Today's read caught my attention thanks to the cover and the blurb. It sounded a bit gritty with tons of possible suspense...and maybe, high school drama? Honestly, I was afraid that this one could take a bad turn and miss my expectations...But it didn't!
Yep, this is one of the very few YA reads this year, so far, that I'm adding to my possible Favorites for 2022 list. It was really that grabbing and well done.
Curious? You should be...especially if you enjoy a mystery with a tad bit of Indian myth and magic. But just a drop.
BURING EVA FLORES
by Jennifer Alsever
YA Mystery / Suspense
388 pages
"Everyone thinks I killed Eva Flores.
Sure, I hated how everyone was over the moon about Eva's stupid TikTok fame. And I suppose I got a little bit carried away with vengeance after the girl tried to ruin my life.
When my friend gave me that leather journal, I’d never felt so much power in my life. It was intoxicating. Who wouldn’t have done what I did to Eva?
But now, everyone thinks that just because she vanished in a local forest in the middle of the night that, "hey, of course Sophia killed her." They point to the blood found on the jackets. The text messages. The slightly weird thing I had with Eva's dad. And the fire.
But the whole thing is far more complicated than you’d think.
So what happened to the horribly obnoxious Eva Flores at the end of the school year? I can't really say."
Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen M. McManus, Burying Eva Flores unwinds the mystery of two very different rivals with text messages, documentary interviews and more. If you're looking for an unputdownable thriller with supernatural suspense, then pick up Burying Eva Flores today!
Sure, I hated how everyone was over the moon about Eva's stupid TikTok fame. And I suppose I got a little bit carried away with vengeance after the girl tried to ruin my life.
When my friend gave me that leather journal, I’d never felt so much power in my life. It was intoxicating. Who wouldn’t have done what I did to Eva?
But now, everyone thinks that just because she vanished in a local forest in the middle of the night that, "hey, of course Sophia killed her." They point to the blood found on the jackets. The text messages. The slightly weird thing I had with Eva's dad. And the fire.
But the whole thing is far more complicated than you’d think.
So what happened to the horribly obnoxious Eva Flores at the end of the school year? I can't really say."
Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen M. McManus, Burying Eva Flores unwinds the mystery of two very different rivals with text messages, documentary interviews and more. If you're looking for an unputdownable thriller with supernatural suspense, then pick up Burying Eva Flores today!
MY TIDBITS
With just the right touch of supernatural, this is a small town suspense, which grabs and doesn't let go until the last page.
Sophia is in her last year of high school and thanks to one individual, her life is being destroyed. Although Eva's family moved to the small town only a couple years ago, she's got everyone worshipping the ground she walks on thanks to her success on TikTok...which wouldn't bug Sophia usually, but thanks to Sophia's uninterest, Eva has it out for her. And it goes way beyond the normal high school bullying as Eva's family ruins Sophia and her family's life step by step. Now, Eva has gone missing during a forest fire and thanks to a journal Sophia kept, many believe that she's the one, who killed her. And in a way, she feels like she did.
The author has done an amazing job at dribbling in just enough clues to jack the suspense into high gear and keep the reader guessing until the end. Some of this is due to the carefully placed text messages and interviews among the usual story. These allow little dabs of insight into the thoughts and perspectives of all characters involved, even the very side ones, before the next 'phase' of the story begins. The chapters then, fluctuate between the main characters' points of view. Together, these draw the reader in and make each character gain personality and depth. Each becomes suspect and each holds their own shadows.
There are so many directions and personal sub-plots to twist the secrets this way and that. At first, everything seems to be clear, but the buried negative thoughts and feelings drip out from every direction. Sophia holds the center-stage and it's clear why, but there are more then a few possible directions the story could take. And while the ending was one of these, it was one of many, making it impossible to guess, which way everything truly would go until the last chapters.
Each of the characters has obvious flaws, and some are in difficult situations. So, this read does hit upon some issues such as sexual harassment, bullying, eating disorders and more. But there are enough aspects to keep it from weighing down thanks to a few unique characters with more positive vibes, and the supernatural aspect. This last one nods to Indian myth and lore, and adds the perfect touch of magic.
And here she is...
Jennifer Alsever is a Colorado-based young adult author and a working journalist. For more than two decades, she has contributed to such publications as Fortune Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Wired and Fast Company.
She’s curious and people say she asks too many questions.
You'll most likely find her at her keyboard or under a blanket with a great book, enjoying a handful of frozen chocolate chips. She also loves watching birds, reiki, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, yoga, and surfing.
https://www.jenniferalsever.com/burying-eva-flores
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