Summary:
Hawthorn wasn’t trying to insert herself into a missing person’s investigation. Or maybe she was. But that’s only because Lizzie Lovett’s disappearance is the one fascinating mystery their sleepy town has ever had. Bad things don’t happen to popular girls like Lizzie Lovett, and Hawthorn is convinced she’ll turn up at any moment—which means the time for speculation is now.
So Hawthorn comes up with her own theory for Lizzie’s disappearance. A theory way too absurd to take seriously…at first. The more Hawthorn talks, the more she believes. And what better way to collect evidence than to immerse herself in Lizzie’s life? Like getting a job at the diner where Lizzie worked and hanging out with Lizzie’s boyfriend. After all, it’s not as if he killed her—or did he?
Review:
Hawthorn sees the world differently, which is something that I always appreciate in a character. She is kind of an outcast, and she has a wild imagination. Hawthorn isn’t sure if she necessarily believes everything that she imagines, but she likes to believe that something strange or magical could exist, which I can relate to.
Hawthorn puts herself into some interesting situations, and its sometimes tough to wonder how she thinks that the things she is doing are okay. But that’s part of growing up, finding your way and making mistakes along the way. After all, it’s not as though Hawthorn has the best relationship with her parents and her brother. They don’t really understand her, and let her run wild because they figure that some socialization is better than being an outcast, which Hawthorn is for the most part.
Throughout the book Hawthorn learns who she is and what that means to her. She realizes that not everything is as it seems on the surface, and that people often have dark and difficult things going on in their lives that they don’t let on about. This book really shows that you can’t always assume that people are as happy as they seem to be, and that everyone is a different person in someone else’s eyes.
I give this book 5/5 stars. It was a great, interesting read and I flew through the pages. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from debut author Chelsea Sedoti.