400 pages
ISBN: 9781442486591
Read 8-18-13
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
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Paradise quickly gets gruesome in this thrilling page-turner with a plot that’s ripped from the headlines and a twist that defies the imagination.
It’s Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives.
But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. As Anna sets out to find her friend’s killer, she discovers harsh revelations about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.
Awaiting the judge’s decree, it becomes clear to Anna that everyone around her thinks she is not only guilty, but also dangerous. And when the whole story comes out, reality is more shocking than anyone ever imagined…
This was quite an exciting read and it was very fast paced. However, my mind was not blown like I hoped. I saw a few reviews where people were really shocked by the ending, but I was not shocked and I think that some of the possibilities I was thinking up were so much more out there than the actual ending that when I finally finished it, I was like “oh, okay, yeah sounds right.”
The beginning was just a little confusing at first since there were so many people in there group, but eventually you get everybody straight. All the characters were really well written and seemed like real people and I think that the media was portrayed well with how things can get skewed and misinterpreted. Several times I found myself wanting to strangle the reporters.
Wouldn’t we all look guilty if someone searched hard enough? pg. 255
Elise was somebody I liked sometimes and didn’t like other times. She was a good friend to Anna, but as a person she wasn’t the best and she slept around a lot, but she was there for Anna when nobody else was. I liked Tate at first, but it didn’t last too long.
The storyline bounces around a lot from the vacation to the trial to the time she is waiting behind bars and so on, so if you get confused by back and forth changes be warned. I think the bouncing around added to the drama and the frenzy of what was happening. The author even threw in TV transcripts and text messaging, very different. I also found myself getting quite anxious when it came time for the verdict. It was a very enjoyable read and it kept me turning the pages, so it was quite interesting, just not shocking. I recommend it to people who like a good murder mystery and a twist ending.
Fast paced, full of tension, good characters, not as shocking as I hoped.
On The Shelf 
I have to say, this sounds pretty good. Great review. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Great review, I pretty much agree with everything you’ve said. I also wasn’t shocked by the ending, I had it narrowed down to two possibilities right before it ended, the actual ending and then Elise killing herself. But neither was really THAT shocking. I did really like how it was all done though!