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Dead Ringer
From the moment Laura Rivers steps foot into Englewood High, she notices the stares-and they aren't the typical once-overs every pretty new girl endures. The students seem confused and...spooked. Whispers echoing through the halls confirm that something is seriously off. "That new girl looks just like her," they say. It turns out Laura has a doppelgänger, and it isn't just anyone-it's Sarah Castro-Tanner, the girl who killed herself by jumping into the Navasink River one year ago. Laura is determined not to let the gossip ruin her chances of making a fresh start. Thanks to her charming personality and California tan, she catches the eye of Englewood's undisputed golden boy, Charlie Sanders, and it's only a matter of time before they make their relationship official. But something is making Charlie and his friends paranoid-and Laura soon discovers it has to do with Sarah Castro-Tanner. What really happened to Sarah? Why is Charlie unraveling? And how does Laura Rivers fit into it all? After all, she's the dead ringer for a dead girl.
322 pages, Paperback
First published November 11, 2015
10 people are currently reading
689 people want to read
About the author
Jessie Rosen
6 books105 followersJessie Rosen is a writer, producer, and performer. She grew up in New Jersey, attended
Boston College in Massachusetts, and began her writing career in New York. Her live
storytelling series Sunday Night Sex Talk has received national attention. She was
named one of “The 25 Best Bloggers, 2013 Edition” by TIME magazine for her blog 20-
Nothings, which was also named in “The 100 Best Websites for Women” and “The Top
10 Best Websites for Millennial Women” in 2013 by Forbes.
Rosen is the oldest of four girls, which gives her a special window into the minds
of teenagers. She now lives in Los Angeles, where she’s working on film and television
projects, as well as her next novel.
Boston College in Massachusetts, and began her writing career in New York. Her live
storytelling series Sunday Night Sex Talk has received national attention. She was
named one of “The 25 Best Bloggers, 2013 Edition” by TIME magazine for her blog 20-
Nothings, which was also named in “The 100 Best Websites for Women” and “The Top
10 Best Websites for Millennial Women” in 2013 by Forbes.
Rosen is the oldest of four girls, which gives her a special window into the minds
of teenagers. She now lives in Los Angeles, where she’s working on film and television
projects, as well as her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
February 3, 2016
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this Ebook in exchange for an honest review.
3 1/2 stars.... Stay with me. I read this book after finishing a book that I swear was one of the best I've read, so this book was doomed from the beginning. It's always hard to read another book after coming off the high of a real page turner. This book reminds me of the rebound guy you date to get over your true love. So this book was ramen noodles compared to the big steak dinner I read prior to it.
Pros: a fast read, held my attention, had a great plot twist
Cons: grammatical errors, too many people with L or S names, the characters weren't well developed except for Laura, and this read like a high school book. I also hated the cliffhanger ending.
I would recommend it, but was it my favorite book, no. I liked the plot, Laura, and the brains behind the storyline, it definitely turned out to be better than it began.
See if you like it... May surprise you.
3 1/2 stars.... Stay with me. I read this book after finishing a book that I swear was one of the best I've read, so this book was doomed from the beginning. It's always hard to read another book after coming off the high of a real page turner. This book reminds me of the rebound guy you date to get over your true love. So this book was ramen noodles compared to the big steak dinner I read prior to it.
Pros: a fast read, held my attention, had a great plot twist
Cons: grammatical errors, too many people with L or S names, the characters weren't well developed except for Laura, and this read like a high school book. I also hated the cliffhanger ending.
I would recommend it, but was it my favorite book, no. I liked the plot, Laura, and the brains behind the storyline, it definitely turned out to be better than it began.
See if you like it... May surprise you.
January 13, 2016
2.5 stars
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks Full Fathom Five and NetGalley.)
This book was unfortunately, pretty dull.
There were too many characters in this for me, especially ones who went by two names, which was a bit confusing, especially at the start.
The storyline was mainly about this girl Sarah who had committed suicide, and this girl Laura who looked a lot like her. We then got a bit of different characters day-to-day lives, which was pretty dull, and then a bit of a twist towards the end. I found the twist a little far-fetched though, and I just didn’t believe it.
The ending was then a bit of a non-ending, with very, very little actually tied up at the end. Can’t say that I was very impressed overall.
5 out of 10
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks Full Fathom Five and NetGalley.)
“I don’t know if I can lie this time,” Charlie confessed. “It’s really getting to me.”
This book was unfortunately, pretty dull.
There were too many characters in this for me, especially ones who went by two names, which was a bit confusing, especially at the start.
The storyline was mainly about this girl Sarah who had committed suicide, and this girl Laura who looked a lot like her. We then got a bit of different characters day-to-day lives, which was pretty dull, and then a bit of a twist towards the end. I found the twist a little far-fetched though, and I just didn’t believe it.
The ending was then a bit of a non-ending, with very, very little actually tied up at the end. Can’t say that I was very impressed overall.
5 out of 10
October 29, 2015
Reviewed at The Honest Bookclub.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
PLOT TWIST SURVIVAL: A RECIPE
*
Ingredients:
1. patience (3 tbsp.)
2. coffee (40 ounces)
3. comfort blanket (1)
4. nightlight (1)
5. optional: blanket fort
*
Recipe:
1. Take a tablespoon of patience prior to starting this book. Depending on your reading tastes, the writing style might take some adjusting to, but said adjustment is easily tempered with patience. (Make sure not to go overboard immediately and to space the 3 tbsp. out throughout the first 30% of the book.) As Laura Rivers begins her time at a new school, her struggles are partly expected: she is "the new girl" and has expected a lukewarm welcome. The other part of her struggles, however, come straight out of left field: Laura, others explain, looks eerily like the school's first-ever suicide victim 2 years prior, Sarah Castro-Tanner. (Emphasis on eerily. This will be a running theme.)
2. Take another tablespoon of patience. Wash it down with your first cup of coffee. As Laura adjusts to her new life in the unexpected high school spotlight and struggles to unravel the mystery that was Sarah Castro-Tanner's life, so does the reader trot along in her wake. Laura is promptly befriended by the Charlie Sanders, star athlete and resident jock in school, to the dismay of Charlie's friends. No one, his friends reason, should want to be associated with that face after Sarah's suicide. Laura's mere presence is a daily reminder for everyone of the tragedy that once befell the school. And soon enough, this reminder will take on a life of its own...
3. Take your second cup of coffee. This is the last time you'll need it to keep you alert. (Soon enough, the plot will be doing that for you.) While there's little about Sarah people are willing to divulge, Laura will soon find that there are plenty who remember her doppelgänger's life all too well. Once a young hacker named Sasha gets wind of the renewed interest in Sarah Castro-Tanner's case, she begins to wonder if Sarah's death was truly a suicide at all. On the other side of the school gossip, Laura is wondering the same.
4. Add a comfort blanket. As Sarah's life is bared for the world once more, a game of cat-and-mouse begins between the people who are out to avenge her death, and those they deem responsible. And in the midst of it all - Laura Rivers, the dead ringer for the dead girl. Students, teachers, parents, hackers, friends and babysitters all converge to unravel what happened that fateful night two years ago, why everyone seems to think Charlie Sanders and his friends are responsible, and what their relationship with the dead girl was.
5. Turn on the night-light. Because if you think you know where this story is going, chances are that you don't. If you think of it as a run-of-the-mill mistery where this big revelation is taking place around the 90% mark - think again. If this all feels like a story you've read before - yes, up until the point you might have. But from that point on, Dead Ringer is something quite unexplored in the world of YA Mystery.
6. Retreat into the blanket fort. You are now scared, confused, mildly alarmed by the author's mind, utterly alone and mindblown. You will, however, survive this plot-twisty ending. The nightlight will keep the fear at a manageable level. The coffee and the shock will keep you awake, so you don't have to fear being mangled in your sleep. And the blanket fort will serve as protection against evil spirits you are now seeing everywhere.
7. Repeat until the next book in the series. Nowhere does it say that Dead Ringer is anything other than a standalone. But believe me when I tell you - it most definitely is.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
PLOT TWIST SURVIVAL: A RECIPE
*
Ingredients:
1. patience (3 tbsp.)
2. coffee (40 ounces)
3. comfort blanket (1)
4. nightlight (1)
5. optional: blanket fort
*
Recipe:
1. Take a tablespoon of patience prior to starting this book. Depending on your reading tastes, the writing style might take some adjusting to, but said adjustment is easily tempered with patience. (Make sure not to go overboard immediately and to space the 3 tbsp. out throughout the first 30% of the book.) As Laura Rivers begins her time at a new school, her struggles are partly expected: she is "the new girl" and has expected a lukewarm welcome. The other part of her struggles, however, come straight out of left field: Laura, others explain, looks eerily like the school's first-ever suicide victim 2 years prior, Sarah Castro-Tanner. (Emphasis on eerily. This will be a running theme.)
2. Take another tablespoon of patience. Wash it down with your first cup of coffee. As Laura adjusts to her new life in the unexpected high school spotlight and struggles to unravel the mystery that was Sarah Castro-Tanner's life, so does the reader trot along in her wake. Laura is promptly befriended by the Charlie Sanders, star athlete and resident jock in school, to the dismay of Charlie's friends. No one, his friends reason, should want to be associated with that face after Sarah's suicide. Laura's mere presence is a daily reminder for everyone of the tragedy that once befell the school. And soon enough, this reminder will take on a life of its own...
3. Take your second cup of coffee. This is the last time you'll need it to keep you alert. (Soon enough, the plot will be doing that for you.) While there's little about Sarah people are willing to divulge, Laura will soon find that there are plenty who remember her doppelgänger's life all too well. Once a young hacker named Sasha gets wind of the renewed interest in Sarah Castro-Tanner's case, she begins to wonder if Sarah's death was truly a suicide at all. On the other side of the school gossip, Laura is wondering the same.
4. Add a comfort blanket. As Sarah's life is bared for the world once more, a game of cat-and-mouse begins between the people who are out to avenge her death, and those they deem responsible. And in the midst of it all - Laura Rivers, the dead ringer for the dead girl. Students, teachers, parents, hackers, friends and babysitters all converge to unravel what happened that fateful night two years ago, why everyone seems to think Charlie Sanders and his friends are responsible, and what their relationship with the dead girl was.
5. Turn on the night-light. Because if you think you know where this story is going, chances are that you don't. If you think of it as a run-of-the-mill mistery where this big revelation is taking place around the 90% mark - think again. If this all feels like a story you've read before - yes, up until the point you might have. But from that point on, Dead Ringer is something quite unexplored in the world of YA Mystery.
6. Retreat into the blanket fort. You are now scared, confused, mildly alarmed by the author's mind, utterly alone and mindblown. You will, however, survive this plot-twisty ending. The nightlight will keep the fear at a manageable level. The coffee and the shock will keep you awake, so you don't have to fear being mangled in your sleep. And the blanket fort will serve as protection against evil spirits you are now seeing everywhere.
7. Repeat until the next book in the series. Nowhere does it say that Dead Ringer is anything other than a standalone. But believe me when I tell you - it most definitely is.
September 30, 2015
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a novel I'd definitely recommend, especially to a high school aged audience. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but some aspects (mainly the importance the characters placed on the high school hierarchy/power scheme) were lost on me because I'm well out of that demographic. I think those who could relate more to that would really eat this book up, though.
This is a keep-you-on-your-seat kind of book, for sure, with several twists and turns in the plot. Some were easy to predict, others had me yelling and completely freaking out. The latter plot twists were just genius; never in a million years would I have expected the novel to end like that! Once all the secrets start coming out, you'll be turning pages as quickly as you can to find out what in the world in going on.
I would say that this is a pretty character-driven novel, which is both a good thing and a bad thing in this case. Being told from three different characters' perspectives allowed the audience to understand what was going on from multiple points of view, which became really beneficial when the plot started getting more complicated. I think that was a pretty smart move on behalf of the author. In the beginning, my main complaint with the characters was that they seemed very stock and one-dimensional. That trend did continue for the first half of the novel, but by the second half, I realized what the author was doing. In making her characters seem very stereotypical and one-dimensional from the beginning, she provided a mirror of commentary regarding the main theme of the book: things are not always what they seem to be from the surface. Looks can be deceiving. People can be deceiving. And there is more to a person than they show in public. So in the second half, when the author really starts delving into the psyche of each character, exploring their motives and revealing more about their past, they really start coming alive and it becomes a lot easier to connect to them and to what's going on overall.
I also really liked the slow-burn approach this novel took. There are lots and lots of secrets that each character is holding onto (I was reminded of Pretty Little Liars in that regard), and the author did a great job of slowly releasing those secrets throughout. This not only kept up interest in the plot (it seemed like every time the story hit a slightly slow section, some bombshell was dropped to reel you back in), it gave the reader a chance to digest the new information and change their idea of the character. But then, another bombshell, followed by more reconfiguration. Then, by the end, you're looking back on these characters thinking "We went a long way from the Charlie, Amanda, etc. of the beginning to them at the end", which is a fact that I really appreciated and enjoyed.
So basically, all of the things I had reservations about in the beginning were resolved by the end. I was skeptical of whether or not I would like this novel after I'd read the first 20% or so, but it didn't take long for me to change my mind and really get invested in it. The start is a bit slow, but the author is doing a lot of things in those beginning chapters that are necessary to producing the ending that she does. My only complaint by the end is that there were a handful of typos or sentences that didn't really make sense or had extra words, stuff like that. But otherwise, Dead Ringer was definitely a pleasant surprise of a novel that I really, really enjoyed.
This is a novel I'd definitely recommend, especially to a high school aged audience. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but some aspects (mainly the importance the characters placed on the high school hierarchy/power scheme) were lost on me because I'm well out of that demographic. I think those who could relate more to that would really eat this book up, though.
This is a keep-you-on-your-seat kind of book, for sure, with several twists and turns in the plot. Some were easy to predict, others had me yelling and completely freaking out. The latter plot twists were just genius; never in a million years would I have expected the novel to end like that! Once all the secrets start coming out, you'll be turning pages as quickly as you can to find out what in the world in going on.
I would say that this is a pretty character-driven novel, which is both a good thing and a bad thing in this case. Being told from three different characters' perspectives allowed the audience to understand what was going on from multiple points of view, which became really beneficial when the plot started getting more complicated. I think that was a pretty smart move on behalf of the author. In the beginning, my main complaint with the characters was that they seemed very stock and one-dimensional. That trend did continue for the first half of the novel, but by the second half, I realized what the author was doing. In making her characters seem very stereotypical and one-dimensional from the beginning, she provided a mirror of commentary regarding the main theme of the book: things are not always what they seem to be from the surface. Looks can be deceiving. People can be deceiving. And there is more to a person than they show in public. So in the second half, when the author really starts delving into the psyche of each character, exploring their motives and revealing more about their past, they really start coming alive and it becomes a lot easier to connect to them and to what's going on overall.
I also really liked the slow-burn approach this novel took. There are lots and lots of secrets that each character is holding onto (I was reminded of Pretty Little Liars in that regard), and the author did a great job of slowly releasing those secrets throughout. This not only kept up interest in the plot (it seemed like every time the story hit a slightly slow section, some bombshell was dropped to reel you back in), it gave the reader a chance to digest the new information and change their idea of the character. But then, another bombshell, followed by more reconfiguration. Then, by the end, you're looking back on these characters thinking "We went a long way from the Charlie, Amanda, etc. of the beginning to them at the end", which is a fact that I really appreciated and enjoyed.
So basically, all of the things I had reservations about in the beginning were resolved by the end. I was skeptical of whether or not I would like this novel after I'd read the first 20% or so, but it didn't take long for me to change my mind and really get invested in it. The start is a bit slow, but the author is doing a lot of things in those beginning chapters that are necessary to producing the ending that she does. My only complaint by the end is that there were a handful of typos or sentences that didn't really make sense or had extra words, stuff like that. But otherwise, Dead Ringer was definitely a pleasant surprise of a novel that I really, really enjoyed.
September 23, 2024
When Laura Rivers starts school at Englewood High she finds everyone staring at her and treating her a bit weird. Soon Laura finds out that she resembles another student who had mysteriously vanished the previous year and had been thought to have committed suicide.
Laura is determined to not let the whispers and stares ruin her fresh start at Englewood. She soon catches the attention of the popular Charlie Sanders. But Charlie and his friends have a reason to be paranoid and Laura soon discovers it has to do with the missing girl.
Dead Ringer sounded like it would be a great YA mystery/thriller read but I had seen a bit of mixed reviews for it so was curious if I would enjoy it myself or not. Unfortunately I didn't come away loving this story as I hoped I might.
The book really just starts off being a bit confusing trying to keep track of so many characters thrown into the mix with some even having alternative identities during the story. It's a bit along the lines of a "I Know What You Did Last Summer" vibe to it so I still wanted to see where it would go.
Once I started working out who everyone was it picked up the pace a bit as the author attempts to throw in some twists and turns along the way. But the entire time I had a feeling I knew what was going on regardless of the direction it was taking at that moment and in the end I was pretty much right on the money.
What really didn't help is the ending of this is a cliffhanger and I'm not even sure this story is supposed to continue. Sometimes cliffhangers are fine for the end if you know it's a series it can be a bit exciting to wait for the next but I was really expecting a nice tidy ending with this one.
Overall, 2.5 stars, a bit too predictable for my taste and didn't care for the ending.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Laura is determined to not let the whispers and stares ruin her fresh start at Englewood. She soon catches the attention of the popular Charlie Sanders. But Charlie and his friends have a reason to be paranoid and Laura soon discovers it has to do with the missing girl.
Dead Ringer sounded like it would be a great YA mystery/thriller read but I had seen a bit of mixed reviews for it so was curious if I would enjoy it myself or not. Unfortunately I didn't come away loving this story as I hoped I might.
The book really just starts off being a bit confusing trying to keep track of so many characters thrown into the mix with some even having alternative identities during the story. It's a bit along the lines of a "I Know What You Did Last Summer" vibe to it so I still wanted to see where it would go.
Once I started working out who everyone was it picked up the pace a bit as the author attempts to throw in some twists and turns along the way. But the entire time I had a feeling I knew what was going on regardless of the direction it was taking at that moment and in the end I was pretty much right on the money.
What really didn't help is the ending of this is a cliffhanger and I'm not even sure this story is supposed to continue. Sometimes cliffhangers are fine for the end if you know it's a series it can be a bit exciting to wait for the next but I was really expecting a nice tidy ending with this one.
Overall, 2.5 stars, a bit too predictable for my taste and didn't care for the ending.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
January 31, 2016
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, this book was quick and entertaining. On the other hand, it was fairly predictable and could have been better written.
There were too many characters with L or S names, which made it hard to remember who was who.
I wish the character were a little bit more developed. The plot was interesting but I thought it became boring after 100 pages.
But Dead Ringer reminded me a lot of Pretty Little Liars and I found that show to really entertaining (I haven't it in about a year and I haven't read the books). For the most part, I did like this book as long as I wasn't over thinking everything. I would really recommend this book to fans of Pretty Little Liars or anyone who likes a quick read.
There were too many characters with L or S names, which made it hard to remember who was who.
I wish the character were a little bit more developed. The plot was interesting but I thought it became boring after 100 pages.
But Dead Ringer reminded me a lot of Pretty Little Liars and I found that show to really entertaining (I haven't it in about a year and I haven't read the books). For the most part, I did like this book as long as I wasn't over thinking everything. I would really recommend this book to fans of Pretty Little Liars or anyone who likes a quick read.
December 3, 2015
Dead Ringer was not the book for me, but though I have been told "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all," I feel obligated to review this publication as I was provided an ARC by NetGalley. Therefore I will keep this to a (hopefully) short list of reasons I did not enjoy this book.
1. The plot twist was far too obvious in every way.
2. There could have been at least 100 pages removed and the story would have stayed the same. It felt like the author knew how she wanted to start the story, and knew the ending, and then just threw in 200 pages of "yeah, that'll do." The constant mentions by our main male character about his "secret" were arduous to read. "but there's no way she could know." "but no one could know that." "there's no way she'll find out." "I can't let anyone find out." "no one could have seen that." We get it. We got it. Move on.
3. The language and dialogue was so extremely contrived that it came off as very lazy writing, as it got worse and worse as the novel went on.
4. As a law enforcement affiliate, the police aspect was much too far fetched to be believable for me - the author was reaching.
5. The characters jumped to conclusions SO easily, and they were always spot on. There were so many moments where a character was doing research, and instead of questioning and coming up with multiple theories, they suddenly figured out the exact truth right from the get-go. I'm sorry but human beings, let alone high school students, are not ALL going to be that intelligent. At least throw in some red herrings, some confusing plot devices, mysterious side storylines...You know how you could have added more of that? Take away 100 pages of that dude's constant back and forth with himself about his "secret" and you'd have some pages to fill with interesting content!
6. Sarah was so clearly created for us to dislike her..I just wish the author gave some kind of build up, maybe let us come to our own conclusions. But it was written so specifically for us to believe she was mentally ill, what with the terms "psycho" "sociopath" "monster" "severe mental issues" "deranged" and "mentally ill" being thrown around, when ALL the girl did was It was so over the top. I assumed she had done some much more heinous things that the narrators just hadn't told us yet...but alas, we got nothing.
7. The story was so uninteresting, that leaving with a cliffhanger ending like that was so unfair. Being given no warning that this is to be a series of novels did not leave me with (I'm sure) the intended "omg I can't wait to see what happens next!!" but instead, more like "I can't believe I forced myself through 350 pages of trash to have absolutely nothing getting wrapped up."
Easily right at the top of my list of disappointing book from 2015.
1. The plot twist was far too obvious in every way.
2. There could have been at least 100 pages removed and the story would have stayed the same. It felt like the author knew how she wanted to start the story, and knew the ending, and then just threw in 200 pages of "yeah, that'll do." The constant mentions by our main male character about his "secret" were arduous to read. "but there's no way she could know." "but no one could know that." "there's no way she'll find out." "I can't let anyone find out." "no one could have seen that." We get it. We got it. Move on.
3. The language and dialogue was so extremely contrived that it came off as very lazy writing, as it got worse and worse as the novel went on.
4. As a law enforcement affiliate, the police aspect was much too far fetched to be believable for me - the author was reaching.
5. The characters jumped to conclusions SO easily, and they were always spot on. There were so many moments where a character was doing research, and instead of questioning and coming up with multiple theories, they suddenly figured out the exact truth right from the get-go. I'm sorry but human beings, let alone high school students, are not ALL going to be that intelligent. At least throw in some red herrings, some confusing plot devices, mysterious side storylines...You know how you could have added more of that? Take away 100 pages of that dude's constant back and forth with himself about his "secret" and you'd have some pages to fill with interesting content!
6. Sarah was so clearly created for us to dislike her..I just wish the author gave some kind of build up, maybe let us come to our own conclusions. But it was written so specifically for us to believe she was mentally ill, what with the terms "psycho" "sociopath" "monster" "severe mental issues" "deranged" and "mentally ill" being thrown around, when ALL the girl did was It was so over the top. I assumed she had done some much more heinous things that the narrators just hadn't told us yet...but alas, we got nothing.
7. The story was so uninteresting, that leaving with a cliffhanger ending like that was so unfair. Being given no warning that this is to be a series of novels did not leave me with (I'm sure) the intended "omg I can't wait to see what happens next!!" but instead, more like "I can't believe I forced myself through 350 pages of trash to have absolutely nothing getting wrapped up."
Easily right at the top of my list of disappointing book from 2015.
October 1, 2015
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review
There is something to be said about an author who can write a mystery novel leaving the person reading it, in the dark the whole time. And Jessie Rosen did just that. Dead Ringer was fabulous!
The plot line was interesting. A dead girl's doppelgänger shows up at school on the first day. Her name is Laura Rivers and she's from California. And everyone at Englewood High believes she looks like Sarah Castro-Tanner, who committed suicide 18 months ago. But 4 people know better. Sarah did not kill herself.
The suspense kills you in this book. There's so much going on, you just want to know what happened. But the story was complex. Dead Ringer had many themes going on. Because, technically the night Sarah Castro-Tanner died, it was a group of Freshman's fault. They meant to scare her, but instead they killed her. But that sentence contradicts itself. As the story prevails more, a mysterious person online sends messages from the night of the alleged "suicide" scaring Charlie, Amanda, Kit, and Miller. The four who saw Sarah on her last night. It becomes apparent there's a hacker or two out to get them. One named CO and the other, Sasha.
Sasha is a hacker who's been following the Sarah story from the beginning. She never believed it was a suicide, but a murder. She hacks into every one of Englewood's students social media sites and searches for information. Until one day she received information on Laura Rivers, the girl who looks exactly like Sarah. Sasha immediately starts stalking and figures out about Charlie, Amanda, Kit, and Miller's involvement in the incident and starts serving them hell.
Dead Ringer was written in the third person, telling the perspectives of Laura, Charlie, and Sasha. In the beginning it was a bit hard to get into the book because of the third person view, but you quickly get used to it because the plot line is beyond interesting.
The cliffhanger for this book is killing me as I write this right now. I need to know what happens next! And if Amanda and Charlie will be together! Because I ship them way too much.
4.5 stars
There is something to be said about an author who can write a mystery novel leaving the person reading it, in the dark the whole time. And Jessie Rosen did just that. Dead Ringer was fabulous!
The plot line was interesting. A dead girl's doppelgänger shows up at school on the first day. Her name is Laura Rivers and she's from California. And everyone at Englewood High believes she looks like Sarah Castro-Tanner, who committed suicide 18 months ago. But 4 people know better. Sarah did not kill herself.
The suspense kills you in this book. There's so much going on, you just want to know what happened. But the story was complex. Dead Ringer had many themes going on. Because, technically the night Sarah Castro-Tanner died, it was a group of Freshman's fault. They meant to scare her, but instead they killed her. But that sentence contradicts itself. As the story prevails more, a mysterious person online sends messages from the night of the alleged "suicide" scaring Charlie, Amanda, Kit, and Miller. The four who saw Sarah on her last night. It becomes apparent there's a hacker or two out to get them. One named CO and the other, Sasha.
Sasha is a hacker who's been following the Sarah story from the beginning. She never believed it was a suicide, but a murder. She hacks into every one of Englewood's students social media sites and searches for information. Until one day she received information on Laura Rivers, the girl who looks exactly like Sarah. Sasha immediately starts stalking and figures out about Charlie, Amanda, Kit, and Miller's involvement in the incident and starts serving them hell.
Dead Ringer was written in the third person, telling the perspectives of Laura, Charlie, and Sasha. In the beginning it was a bit hard to get into the book because of the third person view, but you quickly get used to it because the plot line is beyond interesting.
The cliffhanger for this book is killing me as I write this right now. I need to know what happens next! And if Amanda and Charlie will be together! Because I ship them way too much.
4.5 stars
October 16, 2018
Grade: A+++
Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!
I usually avoid reviews that rave too highly about writers and novels. Call me cynical, but I wonder if the reviewers are biased friends or relatives. I hope people don't think that about me. I received a free e-book of DEAD RINGER from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I have no connection to Jessie Rosen.
New girl Laura Rivers catches the eye of It Guy Charlie Sanders, but not for the reason she first thinks. She bears a striking resemblance to Sarah, a girl who committed suicide 2 years ago, a girl Charlie says he barely knew. But everyone has secrets. Everyone lies. And Laura wants to figure out what happened to Sarah, and just how Charlie and his three friends were involved.
Told in multiple third person POVs, DEAD RINGER is a roller coaster of emotions, packed with surprises that mostly shocked me, though I figured out a few before their big reveals. Laura and Charlie were multidimensional characters, often fiercely loyal, sometimes ethically challenged. Like an onion whose layers are slowly revealed, I didn't really know either of these characters until the very last pages. My favorite character was Sasha the hacker, doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.
I would have liked if the POVs had different voices and if some had been in first person. I wish Rosen had been clearer that minors and adults don't have "affairs", because minors can't consent to these relationships. Also, the power imbalance between adult and child is inherently prohibitive of consensual sex. With a YA audience, this should be made abundantly clear for young readers.
THEMES: bullying, friendship, romance, suicide, hacking
Go directly to Amazon.com and order a copy. Buy one for a friend too. DEAD RINGER is that good.
Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!
I usually avoid reviews that rave too highly about writers and novels. Call me cynical, but I wonder if the reviewers are biased friends or relatives. I hope people don't think that about me. I received a free e-book of DEAD RINGER from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I have no connection to Jessie Rosen.
New girl Laura Rivers catches the eye of It Guy Charlie Sanders, but not for the reason she first thinks. She bears a striking resemblance to Sarah, a girl who committed suicide 2 years ago, a girl Charlie says he barely knew. But everyone has secrets. Everyone lies. And Laura wants to figure out what happened to Sarah, and just how Charlie and his three friends were involved.
Told in multiple third person POVs, DEAD RINGER is a roller coaster of emotions, packed with surprises that mostly shocked me, though I figured out a few before their big reveals. Laura and Charlie were multidimensional characters, often fiercely loyal, sometimes ethically challenged. Like an onion whose layers are slowly revealed, I didn't really know either of these characters until the very last pages. My favorite character was Sasha the hacker, doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.
I would have liked if the POVs had different voices and if some had been in first person. I wish Rosen had been clearer that minors and adults don't have "affairs", because minors can't consent to these relationships. Also, the power imbalance between adult and child is inherently prohibitive of consensual sex. With a YA audience, this should be made abundantly clear for young readers.
THEMES: bullying, friendship, romance, suicide, hacking
Go directly to Amazon.com and order a copy. Buy one for a friend too. DEAD RINGER is that good.
November 17, 2015
3.5 stars
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my review.
Laura Rivers first day at Englewood High is supposed to be different, she's not following the crowd anymore, she's being who she wants to be. Except, everyone's staring at her and whispering about her, because she looks like dead girl, Sarah Castro-Tanner. Laura doesn't let this stop her though, she's got her eye on soccer hottie Charlie Sanders, even though he's got a pile of secrets he won't let her in on. Things are made weirder by the fact that no one will talk to her about Sarah and Charlie and his friends seem to have some kind of involvement in her death that are making them act stranger and stranger.
This book messed with me and not in a good way, I mean I started looking over my shoulder and looking at people differently. The storyline is incredibly interesting, a girl is dead and while it's been marked as a suicide her bodies never been found. Laura, a beautiful blonde Californian, happens to look like her in several ways. People are on edge, especially the four friends that may have had some kind of involvement. I really like Laura, at first. Her willingness to be the new girl was refreshing and her slow investigation into Sarah's death is intriguing. Then there's Charlie, the popular guy, who's slowly losing his mind. His three friends, with more secrets than I knew what to do with and finally there's Sasha, a hacker who's determined to prove that Sarah's death was far more than just a suicide.
This book is so suspenseful and the quote, "revenge is dish best served cold," totally fits Dead Ringer. It's told in third person from the alternate perspectives of Laura, Charlie, and Sasha. As the students go through the motions of high school things just keep happening, bringing the thought of Sarah into the front of every student's mind. There's secret videos, hidden conversations, and moments that terrify the characters. The characters are so multidimensional that I never felt like I knew them 100% and even after finishing the book, I know there's more to them. The emotions I went through in this book kept turning the pages nonstop and I couldn't have predicted the ending.
Several of the twists are predictable, even if the ending is not. Unfortunately, Dead Ringer also ends in a cliffhanger like no other. As everything and everyone is unraveling, it just ends. Several characters are introduced to us right near the end and their stories aren't closed, so even though a sequel hasn't been mentioned, I am hoping for one. The abrupt closure and cliffhanger took this from a sold 4 stars to 3.5 for me.
If you're a fan of suspenseful thrillers, I definitely suggest you pick this up, whether you are a YA reader or not. It blew my mind and I would absolutely call it Gone Girl turned YA.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my review.
Laura Rivers first day at Englewood High is supposed to be different, she's not following the crowd anymore, she's being who she wants to be. Except, everyone's staring at her and whispering about her, because she looks like dead girl, Sarah Castro-Tanner. Laura doesn't let this stop her though, she's got her eye on soccer hottie Charlie Sanders, even though he's got a pile of secrets he won't let her in on. Things are made weirder by the fact that no one will talk to her about Sarah and Charlie and his friends seem to have some kind of involvement in her death that are making them act stranger and stranger.
This book messed with me and not in a good way, I mean I started looking over my shoulder and looking at people differently. The storyline is incredibly interesting, a girl is dead and while it's been marked as a suicide her bodies never been found. Laura, a beautiful blonde Californian, happens to look like her in several ways. People are on edge, especially the four friends that may have had some kind of involvement. I really like Laura, at first. Her willingness to be the new girl was refreshing and her slow investigation into Sarah's death is intriguing. Then there's Charlie, the popular guy, who's slowly losing his mind. His three friends, with more secrets than I knew what to do with and finally there's Sasha, a hacker who's determined to prove that Sarah's death was far more than just a suicide.
This book is so suspenseful and the quote, "revenge is dish best served cold," totally fits Dead Ringer. It's told in third person from the alternate perspectives of Laura, Charlie, and Sasha. As the students go through the motions of high school things just keep happening, bringing the thought of Sarah into the front of every student's mind. There's secret videos, hidden conversations, and moments that terrify the characters. The characters are so multidimensional that I never felt like I knew them 100% and even after finishing the book, I know there's more to them. The emotions I went through in this book kept turning the pages nonstop and I couldn't have predicted the ending.
Several of the twists are predictable, even if the ending is not. Unfortunately, Dead Ringer also ends in a cliffhanger like no other. As everything and everyone is unraveling, it just ends. Several characters are introduced to us right near the end and their stories aren't closed, so even though a sequel hasn't been mentioned, I am hoping for one. The abrupt closure and cliffhanger took this from a sold 4 stars to 3.5 for me.
If you're a fan of suspenseful thrillers, I definitely suggest you pick this up, whether you are a YA reader or not. It blew my mind and I would absolutely call it Gone Girl turned YA.
November 28, 2015
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This is also a first time read of this author as well. I am glad that I got to read this one, I found it to be a great psychological thriller.
In this book we have Laura who is new student at Englewood high. She came here it make her own fresh start, but soon Laura notice that everyone is staring at her, but these are not normal, new girl at school stares, these stares are more along the lines of 'she looks just like her...' Laura looks like a girl, Sarah Castro-Tanner, who committed suicide 2 years prior. Laura tries to go on and ignore the rumors that are fly around and then she meets the popular boy in school, Charlie. But Charlie and his friends are acting a little paranoid and soon Laura discovers that it has to do with Sarah.
I really enjoyed this story a lot. I found it so engaging and so easy to read. It is a great psychological thriller with a lot of great mystery. It had me guessing from the very first page all the way to last. It had some great plot twists too that I never expected. However, I hated the way the story ended, it is obvious that there will be a sequel, but it felt more unfinished rather than being a good cliffhanger and I did not like that, I was disappointed with that part of it.
The characters to me were evil, and I did not really like any of them. I found, in my opinion, that there were really no protagonists in this story. They all felt like antagonists to me. I find this both odd and unique at the same time because I have never really came across a book with characters like this. There were a lot of good - bad guys that you can really hate, and I am sure they will all carry over into a sequel. So be prepared to not like anyone.
I recommend this to anyone who likes a good mystery or a good psychological thriller. Because of the abrupt ending I could not rate this higher than 4, but it has great potential to be a great series.
In this book we have Laura who is new student at Englewood high. She came here it make her own fresh start, but soon Laura notice that everyone is staring at her, but these are not normal, new girl at school stares, these stares are more along the lines of 'she looks just like her...' Laura looks like a girl, Sarah Castro-Tanner, who committed suicide 2 years prior. Laura tries to go on and ignore the rumors that are fly around and then she meets the popular boy in school, Charlie. But Charlie and his friends are acting a little paranoid and soon Laura discovers that it has to do with Sarah.
I really enjoyed this story a lot. I found it so engaging and so easy to read. It is a great psychological thriller with a lot of great mystery. It had me guessing from the very first page all the way to last. It had some great plot twists too that I never expected. However, I hated the way the story ended, it is obvious that there will be a sequel, but it felt more unfinished rather than being a good cliffhanger and I did not like that, I was disappointed with that part of it.
The characters to me were evil, and I did not really like any of them. I found, in my opinion, that there were really no protagonists in this story. They all felt like antagonists to me. I find this both odd and unique at the same time because I have never really came across a book with characters like this. There were a lot of good - bad guys that you can really hate, and I am sure they will all carry over into a sequel. So be prepared to not like anyone.
I recommend this to anyone who likes a good mystery or a good psychological thriller. Because of the abrupt ending I could not rate this higher than 4, but it has great potential to be a great series.
February 6, 2016
This review can be found @My Addiction: Books
Woah, woah. I don't even know where to start with Dead Ringer. I'm at a loss for words. This book was incredible. This book was different. This book was mystery at its finest. This book was...most definitely my favorite read of the year.
So, why not 5 stars?
Short and simple: it was a bit slow-paced in the beginning which bothered me some but I think school was also getting in the way so it may have messed with my reading.
Why is Dead Ringer my favorite read of the year?
I don't know if you all keep up to date with what I'm reading, but if you do then you would know that I don't read that many mystery novels so Dead Ringer was new, fresh, addicting, and the perfect book to get you into the genre.
It keep me guessing and made my mind work.
The whole entire time I was like: What did they do to Sarah? Who's behind it all?
It was just all so mysterious and intriguing. I couldn't stop reading and I could barely sleep. I mean, kudos to the author for keeping me entertained and guessing the whole book -- that's extremely hard to do.
And then, when I did find out...
I was incredibly shocked at the ending when I found out everything. It was just so clever and so unexpected. Just the whole idea of this book is genius.
I can't really say much about this book without giving it away, but JUST READ IT. Seriously, you won't regret it. It's honestly the best book I've read this year and now one of my all-time favorites. The writing, characters, plot, and just everything was amazing. I loved Dead Ringer, it was basically perfection, and you need it. So go, buy it & read it!
Woah, woah. I don't even know where to start with Dead Ringer. I'm at a loss for words. This book was incredible. This book was different. This book was mystery at its finest. This book was...most definitely my favorite read of the year.
So, why not 5 stars?
Short and simple: it was a bit slow-paced in the beginning which bothered me some but I think school was also getting in the way so it may have messed with my reading.
Why is Dead Ringer my favorite read of the year?
I don't know if you all keep up to date with what I'm reading, but if you do then you would know that I don't read that many mystery novels so Dead Ringer was new, fresh, addicting, and the perfect book to get you into the genre.
It keep me guessing and made my mind work.
The whole entire time I was like: What did they do to Sarah? Who's behind it all?
It was just all so mysterious and intriguing. I couldn't stop reading and I could barely sleep. I mean, kudos to the author for keeping me entertained and guessing the whole book -- that's extremely hard to do.
And then, when I did find out...
I was incredibly shocked at the ending when I found out everything. It was just so clever and so unexpected. Just the whole idea of this book is genius.
I can't really say much about this book without giving it away, but JUST READ IT. Seriously, you won't regret it. It's honestly the best book I've read this year and now one of my all-time favorites. The writing, characters, plot, and just everything was amazing. I loved Dead Ringer, it was basically perfection, and you need it. So go, buy it & read it!
November 4, 2015
The worst thing about this book - it ends in a cliffhanger. Ugh!! And, I didn't know that.
The best thing about this book - I could not put it down.
There are some pretty cray cray characters in this book, well, one especially. And she's enough to really scare the crap out of you.
A girl shows up 1st day of her senior year and she looks like a girl who died (committed suicide?) 2 years ago. Then the people who might have been with her start getting creepy texts, snap chats, messages and mail. This one will really creep you out. Who's sending all of this stuff? And who is this person Sasha who is hacking into everything to try and figure out things.
I just could not put this book down, it gripped me from page one and held my hard to breathe attention until the very end. And now, I still don't know everthing. Ugh! Well, I will definitely be looking for the sequel to this one. I've got questions on this one and I want them answered.
Thanks to Full Fathom Five and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. This was great creepy entertainment and I recommend it!
The best thing about this book - I could not put it down.
There are some pretty cray cray characters in this book, well, one especially. And she's enough to really scare the crap out of you.
A girl shows up 1st day of her senior year and she looks like a girl who died (committed suicide?) 2 years ago. Then the people who might have been with her start getting creepy texts, snap chats, messages and mail. This one will really creep you out. Who's sending all of this stuff? And who is this person Sasha who is hacking into everything to try and figure out things.
I just could not put this book down, it gripped me from page one and held my hard to breathe attention until the very end. And now, I still don't know everthing. Ugh! Well, I will definitely be looking for the sequel to this one. I've got questions on this one and I want them answered.
Thanks to Full Fathom Five and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. This was great creepy entertainment and I recommend it!
December 13, 2015
I was looking forward to reading this book. It was after about chapter seven that I found myself not able to go on reading further. I found none of the characters in this book slightly interesting. In fact, the more that I got to know them the more I hoped that something did happen to them in the story. The story is like a Lifetime movie I have seen before. Ok, but not an award winner. While this story is not something original I might have stuck with it if I found the characters intriguing and, the storyline to move along better with some added psychological drama. Yet, I did not experience anything of these things in the seven chapters that I did read.
January 13, 2016
(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)
Actual rating - 2.5
I didn't enjoy this one very much unfortunately.
This was slightly confusing at first because of the amount of characters introduced, but apart from that it was alright. After a while though, I started to feel bored, as the pacing was too slow and not a lot was happening. My boredom got worse as the book progressed unfortunately, and the twist only made things worse for me.
Overall, Not a great read for me.
Actual rating - 2.5
I didn't enjoy this one very much unfortunately.
This was slightly confusing at first because of the amount of characters introduced, but apart from that it was alright. After a while though, I started to feel bored, as the pacing was too slow and not a lot was happening. My boredom got worse as the book progressed unfortunately, and the twist only made things worse for me.
Overall, Not a great read for me.
February 20, 2020
** I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review **
I got this ARC in 2015. It took me nearly 5 years to read it. I can kinda see why.
Girl kills herself. A year later a girl moves to town and looks way too much like the murdered girl so people don't like her. Popular boy falls for her anyway. Drama ensues. Plot twist at the end.
It didn't keep my interest for long. The ending was interesting but not jaw dropping. I saw it coming from the very beginning, I just wanted to see how the author was going to spin it. I just couldn't connect with any of the characters and nothing really seemed too believable but also not to the point where I felt like you should have to stretch your belief to enjoy the book.
I do think this is better suited for people that are just starting out with mystery or YA mystery. It would probably be more dramatic for them, so I'd still recommend it if this what they are looking for.
I got this ARC in 2015. It took me nearly 5 years to read it. I can kinda see why.
Girl kills herself. A year later a girl moves to town and looks way too much like the murdered girl so people don't like her. Popular boy falls for her anyway. Drama ensues. Plot twist at the end.
It didn't keep my interest for long. The ending was interesting but not jaw dropping. I saw it coming from the very beginning, I just wanted to see how the author was going to spin it. I just couldn't connect with any of the characters and nothing really seemed too believable but also not to the point where I felt like you should have to stretch your belief to enjoy the book.
I do think this is better suited for people that are just starting out with mystery or YA mystery. It would probably be more dramatic for them, so I'd still recommend it if this what they are looking for.
October 14, 2015
ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
First an alert, this book end on a cliffhanger. Stay away if you're not fond of those.
This could have been so much better!
The author has her merits, she had a very entertaining idea that despite seen a lot on movies and TV series, it is not very frequent on books. And much less a plot twist - hence not saying here what it is about.
I didn't have expectations from the summary. I felt it could go so many ways I just wanted some new airs to YA's and I should say this book accomplished that much. It also falls for the same old traps the bellow-average YA's do, unfortunately.
I did enjoy the beginning, for the first 10% maybe I thought this could be really good. There was the mystery and the goosebumps from trying to imagine what the foursome could have done to Sarah, aka the dead girl. As I read on, the plot followed a more conventional path, to the point I thought the dead girl and all the secrecy were just props for a teenage love story.
This twist could have been for the win but when it happened so late in the book, I didn't feel fooled but lied to. Of course I had considered the possibility but as hints were dropped, a lot of the story denied it could happen. The taste on my mouth was that the author lied to me there and now anything was possible, for she broke the rules set for this game. I should reassure you she didn't, at least.
Bitterness subdued, I thought this could still reach 4 stars if it worked hard. But it was all a sequence of missteps, crumblings, and a free fall into a frozen river.
The characters are not well developed, aside from Laura, Sarah and Charlie. Even Amanda and Sasha who appear a lot seem too single-purposed to be round. Some characters pop up and you think they could be important because they do take a lot of space, Becca being the big example, but that's just it, they pop and fade away. And no one was likable. Nothing the author revealed really made me identify, take pity or anything. Geez, I couldn't even relate to Charlie's mother whom I could have at least come to call a poor woman. What happened to his dad anyway?
The big plan behind the story was also hard to believe. I found it already too fetched that a 14-year-old could become such a hacker but I was willing to. Now the big plan was too much. A regular fourteen-year-old couldn't go that far on her own and basically all of a sudden. Also the details with which she planned it to happen would have required a third eye at least, not just a "tipper". I didn't buy it, which made fall through the basis for everything happening,
Last, I'd have appreciated knowing this wasn't a single book. I'm glad I knew most of the story here so the cliffhanger is the only tease for you to keep reading. Nevertheless, finding out so late that it wasn't the end was infuriating. I even think the end could be edited, cutting here and there, and leaving it for the next book could make it seem more complete, like a standalone.
In sum, I would have liked if someone else had written this for the author. The idea was good, refreshing. The execution was too lacking to believe she could do better by herself.
First an alert, this book end on a cliffhanger. Stay away if you're not fond of those.
This could have been so much better!
The author has her merits, she had a very entertaining idea that despite seen a lot on movies and TV series, it is not very frequent on books. And much less a plot twist - hence not saying here what it is about.
I didn't have expectations from the summary. I felt it could go so many ways I just wanted some new airs to YA's and I should say this book accomplished that much. It also falls for the same old traps the bellow-average YA's do, unfortunately.
I did enjoy the beginning, for the first 10% maybe I thought this could be really good. There was the mystery and the goosebumps from trying to imagine what the foursome could have done to Sarah, aka the dead girl. As I read on, the plot followed a more conventional path, to the point I thought the dead girl and all the secrecy were just props for a teenage love story.
This twist could have been for the win but when it happened so late in the book, I didn't feel fooled but lied to. Of course I had considered the possibility but as hints were dropped, a lot of the story denied it could happen. The taste on my mouth was that the author lied to me there and now anything was possible, for she broke the rules set for this game. I should reassure you she didn't, at least.
Bitterness subdued, I thought this could still reach 4 stars if it worked hard. But it was all a sequence of missteps, crumblings, and a free fall into a frozen river.
The characters are not well developed, aside from Laura, Sarah and Charlie. Even Amanda and Sasha who appear a lot seem too single-purposed to be round. Some characters pop up and you think they could be important because they do take a lot of space, Becca being the big example, but that's just it, they pop and fade away. And no one was likable. Nothing the author revealed really made me identify, take pity or anything. Geez, I couldn't even relate to Charlie's mother whom I could have at least come to call a poor woman. What happened to his dad anyway?
The big plan behind the story was also hard to believe. I found it already too fetched that a 14-year-old could become such a hacker but I was willing to. Now the big plan was too much. A regular fourteen-year-old couldn't go that far on her own and basically all of a sudden. Also the details with which she planned it to happen would have required a third eye at least, not just a "tipper". I didn't buy it, which made fall through the basis for everything happening,
Last, I'd have appreciated knowing this wasn't a single book. I'm glad I knew most of the story here so the cliffhanger is the only tease for you to keep reading. Nevertheless, finding out so late that it wasn't the end was infuriating. I even think the end could be edited, cutting here and there, and leaving it for the next book could make it seem more complete, like a standalone.
In sum, I would have liked if someone else had written this for the author. The idea was good, refreshing. The execution was too lacking to believe she could do better by herself.
September 29, 2015
ARC for review.
We'll call this a two, but really a 1.5, rounded up.
First of all,
Second, this book was not good on the merits. I could NEVER remember which character was which, partly the author's fault in using similar names for some of her primary characters (Sasha and Sarah, Lexi and Laura) and, honestly, I'm still not sure who is who, even at the end (but I don't much care).
It's unfortunate because, though rather formulaic all that we know is a group of high school in-crowders did something bad last summer (or two years ago) and they are all handling it in distinct ways. Then new student Laura enters school and she reminds the kids just enough of dead Sarah to rile everyone up all over again. Then there's also this hacker who MUST find out what happened to Sarah. The shifting points of view works here, but not much else did. And why don't any of these people have pets? Weird.
We'll call this a two, but really a 1.5, rounded up.
First of all,
Second, this book was not good on the merits. I could NEVER remember which character was which, partly the author's fault in using similar names for some of her primary characters (Sasha and Sarah, Lexi and Laura) and, honestly, I'm still not sure who is who, even at the end (but I don't much care).
It's unfortunate because, though rather formulaic all that we know is a group of high school in-crowders did something bad last summer (or two years ago) and they are all handling it in distinct ways. Then new student Laura enters school and she reminds the kids just enough of dead Sarah to rile everyone up all over again. Then there's also this hacker who MUST find out what happened to Sarah. The shifting points of view works here, but not much else did. And why don't any of these people have pets? Weird.
November 8, 2015
This book was sent to me by the publisher Full Fathom Five Digital in exchange for an honest review.
When I read the premise of this book, I was quite intrigued. It is described as Gone Girl (which I loved) meets Pretty Little Liars (which I used to love...). Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book up until I was about 60% through it. I didn't like the characters and the plot moved quite slow in my opinion.
At a certain point I did start enjoying the story and the plot twists - and suddenly the book was over. Just like that. I don't think I've actually read (or finished) a book with such an open ending.
So even though I didn't enjoy most of this book, the ending - or lack of it - has left me wanting more!
When I read the premise of this book, I was quite intrigued. It is described as Gone Girl (which I loved) meets Pretty Little Liars (which I used to love...). Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book up until I was about 60% through it. I didn't like the characters and the plot moved quite slow in my opinion.
At a certain point I did start enjoying the story and the plot twists - and suddenly the book was over. Just like that. I don't think I've actually read (or finished) a book with such an open ending.
So even though I didn't enjoy most of this book, the ending - or lack of it - has left me wanting more!
November 5, 2015
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
2.5 stars. Listed as 3 Stars because there are no half star allowances in the system.
Age range: 12+. Parents, this is a murder/suicide mystery who-done-it, so be forewarned about violent content.
(A new addition to my reviews) With so many adults reading the YA genre, I felt it necessary to add on whether or not an adult would enjoy the novel. I'm on the fence with Dead Ringer on whether or not an adult would enjoy it. In my opinion, no. This is a Young Adult title that should only be read by Young Adults, as with anyone with life experience will begin to doubt everything you read on the pages.
Genre: Young Adult | Mystery/suspense |
NOTE: NOT a stand-alone. This is book #1 in a series, which does end in a cliffhanger. While there is nothing in the blurb or the series information that denotes this as not being a standalone. So, that, in and of itself, is a mystery to be solved by the reader by book's end.
Recommended for young adults who love a who-done-it mystery, similar to Pretty Little Liars and the Lying Game. As a huge Shepard fan, both in reading her books and watching the adaptations, I jumped at the chance to read Dead Ringer.
Jessie Rosen has promise as a storyteller, but the execution wasn't spot-on. The flow of information was at a snail's pace, and everything HAD to be a mystery, even things that shouldn't have been because they didn't connect to anything else. Characterization should NEVER be a mystery. The who/how/what/where/why is what makes a story, and to give it out piecemeal is not a mystery but a flaw in the writing style that left me disinterested. You have to give the reader something to grip onto, something that engages them and keeps them interested. If they have to read 300+ pages to find out an answer to the smallest things, with it all being buried among the mundane, they may just give up and find another story to read. Or skim- like I eventually had to do in order to continue because I was bored by not knowing anything.
In a mystery, everything cannot be the mystery. It buries the real plot beneath the information that makes a story fluid and engaging.
I was prepared for an on-the-edge-of-my-seat type of read. Where your heart pounds with nervous energy. This is why I warn that only the actual young adults should read Dead Ringer, as the true adults will never hit that plateau. As with PLL (the television series), I was disappointed over the fact that things that are presented as a mystery, that should have connected, but never did. They were just loose ends not explained and forgotten, or completely disregarded as the author rewrites the history they built in the first place.
Dead Ringer begins with Laura moving to a new town, going to a new school, where she is the Dead Ringer for a dead girl- a girl who committed suicide nearly two years ago when she was only 14. Only, the thing is, Laura looks NOTHING like Sarah. Hair color/eye color, all opposites of Sarah. The face was 'similar'. So that is not what I'd call a Dead Ringer at all. In fact, siblings who actually do look alike, even twins, when their hair color isn't the same, they look nothing like each other. This plays into the storyline later on, and it actually defeats the purpose- the supposedly looking like a Dead Ringer, but not actually looking the same. (If you're reading this review after reading the book, do you see what I mean? Why bother?)
Bear in mind, the incident happens at 14. At 16, the children have no parental supervision and have endless amounts of money, are geniuses, and behave like 50 yo egomaniacs. This is why I said younger readers would suspend believe, whereas I couldn't. 14-year-old hackers exist, but not in a vacuum. They have to have means, know-how, and helpers. Just like the major plot hole in PLL, A could NOT be everywhere, and Sasha couldn't know what she knew from surfing her programs twice a day- once in the morning and once in the evening. Not possible. Another major player was able to do things that are illegal from age 14 - 16 (things well-connected adults could never achieve), when they would have had to use legal paperwork to be where they were. (Like today, an 18 yo boy found out he was kidnapped when he was 5 when his college submission paperwork didn't add up) NO WAY could anything that happened in Dead Ringer even be plausible. Yes, it's fiction.
Nothing connected, added up, and some things were downright contradictory. Things from the beginning of the book, the narrator was unreliable, even when dealing with their own private thoughts. Making the entire story a huge lie. It wasn't a mystery, to me- it was shoddy writing. Young adults won't notice, adults will. So I'm not faulting the author, I'm saying adults may be disappointed by how glaring it will become.
In the end, none of it was remotely possible, no matter how much suspension of belief the reader uses. 3 stars because a young adult will probably get a kick out of the story...
__________
If I would have edited this book, I would have told the author to write the entire thing from Charlie's POV, so the big reveal of the mystery wouldn't have been a contradiction- or an outright lie. With Charlie showing what had happened before the book even hit the 1/3 mark, and the mystery slowly unraveling from there to show who is whom and why. The narrative by one character negated the entire story. When you're inside a character's head, they cannot keep something so major hidden, causing readers to no longer trust the author.
2.5 stars. Listed as 3 Stars because there are no half star allowances in the system.
Age range: 12+. Parents, this is a murder/suicide mystery who-done-it, so be forewarned about violent content.
(A new addition to my reviews) With so many adults reading the YA genre, I felt it necessary to add on whether or not an adult would enjoy the novel. I'm on the fence with Dead Ringer on whether or not an adult would enjoy it. In my opinion, no. This is a Young Adult title that should only be read by Young Adults, as with anyone with life experience will begin to doubt everything you read on the pages.
Genre: Young Adult | Mystery/suspense |
NOTE: NOT a stand-alone. This is book #1 in a series, which does end in a cliffhanger. While there is nothing in the blurb or the series information that denotes this as not being a standalone. So, that, in and of itself, is a mystery to be solved by the reader by book's end.
Recommended for young adults who love a who-done-it mystery, similar to Pretty Little Liars and the Lying Game. As a huge Shepard fan, both in reading her books and watching the adaptations, I jumped at the chance to read Dead Ringer.
Jessie Rosen has promise as a storyteller, but the execution wasn't spot-on. The flow of information was at a snail's pace, and everything HAD to be a mystery, even things that shouldn't have been because they didn't connect to anything else. Characterization should NEVER be a mystery. The who/how/what/where/why is what makes a story, and to give it out piecemeal is not a mystery but a flaw in the writing style that left me disinterested. You have to give the reader something to grip onto, something that engages them and keeps them interested. If they have to read 300+ pages to find out an answer to the smallest things, with it all being buried among the mundane, they may just give up and find another story to read. Or skim- like I eventually had to do in order to continue because I was bored by not knowing anything.
In a mystery, everything cannot be the mystery. It buries the real plot beneath the information that makes a story fluid and engaging.
I was prepared for an on-the-edge-of-my-seat type of read. Where your heart pounds with nervous energy. This is why I warn that only the actual young adults should read Dead Ringer, as the true adults will never hit that plateau. As with PLL (the television series), I was disappointed over the fact that things that are presented as a mystery, that should have connected, but never did. They were just loose ends not explained and forgotten, or completely disregarded as the author rewrites the history they built in the first place.
Dead Ringer begins with Laura moving to a new town, going to a new school, where she is the Dead Ringer for a dead girl- a girl who committed suicide nearly two years ago when she was only 14. Only, the thing is, Laura looks NOTHING like Sarah. Hair color/eye color, all opposites of Sarah. The face was 'similar'. So that is not what I'd call a Dead Ringer at all. In fact, siblings who actually do look alike, even twins, when their hair color isn't the same, they look nothing like each other. This plays into the storyline later on, and it actually defeats the purpose- the supposedly looking like a Dead Ringer, but not actually looking the same. (If you're reading this review after reading the book, do you see what I mean? Why bother?)
Bear in mind, the incident happens at 14. At 16, the children have no parental supervision and have endless amounts of money, are geniuses, and behave like 50 yo egomaniacs. This is why I said younger readers would suspend believe, whereas I couldn't. 14-year-old hackers exist, but not in a vacuum. They have to have means, know-how, and helpers. Just like the major plot hole in PLL, A could NOT be everywhere, and Sasha couldn't know what she knew from surfing her programs twice a day- once in the morning and once in the evening. Not possible. Another major player was able to do things that are illegal from age 14 - 16 (things well-connected adults could never achieve), when they would have had to use legal paperwork to be where they were. (Like today, an 18 yo boy found out he was kidnapped when he was 5 when his college submission paperwork didn't add up) NO WAY could anything that happened in Dead Ringer even be plausible. Yes, it's fiction.
Nothing connected, added up, and some things were downright contradictory. Things from the beginning of the book, the narrator was unreliable, even when dealing with their own private thoughts. Making the entire story a huge lie. It wasn't a mystery, to me- it was shoddy writing. Young adults won't notice, adults will. So I'm not faulting the author, I'm saying adults may be disappointed by how glaring it will become.
In the end, none of it was remotely possible, no matter how much suspension of belief the reader uses. 3 stars because a young adult will probably get a kick out of the story...
__________
If I would have edited this book, I would have told the author to write the entire thing from Charlie's POV, so the big reveal of the mystery wouldn't have been a contradiction- or an outright lie. With Charlie showing what had happened before the book even hit the 1/3 mark, and the mystery slowly unraveling from there to show who is whom and why. The narrative by one character negated the entire story. When you're inside a character's head, they cannot keep something so major hidden, causing readers to no longer trust the author.
July 17, 2016
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
It is so frustrating to go from reading a book that moved me to tears to reading a book that made me roll my eyes about a thousand times. I would like to say that the book was doomed because I read it after an amazing one, but I am pretty sure I would have had these issues about the book anyway. There were three POV's in this book: Laura, Charlie, and Sasha. I really couldn't connect with any of the characters. And there was zero character development. Everyone was rich (seriously, how much money did these kids have???) and everyone was beautiful and everyone was obsessed with popularity. Boring. Oh, and where were the parents in all this?? They were nowhere. Laura had some stupid excuse about why her parents were never around, Sasha had one or two conversations with hers and Charlie's mom was nonexistent until he got in trouble. Then she yelled and was never seen again. Yeah, just another case of absentee parents in YA literature. Laura and Charlie were both just boring. Laura spent all her time swooning over Charlie and trying to find out whether he was with Amanda or not. Charlie spent all his time freaked out that someone would figure out what he and his friends did to Sarah. I did NOT like that he kept calling Sarah "crazy" and "a freak." Something is revealed about his history with her and I do understand why he was upset with Sarah. But I still don't understand why her actions caused him to think she was such a mental case.
Okay, let's talk about Sasha; she was a FOURTEEN year old world class hacker. She was able to hack into every single computer and cell phone in the ENTIRE town of Englewood and she kept tabs on all their conversations. That was so crazy unrealistic. Yeah, she's in ninth grade and has the hacking skills of a forty year old. Sure, whatever. Sasha was obsessed with Sarah's suicide and finding out if it was even a suicide at all. We don't find out why she is so obsessed until later in the book, but it wasn't much of a surprise.
So the aforementioned fourteen year old hacker posts an anonymous message on the town's social media page that she knows Sarah Castro-Tanner didn't commit suicide, she had evidence she was going to let the police figure out on their own and they should start at the high school. So with this ANONYMOUS message and NOTHING ELSE, the police decide to reopen the investigation AND question every single student at the school. WTH?? Since when would police reopen an investigation based on an anonymous message? They literally had no evidence that Sarah was murdered. And then when the police were questioning Charlie, the stupid detective said that he was trying to figure out why Sarah killed herself. Okay, so make up your minds, police: is it murder or suicide? And since when do police actually care about why a person commits suicide? Answer: They don't. Not ever. It's not their job. God, this made me so mad.
There was a twist towards the end of the book that honestly made me feel lied to and cheated. It was something I had considered earlier in the book, but then certain things in the book would lead me to believe it was not possible. And then there was a whole subplot about a teacher and a student that didn't need to be there and didn't go anywhere either. The main reason I kept reading this book was because I wanted to see how everything would end. Well . . . it sucked. First of all, it was a cliffhanger. Argh!! I hate going into a book thinking it's a stand-alone and then dealing with a cliffhanger. And everything leading up to that was crazy unrealistic and borderline ridiculous. Honestly, it kind of reminded me of a made for TV Lifetime movie.
It is so frustrating to go from reading a book that moved me to tears to reading a book that made me roll my eyes about a thousand times. I would like to say that the book was doomed because I read it after an amazing one, but I am pretty sure I would have had these issues about the book anyway. There were three POV's in this book: Laura, Charlie, and Sasha. I really couldn't connect with any of the characters. And there was zero character development. Everyone was rich (seriously, how much money did these kids have???) and everyone was beautiful and everyone was obsessed with popularity. Boring. Oh, and where were the parents in all this?? They were nowhere. Laura had some stupid excuse about why her parents were never around, Sasha had one or two conversations with hers and Charlie's mom was nonexistent until he got in trouble. Then she yelled and was never seen again. Yeah, just another case of absentee parents in YA literature. Laura and Charlie were both just boring. Laura spent all her time swooning over Charlie and trying to find out whether he was with Amanda or not. Charlie spent all his time freaked out that someone would figure out what he and his friends did to Sarah. I did NOT like that he kept calling Sarah "crazy" and "a freak." Something is revealed about his history with her and I do understand why he was upset with Sarah. But I still don't understand why her actions caused him to think she was such a mental case.
Okay, let's talk about Sasha; she was a FOURTEEN year old world class hacker. She was able to hack into every single computer and cell phone in the ENTIRE town of Englewood and she kept tabs on all their conversations. That was so crazy unrealistic. Yeah, she's in ninth grade and has the hacking skills of a forty year old. Sure, whatever. Sasha was obsessed with Sarah's suicide and finding out if it was even a suicide at all. We don't find out why she is so obsessed until later in the book, but it wasn't much of a surprise.
So the aforementioned fourteen year old hacker posts an anonymous message on the town's social media page that she knows Sarah Castro-Tanner didn't commit suicide, she had evidence she was going to let the police figure out on their own and they should start at the high school. So with this ANONYMOUS message and NOTHING ELSE, the police decide to reopen the investigation AND question every single student at the school. WTH?? Since when would police reopen an investigation based on an anonymous message? They literally had no evidence that Sarah was murdered. And then when the police were questioning Charlie, the stupid detective said that he was trying to figure out why Sarah killed herself. Okay, so make up your minds, police: is it murder or suicide? And since when do police actually care about why a person commits suicide? Answer: They don't. Not ever. It's not their job. God, this made me so mad.
There was a twist towards the end of the book that honestly made me feel lied to and cheated. It was something I had considered earlier in the book, but then certain things in the book would lead me to believe it was not possible. And then there was a whole subplot about a teacher and a student that didn't need to be there and didn't go anywhere either. The main reason I kept reading this book was because I wanted to see how everything would end. Well . . . it sucked. First of all, it was a cliffhanger. Argh!! I hate going into a book thinking it's a stand-alone and then dealing with a cliffhanger. And everything leading up to that was crazy unrealistic and borderline ridiculous. Honestly, it kind of reminded me of a made for TV Lifetime movie.
September 9, 2017
When I read the description for this young adult thriller, I knew I had to get my hands on it! The whole concept sounded incredibly intriguing. Here are my thoughts:
First 25% of the book:
I was hooked! It was so interesting. Learning the characters and trying to figure out how they fit into the plot kept me glued to the pages.
I mean, two girls that looked alike? Eerie, especially when one of them is dead. There is a teenage hacker, a mystery person with their own need for revenge, and a group of four that appear mighty suspicious.
This book was a cross between I Know What You Did Last Summer and Pretty Little Liars. I loved unraveling the mystery.
Next 50% of the book:
The characters were slowly being exposed. The storyline started to make sense. Some of the mysteries were genius. Then, there is one big problem in the plot. One characters POV, just drastically changed. I understand this is a mystery book, but they acted so unaware of everything and thought there was suspicious, of certain people themselves. Yet, suddenly, once her place in the story was revealed, they suddenly knew everything. It was actually a little jarring.
Last 25% of the book:
Everything was starting to make sense and I was looking forward to seeing what kind of resolution would tie the plot up. As the end neared, it became apparent, the end would not be resolved. The book ended, just not in a way that satisfied me.
Overall:
This was an okay book. It would have been better if the ending was different, though. As far as I know, there may or may not be a sequel, the author has not made any comment pointing to one or the other. It really needs one. There were characters that were introduced late in the book, that needed a bigger role.
This ya thriller gets three glittery stars for being a good read.
First 25% of the book:
I was hooked! It was so interesting. Learning the characters and trying to figure out how they fit into the plot kept me glued to the pages.
I mean, two girls that looked alike? Eerie, especially when one of them is dead. There is a teenage hacker, a mystery person with their own need for revenge, and a group of four that appear mighty suspicious.
This book was a cross between I Know What You Did Last Summer and Pretty Little Liars. I loved unraveling the mystery.
Next 50% of the book:
The characters were slowly being exposed. The storyline started to make sense. Some of the mysteries were genius. Then, there is one big problem in the plot. One characters POV, just drastically changed. I understand this is a mystery book, but they acted so unaware of everything and thought there was suspicious, of certain people themselves. Yet, suddenly, once her place in the story was revealed, they suddenly knew everything. It was actually a little jarring.
Last 25% of the book:
Everything was starting to make sense and I was looking forward to seeing what kind of resolution would tie the plot up. As the end neared, it became apparent, the end would not be resolved. The book ended, just not in a way that satisfied me.
Overall:
This was an okay book. It would have been better if the ending was different, though. As far as I know, there may or may not be a sequel, the author has not made any comment pointing to one or the other. It really needs one. There were characters that were introduced late in the book, that needed a bigger role.
This ya thriller gets three glittery stars for being a good read.
November 30, 2015
I received a copy of this book from Full Fathom Five via NG in return for an honest review.
"Welcome to Englewood. You look like the town's most famous dead girl."
This book was very well written and had an air of suspense throughout.
I really enjoy suspense/romance/ thrillers but i hadn't read a YA one before, so this was surprising and very refreshing.
This book delves into many themes such as suicide and well, i guess you could call it obsessions.
It also portrays themes of romance between two characters who technically shouldn't fall in love.
I really liked Charlie's character from the start, he was sweet and unassuming. As the story progresses you see the way Charlie becomes frazzled with the stresses of- 'Will they find out the truth?'
overall, it was a good read, so if you feel like having a YA book with suspense like the Mara Dyer series without the paranormal twists then this is for you!
Stay awesome!
-The Book Herald
Check out my blog- The Book Herald Blog (help the little people!)
tweet me @thebookherald
"Welcome to Englewood. You look like the town's most famous dead girl."
What would you do if your doppelganger was notoriously...dead?
What would happen if the boy you're falling in love for is tied closely to this dead girl?
What would happen if someone becomes obsessed with figuring out the truth?
What if this suicide...was more than what it seems?
Welcome to Engelwood.
This book was very well written and had an air of suspense throughout.
I really enjoy suspense/romance/ thrillers but i hadn't read a YA one before, so this was surprising and very refreshing.
This book delves into many themes such as suicide and well, i guess you could call it obsessions.
It also portrays themes of romance between two characters who technically shouldn't fall in love.
I really liked Charlie's character from the start, he was sweet and unassuming. As the story progresses you see the way Charlie becomes frazzled with the stresses of- 'Will they find out the truth?'
overall, it was a good read, so if you feel like having a YA book with suspense like the Mara Dyer series without the paranormal twists then this is for you!
Stay awesome!
-The Book Herald
Check out my blog- The Book Herald Blog (help the little people!)
tweet me @thebookherald
September 25, 2015
I love to read mystery novels and yet I'm always hesitant to pick them up. It isn't an easy task to write in this genre as the author has to carefully weave a story that ensnares the readers attention, keeps them questioning and then deliver an ending that isn't predictable.
Dead Ringer hit the mark but I was slightly disappointed with the execution of the ending. I felt it was left unresolved and for the life of me couldn't imagine this specific plot carrying over to a second novel. Dragging it out any further than what it was won't make for a very good novel.
That being said, I was hooked from the beginning. By the time I hit 25% I had more questions and theories than I knew what to do with. The plot was interesting and I couldn't wait to turn the page to learn a new hint or clue to try and unravel the mystery.
Dead Ringer will pull you through a whirlwind of betrayal and revenge following a group of teenagers as they unravel at the seams while still trying to find who they are.
**I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
Dead Ringer hit the mark but I was slightly disappointed with the execution of the ending. I felt it was left unresolved and for the life of me couldn't imagine this specific plot carrying over to a second novel. Dragging it out any further than what it was won't make for a very good novel.
That being said, I was hooked from the beginning. By the time I hit 25% I had more questions and theories than I knew what to do with. The plot was interesting and I couldn't wait to turn the page to learn a new hint or clue to try and unravel the mystery.
Dead Ringer will pull you through a whirlwind of betrayal and revenge following a group of teenagers as they unravel at the seams while still trying to find who they are.
**I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
February 25, 2016
I was sold on the synopsis of the book, and I really, really, really wanted to love it.. But it didn't work for me. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either.
*This arc was kindly provided by Full Fathom Five via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
*This arc was kindly provided by Full Fathom Five via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
November 29, 2015
God this book was SO not what I expected. I absolutely loved it, even though the writing felt a little forced and some of the dialogue felt old fashioned. The ending was fantastic and I absolutely CANNOT wait for the second one.
December 16, 2015
I didn't know this was a cliff hanger. Can't wait for the next!
November 5, 2015
The full review can be found here.
★ ★ 2 Stars
"She caught him off guard when she turned around, and he had that same instant reaction to her face. For the first time, Laura put her finger on what was so strange about it.
He was looking at her like he knew her."
Guys, I really wanted to love this. Really. I am on a thriller/mystery kick. When I was approved on Netgalley for this, I was psyched. Full disclosure: I've just read three good mysteries/thrillers in a row. So, yes, this book had a lot to live up to, but still. I don't consider myself a very harsh reviewer, and as a writer myself, I find it hard to critique another author's writing because I know how hard it is to write, period. But I want to try!
What I Liked: The cover is really pretty! I love the text effect on the title especially.
I was never bored. I read this book in a few sittings, and it kept me wanting to know what was next. Not all authors can manage that! The concept was pretty different to what I've read before, and there were a couple of twists/reveals that I didn't see coming. I almost always liked being surprised when I read a mystery/thriller.
I liked how diabolical the one character gets. I liked how there was really no 'good guy' in this book - that can be a negative in some stories, but in this book, I was rooting more for the plot than the characters, anyway. And it felt more true to life.
There were a couple things that had me wanting to throw the book at the beginning, that later made perfect sense. I LOVE when that happens in a book. For example, there is an 'instalove' part in the beginning where I was literally rolling my eyes, and it turned out there was a very good reason for it being there! The author definitely has potential and I would probably read more by her despite my issues with this book. She can weave a story, even if some of the strings are a bit tangled.
What I Didn't Like: I will try to keep this as constructive as possible, (especially) in case the author happens upon this review. :) Not to mention other writers. And myself, for that matter :P
Okay, right from the start, I hate that this ended in a cliffhanger. I don't mind cliffhangers sometimes, but there is no indication anywhere that this wasn't a standalone! Also, it was a very strong cliffhanger - the type where it just feels rushed at the end, and not like there's a whole other story built up for book two.
This book needs editing, big time. I understand that some Netgalley ARCs have some grammar/spelling issues, but this book to me just feels unfinished and not ready to be sent out to reviewers. I hope the final published version has had more polishing, but sadly I doubt it will be dramatically improved based on how it looks now at the galley stage. I think a couple of rounds of structural editing could have taken this to a four star read! It's a real shame since the publishing house did such a great job with the cover choice.
The characters in this book fell flat for me. There are three POVs, which alternate by chapter. I actually like this set up, and I haven't seen it as much lately. The problem for me was that the characters felt very one-dimensional - even the three main ones. We had three heads to explore, and somehow I didn't feel like I knew even one of them. Add in several side characters who were even more one dimensional and... yeah.
There were characters and plot threads that just felt thrown in, and went nowhere. There was a lot of things that were so unrealistic that they were ridiculous. It felt like a Lifetime movie, and though I not-so-secretly tend to love Lifetime movies, it just didn't work in this book. The hacking in this book was even more unrealistic than Caleb's hacking in Pretty Little Liars, and that's saying something.
Final Thoughts: Despite my many issues with this book, if I could get an ARC or borrow book two, I would read it. I think the author has a lot of potential and I want to see how she uses the criticism to craft a better sophomore effort! Overall, I am glad I did not pay for this book, but I do think there are things to enjoy and some readers may like it :)
*** A big thank you to Full Fathom Five and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.***
Love,
★ ★ 2 Stars
"She caught him off guard when she turned around, and he had that same instant reaction to her face. For the first time, Laura put her finger on what was so strange about it.
He was looking at her like he knew her."
Guys, I really wanted to love this. Really. I am on a thriller/mystery kick. When I was approved on Netgalley for this, I was psyched. Full disclosure: I've just read three good mysteries/thrillers in a row. So, yes, this book had a lot to live up to, but still. I don't consider myself a very harsh reviewer, and as a writer myself, I find it hard to critique another author's writing because I know how hard it is to write, period. But I want to try!
What I Liked: The cover is really pretty! I love the text effect on the title especially.
I was never bored. I read this book in a few sittings, and it kept me wanting to know what was next. Not all authors can manage that! The concept was pretty different to what I've read before, and there were a couple of twists/reveals that I didn't see coming. I almost always liked being surprised when I read a mystery/thriller.
I liked how diabolical the one character gets. I liked how there was really no 'good guy' in this book - that can be a negative in some stories, but in this book, I was rooting more for the plot than the characters, anyway. And it felt more true to life.
There were a couple things that had me wanting to throw the book at the beginning, that later made perfect sense. I LOVE when that happens in a book. For example, there is an 'instalove' part in the beginning where I was literally rolling my eyes, and it turned out there was a very good reason for it being there! The author definitely has potential and I would probably read more by her despite my issues with this book. She can weave a story, even if some of the strings are a bit tangled.
What I Didn't Like: I will try to keep this as constructive as possible, (especially) in case the author happens upon this review. :) Not to mention other writers. And myself, for that matter :P
Okay, right from the start, I hate that this ended in a cliffhanger. I don't mind cliffhangers sometimes, but there is no indication anywhere that this wasn't a standalone! Also, it was a very strong cliffhanger - the type where it just feels rushed at the end, and not like there's a whole other story built up for book two.
This book needs editing, big time. I understand that some Netgalley ARCs have some grammar/spelling issues, but this book to me just feels unfinished and not ready to be sent out to reviewers. I hope the final published version has had more polishing, but sadly I doubt it will be dramatically improved based on how it looks now at the galley stage. I think a couple of rounds of structural editing could have taken this to a four star read! It's a real shame since the publishing house did such a great job with the cover choice.
The characters in this book fell flat for me. There are three POVs, which alternate by chapter. I actually like this set up, and I haven't seen it as much lately. The problem for me was that the characters felt very one-dimensional - even the three main ones. We had three heads to explore, and somehow I didn't feel like I knew even one of them. Add in several side characters who were even more one dimensional and... yeah.
There were characters and plot threads that just felt thrown in, and went nowhere. There was a lot of things that were so unrealistic that they were ridiculous. It felt like a Lifetime movie, and though I not-so-secretly tend to love Lifetime movies, it just didn't work in this book. The hacking in this book was even more unrealistic than Caleb's hacking in Pretty Little Liars, and that's saying something.
Final Thoughts: Despite my many issues with this book, if I could get an ARC or borrow book two, I would read it. I think the author has a lot of potential and I want to see how she uses the criticism to craft a better sophomore effort! Overall, I am glad I did not pay for this book, but I do think there are things to enjoy and some readers may like it :)
*** A big thank you to Full Fathom Five and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.***
Content Warnings: Some sexual content, mature themes, some teen partying (alcohol), some disturbing behavior. Nothing stuck out to me as particularly explicit though, I'd say this is fine for 14+.
Love,
March 10, 2016
A copy of this novel was provided by Full Fathom Five for review via Net Galley.
I was debating whether or not to rate Dead Ringer two or three stars, but the mystery aspect of the book grabbed that extra star from me. The rest of it wasn’t so worthy.
I’ll go with the two star worthy parts first.
- The unaccounted for narrator. Dead Ringer is told through three different third person narratives. The fist is Laura Rivers, the girl who looks like Sarah Castro-Tanner, who is believed to have died by suicide 18 months prior. The second is Charlie Sanders, a boy who knows more than he’s letting about what really happened to Sarah. And then there’s a third narrator, who I didn’t except, and didn’t really see the need for – Sasha.
Sasha is a hacker stalking Charlie and his friends because she wants to know what really happened to Sarah that night. To be honest, I am not entirely sure that Sash’s perspective was needed, albeit in a few places. I think that a lot of her sections could have been cut out.
- The length. There was a lot of superfluous stuff that happened, and inner monologues that repeated themselves again and again. And then there were things that needed to be in there. For example: the progression of Laura and Charlie’s relationship was skimmed over. There was a lot of telling, and hardly any showing. Half of their relationship was developed through “Charlie had come over and watched movies with Laura after she texted about her parents fighting”. Why didn’t that scene actually happen? Same with Charlie and his mother. I think there were about three exchanges between them in the entire book.
I think that a lot of the repeated stuff could have been taken out, or at least replaced with scenes that should have been in there.
- The pacing. I think this mostly tied into my point about the length, but I felt like the mystery aspect of the book didn’t really come into play until the end. There were heaps of taunting emails and texts, and I think the creep factor could have been upped just a little bit to keep the plot from stagnating.
- The characters. I didn’t like any of them. I felt like Laura was pretty superficial, that Charlie was a childish boy, and that Charlie’s friends had potential to be interesting but were left out except for repetitive conversations about “that night”. Because I wasn’t a fan of Charlie or his friends, I didn’t particularly care that they were spiralling for fear of being found out. I felt like Laura had hardly any substance or role, for the most part, and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to be feeling for her.
~
But the mystery, I did like. Even though there were problems with pacing, I kept reading Dead Ringer because I wanted to find out everything. I wanted to know who was messing around with Charlie and his friends, and most of all I wanted to know what actually happened to Sarah Castro-Tanner. Although, some of the reveals had little to no lead up, so there was only a second to realise who was doing what before it was revealed. I think that these could have had a little more impact if there had been some slow trickle of information, or a few red herrings.
Dead Ringer is most likely going to be the first book in a series, because practically nothing was resolved at the end. I’m uncertain of whether or not I will continue, because I’m not sure what else can really happen to any of the characters, but I’ll wait and see.
© 2015, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
warning: statutory rape resulting in pregnancy, and attempted suicide in this novel
I was debating whether or not to rate Dead Ringer two or three stars, but the mystery aspect of the book grabbed that extra star from me. The rest of it wasn’t so worthy.
I’ll go with the two star worthy parts first.
- The unaccounted for narrator. Dead Ringer is told through three different third person narratives. The fist is Laura Rivers, the girl who looks like Sarah Castro-Tanner, who is believed to have died by suicide 18 months prior. The second is Charlie Sanders, a boy who knows more than he’s letting about what really happened to Sarah. And then there’s a third narrator, who I didn’t except, and didn’t really see the need for – Sasha.
Sasha is a hacker stalking Charlie and his friends because she wants to know what really happened to Sarah that night. To be honest, I am not entirely sure that Sash’s perspective was needed, albeit in a few places. I think that a lot of her sections could have been cut out.
- The length. There was a lot of superfluous stuff that happened, and inner monologues that repeated themselves again and again. And then there were things that needed to be in there. For example: the progression of Laura and Charlie’s relationship was skimmed over. There was a lot of telling, and hardly any showing. Half of their relationship was developed through “Charlie had come over and watched movies with Laura after she texted about her parents fighting”. Why didn’t that scene actually happen? Same with Charlie and his mother. I think there were about three exchanges between them in the entire book.
I think that a lot of the repeated stuff could have been taken out, or at least replaced with scenes that should have been in there.
- The pacing. I think this mostly tied into my point about the length, but I felt like the mystery aspect of the book didn’t really come into play until the end. There were heaps of taunting emails and texts, and I think the creep factor could have been upped just a little bit to keep the plot from stagnating.
- The characters. I didn’t like any of them. I felt like Laura was pretty superficial, that Charlie was a childish boy, and that Charlie’s friends had potential to be interesting but were left out except for repetitive conversations about “that night”. Because I wasn’t a fan of Charlie or his friends, I didn’t particularly care that they were spiralling for fear of being found out. I felt like Laura had hardly any substance or role, for the most part, and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to be feeling for her.
~
But the mystery, I did like. Even though there were problems with pacing, I kept reading Dead Ringer because I wanted to find out everything. I wanted to know who was messing around with Charlie and his friends, and most of all I wanted to know what actually happened to Sarah Castro-Tanner. Although, some of the reveals had little to no lead up, so there was only a second to realise who was doing what before it was revealed. I think that these could have had a little more impact if there had been some slow trickle of information, or a few red herrings.
Dead Ringer is most likely going to be the first book in a series, because practically nothing was resolved at the end. I’m uncertain of whether or not I will continue, because I’m not sure what else can really happen to any of the characters, but I’ll wait and see.
© 2015, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
warning: statutory rape resulting in pregnancy, and attempted suicide in this novel
November 19, 2015
Check out this review (and an awesome Fiction Vs. Reality guest post from the author!) and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!
Finding a fantastic thriller tends to be a challenge, since so many of them tend to fall short of their promise to, well, actually be thrilling. Dead Ringer by Jessie Rosen is a book that will captivate you, and completely change the game for those who enjoy YA thrillers. It’s fast paced, fun, and keeps you guessing with the many plot twists and elements that you will never see coming.
Almost two years ago, in a small town, a young girl named Sarah disappeared. They found several articles of her clothing in a river, and assumed that she had committed suicide. While they never found her body, everyone in town tried to put it behind them, saying that she was a mentally disturbed girl, and that it was a tragedy.
Flash forward to the present, and a new girl shows up at the school. Her name is Laura, and she bears an incredibly striking resemblance to Sarah…enough to make a lot of the kids at her school quite uncomfortable.
She is instantly befriended by the school’s soccer star, Charlie, and his group of friends, except for his on again-off again girlfriend, who is slightly spooked by Laura and thinks something is a little bit off. She also isn’t too happy with how Charlie has developed feelings for Laura so quickly…and how Laura also has feelings for Charlie. As events unfold and we learn more about Laura and the secrets that Charlie and Amanda are working so hard to keep, we are drawn into a dark world full of twists, turns, and surprises that you will never see coming.
This book is utterly amazing. It reminded me a lot of Pretty Little Liars, so if you enjoyed that series, I can guarantee that you will love this book, too. The chapters have several characters narrating them per chapter…for example, there will be a section told in Laura’s point of view, then a section told in Charlie’s point of view, and even a section told in Sasha’s point of view.
Sasha is an interesting character, and you don’t really learn about her until the second half of the book. I found her part in the story a little confusing at first, but trust me, it all gets wrapped up neatly by the end of the book. Secrets are revealed, and while there is a bit of a cliff-hanger at the end (sequel, please!), it isn’t anything that will really ruin the whole story, the way other books have done. It didn’t make me want to throw my Kindle across the room or anything, so there’s that.
While I loved all of the characters, even though we find out some things about some of them that ends up turning them unlikable, they were still fantastically written and fun to read. Laura was my favorite, and I loved her character and how she handled everything in the book. She was full of surprises!
The plot twists are incredible…I had my theories, especially developed during the second half of the book, but I was pretty much clueless for the first half, and I liked it that way…I like to be surprised when reading (and if you do, too…then this book will be right up your alley).
Check this one out – you won’t be disappointed!
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Finding a fantastic thriller tends to be a challenge, since so many of them tend to fall short of their promise to, well, actually be thrilling. Dead Ringer by Jessie Rosen is a book that will captivate you, and completely change the game for those who enjoy YA thrillers. It’s fast paced, fun, and keeps you guessing with the many plot twists and elements that you will never see coming.
Almost two years ago, in a small town, a young girl named Sarah disappeared. They found several articles of her clothing in a river, and assumed that she had committed suicide. While they never found her body, everyone in town tried to put it behind them, saying that she was a mentally disturbed girl, and that it was a tragedy.
Flash forward to the present, and a new girl shows up at the school. Her name is Laura, and she bears an incredibly striking resemblance to Sarah…enough to make a lot of the kids at her school quite uncomfortable.
She is instantly befriended by the school’s soccer star, Charlie, and his group of friends, except for his on again-off again girlfriend, who is slightly spooked by Laura and thinks something is a little bit off. She also isn’t too happy with how Charlie has developed feelings for Laura so quickly…and how Laura also has feelings for Charlie. As events unfold and we learn more about Laura and the secrets that Charlie and Amanda are working so hard to keep, we are drawn into a dark world full of twists, turns, and surprises that you will never see coming.
This book is utterly amazing. It reminded me a lot of Pretty Little Liars, so if you enjoyed that series, I can guarantee that you will love this book, too. The chapters have several characters narrating them per chapter…for example, there will be a section told in Laura’s point of view, then a section told in Charlie’s point of view, and even a section told in Sasha’s point of view.
Sasha is an interesting character, and you don’t really learn about her until the second half of the book. I found her part in the story a little confusing at first, but trust me, it all gets wrapped up neatly by the end of the book. Secrets are revealed, and while there is a bit of a cliff-hanger at the end (sequel, please!), it isn’t anything that will really ruin the whole story, the way other books have done. It didn’t make me want to throw my Kindle across the room or anything, so there’s that.
While I loved all of the characters, even though we find out some things about some of them that ends up turning them unlikable, they were still fantastically written and fun to read. Laura was my favorite, and I loved her character and how she handled everything in the book. She was full of surprises!
The plot twists are incredible…I had my theories, especially developed during the second half of the book, but I was pretty much clueless for the first half, and I liked it that way…I like to be surprised when reading (and if you do, too…then this book will be right up your alley).
Check this one out – you won’t be disappointed!
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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