Little Threats

I really enjoyed reading this book. I had never read a book by this author before but the story intrigued me. Emily Schultz did an excellent job writing this story. Where it begins and ends is totally unexpected. I had various characters I suspected throughout. I wont give it away, but I liked the twists and turns the story took. I will look for more books by this author.

The story wasnt BAD it was just overshadowed by 2 things.

One, I had to concentrate way too hard on the names. Sure, throw in a random Kennedy or a Berkeley. But every character? Serenity, Charity, Haley, Carter, Laine, Everett… it got too hard.

Second, the 90s references. Having gone to high school in the early 90s, at first it was nostalgic. The author did a good job setting the scene there, so we didnt need to be beaten over the head with constant 90s references on every other page. It overshadowed the story. Paraphrasing an actual page: She was listening to the cassette (90s LP name) by (90s artist) And song (90s song title) and (90s song title) over and over and where she liked (90s band name) and (90s band name) and (90s band name), her sister liked (90s band name) and (90s band name) and (90s band name) and also looked more like (90s singer) and (90s singer) and (90s singer) more than her, who resembled (90s singer) and (90s singer)

Like… huh? Whered the story go? Every chapter was riddled with ridiculousness like that and it was way too much. For a book that was a slow burn to begin with, that just weighed everything down further

2.5 s
After a bad acid trip, 16 year old Kennedy cant remember much. The next morning, Kennedy awakes in her room but her best friend Haley is missing. Kennedy goes in search of her in the woods and finds her dead. Taking an Alford Plea Bargain (accepting the charges without contest, but asserting innocence), Kennedy went to prison for murder. Fifteen years later shes coming home. Home to a house thats no longer quite the same, home to a twin thats not sure of her innocence. Home to a community that called her Dead Kennedy. This book was quite slow and didnt ring true to me. Hard to believe that after being released Kennedy didnt even try to figure out what really happened that nightThings fall into place much too easily when a crime show comes to town and picks up the case and the ending twist … dont even get me started on that one Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Twin stories are always fun and explore two sides of the same household which is a great springboard for drama. For me, this book moved too slow and had a lot of tropes that we’ve seen,including the strange addition of a ghost element late in the book thatfelt very thrownin. I would definitely not want to live in this world because creepy men seem to be everywhere. The characters were interesting, but not surprising. In fact, they often felt predictable as if tropes themselves.

Although I understand that I received an early proof copy, it was so riddled with spelling issues and formatting errors that I had a hard time following. Every other paragraph was broken up with strange symbols and numbers throughout the text that clearly seemed to be formatting references. I just hope the final eBook was fixed prior to release.

As for the story, there were no surprises for me which was a shame. I enjoyed the 90s references and the details of teenage life were spot-on, having been a teen then myself. That element of the book is what kept me engaged as well as the question of whether Kennedy actually did murder her best friend.

It’s a sibling teenage drama rather than a thriller, and that bait-n-switch keeps happening with new books. It sours my excitement for opening a new “thriller”. I struggled through the first 70% hoping for more. It could just be me and the world around us right now but even the ending was a little lackluster. My thought was, “that’s a shame,” and I could apply that to the plot resolution and the overall experience.

I would say if you love the premise and the era, go for it because I’m pickier than most. It definitely had me changing up my playlist this weekend and remembering a time that blurs even in my own memory.

For those who like mystery and ‘true-crime’. This book deals with loss and recovery, with guilt and trust, and with family and gender dynamics. Like her book ‘The Blondes’, it’s thought provoking and beautifully written.

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