BLOG TOUR: TRULY, MADLY, DEADLY by HANNAH JAYNE

Welcome to the Truly, Madly, Deadly Blog Tour, presented by Sourcebooks.
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Genre: Contemporary Young Adult

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: 7/16/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 272
Source: Received from publisher for review
 

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."

 

 

Several years ago (okay, more like ten to fifteen), I was a huge fan of teen suspense/thrillers. I read books like I Know What You Did Last Summer, watched a lot of suspenseful and scary movies and I loved it. Somewhere along the way, I became a huge baby about getting scared, and I'll blame that on Scream 2. It was not pretty. My point is, Truly, Madly, Deadly represents what I've always loved about those teen thrillers, and was a much welcomed change for me.

 

Truly, Madly, Deadly begins a few days after the death of Sawyer's boyfriend Kevin. On the outside their relationship seemed perfect, but Sawyer was hiding the fact that Kevin was abusive. The very same night Sawyer has the courage to walk away is the same night Kevin died while driving drunk. Sawyer has no reason to believe otherwise, until she receives a card with the message "You're welcome." After that, Sawyer's world slowly begins to unravel. Whomever was "protecting" Sawyer from Kevin isn't finished yet, and no one who hurts her isn't safe. Little clues throughout the story slowly clue Sawyer in that she's being watched. The more she wants to seek help, the more dangerous the situation becomes, and eventually Sawyer's "protector" becomes her biggest threat.

 

Truly, Madly, Deadly's heroine, Sawyer, was well-written. I found her conflicting feelings about Kevin, sadness over his death, yet relief he could never hurt her again, to be realistic. Did she always make the best decisions? Eh, probably not, but what's a good story when everyone does what they should do? In the midst of her life turning into a crime scene, Sawyer becomes closer to Cooper, a new guy at her school. Now, I love a cute guy as much as anyone, but when people around you are dying, the focus is on staying alive and not a new relationship, right? The author totally made a good call on this aspect. I was thrilled that Sawyer kept her head, deciding that yeah, she does like Cooper, but first she needs to find out who's protecting her. I loved that she remained focused, despite the lure of a new guy.

 

Truly, Madly, Deadly wasn't terrifying, thank goodness, but it was without a doubt suspenseful. I love a good mystery, and am generally good at calling who the bad guy is. The author did a really great job of not being too obvious with the clues. Over the course of the story I had three people who were up for suspicion, before settling on a culprit at the halfway mark. I am not sad to say that I was wrong, because the killer was not my main suspect. While I didn't find the reveal to be a complete shock, I was definitely surprised by the motivations, and how sad it made me for everyone involved. The story's pace was just right, with each turn of the page leading a tiny bit closer to the revelation, never lagging or rushing through.

 

Truly, Madly, Deadly was a thrilling mystery with a great suspense, and an admirable heroine. It will definitely leave you guessing until the very end.

 

 

Favorite Quote:

 

  Memories crashed over Sawyer like so many waves, breaking like shards of glass at her feet. She felt ashamed, alive, and free as Cooper's arms slipped around her waist, pulling her close to him. His touch was soft but strong, and Sawyer loved the way he held her, making her feel safe and wanted at the same time.  ~eARC, 24%

 

 

 

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About the author:

Hannah is the author of the UNDERWORLD DETECTION AGENCY CHRONICLES from Kensington books and the upcoming young adult thrillers TRULY, MADLY, DEADLY and SEE JANE RUN available from Sourcebooks, Inc. When she's not battling the demons of the Underworld or tackling a murderer at Hawthorne High, Jayne kicks her feet up in her San Francisco bay area home and attempts to share couch space with two enormous cats.

 

Connect with Hannah Jayne at:

Website  |  Twitter