Helpful Score: 2
There may be a tad bit of spoilery below.
Meet Nora. She is currently sitting in 10th grade biology with her best friend, Vee. They are starting the section on Human Reproduction! (Boy, do I remember those lectures!) when the teacher decides to break up the lab partners and seat them with someone entirely new. He wants to break up the familiarity so they can do some sleuthing and learn investigative skills.
Enter Patch, a mysterious boy who no one really knows anything about since he hasn't uttered a word all year. The teacher instructs the new lab partners to interview one another. Nora introduces herself, and asks for his name. The minute he opened his mouth, I will admit it - I was in love!
"Call me Patch. I mean it. Call me."
Unfortunately, Nora finds this dude completely annoying and he rubs her the wrong way. He knows so much about her too, which makes her hyper-aware of his creepy status. By the end of class, she barely has 2 sentences written down about him, and he just walks out, ignoring her requests for more info. Later that night, she goes to find him for answers to their biology assignment, and he is just as elusive and frustratingly annoying! Nora continues on with life to find Patch right in front of her at every turn. Stalk much?
Nora starts having the weirdest, scariest incidents happen to her, and after they are over, she can find no one who believes her because the evidence is completely erased! She starts to think she's losing her marbles, and wonders what Patch's role is in all of this. She really doesn't want to trust him, but he ends up being her savior every time. More characters are introduced, and people start getting hurt. However, the twists and turns are so good that it really keeps you guessing as to who is out to get Nora!
Is Patch a trustworthy individual?
What is his story, anyway?
Who is Elliott, really?
Why is Jules so quiet?
Why the heck does Nora all of a sudden have a new school psychologist,
with no communication from her old one?
(Now that I think of it, what happened to him? eep!)
Characters
Nora is a well-behaved young lady who does her homework and her own laundry. She is a terrible liar, intelligent and a tad awkward. I found her pretty normal and not all that exciting. Patch is a snarky, sarcastic, uses major sexual innuendos in his conversations, has olive skin and dark curls. Be still my heart! However, he is also patronizing, aggressive, arrogant, and one hell of a manipulator, but he redeems himself, in a way only a fallen angel can. Kudos to Fitzpatrick's characterization! (Patch and Nora's relationship quickly reminded me of Jace and Clary from Mortal Instruments!)
Irks:
When is it ok for a 16 year old to stay at home alone most of the time? Nora's mom has a job that keeps her away a lot, and her dad is dead. I know that Dorothea, the housekeeper, comes by daily to cook, clean, etc, but she never stays over night, and this is absurd to me! Who lets their 16 year old have free reign like that? Can you imagine what kind of trouble and mayhem a teenager could get into? When I think back to my adolescence, this part of the story becomes a bit laughable and unrealistic.
In relation to the above, Nora may be a good young lady who behaves, but in my opinion, she has way to much freedom. Maybe I'm overreacting, but she pretty much tells her mom the things she wants to do. Granted, her mom gets angry with her on a few occasions and acts like a mom would, but it seems unrealistic. And yes - I know this book isn't based on reality, but Nora is supposed to be an average teenager growing up in America.
One more thing: Why didn't she ask for Patch's real name after that flashback with Rixon? Maybe I missed something, and Rixon was just kidding about that, but seriously? I would want to know!
Vee = LAME!
Conclusion: 4 out of 5 stars! You never know when you're going to fall in love, and it is likely to happen when you least expect it. This happens to both of our main characters, and it certainly derails the hell out of Patch's plans. While I devoured the entire book in 24 hours, I must take into account the few irksome bits mentioned above. Look forward to Crescendo!
Meet Nora. She is currently sitting in 10th grade biology with her best friend, Vee. They are starting the section on Human Reproduction! (Boy, do I remember those lectures!) when the teacher decides to break up the lab partners and seat them with someone entirely new. He wants to break up the familiarity so they can do some sleuthing and learn investigative skills.
Enter Patch, a mysterious boy who no one really knows anything about since he hasn't uttered a word all year. The teacher instructs the new lab partners to interview one another. Nora introduces herself, and asks for his name. The minute he opened his mouth, I will admit it - I was in love!
"Call me Patch. I mean it. Call me."
Unfortunately, Nora finds this dude completely annoying and he rubs her the wrong way. He knows so much about her too, which makes her hyper-aware of his creepy status. By the end of class, she barely has 2 sentences written down about him, and he just walks out, ignoring her requests for more info. Later that night, she goes to find him for answers to their biology assignment, and he is just as elusive and frustratingly annoying! Nora continues on with life to find Patch right in front of her at every turn. Stalk much?
Nora starts having the weirdest, scariest incidents happen to her, and after they are over, she can find no one who believes her because the evidence is completely erased! She starts to think she's losing her marbles, and wonders what Patch's role is in all of this. She really doesn't want to trust him, but he ends up being her savior every time. More characters are introduced, and people start getting hurt. However, the twists and turns are so good that it really keeps you guessing as to who is out to get Nora!
Is Patch a trustworthy individual?
What is his story, anyway?
Who is Elliott, really?
Why is Jules so quiet?
Why the heck does Nora all of a sudden have a new school psychologist,
with no communication from her old one?
(Now that I think of it, what happened to him? eep!)
Characters
Nora is a well-behaved young lady who does her homework and her own laundry. She is a terrible liar, intelligent and a tad awkward. I found her pretty normal and not all that exciting. Patch is a snarky, sarcastic, uses major sexual innuendos in his conversations, has olive skin and dark curls. Be still my heart! However, he is also patronizing, aggressive, arrogant, and one hell of a manipulator, but he redeems himself, in a way only a fallen angel can. Kudos to Fitzpatrick's characterization! (Patch and Nora's relationship quickly reminded me of Jace and Clary from Mortal Instruments!)
Irks:
When is it ok for a 16 year old to stay at home alone most of the time? Nora's mom has a job that keeps her away a lot, and her dad is dead. I know that Dorothea, the housekeeper, comes by daily to cook, clean, etc, but she never stays over night, and this is absurd to me! Who lets their 16 year old have free reign like that? Can you imagine what kind of trouble and mayhem a teenager could get into? When I think back to my adolescence, this part of the story becomes a bit laughable and unrealistic.
In relation to the above, Nora may be a good young lady who behaves, but in my opinion, she has way to much freedom. Maybe I'm overreacting, but she pretty much tells her mom the things she wants to do. Granted, her mom gets angry with her on a few occasions and acts like a mom would, but it seems unrealistic. And yes - I know this book isn't based on reality, but Nora is supposed to be an average teenager growing up in America.
One more thing: Why didn't she ask for Patch's real name after that flashback with Rixon? Maybe I missed something, and Rixon was just kidding about that, but seriously? I would want to know!
Vee = LAME!
Conclusion: 4 out of 5 stars! You never know when you're going to fall in love, and it is likely to happen when you least expect it. This happens to both of our main characters, and it certainly derails the hell out of Patch's plans. While I devoured the entire book in 24 hours, I must take into account the few irksome bits mentioned above. Look forward to Crescendo!
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