Editorial Reviews
Publishers Weekly
08/17/2015
Emmie has been in love with her friend Chelsea’s gorgeous brother, Deacon, for years. Deacon has problems, however, including a paralyzing fear of blood. When Deacon’s father turns up nearly dead, Emmie finds Deacon covered in his blood. She wants to help Deacon, but nearly everyone in town thinks he is responsible for sending his father to the hospital. Secrets abound: Emmie is covering for Deacon, Chelsea is behaving strangely, and Deacon is definitely holding back the whole story, even from Emmie, his biggest ally. In an effort to create suspense, Richards (Gone Too Far) packs her novel full of red herrings (including the local thugs Emmie has scary run-ins with) to sometimes confusing effect. With so many characters acting suspiciously and dialogue that conceals more than it reveals, readers may end up feeling frustrated and lost. As a character, Deacon remains largely ephemeral, and Emmie’s frequent reminders that she has loved him for ages aren’t quite enough to help make sense of why she defends him so staunchly. Ages 14–up. Agent: Cori Deyoe, 3 Seas Literary Agency. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
"" - Natasha Preston"Teen readers will find plenty of fun and plenty to relate to in this coming-of-age romance with an adrenaline rush." - Kirkus
VOYA, October 2015 (Vol. 38, No. 4) - Bethany Martin
Emerson May works hard to be the daughter her parents expect her to be. Ever since her brother ran off, Emmie does whatever it takes to keep her mother, in particular, happy—even if it means changing her career plans from marine biologist to lawyer and downplaying her feelings for her best friend, Chelsea’s, troubled brother, Deacon. But when Deacon is suspected of assaulting his father, Emmie ignores the warnings of her parents, the sheriff, and just about everyone else in town to help prove Deacon’s innocence. As she investigates, she uncovers secrets, learns that not everyone is who they seem to be, and realizes that some people should not be trusted. Richards has crafted an intriguing thriller with plenty of (tame) romance. As a character, Emmie is a bit unevenly drawn. Her sometimes willful blindness toward the whole truth in particular situations, such as why her brother left or Chelsea and Deacon’s father’s drug abuse, rings true, as do her reactions when the full truth is revealed. Richards spends a great deal of time developing Emmie as a character with compulsions regarding cleaning and organizing, hinting that she may have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; however, this is never fully developed and Emmie’s constant desire to create order is treated as a quirk that she could simply stop doing and that occasionally annoys other characters. Still, readers who enjoy heavy doses of psychological and romantic tension will not be disappointed. Reviewer: Bethany Martin; Ages 12 to 18.
School Library Journal
10/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—Set during a lurid South Carolina summer, this mystery opens as picture-perfect Emmie receives a frantic call from her best friend, Chelsea. Chel's father has been brutally assaulted in their home, and it appears that her brother, along with resident bad boy Deacon, is the culprit. While everyone in town is busy pointing fingers at Deacon, Emmie must decide for herself whether she should trust and defend the boy she's loved from afar or if she should do what everyone expects of a good girl and give him up to the authorities. This romantic whodunit might be best for early teen and reluctant readers with its swift pace, accessible plotlines, and somewhat predictable twists. In addition, reluctant readers will enjoy piecing the clues together to solve the mystery. For the sensitive reader, it is worth mentioning that there are references to death and drug addiction throughout. Richards does a beautiful job painting scenes of Southern life in a boating town and incorporating some diverse characters. However, she also makes some confusing leaps in the plot, leaving out critical details. For instance, in the first part of the novel, there is no mention of any character asking the beaten man to identify his assailant; rather, the townsfolk make their own assumptions and go on a witch hunt from there. The result is that the premise feels a bit flimsy and the characters' decisions are overly dramatic and premature. VERDICT Despite some flaws, this is a good choice for younger teens who want a bit of PG romance and a modern Nancy Drew-esque mystery.—Leighanne Law, Scriber Lake High School, WA
Kirkus Reviews
2015-06-29
Seventeen-year-old Emmie likes to take care of things, and she's good at it, but when her best friend's father is brutally beaten, and Deacon, Chelsea's brother and Emmie's secret crush, shows up at her window that night covered in blood, she faces her greatest challenge yet. The pressure Emmie feels to make things right has escalated since her older brother dropped out of college, shattering her mother's dreams. Taking the side of an apparent criminal threatens everything. Set on the shores of Beaufort, South Carolina, the fast-paced narrative is tailored to readers looking for quick, escapist entertainment. Despite careful setup, the real nuggets of the whodunit plotline suffer from a slow reveal, and Emmie's relationships, especially her friendship with Chelsea, are underdeveloped. Still, the main event, Emmie and Deacon's smoldering, good girl-bad boy chemistry, is so hot readers are likely to be forgiving. The novel is at its best when these two are on the run, not only because of the high-stakes action, but also because it forces Emmie to overcome her borderline-compulsive need for order and to throw caution to the wind. Readers will cheer as her passion outweighs her need to maintain the stifling good-girl front she's kept up for too long. Teen readers will find plenty of fun and plenty to relate to in this coming-of-age romance with an adrenaline rush. (Thriller. 12-16)
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Prologue
"Emmie?"
My name lands somewhere between a hiccup and a sob, and my feet stall out on the sidewalk in front of my house. I adjust my grip on the phone, hoping I misheard her tone. This doesn't sound like Chelsea. This voice is breathless. Frightened.
"I'm here," I say. "What's up? You don't sound right."
"I'm not." She takes a shuddery breath.
My shirt's sticking to my back and cicadas are click-buzzing the end of another blistering day, but I go cold. Something's wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
"It's my dad, Emmie," she says. I can tell she's crying.
I grab my chest. It's too tight. Burning. "What happened?"
Her words all tumble out on top of one another, interrupted by shaky breaths. I try to pick out pieces that make sense. "He's hurt-bleeding-we're behind the ambulance and I can't-he's not-someone attacked him."
I start climbing the porch steps, because she'll need me. I'm her best friend, so I should be there. I need to change clothes and go. "You're on the way to the hospital, right? They'll help him there."
Another sharp breath. "I don't know if they can. He's so bad. So bad."
My heart clenches. "Where are you?"
"We're almost there. Joel's with me."
"Okay, good. I'm coming," I say, crossing my porch and hauling my front door open. "Let me just call Mom. I'll borrow the car."
Chelsea's still crying when I storm down the hallway toward my bedroom. "Emmie, I can't find Deacon..."
"Your brother never answers his phone," I say, pushing open my door. "I'll run by the docks first and-"
"No. No, he was there. He was at the house."
Chelsea makes a strangled sound, and I notice the liquid-thick heat in my bedroom. The kind of heat that tells me the air conditioner is broken. Or my window is open.
My gaze drags to my fluttering white curtains, to the dark smudge on the windowsill.
Chelsea's voice goes low and raspy. "He ran, Emmie. God, he was there with Dad. He was in the house, but he ran."
I swivel with an invisible fist lodged in my throat. My bathroom door is open, a red-black smudge beneath the knob.
My mouth goes dry, my pulse thumping slower than it should. Then I see the blood on the floor by my sink, and my heart tumbles end over end.
"We're here. I'll call soon," Chelsea says and hangs up.
I see him, his back to my tub and his dark head bowed on one bent knee. Oh God.
He's covered in blood. It's on his legs, his hands. Dripping onto my white tile floor. He looks up, and my heart goes strangely steady.
I take a breath that tastes like purpose.
"Deacon?"
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