Sunday, June 17, 2012

Review: Thoughtless by Jacqueline Gardner

Thoughtless by Jacqueline Gardner

***I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Blurb:
When Bridget finds a dead cheerleader in the janitor’s closet, she becomes the killer’s next target. High school just got worse. It’s bad enough that she can hear the shocking truths that pass through her classmate’s heads. Now she has to worry about staying alive, and all clues point to the one person whose thoughts she can’t read - her boyfriend Terrence. Someone is taunting her, threatening to expose her secret. And when Bridget tries to single out her blackmailer, she’s nearly beaten to death by a mind controlled minion with fiery eyes.

But when Bridget finally comes face-to-face with the killer, suddenly a horde of brainwashed students programmed to destroy her life doesn't seem so bad.


My thoughts:
     I enjoyed this story from the start.  Fast paced, mysterious and twisting.  I love the idea of mind readers.  This is a wonderful YA paranormal. 
     Jacqueline Gardner has created a host of wonderful characters, my favorite being Rory - the science geek.   The good guys were your average teens - not flawless and invincible.  The bad guys too were young, but perfectly cruel and evil.  She has set those characters in a realistic high school setting.  I was cringing at the school interactions - I still remember high school and the author's descriptions were spot on.  
     The plot is intriguing and mysterious, with enough twists to keep you reading.  The story was fast paced and nicely written.  There was a little bit of romance with the "new boyfriend"  for Bridget (Terrance) but I kept holding out for a budding romance between her and Rory. 
     The mind reading/mind control aspect of the book was well done.  I liked the way the author twists the ritual (no spoilers - so that's all I will say).
     This is a clever and creative story that shows the depth of the author's imagination.  I can't wait for book two.