Friday, January 16, 2015

Review: When by Victoria Laurie

20338342Release date: January 13th 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers, but it takes her father’s premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually death dates, and just like birthdays, everyone has one.

Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching death date of one client's young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not thehow, she’s unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie.

Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect for the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attentions of a mysterious young admirer who may be connected to it all, Maddie's whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it's too late?


*Approved by Publisher via Netgalley





Suspenseful, dark and intriguing. When has the right elixir for a twisted thriller with a supernatural spark, and I like what Ms. Laurie cooked up for her readers. 

I read the synopsis after finishing the story, and even though Maddie faces a lot of problems due to her ability, I disagree with it being called a curse. If any thing, it's a gift to provide people with more time, whether they want to make amends or plan ahead. Maddie's ability had me thinking a lot too. Like, if I'd want to know and what I would do if I should find out. It was an interesting concept that I hadn't read before--or maybe I don't remember--and I was curious from start as to how the story would unravel, as well as how Maddie would develop by the end. 

The writing is good; very fast-paced and engaging. I wasn't bored at all. But I must say that there were times I was frustrated with Maddie. However, living with her mother's disease and reading how badly losing her dad had affected them, I could understand her feelings more. 

Donny was great. He was the most involved uncle I'd ever read in a book. I liked how much he believed in his niece and how he fought for her. No matter if she would explode on him or if Maddie's mom got under his skin with her problems, Donny never turned his back on them. Aside from him, Maddie and her mom, I really liked Mrs. Duncan. Like Donny, she was so caring and thoughtful of Maddie's well being. I loved her character and truly felt it when her date approached. 

Those were the main characters that grabbed me. As for Stubby (don't like the name too much), honestly, I couldn't connect with him. He seemed so rash and impulsive, but yeah, he still brought the humor to the story. There just wasn't enough about his character to pull me in, and I wasn't moved enough to sympathize with him during those hard times.

Overall, When is an interesting story, and I'm sure the addition of that supernatural aspect along with the mystery was a great idea. It definitely held my attention, so if you're a fan of such a combination you'll like this one.



About the Author
Victoria Laurie is a New York Times bestselling adult mystery author and a former professional psychic intuitive. Her Both careers have served her beautifully in craftingForever, Again and her forthcoming young-adult debut, When. She lives and writes in Michigan.

7 comments:

  1. I've never heard of this book but the plot sounds so interesting! Added to my to-read pile!

    Thank you for the honest review! I love this kind of books, and I think that, like you, I never read about a similar subject before ^^
    Sara @ Sara In Bookland

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    1. I hope you'll like the story too, Sara. It is different from all the similar books out now.

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  2. Good parenting is so rare in books, so I was grateful for this uncle that took care and tried to help as much as he could. I also loved this book, though the FBI acted a bit strange, the action kept going and I found myself enjoying this more and more.

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    1. Glad you did too. I agree, the FBI agents needed to be slapped lol but good thing they wised up towards the end.

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  3. This one sounds really interesting! And thanks for sharing how much you enjoyed the interactions among most of the characters. I think I'll want to meet Maddie and the cast. :)

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  4. I read this book this week and have enjoyed it as well. I had moments of frustrations, but it was all relative in the end. :)

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  5. I've been waiting on the reviews for this -- I'm really glad to hear that you liked it!
    Jen @ YA Romantics

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