Review : Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Truly, Madly, Deadly
Author : Hannah Jayne
Publication Date : July 2nd 2013
Publisher : Sourcbooks Fire
Goodreads - The Book Depository

Sawyer Dodd has it all. She's a star track athlete, choir soloist, and A-student. And her boyfriend is the handsome all-star Kevin Anderson. But behind the medals, prom pictures, and perfect smiles, Sawyer finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive relationship with Kevin. When he dies in a drunk-driving accident, Sawyer is secretly relieved. She's free. Until she opens her locker and finds a mysterious letter signed by "an admirer" and printed with two simple words: "You're welcome."

Personal Thoughts

Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne was a creepy, thrilling and addictive book from the first page to the last page. However, it was quite predictable, which made it a less entertaining book than it could have been.

Soon after Sawyer's abusive boyfriend dies in an accident, Sawyer gets a note in her locker saying, "You're welcome." From there on, Sawyer is turned upside down by this stalker who seems to know exactly what's going on with her and destroying people who are hurting Sawyer. To be honest, Sawyer wasn't a character I connected with easily. But, I blame that on my own dislike for books written in the third person. I don't know why, but getting to know a main character on an emotional level is hard for me when a book is written in the 3rd person. Despite that, I did sympathize with Sawyer's character. She had a lot going on in her life, including dealing with the grief and guilt over her boyfriend's death. Plus, reading about what she had gone through with her boyfriend just broke my heart. I also felt like her emotions and reactions to the situations she had to brave were realistic and I appreciated her for not keeping what was happening to her a secret. She did the responsible thing and actually contacted the police.

Truly, Madly, Deadly's pacing was spot-on well-done. As soon as you start the book, you are thrust into this creepy and eerie atmosphere surrounding Sawyer. And from there on, things never stops getting creepier. In fact, as the number of murders increased, the intensity of the whole situation started to soar as well. My problem with Truly, Madly, Deadly is personal. I figured out who the culprit was early on by a clue provided by the author. That did make it a little less enjoyable than it could have been. I love picking up clues about who the guilty party is and then figuring out by the end that I was completely wrong. The shock factor is what usually what makes me love murder mysteries. However, that doesn't mean Truly, Madly, Deadly was a bad book. Like I mentioned above, it is quite entertaining. The whole creepiness keeps you on the edge and there was something about the writing that made me want to read the book without stopping. There was a romance in the book between Sawyer and a new guy at school, but it's not very developed and it takes a back-seat to the suspense. In all honesty, this book could have done without the romance itself, but a better friendship would have helped, especially with Sawyer was going through.

If you're looking for a short but creepy murder mystery book in the YA genre, then I recommend Truly, Madly, Deadly, but know that it is predictable and in some instances nonsensical.

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 3/5
Writing : 3/5


Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-ARC of Truly, Madly, Deadly.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In My Mailbox (8)

Image
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren . Touch (Denazen #1) by Jus Accorda Summary (from Goodreads) When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home. Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized. Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking dow
Read more

In My Mailbox (3)

Image
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren . Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer Summary (from Goodreads) Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. The Alchemy Of Forever (Incarnation #1) by Avery Williams Summary (from Goodreads) Seraphina's first love made her immortal...her second might get her
Read more

In My Mailbox (10)

Image
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren . Don't You Wish (Obtained From Net Galley - Big Thanks To Random House Children's Books for the ARC) by Roxanne St Claire Summary (from Goodreads) When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father—and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school.  In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire—if usually absent—father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilirating . . . and illegal. Here she's got a date to lose her V-card with the hottest guy she's ever seen. But on the insde, Ayla is still Annie. So when she's offered the chance to leave the dream life a
Read more