The girl in the picture.
After heartthrob Chace Porter is found dead in the woods near the school, the police search for the girl snuggled up next to him in a picture discovered among his personal effects. A girl no one knew was even close to him—and whose best friend, Lana Rivera, was his girlfriend.
Nicole is that girl, and now she's the primary suspect in his murder.
What happened that night? Were Nicole and Chace dating behind Lana's back? Were he and Lana over? Could either of the girls have killed him?
In alternating points of view—that of suspect Nicole Morgan and that of Lana Rivera—The Girl in the Picture helps readers piece together the truth behind a friend's betrayal, a boy's murder, and way too many secrets. (Pub Date: Nov 15, 2016)
Review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. I want to also thank the publisher for giving me this opportunity.
I'm not sure what gave me the impression this was going to be a book on supernatural events now I reread the summary. While I wasn't entirely wrong, this was the sort of book that had a little of each genre. Unfortunately, it didn't excel in any of them.
Chace is found dead and the story is confusing. Who'd want to kill him? Until the pictures of him and another girl leak, making The Girl in the Picture and his official girlfriend persons of interest.
The book is narrated by both girls, telling us the story on two times starting from when they met Chace and from when they find the news. I usually don't like alternated POVs but the voices were different enough. At the same time, Lana's was exaggerated and that really killed her character for me.
I loved the first scene but then it takes a while for you to get into the story. It did grip me at some point. Also, this was a quick read. Once you get through the first quarter or third, you probably won't stop.
However, the hints and twists weren't enticing enough to make me hold my breath. This is no memorable thriller. You can guess the whole backstory from the second chapter, so all the flashbacks felt dragging, and the romance failed to swoon me over.
At last, I didn't like the answer to what happened to Chace. I wonder why it turned out like that when there were a couple of explanations with fewer holes. Really, it left me wondering whether the author was forced into a plan C. It was a pity, as I expected a much detailed reason for all. Not that it was bad, just disappointing.
So, this was a pleasant reading. I had a good time and plan to read more from this author. In addition, I feel the genres blended well, even if they didn't make one another glow. I was hoping for something with more oomph but this was nice. I recommend to those who don't have problems with a bit of melodrama in your story.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
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