I read this book in April, so bear with me if I’ve forgotten things.
Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.
But all that changes when the Lynburns return.
The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?
First off, I want you to know that this book is hilarious and heartbreaking. And (big sigh) there’s kind of a love triangle. But I liked it a lot anyway.
I loved the idea of Kami and Jared’s relationship. How even when the person in your head is real, they are still different from what you expect in real life. And how the connection they had was both something they loved and hated. The ending…ugh….I just…tore me up.
Kami was awesome and fun and very much a go-getter. Not afraid to burst into situations and figure everything out later. Made for some interesting situations in hotels and such. And she was such the classic “plucky reporter.” I just loved her.
I loved the setting. The small English town with the creepy mansion and the creepy family. Having lived in a small English town for six months, I felt the atmosphere was just right. And there was a fabulous balance of funny and creepy.
I also enjoyed the large cast of characters. And how they all had secrets and hidden motivations, even the ones that seemed the most normal. I loved that Jared and Kami’s connection went back as far as it did.
I did find the ending a little abrupt. Like, if you hate cliffhangers, you might want to hold off on reading this until the next one is out.
I like Jared so much that any time Ash spoke I was just fed up with him. Like Jared’s dislike of Ash made it so I didn’t even give him a chance because obviosuly Jared is the best thing since sliced bread.
God. If things don’t end well for him and Kami I may never read another Sarah Rees Brennan book again. I just want them to be together and happy, is that too much to ask?
It seems, as always in YA, it is. Sigh.
Anywhos, if you’re looking for a good mystery with a strong cast of characters, humour, a unique setting, and a fantastical element then this is the book for you. I’m pretty sure I enjoyed every bit of it…except when Ash was talking.
Also, the cover is gorgeous. Simply gorgeous