This was the first book to make me cry this year. I figured out what was going on in the beginning of the book but I was still surprised at the end and sad. Basically its a story about a boy who is good at hiding and hides in his ex-girlfriend's basement. It's very eye opening and great for teens to read because the girl had everything she wanted but was still unhappy and the boy was poor but was kind of happy in a way. All in all a great read. ( )

Literary Merit: Okay
Characterization: Okay
Recommend: No
Level: High School

Danny is great at "hiding" meaning he is able to stay out of the spotlight when it comes to social interactions and group settings, until one day he is noticed by Laura. He and Laura date for a while, but then Danny gets dumped because Laura's mother doesn't think he will amount to anything. Then Danny begins stalking Laura, although he vehemently denies behaving in an inappropriate way. One night Danny ends up in Laura's basement and then gets stuck after the family leaves and alarms the house.

This story is told in first person and is very reminiscent of the feel of "The Tell-Tale Heart" in the delivery and writing style. One would think that a book written in the style of Edgar Allan Poe would be intriguing and captivating. However, this story really fell flat. The first 80% of the story felt boring and I did not feel any connection to the main character, nor did this portion of the novel hook me. This is a death sentence for a book that claims to be suspense/thriller.

[Spoiler Alert]

In the last 30 pages we find out that Danny is in fact dead and it is his ghost that has been telling us this story all along. I felt like this development jumped the shark and did not feel believable due to a lack of connection with the remainder of the story. It felt like it came out of nowhere and was not built upon the previous 230 pages.

[End of Spoiler]

Overall, I was deeply disappointed with this novel. I had high hopes for a gripping story of suspense, but what I got was a lame duck. I do not recommend. ( )

He is a teenager in love. Sadly, Laura broke up with him. He is crushed, of course, but he truly feels as if he had not really known her at all. Feeling that he needs to get close to her once again, he follows her, one day ending up hiding away in her house. He learns her surprising secrets. Now, he must get out without being seen!

This introspective account in the first person is insightful and interesting. The author examines the subject of being seen and truly known and understood. There are many wonderful twists in the story, as well as one big one. Although I discovered the big twist within the first five pages, I still enjoyed this story very much.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ( )