Title: The Dare
Author: Hannah Jayne (Twitter)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publish Date: July 1, 2014
Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 288
Source: Publisher

Two jumped off the pier that night...but only one came back alive.

Bryn did everything with her best friend Erica. So when someone dared Erica to jump off the pier one night at Harding Beach, Bryn was right by her side. But when Bryn made it back to the surface, Erica was nowhere to be found. Bryn tries to make a fresh start by burying her memories of that awful night. But when a Twitter post from "EricaNShaw" pops up on her feed and a chilling voice mail appears on her phone, she realizes that someone isn't ready to let go of the past...

A good mystery or thriller has the ability to keep you thinking about it long after you've closed the book on the last page. I am the type of reader that is almost constantly in search of the perfect mystery, and I'll read anything and everything until I find that gem. Author, Hannah Jayne, is known for her gripping storylines, darker themes and embracing the underbelly of humanity. So, naturally, I was drawn to The Dare, if only because I wanted to better understand what happened to Brynna that night and what, or who, was determined to haunt her future. 

The Dare, in theory, had all the makings of the perfect thriller - a traumatized protagonist, a mysterious threat, a desperate attempt at a new life and a haunted past. I found myself struggling to connect with Brynna from the start though, and not simply because she was so walled off from the world. Having seen and experienced her best friend's death at her last school, she enters Hawthorne with the goal of flying under the radar. Yet, she feels as though the lurking stares, the eyes and the pain of her past never quite leaves her. She was very standoffish, as well, which made it difficult to access her emotions and understand whether they were fear-driven, or if she really was as selfish as she appeared. 

I read The Dare in one day, and I do believe that Hannah Jayne has a great writing voice that's both personable and likable. Unfortunately, however, I struggled to find myself getting fully invested in the story and the plot. For one, we're given a host of secondary characters including Darcy, Lauren, Evan and Teddy, but none of them are ever fully introduced to us. Lauren's character often blended into Darcy's, though Darcy was given this arrogant persona that only seemed to serve as a device to throw us off the real villan's trail. Evan was given a side-arc in which he comes out to Bryn, but it felt as though it was haphazard and only offered up simply to serve a later agenda in the story. And Teddy? Frankly, as a love interest, I never really got to know Teddy at all.

My main issue with The Dare, however, lies within the plot, itself. We spend a ton of time throughout the novel accessing Brynna's internal struggle and her fear of the water since the night of Erica's death. The threatening tweets, phone calls and emails are interjected throughout, but they don't feel like they take center stage at all. And, perhaps my biggest qualm of all is that we're barely even introduced to our villain in the story, but we're expected to take the giant leap in the end and simply accept those characteristics without question. I felt as though we finally started getting somewhere, then the novel abruptly closes and we're left with nothing but questions and a lack of plot development. 

I wanted to love The Dare because I really enjoy the writing and the voice, but it simply fell short of the spectacular mystery that I'd been hoping for. Had we been given an extra hundred pages, plus a little more depth to the story and the backstory, this is the type of mystery that could keep me awake for days. I give it a 2.5 out of 5, and I recommend it to fans of YA - especially those who enjoy the author's style and light mysteries.

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.

Title: See Jane Run
Author: Hannah Jayne (Twitter)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publish Date: January 7, 2014
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 288
Source: Publisher

I know who you are. When Riley first gets the postcard tucked into her bag, she thinks it's a joke. Then she finds a birth certificate for a girl named Jane Elizabeth O'Leary hidden inside her baby book.

Riley's parents have always been pretty overprotective. What if it wasn't for her safety...but fear of her finding out their secret? What have they been hiding? The more Riley digs for answers, the more questions she has.

The only way to know the truth? Find out what happened to Jane O'Leary.

Have you ever read The Face on the Milk Carton? That is, essentially, what I expected when I first began reading See Jane Run by Hannah Jayne. The mystery within the pages is set up early on, almost before we truly get to know our characters and our protagonist, which leads readers to believe that this mystery will dominate the novel above all else. I figured that the mystery, because of this, would be pretty cut-and-dried, but I was surprised to find that Ms. Jayne didn't hesitate to have us second-guessing, peering over our shoulders and really, honestly, topsy-turvy throughout. That is, essentially, what makes a good mystery after all, and it is a large part of why the novel ended up working fairly well for me.

While much of the novel was rife with paranoia and speculation, however, we weren't offered nearly as much mystery or depth from Riley, our protagonist. On one hand, she's an incredibly sympathetic character, as we can sense her palpable anxiety from the minute the novel begins. On the other hand though, Riley fails to use any sort of logic or common sense when she could have probably easily discovered the root of the mystery, if only through asking the proper questions. Rather, we watch as Riley makes countless poor decisions, and we're helpless but to beat our head against a wall, begging this girl we really want to like to simply stop, take a breath and then proceed. At the same time though, you could sense an air of vulnerability about her that made you desperate to like her, regardless of her numerous character flaws. It must be said that I also really struggled with Riley's best friend, Shelby. The girl was so antagonistic, unfailingly blunt and constantly swapping between logical and illogical that the scenes with her actually pulled me out of the story more than once. If she'd been a bit more tempered and supported Riley's persona better, I think she could have worked.

In terms of the mystery itself, See Jane Run isn't a slam-dunk, but it does have a solid setup. Yes, there were several plot holes throughout the novel, but just when I thought things were about to unravel, Ms. Jayne would patch up the fragmented pieces and send us down another path. I'm not sure it was entirely logical in the way that the mystery played out either, but I can appreciate the direction in which the novel took us. It was different than I'd anticipated, and there's something to be said for that, in and of itself. Furthermore, there is a sweet romance that leaves its mark on the story and the plot, and the connection between JD and Riley heightens the stakes and further draws us in, despite a few little flaws through the novel.

Overall, See Jane Run was a solid, but not perfect novel. Regardless of the flaws though, I found myself rather enjoying the story as a whole, and I could overlook many of the little issues to appreciate the story in the end. I give it a solid 3.5 out of 5, and I recommend it to fans of YA novels, especially those who like 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.

Title: Truly, Madly, Deadly
Author: Hannah Jayne (Twitter)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publish Date: July 2, 2013
Genre: YA, Mystery
Pages: 272
Source: Publisher

Sawyer Dodd has it all. She's a star track athlete, choir soloist, and A-student. And her boyfriend is the handsome all-star Kevin Anderson. But behind the medals, prom pictures, and perfect smiles, Sawyer finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive relationship with Kevin.

When he dies in a drunk-driving accident, Sawyer is secretly relieved. She's free. Until she opens her locker and finds a mysterious letter signed by "an admirer" and printed with two simple words: "You're welcome."

For the longest time, Sawyer was stuck in an abusive relationship from which she could see no way out. Nobody knew of the abuse, and nobody would have really believed it anyway because in public, they were the picture-perfect couple. But life gets a whole lot easier - and messier - when Kevin dies in what seems to be a cut and dried car accident. But when a note appears, seemingly claiming responsibility for his death, this are about to get tricky and dark. Can Sawyer found the culprit before it's too late?

There's something to be said for eerie, dark tales that give you the creeps long after you close the book on the last page. Truly, Madly, Deadly sets the stage for exactly that, inspiring readers everywhere to sleep with the lights on. Author, Hannah Jayne, has written a classic mystery tale, but adds the twisting, compelling drama of YA into the mix giving readers the best of both worlds. With a fast pace, and carefully-revealed details, Truly, Madly, Deadly will stick with you.

There is a lot about Truly, Madly, Deadly that works in its favour, making readers anxious and eager to weave their way through the tale. First and foremost, the mystery element of the story is perfectly eerie, with just a touch of gleaming danger that makes you a bit hesitant to find out the truth behind it all. With that said, however, there is a lot within the story that is, indeed, teased through the synopsis, but we're left wanting upon reading the story. From the premise, I assumed that the abusive relationship in which Sawyer found herself would play a significant role in her character development. Much to the contrary (and my dismay) though, we watch as that element is placed on the backburner and, instead, we simply watch Sawyer chase her tail as she searches for this unknown "saviour" in vain. In my humble opinion, had the abuse of the relationship been more prominent through the story, I would have been far more invested in Sawyer's plight to find Kevin's killer. I think that the mystery element was set up well through the novel and, though I was able to pick through it all quite quickly, the mystery was well done. I do have to say that I wished it had been a bit twistier because I think that a bit of extra development in terms of the unknown would have gone a long way. But, the book was not bad by any means. I enjoyed the fact that I could read the book in a single sitting, and I found that the author's writing voice was engaging and empathetic, making Truly, Madly, Deadly stand out.

Overall, though there were some elements I wish we could have explored more, and though I think more mystery would have worked in the story's favour, this book was quite well done. I give it a 3.5 out of 5, and I 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.