This YA mystery read is an OK read. Nothing really I got hooked on or had the "can't put down" effect on me, but it was enjoyable enough.

I give this 3.5 stars. It was very well done! I enjoyed the mystery aspect of it and the ending was a neat twist. The overall execution and concept was very interesting. But the reason I didn't give it more stars was there were some things in the story that I think muddled it and seemed to make some characters' personalities really inconsistent and had no bearing on the story at all. And while I thought the plot was very interesting, I didn't personally like the outcome of the crime and was left feeling down after reading it. I wouldn't want my teenage daughter to read it.

Vic, aka Victoria. Plain Jane in a Catholic school, with Andrew her boyfriend. He's homeschooled, something I adore. They have a so-so relationship. Then comes Z... Zachary Zimmerman. He is becoming her obsession. But is this all in her head? Z has her doing things she would never do. Are they good, bad? Real or has she gone crazy?

I'm still pondering the ending. It wasn't what I had hoped for, so that was kind of a let down. I know I pre-predict most endings, but when they feel like they are all wrong, then that upsets me. Even so, it was a reasonably interesting read that at least wasn't boring.

My copy came from Net Galley. This review is here because I felt like sharing it. My thoughts are all mine.

This book had an amazing writing style that had well developed characters, which always makes a book much easier to read and enjoy. A book full of secrets, which kept you engrossed. This book was a great read, if you enjoy thrilling and suspenseful books. You wanted to know more and more about this relationship and what exactly Victoria was hiding and Zachary would do when and IF he found out. Amazing book, highly recommend.

The story is narrated by Victoria as a confession to her boyfriend Andrew for why things ended up the way that they did. Victoria thought that her Junior year of High School would be just like all the other, where she is the lone girl who struggles with her anxiety, counting the minutes until she can go home and be herself with her equally dysfunctional boyfriend Andrew. But this year was different when a new student named Z showed up, incredible attractive and instantly popular, and ​shockingly making Vic feel special. This is the confession of how an obsession starts.

The story starts off with Vic laying in a ditch, potentially dying, but she picks her phone up to make an audio confession to her boyfriend Andrew as to why she was sorry. I loved the set up of the book, with each chapter starting with some sort of police interview, evidence report or news article that give the reader hints at the crime, but don't really say much at all.

I was convinced that I had everything figured out, and of course I was going to be right because I am good at this game, but with like 60 pages left, my preconceived notions were ruined. I was not sure what was happening and I had like 5 different theories but I had no idea what was the truth. Man, what a messed up ride this was. At times, I physically cringed at the awkward scenarios that Vic found herself in , yet I could not put the book down. What a train wreck, and I completely blew through the pages.

This is my first book by this author and I am compelled to read more. This was not a happy story, but it was honest and messy and awful, and completely unlike anything else I have read. I saw the warning signs within each chapter and I had a pretty good idea, but I was kept guessing as to the truth, and I really like a book that can surprise me. Pick this up if you are looking for a different kind of teen mystery, but don't expect any happy endings.

I received this title from the publisher in return for my honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog at http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/