ARC Review: Mariah Fredericks - The Girl in the Park

Mariah Fredericks - The Girl in the Park

• Pub Date: April 24, 2012
• Publisher: Random House Children’s Publishing
• Format: Hardcover 224 pages
• Age Range: Young Adult

When Wendy Geller's body is found in Central Park after the night of a rager, newspaper headlines scream,"Death in the Park: Party Girl Found Strangled." But shy Rain, once Wendy's best friend, knows there was more to Wendy than just "party girl." As she struggles to separate the friend she knew from the tangle of gossip and headlines, Rain becomes determined to discover the truth about the murder. Written in a voice at once immediate, riveting, and utterly convincing, Mariah Frederick's mystery brilliantly exposes the cracks in this exclusive New York City world and the teenagers that move within it.

I received this ARC from Net Galley. Here is my honest review:

Perhaps I was expecting more, but maybe this was what I was expecting. I'm still not sure. This isn't a bad thing, really. I didn't have huge hopes because I hadn't read many reviews for this one. It's definitely a whodunit-type mystery with some twists and turns along the way. It's a quick read, so it's worth a shot!

Rain has a speech problem due to a birth defect. Wendy didn't care when everyone else did. They became friends but learned they didn't have much in common and drifted apart. This story is of Wendy's murder and Rain's subsequent feelings and actions in the aftermath. Rain wants to become Wendy's voice when she no longer has it. It's the least she thinks she can do.

New clues come forth, leaving you guessing at who the murderer is. It goes back and forth, and you never really know until the end. I kind of figured it would end up being who it was, but that's okay. It's not totally obvious so it's still worth a read. It wasn't very realistic towards the end, though.

This was an ARC, so it needs some editing. Also, some parts of the story didn't seem to fit the whole. The feel was off when Rain was expressing some of her feelings. The vibe was a bit strange there. But there isn't a lot of YA mystery out there, so this is a good place to start. It's not funny; this is a serious book. For funny, try Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday.

What I liked:

• Mystery. I liked reading this YA novel because of them murder mystery. It's not something that happens in YA a whole lot.
• Rain. She has a disability of sorts. That doesn't happen in YA much either. It's nice when people use different techniques. And it was relevant to the story.

What I didn't like:

• Wendy. I don't think I could ever be friends with someone like her. Rain thought Wendy made her feel special, but she wasn't a good person.
• Other characters. I can't explain without giving anything away. But I really didn't care for some of the male characters in this book.
• Certain words. She uses the word 'retard/retarded' quite a few times. I don't like the way it was used, but I suppose this is close to real life in a way. Sucks.
• The end of the mystery. So unrealistic. Or maybe I'm just used to adult murder mysteries where there isn't just one murder and maybe there's an attempted murder towards the end.. lol. 

Bottom line: It's worth trying a YA murder mystery, but I'd recommend Deadly Cool more.

Rating:

3/5 book sharks