sich an Jugendliche ab 14. Jüngeren Lesern würde ich es auch nicht empfehlen, denn zeitweise ist es wirklich grausig.

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 STARS
Absolutely fantastic and creepy!!!






Eva,the heroine is Jessup’s most popular girl.One day she woke up in a hospital after a car hit her.And now she wonders who could have tried to kill her!

Was it an accident??
Or someone had tried to kill her?


While she tries to recover in the hospital she discovers that she has a new ability!She can foresee people's death!But strange things happen and everyone she knows are starting to drop dead and now she must use her ability to find her stalker and keep all of her friends alive!!

Who is and what he/she wants from her??


What a great book!I was hooked from the beginning!It was a fast passed,clever thriller that kept my interest till the end!I'm not a big fan of thriller but what made this book so unique for me and so different was the fact that we have the murderer's point of view and we can see what he is thinking and how sick and psycho he is!!

Also this is what made me to be so indrigrued because he was anonymous to us the readers and I only know he's one of Eva's school mates!!This was really creepy and made me so bad to learn who he was!!!

The characters:Eva was realistic and lovable.She really wanted to know what is happening and she cares about her friends so she tried to help them.I also liked Nate who was so sweet.I loved the idea about two childhood friends are back together.


This is my first book from Melissa Marr and I can say that I'm impressed!The writting was amazing.The story was captivating and the multiple POV it was exactly what it was needed to make it creepy and mysterious!!


Why you should give it a try??
For the dark nature of this nuvel and for the mystery!!!
I think that ya/thriller fans will love it!!

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book four eerie stars!!!


You probably want to know why and I'll try to explain without spoiling the story for you.


It's mostly sheer curiosity that compelled me to keep reading the book. The whole time I was reading this, I was trying to decode and decipher meanings out of the elements like the point of view because the story is told in three points of view: that of Eva (the main character), of Grace (Eva's bestfriend) and of the Judge (the bad guy in the story). I wanted to know the relevance of the narrative method used. I also wanted explanation for Eva's acquired ability after the accident (which is blatantly mentioned in the synopsis, so this isn't technically a spoiler :))and I wanted to know so bad who the Judge is because the author successfully managed to confuse me so profusely regarding the Judge's identity by creating a plethora of characters worthy of my suspicion.

The sinister personality of the Judge also earned my unusual attention. I was so disturbed by his actions and perceptions that are so perplexing and perverted that my face was constantly cringing while he kept confessing his intentions.



Nevertheless, the author's ability to dig into the mind of a sociopath and discuss his way of reasoning are very crafty and cunning. This is probably the best credit I could give this book and although there are some points which I found "off" in the story like the motivations of the Judge, the "message" he is trying to convey, why Grace is one of the main voices in the story and some unresolved conflicts, I would still speak highly of this book and recommend this to those looking for an originally unique YA contemporary reading experience, particularly to those looking for a dark, sinister and disturbing reading experience. ;)

[Wendy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars I wouldn't call this a southern gothic, but I actually quite enjoyed reading this. I'm bored or turned off by a lot of YA thrillers, but thought this was entertaining and readable, and the shifting multiple POVs were well done.

Full review is on the blog: http://www.themidnightgarden.net/2014...

[Kassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was totally captivated by this book! The plot drew me in and would not let go. This is a thrilling, and slightly disturbing, mystery full of suspense!

My favorite part of the book is that there are chapters from the killer's perspective. The reader knows what is going on in the killer's mind, but the killer's identity is not revealed. The whole book I was dying to figure out who this messed up person is in Eva's life.

Also, I am a sucker for books set in a small town, so this one is right up my alley! The drama that arises is so entertaining.

I connected very well with the main character. Eva is the kind of girl that does not want to give into the small town state of mind, but sometimes she has to follow along to keep her friends. Although, she does have one best friend that is from out of town, who is so funny and makes sure to keep Eva in check. Eva definitely understands how this town works, but she still struggles to endure it.

There's also a romance, but it does not take center-stage, which I appreciate. This book is all about the mystery and finding the killer.
There is also the paranormal aspect because Eva can now see how people die. This also is not a focus of the story. She uses this skill as a tool to help keep her friends and family safe, but it isn't fully explored.

This story feels very realistic and I think most everything plays out in a realistic way. Except for some things at the end.

I couldn't give this book a higher rating because I wish the paranormal aspect was more developed and some parts towards the end were a little out there.

With all of that said, this book will give you goosebumps and keep you on the edge of your seat! I highly enjoyed it.

* I received a physical ARC of this book from RT Booklovers Convention for free. Thanks to HarperCollins for handing them out. All opinions are my own. *

Review originally posted at: http://travelingthroughpages.booklike...

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made For You was creepy as heck! BUT it was also a story of longing and unrequited love! I’m such a sucker for those!

Eva Telling is part of the elite in the small southern town of Jessup but that doesn’t protect her from the brutal attempt on her life. When she’s struck down by a car and left for dead, she has no recollection of what happened. Waking up in the hospital, cut and broken, she has no idea who would do this to her. Even more chilling is the fact that since waking up she seems to have the ability to see a person’s death if they touch her. When her estranged best friend, Nate, shows up at the hospital and sticks to her side the time they’ve spent apart evaporates, but the longtime longing Eva’s felt for him intensifies. Nate’s protective and supportive, and it’s a good thing because this deranged killer isn’t finished with Eva.

When she “sees” the death of her friends Eva does what she can to prevent them while trying to identify the killer in the process. As she picks out clues from her visions, with Nate’s help, they hope to get an advantage over the killer and stop the deaths until he’s caught.

This is one seriously creepy read, because we are privy to the killer’s SERIOUSLY cuckoo thoughts through his POV! To know there are actually people out there in real life like this killer made this story bone chilling. Someone you’re acquainted with now could have these very thoughts and you wouldn’t know until it’s possibly too late is an unsettling thought, to put it mildly, and this is exactly what happens to Eva and her friends! Thankfully, most of the book is in Eva’s POV, because I don’t think I could be in his head the entire book!

While Made For You had a very realistic contemporary feel, there still was a touch of the uncanny with Eva’s “death visions”. I would categorize this as part thriller, part mystery and part romance, with emphasis on the thriller part. I was on the edge of my seat wondering when and how the killer would strike next and the visions show he definitely wasn’t done killing! I liked the logical approach Eva took throughout the story. No unbelievably stupid actions on her part, withholding of secrets or lack of communication issues that I find completely frustrating in many of YA’s are found in this tale! *sighs in relief* Eva was a sensible protagonist I found easy to connect to.

As for the romance, as I said I’m a sucker for unrequited love, especially between best friends. Add in the longing that comes from wanting from afar, like we have with Eva and Nate, and I NEED their love to work out! Facing death these two have no use for sidestepping their obvious long held feelings, still, there was a gradual, tentative progression with their relationship. Loved it!

Melissa Marr weaved a disturbing thriller with a swoony romance all in one exciting story! Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

A copy was kindly provided by Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.

This review is also posted on The Readers Den.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initial reaction: Parts of this book that I thought were fine, while others didn't sit well with me at all. A few things to clarify though: while this is definitely a Southern mystery and some of it is accurate to the locales, this is not, I repeat, NOT a Gothic story. Nowhere near close, so I'm not sure why it was advertised like that. I'm not sure if the villain's perspective really added that much to the story - it colors the tone of the novel as being dark, but I can't help feeling like I still didn't know what his motivations were and he came across as being a bit of an evil cliche to me. I was also very disappointed with the ending, and that's an issue I've noted in some of Marr's other works as well. The build-up might be okay for certain players and events, but the execution leaves much to be desired.

Full review:

I'm of two minds about this book, even as I'm currently writing the review. This is the first book by Melissa Marr I've picked up in a while, and I happened upon it when I'd put in for the book as a hold at my local library. When it came in, I had the opportunity to hear the audiobook version. It was a good reading and I applaud all the readers for it - probably the reason why I liked it as much as I did.

The story has its respective issues, though, and they're not far from similar things I've had problems with in Marr's previous works. The story revolves between three different narrators: Eva, Judge and Grace (the latter of whom isn't really featured that much as a perspective point compared to the first two, but she provides a balance).

Basically, Eva is from a very well to do family in a small town not far from Durham, NC (Jessup) and is in the midst of a relationship on the cusp of falling out. She's hit by a car in the middle of the night by a guy who believes he's "saving" her (Judge), and she ends up in the hospital with no memory of the incident. While she's fortunate to be alive, it becomes clear over a series of other deaths that Eva wasn't meant to be the only victim. In fact, as the deaths start occurring, she finds that they're meant to be a message for her, and that others will follow that are even closer to her in relation.

But there's a silver lining/curse as Eva, due to her injuries, witnesses visions of the deaths of those around her; she's using the ability as a means to warn those from suffering the fate she sees. It's an interesting concept that has quite a bit of possibilities, but only two people know of this ability - her best friend Grace and her former best friend/love interest Nate.

If I'm going on the things that I liked about the narrative, I liked the attention to place and the overarching mystery blended with the supernatural ability. Marr has the talent of creating a good vision of the community she's establishing (it's accurate to some of the locales she's referencing, though I would note this is NOT a Gothic novel, despite the Southern community setting). She also set the tone for establishing a creepy ability and aide to what seems to be a horrific set of events and a killer on the loose surrounding Eva. I also did like parts of Nate and Eva's growing relationship, though I felt that the conflict that caused their falling out wasn't really vetted very much. The story flowed fine for perhaps the first half of the novel, but unfortunately for my experience with Marr's works, it usually starts to unravel by the latter half and for the wrap-up events of the story.

That said, there were issues that I found I couldn't overlook in the narrative as it went on. I'm not all that certain Judge's narrative really added much to the overarching story. Sure, the creep factor was there, but I felt that the backing to his motivations wasn't established beyond just an obsessive, religious based extremism that had very thin construction and bordered on the cliche. Grace's perspective was good as an offset perspective to show a contrast to Eva's findings and for certain later events in the novel, but she wasn't really as much of a feature compared to Judge's character. There were progressive events in the novel that were hard to believe as the timeline of the killer's actions and reactions lined up. The climax of the novel was really the part that killed some of the more thrilling events for me because Eva engaged in actions that were completely in contrast to what her visions stated for little to no reason. It often complicated the scenario in ways that were aggravating and just prolonging the conflict. I felt like Eva hesitated one too many times and complicated the situation with her indecision and diversions than anything else. The ending felt rushed compared to the steady build up of events in novel's progression, which is something that I've seen happen in narratives like "Graveminder" and "Wicked Lovely."

Overall, it was a good audio reading and decent mystery for establishment, but I felt like it disappointed me for the build-up of the premise and promise of the story's beginnings.

Overall score: 2.5/5 stars

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually avoid YA books like the plague. I have enough teenage drama in my real life that I don't need to be reading about it also. This sounded more like a good thriller then a romance, plus that cover is ALL sorts of awesome. So I decided to give it a go.

It turned out to be a really well written read. Nate and Eva use to be best friends, then something happened and Nate started to ignore Eva. Nate is now known as "the Jessup man-whore" which I thought was quite a moniker for a 17 year old, but what-evs, and Eva is dating (and sleeping with) Robert. They all attend a high school that sort of resembles Gossip Girl with Eva being the queen bee (yes I was a total Gossip Girl fan, don't judge) Anyway, one day Eva is walking home and gets hit by a car and almost killed. Soon it becomes apparent that someone is fixated on Eva as more and more of her classmates turn up dead.

The mystery was very well done in this. I had an idea on who "Judge" was from early on, but I wouldn't say it was obvious. We also get POV's from Eva, Judge, and her best friend that offers insight. There is also a sort of paranormal angle to the story. After Eva is hit by the car, she can see how people are going to die when they touch her. I found it to be an interesting added tidbit.

There is a romance here between Eva and Nate, but it's a clean book beings as in YA, but it was still sweetly done. Overall though this was a really great book.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Made For You by Melissa Marr has everything from hit & run accidents to romance to a hunt for a killer! But unfortunately it fell apart for me around the 200 page mark.

After Eva Tilling is hit by a car and left for dead, she begins to have death visions. She can see how someone is going to die. One touch to Eva’s skin sets off powerful visions that leave her chilled to the bone. Is this new power just a temporary side effect of the accident or is she going crazy? Or maybe these visions are the only way to find and stop a murderer. Can Eva track the killer before he gets her?

I have to confess right off the bat here, I didn’t like Eva. I tried to, but...*shrugs* Our heroine showed signs of eye rolling behavior from the beginning that I usually let slide on by. Like when she freaked out about gaining weight because of her broken leg while she was still in the hospital. Give me a break! You just got hit by a car. You deserve an Oreo feast! Plus you are STILL in the hospital! After a few weeks of being stuck on your butt, then maybe you can get all “get that junk food away from me!” And that was just one of the small annoyances. I couldn’t ignore these…. I didn’t like how Eva continued to call Nate “man-slut” all the way through the book. I didn’t feel her friendship with Grace at all. And I didn’t feel like Grace’s point of view added anything to the story. *sigh* But for the most part, I rolled my eyes and kept on moving. Until...

The mystery started to fall apart. The chapter when the big plan was to invite everyone over for a party to test out the touch/vision power was ridiculous. All I kept picturing was Eva going from person to person--Nope, not you. Next! Haha...It just didn’t work for me. It’s a shame too. We get to hear the killer’s voice at times and man-o-man is it chilling! Very creepy to hear his reasons and justification for what he’s doing. *shivers*

My one and only joy was Nate. A mix of sweetness, pain, and mystery. Eva and Nate had some very sweet moments.

There is lots of love around GR for Ms. Marr and this book, so please give it a go if it piques your interest. I’ve wanted to read a Melissa Marr book for awhile now, but this book was obviously not made for me.

[Sandee is Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

THINGS I LIKED:
- the eerie vibe of the book. you have to really read through all the things each character say or do to pin point who the killer is. i was really confused on who it was until around 75% of the book
- the mystery held itself up until towards the end
- the uniqueness of the plot. i'm not sure if there are any ya books like this yet, but so far this is the only book I read about an obsessed teenage psychopath who kills people to express his love for a girl... pretty cool huh?... No not really.
- the alternative POV between the object of the killer's obsession (which is Eva) and the killer himself (he calls himself Judge... which isnt really his name). i think the dual perspective really worked for this.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- fuck the romance
- the protagonist is a helpless little rich girl
- the lead love interest is a manwhore... who sincerely likes her but doesn't want to admit it... now where have we all read that before?
- i wanted more death. yesss... it was too... tame
- cliched characters
- none of the characters were relateable
- the plot development was high going sown
- i have more... But lets leave that for my full review

[Rachel (APCB Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made For You was a pleasant surprise. Going into it, I had no idea what to expect. I couldn't fathom the awesomeness that was in store. It's a mystery/thriller that kept me turning the pages late at night. Filled with creepiness, mystery, romance, and great character growth, this book is sure to please!

Me throughout this book:


I really liked the first person point of view switches. I felt it really captured who the characters were, and the voices and tone for each POV were rightly different. The writing really delved into the POV of the character. We could get a great sense of the person's innermost thoughts and learn so much more about them through their thoughts than through their actions and speech. The writing had a creepy factor that I loved. It kept with the story throughout and made me look left and right, making sure no one was creepily watching me like the guy in the book!

The romance was pretty cute, but I felt that it came out of left field in the beginning. The love interest is suddenly all interested after ignoring the girl for THREE years. It seems a bit unrealistic. Once the romance took off though, it was adorable!! I swooned ;)

I loved the setting and how Marr depicted the southern town of Jessup. It was quite realistic and fascinating to read of Southern society. There's a bit of paranormal in this book, but I like how it doesn't overshadow the main storyline.

The ending was amazing! I wracked my brain throughout the book, trying to figure out who the heck is stalking Eva. Once the stalker was revealed I was a bit surprised. I didn't even THINK of him... Marr really pulled the rug out from under me.

All in all this book was pretty great!

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 3 out of 5]

T/W- Gun violence, Corpses, Stalking, Hallucinations

Made For You was a book that I first heard about a couple of years ago when I was watching a YouTube video. It follows a young girl called Eva who ends up in hospital and is told that she is the victim of a hit and run accident in her home town. Over time, she soon learns that the accident doesn't really feel like one, what if someone was trying to kill her? Sure enough, girls she knew from her high school end up murdered. Someone she knows from the high school must be involved but just who? The guy she used to date or one of her closet friends? When Eva starts to have hallucinations showing her friends being murdered, how can she tell people that they will die? This was a quick read which did feel chilling. Personally, I felt something was missing from the plotline, it all seemed to revolve around the local area but I kind of wished that the main characters travelled somewhere else? The setting was a bit repetitive. Also, the stalking thing at times did feel disturbing which I wasn't a fan of.

I feel that the author's Wicked Lovely series seems more up my street and will be stopping to read them hopefully in the coming months!

[SHOMPA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to give this book another try since I didn’t remember much from the first time I read it. I actually liked the concept... it’s different and had me curious to see how everything would unfold. The suspense parts were interesting, and I enjoyed trying to figure out who the stalker was. But I also felt like some sections dragged, and a few plot points were kind of predictable once I got further in.

Overall, it was okay. Not bad, just not as gripping as I hoped it would be. It’s one of those books that you can read quickly and enjoy in the moment, but it doesn’t really stick with you afterward.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review also posted at Young Adult Hollywood.

Eva Tilling is Jessup’s most popular girl. One day she just woke up in a hospital, a victim of a hit and run. As she ponders who could have tried to kill her she discovers she was suddenly harnessing a new skill, the ability to foresee people’s death. While she is recovering, everyone she knows are starting to literally drop dead and now she must use her newly acquired ability to keep all of her friends alive and to find her obsessed killer, stalker.

Have you ever sighed and thought that premise is so generic. I initially thought the same. Yes! It’s a story of a popular girl who survived an attempted murder — hit and run. BAMF! And suddenly she has this fabulous power. We’ve all read that kind of novel in YA or in any genre. It’s one of the most worn out plots. It has been done a million times by different authors but Marr has brought new elements onto the table. Once you start reading it, you will see. It makes sense and perfectly fits into the plot.

This story is very well-constructed. I was easily hooked from the very first page. I first read Made For You last May and I’m still obsessed with it. I love the characterization. Eva is a fantastic and relatable narrator. I appreciate her feminist views and her fierce friendship with her classmates and her unique and adorable relationship with her mom. This story is filled with unexpected twists that fed my curiosity.

Job well done to Marr who wrote a thrilling book that will make you look behind your shoulder, make you turn on the lights in the middle of the night because you don’t want to face the darkness. This story is engrossing, vivid and creepy.

[Lindsay Cummings]

Sooo creepy!!!

[Radd Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

“They always say boys pick girls like their mothers. I knew Eva was made for me.”

I typically don’t gravitate towards a YA book, but I needed a paranormal book for my reading challenge and I stumbled upon this one. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the book.

Eva (17) is the victim of a hit and run, and while she and the rest of the town try to figure out if it was an accident, the reader gets into the mind of the killer and finds out it was completely intentional.
“I feel like my heart is beating in tune with the thundering drums, and I slam the gas pedal down before I can hesitate. I feel the thump, and through my tears, I see her hit the hood of the car and slide off. I don’t slow down. I can’t. I can’t even look in the rearview mirror. I did it, but it hurt. God, it hurt to sacrifice the one person I thought was meant to be mine. My Eva is bleeding along the side of the road. This was the only choice left to me. I had to kill her.”

And this killer… Yikes! He was one craaazzzyyy dude. 🤯
”I prayed on it for several days before I found clarity. The Lord wants me to teach, to make an example of Them. It’s how I can save Eva. If she sees how fallible we all are, if she sees the truths that They want to hide, I can share all of my secrets with her. I understand now that the Lord spared her so she could learn. She’s like me. She simply needs to understand.” .
Cray, Cray for sure!!

Once Eva recovers from the hit-and-run, she realizes that she somehow received a paranormal ability. She ultimately realizes this new ability could be very useful as she and her friends try to catch the killer.

The below are my thoughts about this book:
- multiple POV’s, which I loved. I was very “happy” I was able to get into the mind of the killer.
- Sometimes when a story dips it’s toe into the realm of the paranormal it gets a little unbelievable, but in this story I felt like Eva was still a relatable character who just had something a little odd happen to her.
- Throughout the book I kept trying to figure out who the killer was. I had a couple of wrong guesses, but picked the right person a couple chapters before it was actually revealed. So, the author did a good job of dropping clues, but also misdirecting so that the reader stayed engaged.
- It was never really explained how Eva ended up with this ability. I guess that’s what makes it paranormal, but still, a few theories would have been nice.
- When Eva’s family dynamics were first introduced, it seemed like her parents were mostly absent and she had been pretty independent for years. However after the accident they became overly attentive and actually really good parents. If they had been so absent for the first 17 years, it was hard to fathom how they would just magically change overnight into pretty fantastic parents. They were painted one way in the beginning and as they became a more integral part of the story their character traits seemed to completely flip. It just didn’t seem authentic.
- All the kids were in high school, but thankfully there wasn’t a ton of teen drama because clearly they can’t be fighting about stupid stuff when there’s a killer on the loose.
- I struggled a bit in understanding why Eva and Nate stopped being friends in the first place. I didn’t think the author adequately explained this.
- It was never revealed why the killer was so fixated on doing “God’s work”. It was such a big aspect of the killers actions that a little understanding of how they got that way would have been nice.

Overall:
Although there is an element of romance in this book, it’s not the focal point. The “who done it” aspect, the twisted mind of the killer, who’s going to be the next victim and how to stop him/her is what the book focused on.

Although this has some dark elements, I didn’t think this was super dark. There were only a couple slightly graphic moments and the gruesome details of the deaths were not overly exploited or sensationalized (in my opinion). It’s got more of a creepy or psychological feel and that’s the type of story I prefer.

The main characters in the book (Eva, Nate and Grace) were easy to like and I was even able to buy into the paranormal aspect a little (at least it wasn’t distracting). The writing was good and the story flowed well. I was definitely perched on the edge of my seat trying to decipher clues and wondering what was going to happen next.

Overall, it’s a good YA thriller.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made For You, a dark and intriguing YA thriller

I first read this book over three years ago, when I had just discovered Goodreads, was just becoming the reader I am, and had never read a thriller before. So, this book was unlike anything I had ever read, therefore I found it fascinating.

I was curious to see if it held up now. I think it does, but it’s a much more juvenile book than I remembered. The vibe is distinctly different from an adult thriller. 3.25 stars

The Plot
Eva, a rich and popular girl in a small southern town, finds her life in shambles after someone runs her over and leaves her for dead after a party. Afterwards, she finds she can suddenly see someone's death when she touches them. Eva must use her newfound ability to protect the people in her town after a string of murders, which seem to revolve around Eva herself.

I think this premise is extremely original. The seeing death power coupled with the serial killer perspective is what elevates this book from the usual YA thriller.

I did not remember the outcome of the mystery when I started my reread. I remember predicting it the first time, and I can now say the murder mystery is incredibly obvious. There's really only one person who made any sense. I mean, you could probably figure it out from the first chapter.

The ending majorly amps it up with the intensity and is by far the best part of the book. I think revealing the killer early on was a smart decision. The actual murders were the only seriously creepy bit.

I want to talk about the fact that Eva suffers a TBI. I'm no expert, but I didn't quite feel like her quick recovery added up with what I know about TBI's. I don't want to pretend to know more about them than I do, but I found the portrayal very unrealistic. I just feel like if you're going to include something like a TBI, use it to it's full extent rather than mentioning it offhand a couple of times. None of the effects of this injury are shown at all—unless you count Eva's superpower. Even then, I'm not a fan of an actual devastating injury being used as a plot device for a character to get powers.

The Writing
Nothing special really. Sometimes borderlined on telling not showing. The narrative certainly sounded like teenagers, and at times it seemed juvenile.

"...and muscles that make it hard not to find an excuse to touch his arms." Lol this is definitely a YA thriller...

"'You used to read those Andrew Lost books and then the Warriors ones when we were in elementary school. I never got the cat ones.'
...'The Warriors were good books!'" Just wanted to take a second to appreciate that quote. I grew up on that series as well, so I found a bit of amusement when Eva and Nate discussed them.

The Characters
Eva - Popular, and kind of immature. I didn’t mind her, but she definitely made some stupid choices. I will say that she felt like a real teen.
Nate - The random love interest for Eva. The romance should have been really annoying and insufferable, but I liked both characters so I didn't really mind it. Nate was a sweet guy, and the romance had some cute bits.
Grace - Eva’s best friend. Grace is Asian and didn’t grow up in the south, so I thought she offered an interesting perspective on the southern lifestyle. Also, yay for a strong female friendship!

"Some friendships work because they have so much in common; we work because we have so many differences. We fill in each other's gaps."

Judge - The serial killer. He get’s his own section, because I have a lot to say on the inclusion of his perspective.

The Serial Killer Perspective
First off, the serial killer perspective is what made me like this book the first round (I tried to play it off like it was my least favorite bit, thinking it was really odd to find a serial killer/psychopath perspective as intriguing as I did). I found it unnerving and unsettling, but secretly fascinating.

Three years later, I'm not nearly as impressed. As someone who has now read numerous thrillers and has spent way too much time watching the Investigation Discovery channel, the serial killer perspective is not that well done. Really, I didn't find myself even slightly horrified or creeped out. It felt almost cheesy.

"He's not right for her. I am. ... I've been waiting for her to see the real me for so long. ... She was like a goddess in my mind."

Melissa Marr strikes me as someone who does not truly understand the psychopath point of view, so she merely exaggerated what she thinks an insane killer may be driven by. It comes off exactly that way, and it feels almost eye roll worthy. I usually find serial killer perspectives compelling, while here it just seems exaggerated to the point of being ridiculous.

"I prayed on it for several days before I found clarity. The Lord wants me to teach, to make an example of Them. It's how I can save Eva."

I think the religious aspect is unnecessary. A blatant psychopath who believes what they are doing is right purely based on their own psyche is much scarier than one who has religious motives in my opinion.

"Eva is the only one who will ever understand me." It's so blatant that it seems cheesy. There's no complexity here, and I guess I just get bored with characters that are EVILLLL. Like he doesn't evoke loathing because his motives aren't even understandable, they're just overtly insane.

Overall
It’s a solid YA thriller. Not a favorite, even though it had it’s unique and interesting parts. I think my favorite YA thriller is definitely The Creeping, but I would recommend this one to someone who is looking for a younger thriller, because this is still one of the better ones that I have read.

[Jeann (Happy Indulgence) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!

Featuring a creepy, religious stalker who is a complete psychopath when it comes to loving and killing women, Made For You creeped me out so much I had trouble sleeping. Not only is it told from the clueless victim, we also get the point of view of the killer who is so obsessed and twisted that he believes it’s okay to kill women because he’s ‘saving’ them.

I can’t think of anything creepier than that, especially when we read about his sick obsession with Eva and the way he abuses relationships with women. This book literally brought shivers up my spine and I kept on having scary stalker dreams – pretty much every girls worse nightmare. I wish there was more background to why Judge was brought up that way and what his sick religious fantasies were about, but perhaps it’s better not knowing.

Today, I’ll find another girl, a substitute for the girl God made for me.

When you realise Judge is just another student at Eva’s school, that’s when things get really creepy and I constantly tried to figure out who it is. It isn’t really a mystery though, seeing as there’s only 2 main men in the book – but I admit, the book surprised me. Unlike other thrillers I’ve read, it doesn’t withhold information just to whack you with it in the final conclusion, and the killer’s identity is revealed sooner than I thought. It doesn’t follow the classic thriller formula, but I still found it disturbing and creepy.

Eva played her part as an unsuspecting victim well, although I think her accident was overemphasised for convenience. She suffered from multiple brain injuries and still operates normally, except she has a weird affliction where she can foresee someone’s death if they touch her. I didn’t expect this paranormal twist to it and wanted more explanation for why she could do this.

“If you touch me, I see your death.” – Eva

The romance with Nate was fairly sweet, especially because it was a best friend romance and it was nice to see that evolve for once. Nate was an understanding and supportive character who didn’t judge Eva even after she suffered cuts all over her face, but then why would he ignore her for years? I liked that their romance was developed slowly, but I just didn’t believe in him as a character – especially since he slept with a lot of women.

Every single teen character in this book seems to be sexually active – Nate, Judge, Eva and Grace included and I was pretty uncomfortable with some of the implications about what the characters did. There’s a bit of slut shaming and even sexual violence, so I wouldn’t recommend this for the younger YA reader.

As a result, I found Grace, Eva’s best friend to be the only character I actually liked in the book. She was smart, strong and loyal and was an awesome friend to Eva. I did find her point of view unnecessary to the main storyline though, other than to buffer the intensity between Grace and Judge’s perspectives.

Their deaths feel like my fault.
And it makes me sick.
What did I say or do that made this crazy person fixate on me and my friends?

Made For You is a creepy, disturbing and intense thriller about an obsessed stalker and psychopath. Featuring deaths, threats, obsessive thoughts and violence, all from the killer’s point of view, there is nothing that could be creepier. The book does fail to explain a few key points, like how Judge turned out that way and why Eva can see premonitions for people’s deaths. It also unexpectedly features sexual violence which I found disturbing. Overall it’s a unique and disturbing thriller, but only if you can handle it – and definitely for the mature YA audience.

As for me, I think I’ll go easy on the thrillers for a while.

[Megan (thebookishtwins) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley

Eva Tiller gets hit by a car and ends up in hospital. It turns out it wasn't an accident, but someone targeted her. One thing changed when Eva got hit by that car - she can foresee people's death. Now Eva's friends are turning up dead with messages for Eva from 'The Judge'.

As a fan of Melissa Marr and her Wicked Lovely series, I was excited for this, and the synopsis sounded really good and thrilling, but I felt like that was not really what I got. I felt like there was a heavy presence of romance which really took away from my enjoyment of Made For You. For me, Made For You was highly predictable, I had already guessed who was 'The Judge' at about the halfway mark, which is not something I really want in a thriller. Sometimes I like guessing, but this one felt too easy, and I don't believe the suspense was held.

For me, the foreseeing death aspect just did not work. I'm not really sure, it just didn't feel right. I felt like it did not really need to be there either, it just felt wrong.

In terms of characters - little depth and development. The main characters were a little bit more fleshed out, but Nate and Eva felt sort of flat with little personalities. I liked Grace, but again little development and personality and the switching POVs definitely did not help with this as there weren't much difference between them, in my opinion. The same can be said for the relationship, I felt like they weren't really there? I didn't get a sense of how much they cared for each other. Perhaps it was just me, it just all felt flat to me.

Overall, I have read better contemporary thrillers. I would not personally recommend.

[starryeyedjen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. Kinda creepy. Kinda corny. Mildly entertaining.

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Dark, creepy story that will keep you up all night! If you are a young adult thriller fan you are in for a real treat with Made for You!

Opening Sentence: “DID YOU SEE HER?”

The Review:

Eva Tilling is the epitome of a southern belle. She grew up in the small town of Jessup, North Carolina where her parents are practically a King and Queen. Everyone loved Eva and no one could ever believe that anyone would ever want to hurt her. But when she is hit by a car and left for dead everyone starts to wonder if someone would very much like to hurt her. While Eva was hurt pretty badly and her once beautiful face will be left scared, that’s not the only thing she got from the accident. She now has this strange new ability to foresee the deaths of anyone who touches her.

While in the hospital trying to recover she rekindles her friendship with her childhood friend Nate. They haven’t talked for years but Eva has never quite gotten over her crush she has had on him for years. Things seem to be looking up until another accident occurs, killing one of Eva’s fellow students. Could both be accidents or is there a killer on the loose? Soon the body count goes up and the killer is sending messages to Eva. Will she be able to figure out who in her tiny town tried to kill her before someone she loves becomes his next victim?

For the most part I really liked Eva as a character. She was a sweet girl that has had to deal with some pretty traumatic things lately and surprisingly she handles everything really well. She grew up with parents that were never around much so she has always had to rely on herself and a few close friends. Her family had a lot of money and she was pretty much regarded as royalty in the small town she grew up in. Because of that she was expected to act a certain way and hang out with certain people. The one thing I didn’t love about Eva was how passive she was in her own life. She lets everyone else dictate her life and that was hard for me to relate too. As the story goes on she does get way better but I would have liked to have seen a little more from her. Overall, I liked her and thought she was a fun character.

Nate was a cute boy that was swoon worthy, but I felt that his relationship with Eva seemed a little forced and very rushed. I realize they have known each other since they were little kids but they haven’t talked to each other for years. To me I thought that things should have progressed a little slower between them, but instead it was like the last two years of their life never even happened. They go from not talking to a couple in a matter of days which I thought was really unrealistic. Also, I never understood why Nate acted the way he did and it was never really explained which frustrated me. While I didn’t love how fast it moved, I did think that they were an adorable couple and as a love interest I thought Nate was perfectly done.

I have to dedicate a paragraph to the villain in the story. He is known as The Judge and he was seriously so creepy! I thought that the parts of the book that were told from his POV were brilliant. It made the story feel way more real and I’m not going to lie, it really freaked me out when I would read what he was thinking. I can only imagine what it would be like to be in a real serial killers head, but I bet Marr hit it pretty close with Judge.

Made for You was a fast paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat! From the first moment I picked this book up I had a hard time putting it down. I will admit I wasn’t too surprised on who the killer ended up being, but I didn’t figure it out right away which is a plus. I really enjoyed the entire cast of characters. Marr did a wonderful job fleshing them all out and making me care about each one of them. Marr’s writing is phenomenal and easy to get lost in. Surprisingly this is actually the first book I have read by Marr, but after reading it I am certainly more eager to pick up her other works. Overall, I thought that this was a great young adult mystery and I would highly recommend it to anyone that is looking for a great thriller that will keep you up at night!

Notable Scene:

I drive past her house as I have for months, not so often that anyone would notice, but frequently enough to keep myself calm. Seeing a glimpse of her has always filled me with a sort of peace that is too hard to find. These past days while she was in the hospital, I had to pretend that she was inside, that there was a chance she could come to the window. Sometimes though, I had to drive to the hospital in Durham. Being so far away from her for this many days has been more difficult than I could’ve imagined. I’m glad she didn’t die. I’m not sure how I’ll cope if she still has to die. The fear of her loss cripples me briefly, and I know that I have to do a good job. She has to understand the messages, and she has to obey them. Anything less will mean I have to finish killing her. I don’t want that. I’ve never wanted that. She’s made for me, my perfect match.

“And I was made for you,” I tell her as I glance at the window of her room.

FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Made for You. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Yodamom · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.7- story
3.5 narration
I found this while shelf surfing my library's audiobooks, I had never heard of it but I know and like the author, so why not. I like reading books blind, I have no expectations and it's all a surprise. Well, what a good find ! The narration on this was fabulous, read by three different people. This make it so easy to get lost in the story. The characters were layered in life's muck making me love/hate them. The who done it, had me guessing till near the end. Oh my, the psycho was so sick and twisted I was on the edge the whole time. The part I enjoyed the most was the MC she was not the meek, stupid spoiled little rich girl, not the quiet mouse, this girl was honest, level headed and ready to fight. Till the last 1/4 where she pulled out her TSTL bit and I had a case of severe eye roll strain.
A thriller, with YA levels and a light romance. There is a slight para-twist but is mostly a contemporary YA thriller. There is murder with fairly vivid details, drugs, sex and violence.

[Lisa (lifeinlit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I received an eARC of Made For You a few months back, I decided to wait until I could get the audiobook instead… especially after I heard there was a killer POV involved. I’ve only read one other book with a killer’s POV, and let me tell you… CREEPY!! I thought this was the perfect book to read in the Fall, right before Halloween when scary, creepy books were on the brain. And let me tell you, this one definitely have me the chills.

I have to admit in a huge baby. I cringe at shows like Criminal Minds (which I used to really enjoy, but for some reason I just can’t stomach them anymore) and horror movies. So no, this one is quite as scary or creepy as a horror film that will leave you shaking and unable to sleep. But compared to the other books I normally read, this book made me uneasy. The fact that the audiobook had three separate narrators made the creep fact even stronger to me, as it really brought these characters to live… specially the killer.

It wasn’t all creeptastic thriller though. There was also a romance. I loved how it was subtle and not overdone, yet still a strong, perfectly sweet romance. This story focused quite a bit on friendship and family, and how the strong bonds and ability to stick together through the hard times could really change (and save) a life.

This is my first Melissa Marr book, but it won’t be my last. Her writing was intense and drew me right in. If you’re looking for a mystery that will keep you on your toes, this is a book for you.

Audiobook Impressions:
I get so excited when I start an audiobook and I find out there is more than one narrator. Sometimes having just one narrator is plenty… but when you have three separate POVs, having the separate narrators for each character really adds quite a bit to the story. Our creepy killer POV was performed perfectly by MacLeod. His voice alone was strong, powerful, and intimidating. I’ve heard many books narrated by Shannon before and have loved them all. She’s really a fantastic narrator and can perfectly narrate almost any role. Samantha was new to me. At first I thought her voice sounded very young and innocent… and this ended up being spot-on for the part she placed. Three great narrators that completely brought this story bone-chillingly to life.

(Thanks to HarperCollins for the review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

There is nothing even remotely new or original about this book, but that’s not a reasonable expectation within the (paranormal) mystery genre. The important thing is to find a perfect balance between suspense, character development and a well-built mystery, and Marr achieved this to absolute perfection.

Marr is excellent at building tension slowly but steadily. The constant promise of senseless violence combined with Eva’s horrifying visions keeps us wide-eyed and at the edge of our seats, fully convinced that the killer is coming for everyone, Eva included, and that they stand very little chance of actually stopping him. As expected, there were a few red herrings along the way, and they were pretty easy to recognize as such, but the identity of the killer remained a mystery to me until it was casually, brilliantly revealed at just the right time.

Eva approaches the world with refreshing honesty and directness. The willingness to say exactly what’s on her mind at any given time is her most admirable quality by far. With one understandable exception, she expresses her thought and feelings with candor we all wish we could achieve, but aren’t brave enough to actually try. In a town where status is everything, she is the uncrowned princess, daughter of the richest, most powerful family in the tight little Southern community. But Eva, while well-aware and respectful of her position, approaches it with a healthy dose of self-irony and makes it impossible for us not to admire her for it.

The romance also worked well, even though the timing could have been better. I liked the idea of two childhood best friends finally coming together, and I liked Eva’s behavior toward Nate tremendously. For his part, Nate took his time in finally admitting his feelings, but when he did, there was no doubting his honesty and devotion.

In the end, while the well-built mystery certainly helps, for me it all comes down to Eva herself. The story is told from multiple perspectives, rules this book like she does her small community – gracefully, convincingly and by making smart decisions the entire time.

Brava, Ms. Marr. I am thoroughly impressed.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I loved the mystery aspect of this book. I liked how we got chapters told in the killer's POV. It was pretty crazy and creepy. This book kind of reminds me of The Body Finder so if you liked that book, try checking out this one. It does have a contemporary feel to it, which I liked. I loved the mother-daughter relationship development. The romance was okay. Overall, I did enjoy it. It just wasn't a book that I loved.

[mich · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are cool with a slow and creepy mystery (emphasis on slow), then you may like this one. The villain was revealed a bit too early in my opinion - I would've liked to be kept guessing a little longer. Things kinda went downhill after that. Eva's plan to save Grace was stupid, and the fact that it all worked out was even stupider.

I would have liked this more (I think), but the romance was totally unconvincing to me.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. Just no. Guy who runs down protag is a religious fanatic. Not cool with probably the only character in the book who believes in God being depicted as crazy and homicidal, with God as the reason behind the hit and run. I am not ok with that and not reading more. DNF and going back to my friend.

[Martina Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous thriller with all the best elements of the Southern Gothic genre built deeply into the fabric of the book. Great characters and a chilling story. Loved it!

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was refreshing in that you get everyone's perspective including the killer's. Different approach to murder mystery and I like it.

Group of teenagers with crushes for one another
A boy that has had a crush on a girl for all his life
A small niech of people south Carolina where they all go to the same school and have known each other from a young age and everyone knows everyone. Gossips flows like water and statuses are in place.
Who can date who, and whom is too good or not up to par.
The typical bad boys and girls and ones that sleep around that everyone calls the W word
A crazy teenager obsessed with a girl who has no idea and who is so twisted and oddly religious.
Uses religion and the word of God as his guiding force as he commits atrocious things.

Good quick read or listen.

[Paula M · Rating 3 out of 5]

(image source)

You can also read my review here.

This is my first from Melissa Marr and by reading this, I think I might check her other books out. The first time I saw Made For You, I know I want to read it. I didn't have to read the blurb. I just have a feeling that it'll be a creepy and mystery kind of book. And I'm definitely in the mood for that. Though I wasn't that impressed like I thought I would, I really enjoyed it. And the good things outweighs the bad so.. that's a good thing right?

Eva Tilling is the most popular girl in her school... nope, in her town. Now, this kind of characters tend to annoy me. Usually, when the MC is kind of a queenbee or in a royal family kind of thing, they usually act high and mighty and yeah.. bitchy. But I liked Eva. She and I really clicked. Because first of all, she's not a dimwit. She ask the right and obvious questions. Which is a very good thing because there's a mystery that we're trying to solve. She blurt out the things that the readers are thinking which is an evidence of a well made character!

Someone tried to kill her and after she survived, people close to her are starting to die.. Oooooh, so the plot. Yeah its really intriguing. I almost finished this on one sitting because of how dying I am to know the truth. Marr's writing helped a lot too. Its very readable and you'll really get lost inside Eva's world. I was excited and frustrated as the mystery started to unravel. Which is a good sign because it means I'm enjoying the storyline and it's getting into me. I actually started calling them all as the killer. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK ANYMORE. Is he the killer?? Is she???! AM I??!

Good thing her old bestfriend aka new romance is always at her side.. Okay so the romance is kind of a MEH to me. Let's just say that the love interest didn't hold my interest that much. He's kind of bland and really, he's not given enough back story. Which of course really sucked because he's an important character. Anyway, I don't know if this is a really a bad thing because the romance isn't the main point of the story. It played a big part though so I still pointed it out.

But wait, that's not all.. Eva also started seeing deaths by touching other people! And so she used this to find out who the mystery killer is. This pissed me off a little because Eva seeing death is supposed to be the wow factor here. But the unanswered and unexplained stuff ruined it. I MEAN I'M SORRY BUT I'M NOT GONNA BUY IT IF THAT'S THE CASE. I want explanations. I want the WHY and the HOW. But I didn't get that. Also, I don't know if this should worry me, but I really enjoyed the killers POV so I wanted to know more. Yeah.. didn't get that either.

And before I end this review, believe me when I say that this has one of the most impressive parents-daughter relationship. Yeah you read that right..

THE PARENTS. ARE. ALIVE. *gasps* *faint* And their reactions and response are believable and applaud worthy. Thank you author for not killing them..

Made For You isn't really a disappointment, in fact, I recommend this if you're in the mood for a well written mystery that will keep you guessing. You know.. the kind of mystery where you'll suspect everybody even yourself.