Release Date: 1st May, 2011Publisher: Amulet Books
Pages: 350pgs
The Story
When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.
Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.
The Review
SHINE is an emotional rollar-coaster ride that opens straight into newspaper articles, detailing the attack on Patrick - our heroine's best friend. Patrick was bashed with a baseball bat and left bound to a gas pump with its nozzle duct taped to his mouth, and many other disturbing things that will make your skin crawl and things I would rather not mention. But we know something for a fact: a vicious crime was committed - kind of obvious there - and we're immediately thrusted into Cat's determined investigation, finding out who in the town was responsible for this heinous attack.
SHINE had a lot of great things going for it. It was a dark tale that would appeal to a lot of readers, there was a realistic feel when it came to the vivid descriptions of this small Southern town, and most importantly, readers would love the mystery that was well-plotted throughout the book. The only problem I could honestly say that was wrong with the book was the pacing. A lot of the mystery and the secrets could've been solved a little early on, but other than that it was an enjoyable read.
Overall I thought the book SHINE was a very compelling read, especially when it came to dealing with full-on human emotions. With a descriptive prose and tackling tough issues such drug use, rape and prejudice, I recommend this book to anyone who loves a darker, raw-toned, holding nothing back type of book.
The Rating
3/5 stars
Great review! I liked this book but I thought the mystery was pretty easy to figure out.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good. Great review! The cover is really lovely, too - I'll be adding this to my wishlist.
ReplyDeleteOh man *shudder* It definitely starts off with a bang! Sounds like a very intense, powerful read and one sure to bring out my emotions... which for some reason I love much more than ordinary reads. I like a book to affect me. Awesome review, Erin!
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