Find Me by Romily Bernard Review

Monday, July 15, 2013

Title: Find Me
Author: Romily Bernard (Twitter)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: September 24, 2013
Genre: YA, Mystery
Pages: 307
Source: Publisher

"Find Me." These are the words written on Tessa Waye's diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa's just been found...dead.

Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target. Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick's deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step?

Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare. But she's going to find this killer no matter what. Because it just got personal.
Wick's life hasn't been easy. She's bounced from foster home to foster home with her little sister, barely escaping the notoriety of her father's bad rep with the authorities and her hacking prowess which, for all intents and purposes, should and needs to remain hidden from the rest of the world. But someone knows what Wick does behind closed doors, and somebody is sending her on a wild goose chase to uncover exactly what happened to Tessa. But just in case she needed a little more motivation, this time, the creep is after Lily.

Many a reader will agree with me, I'm sure, when I state that there is nothing like a good mystery tale to keep you awake at night, guessing throughout and pondering the turnout long after you've closed the last page. Find Me is that tale; preparing to burst onto the market with a tense, atmospheric and, often times, terrifying guessing game. Romily Bernard carves a name for herself on the YA market with this fantastic and thrilling debut, offering readers a tangible tale, likable characters and a heroine worth believing in. 

I've been a bit let down by the mystery aspect of the YA genre as of late, so when I heard about Find Me, you'd better believe I was intrigued. When I read a mystery story, there are a few things that I absolutely must have. I want action, first and foremost. I want real, palpable tension that makes me cringe at times. And, above all else, I don't want the answers before I'm supposed to receive them. Find Me delivers all that and more. From page one, we are thrust into an early-hours game of cat-and-mouse which, in all honesty, left me on edge and had me double-checking the locks on my doors. And, from the start, we got to see Wick's personality. She's a bit edgy and rough, but we're privvied to just enough of her backstory to give us a glimpse as to why she strays from conformity and why she spends her private hours hacking. Although she seems a bit scrappy at times, there is a softer, more vulnerable side when it comes to Lily, her sister. Speaking of Lily, she was the perfect counterpart for her sister - just innocent enough to make it believable that Wick truly did have to play the role of heroine and caretaker for her little sister. In terms of the mystery, the author delivers pieces and tidbits of information just when we need it most, making certain not to let the foreshadowing and clues reach the limelight too soon, distracting us and making us lose interest. Plus, we're given a touch of a romance, which I am pleased to say was not heavy on the insta-love. Griff is an edgy, alternative hero that plays well into Wick's character, exposing more emotion than her desire to just find the culprit and the person after her sister. I will say that I wished we'd seen more of Griff, his background and how it played into Wick's present in Find Me, but I can only hope we're given a sequel. 

All in all, I was really pleased with Find Me. I think it's an excellent debut novel, and the writing has a distinct, memorable and appealing voice, which makes it all the more enjoyable to read. I give it a very strong 4 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book. 

19 comments:

  1. Well, this sounds great! Honestly, I've been finding the same as you lately: there haven't been many mysteries that have truly impressed me. So you wanna bet, you have me intrigued with your description of how good the mystery is in this one! Not just a mystery, but a mystery thriller that keeps you on edge the entire time. Love that!! Thanks for the rec, Melissa. And really great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This was really, really good - and surprising, Aylee! I think it's pretty dang good, and you should probably give it a go ;)

      Delete
  2. This one has always caught eye- it seems a little creepy- which I am slightly shuffling away from but other than that- I am eager to get a copy.

    Fantastic review, hon! <33

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's edgy and eerie and totally fun to read, Melanie. You should definitely read it!

      Delete
  3. Lovely review, Melissa! You have no idea how happy I am to see you praise this book. I'll be reading it quite soon and now I'm beyond excited. It sounds like such a good YA mystery book! And I agree, YA mystery books are most of the time a fail with me as well.
    Just this "I want action, first and foremost. I want real, palpable tension that makes me cringe at times. And, above all else, I don't want the answers before I'm supposed to receive them. Find Me delivers all that and more." makes me want to read the book right away!
    I also like how the romance isn't insta-love. I'm so sick and tired of insta-love, so it's good to know that this one doesn't have it!
    Thanks for the beautiful review, Melissa!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so excited that you'll be reading this soon, Nick! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...and I hear it's possibly a series!

      Delete
  4. I love myself some good mystery thrillers, so your review has me more hyped up for FIND ME. I agree, there's nothing like a good thriller to keep you up all night, and I like that the author had memorable writing (honestly, this isn't easy to find these days). Can't wait to get started on my copy now. Fab review, Melissa!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Megan! It's a really good book, and it's definitely creepy from page one!

      Delete
  5. I was eyeing this one on my shelf yesterday and now I think I'll have to pick it up and read it! I do love a great mystery/thriller but YA's been particularly disappointing in this arena. Wick and Lily sound like great characters, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you should, Mary! I was pleasantly surprised, and there are some crazy freaky moments in the story that made me jump, too. Give it a go :))))

      Delete
  6. Oooo this sounds like a winner Melissa! This is the type of read where I like the answers to be withheld so I get a big surprise at the end, whereas with books like the one I reviewed today the withholding of answers frustrates me. I hadn't given this on much consideration, but now I'm thinking it needs to be on my Kindle:) A huge YAY for no insta-love. It feels like such a rare story now that doesn't have that instant "I love you". Amazing review:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ooh, this seems like an excellent mystery! Love it when a mystery keeps you guessing. Wick sounds like a fabulous MC, and I'm glad that the romance isn't too insta-lovey. I'm very excited for this book now!

    Fantastic review! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. This one sounds like it would tear my nerves up! Thriller-y books tend to get me a bit wound up and feeling nervy. Blergh. Not sure it's my cup of tea BUT I can tell you liked it Melissa and I think that's awesome. Great review! Love that it's a great debut.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This one sounds great! I'm happy that I have a copy that I can access whenever I'm in the mood for this thrilling-sounding mystery. It looks like all of the characters are thoroughly enjoyable in this book, I'm excited for the non-instalove romance! Currently bowing down to Bernard's ability to not give answers before we're supposed to receive them. I hope to check this one out soon, wonderful review, Melissa!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I haven't heard of this one but I'm intrigued. I love that this one has plenty of action, is creepy and kept you guessing. I'm having a tough time finding a good YA mystery novel these days so I'll add this one to my wishlist. Thanks for the recommendation, Melissa!

    ReplyDelete
  11. A mystery novel that DELIVERS? *gasp* I love a good mystery but have been so disappointed by YA mystery novels too, but I'll have to give this one a shot for sure. Great review, Melissa! :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm not a huge mystery/thriller reader, but lately I've been craving that sort of thing, so this sounds perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  13. YAY YAY YAY! A mystery that SURPRISED you and kept you guessing!! That is what I love. Very few do that for me, and I agree that the YA genre is lacking. No one does it like Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie any more. So so happy this was a WIN for you. These characters sound engaging and love when there's a subtle romance that doesn't overwhelm the action of the plot. PLUS I met this author at BEA and she was the sweetest ever. Now I'm sooo excited to read this one.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I can't say that I've read many YA mysteries/thrillers, but at least that means I haven't been disappointed in them of late! That's always such a good feeling, though, after being burned by one-too-many to find one that's so good and worth the burns on the way to discovering it. The only mysteries I've really read have been Christie's, so I'm sure it would be a nice change to read mysteries dealing with computers and other parts of modernity. Wonderful review, Melissa!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I always do my very best to return the favour :)

Please note that this blog is an award-free zone!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Pin It button on image hover