The Girl in the Headlines is a YA thriller that centers around Andi, who wakes up not remembering anything about the last night, and finds out she is the prime suspect in a murder involving her family. The plot description hooked me on this book, as I love a YA thriller. It kept me intrigued throughout, although the plot could have moved quicker at times, with less focus on Andi's newfound friend and helper, Nate. In general, I recommend the book to fans of the genre, especially those who love the "accused of a crime but innocent" variation.

Andi wakes up in a mysterious motel room covered in blood and unable to remember how she got there or any of the events of the previous night. Unable to shake any memories loose, Andi turns on the television and finds out from the local news that her parents have been attacked, her younger brother is missing and she is the number one suspect. With the help of the motel front desk attendant Nate, Andi fights to clear her name and find out what happened to her family.

*Beware! Vague spoilers ahead*

The plot description of this book drew me in from the get go, but to be honest the execution left me wanting more. I was expecting an investigative thriller about a young woman trying to clear her name, but what we really got was a main character wanted for murder who spends most of her time hiding out in a motel expressing her feelings about the investigation she sees on the news. I didn't feel any sense of urgency throughout this novel, especially when it came to finding her brother Josh. I understand that Andi and Nate aren't real detectives, so they aren't going to know how to investigate or collect evidence. But I felt like the information they did come across was attained very lazily, and it just sort of fell into their laps. A bunch of red herrings were thrown in that were never wrapped up or brought up again. I The climax as well felt very rushed. It was action, action, okay now we are done, end cut. It didn't feel like a satisfying ending, or truly one that made sense.

I want to thank Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of this book.

Entertaining mystery about Andrea McNulty as she attempts to retrieve the memories that will explain how her parents were brutally attacked...

Mixed-in is a bit of romance with Nate, the boy who works the front desk at the motel where Andi (Andrea) wakes up.

It's a quick read and will be popular with young adults who enjoy murder mysteries.

Fast paced and action packed. Andi goes to sleep a beloved daughter, sister, a star student and athlete. She awakes a fugitive suspected of murder, attempted murder and her brother is missing. The problem? Andi can’t remember a thing. Clever writing draws out characters like Nate. I hope there’s a follow up, we lacked an epilogue.

When Andrea wakes up confused, alone, and covered in blood in a strange hotel room, she has no idea what happened or how she got there. But then she remembers something, her house on her birthday and blood...lots and lots of blood. She finds out quickly enough that her family was attacked and the police believe she did it. Her father is dead, her mother is in a coma, and her brother is missing. Did Andrea do it? She doesn't think so, but then how come she is covered in blood?

Andrea reluctantly approaches the night desk clerk, Nate, who quickly recognizes her but nevertheless agrees to try to help her figure out what the heck happened. It seems every decision they make puts Andrea in more danger of being caught and brings them no closer to the truth. But Andrea is determined to figure out the truth and also to find her brother.

Did Andrea really kill her father, almost kill her mother, and do something to her brother or is she being blamed for this horrible crime by mistake? I will be honest and admit that I went back and forth throughout this book because there were times when I definitely thought she had to have done it and other times when I was certain she was being framed. This is a very well crafted mystery/thriller!

Andrea McNulty wakes up in a run-down motel room, splattered in blood and with no memory of how she got there or what happened the night before. The day before had been her 18th birthday and she spent it with two happy parents and her 9-year-old brother Josh. But now she covered in blood and when she sees the news, she discovers that she is a fugitive. Andi’s parents were brutally attacked the night before, her dad is dead, mom is in the hospital and Josh is missing. The news calls Andi a person of interest, and Andi is panicking. She knows there is no way she could have hurt her family, but the police seem to think otherwise. With the help of Nate, the sweet desk clerk at the motel, Andi is determined to find the real person who did this to her family. Hopefully she figures it out before they find her first.
This is a fast-paced book where Andi goes on a journey to find a killer, and also figure out if her memories of her happy family and her place with them are real. The book leaves a few unanswered questions at the end about some things that happen in the book that I wish were wrapped up. But otherwise, the story is a good one.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the title, cover, and summary of this book, but I found it to be disappointing by the end.

Shortish chapters which made you feel like you're reading the book really fast.

A majority of my dislike for this book is for the main character, Andrea, however, this may be based on experience. I've grown up on watching <i>Dateline</i>, <i>20/20</i>, true crime shows and podcasts, etc. At one point in my notes, I wrote "She's so damn annoying and trusting of people" quickly followed by "Maybe I'm too used to <i>Dateline</i>." Andrea's lack of genre savviness bugged me throughout, but I will say that's only because of my own true crime obsession.

A recurring theme is the power of perception. Once the media starts digging into Andrea's past, what people know of her is immediately erased. I thought this was interesting, but made me think about how this story can only happen since Andrea is White and rich. Any other character who didn't fit that mold would have had a much harder time. Any way that the author has put a marginalization for Andrea made me dislike her since she was bashing those in that specific marginalization (trying to avoid spoilers).

Another thing about Andrea is her brand of self-righteousness that I couldn't stand. She badmouths her bio mom, has a perception of what her life was like before, but then flips the switch. I understand being confused by what's going on and wanting an anchor, but damn, she trusts everyone despite bashing them all day.

The ending bugged me because it was ACTION - ACTION - ABRUPT ENDING. Everything happens off the page and is summarized into three pages or so. Why have us read every single detail and then glaze over the ending?

This was a fast paced read! I really enjoyed the characters! The writing was on point also.
Andrea McNulty goes to sleep on her eighteenth birthday with a near-perfect life: she's a high school field hockey star, a doted-upon big sister, the beloved daughter of two happy parents. But when she wakes up in a motel room the next morning, unable to remember what happened the previous night and covered in blood, Andi is a fugitive.
I did find that some of the story was a bit blah to me! I wished there was more! But overall not a bad read!

Book Review for The Girl in the Headlines
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

This book is not bad, but it is a bit frustrating concerning the characterization, the plot or the ending. I do believe that I've read a fair share of mysteries and I need more but if you're not as used as it as me, I believe you'll enjoy it !

It was good, not great?!? I liked this book and I would give it to a voracious reader who read through all my favorite thrillers already. There were a lot of loose threads never addressed: what was Jerry doing at the house and why did he have a key? How did Nate not know Rita? Why did Nate continue to hide a wanted person? How did the cops not find Andi when they knew she dyed her hair and were in her same location several times? A dark, quick read with a satisfying ending!

Andie wakes up to an empty motel room, a missing brother and dead parents. She can’t remember anything that happened after she got home the day before.
This book was pretty good, if a bit drawn out.
I didn’t like the way certain characters just turned on Andie, but I guess they had to for her to be truly alone and on the run.

The concept of this book was really intriguing but unfortunately, the final product just wasn't for me. I never really connected with the main character enough to become invested in her plight.

This had potential but unfortunately fell a little flat. It was extremely frustrating how weak the MC is portrayed. The plot was predictable and the ending didn't give me the closure I wanted.

Perfect for fans of April Henry, this book finds 18 year old Andi in a strange motel room at the beginning. And she's covered in blood. She can't remember how she got there...the last thing she does remember is going home on her birthday and walking into the house. Now there are reports all over the news that her father was murdered, her mother is close to death, and her little brother is missing. Andi is the person of interest in the case and police want to know where she is. I think teens will like this story, although Andi has to be the dumbest kid ever; she's awfully naive and very sheltered. This book ends very abruptly, which will frustrate readers.

Great concept, enjoyed the story and the main character. I wished it had ended about a chapter later or given us an epilogue. I wanted to know if anything the bad guys said, was true.

Wake up in motel room, covered in blood and being accused of murdering your own parents without any memory about your last night was the worst way to celebrate your birthday!

18 years old Andrea McNulty wakes up in a total trash motel room reserved for Tim Esup! ( see the mind blowing puzzling name!Duh!) She’s covered in blood, suffering from short term memory loss and she thinks she might be responsible of her father’s death, putting her mother in coma and vanishing of her little brother Josh!

But don’t worry as soon as we know more about introvert, extra naive, hockey player, obedient, A-grader Andrea, we realize she cannot be a killer because throughout your reading you observe her way of talking like Disney princess and we question her real age because her extra naivety and lack of knowledge about real life made us think she might 8 instead of 18 or she has been raised in a cult, knowing nothing about actual world!

Thankfully she meets with Nate in her own age, street and literally smart boy working at the hotel, abandoned by his mother, ready to be her confidante from the beginning to solve the great mystery.

Somebody tried to kill Andrea’s parents and somebody is so successful to put blame on her! Because the entire world including her two close friends already believe she might commit such brutal crimes!

Only Nate is on her side, trying to find Andrea’s brother Josh, picking up the clues to find the missing pieces of the puzzle.

Nate is the only thing made me convince not skip the rest of my reading. He was full of wisdom as Andrea keeps crying and asking over and over why he helps her, she gets paranoid about his real motives and she says she’s so sorry to doubt him. ( it’s like a repetitive- never ending cycle but somehow I agree with Andrea: why this cool, smart, survivor guy deals with this shit show she created! )

I keep reading because I wanted to know how the author will wrap up the entire mystery. Even though the culprit(s) a little obvious and there are so many loop holes bigger than the cracks in my head, it was solid ending we may hope for!

Strengths of the book:
Promising, mysterious start, interesting plot line, fast paced story telling
Nate- absolutely likable supporting character
Intriguing whodunnit premise as Andrea races against the time to prove her innocence and find her brother

Weaknesses of the book:
Too naive, too annoying heroine who has no idea what she’s getting into, neurotically crying, questioning herself
So many unanswered questions and loop holes
Haphazard, abrupt ending ( it truly needs an epilogue!)

This is not a bad reading experience. At least there was capturing mystery push you to read the book, flipping pages faster to see what happened in that house during Andrea’s birthday party! The action packed beginning makes you excited! So I’m giving solid three, it’s average but it has so many potentials stars! I still want to read more works of the author. She found a good plot line, executing part is solid.
If the heroine wouldn’t annoy the hell of me, I could truly give more stars!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

This book wasn't my favorite read, but it definitely kept reading to end to find our who what happened. While the novel did have plot holes, I would read another title from the author. I believe there is something there, it just needs more polish.

Teens will love this mystery about a teen who wakes up after her 18th birthday to learn her parents have been murdered and her little brother is missing. Andi can’t go to the CG police because she is the number one suspect in the murder. With the help of Nate, the teen who works the front desk at the motel she was dumped in, Andi vows to rescue her brother and get to the bottom of what happened to her parents. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.