Before I really get into reviewing the book Hysteria by Megan Miranda, let me preface by saying that this was quite a page turner for me. Does this fact automatically mean that I enjoyed it as a book? Not exactly, I'll get into all that later in my review. But Miranda has a certain way of writing that really got me caught up in the "what's going to happen next?" of this book. I probably read Hysteria in only three or four days, tops, due to this.
Okay, so what is this book about? It's written from the first person perspective of Mallory, a high school student who has killed her boyfriend Brian. Mallory's parents decide to send her to a prep school called Monroe, where she meets several people who know the secrets that surround Brian's murder. This ultimately puts her in grave danger, as someone is out to get her. The events relating to Brian's murder are unknown to the reader at the beginning of the book, and gradually the pieces are put into place as the plot progresses.
So, I don't really know where to start with Hysteria. To begin I will highlight what I did really like about this book. First of all, as I stated above, the pacing was done very well and I couldn't seem to stop reading. At the end of each chapter, something else is introduced into the plot that you just can't close the book on. The plot was yet another strong point of this book, in my opinion. There was some unnecessary baggage attached to the main storyline of Hysteria, but the meat of the book directly involving Brian's murder was a really unique concept for a plot. A third aspect that I also really enjoyed about Hysteria was the way that the main character of Mallory was written. Also, the relationship between her and her mother, her best friend Colleen, and Reid were all well-developed and believable as well.
Okay, so now for what I did not like about Hysteria. First of all, I felt like some of the characters were very predictable and one-note. For as developed as the main characters in Hysteria were, some of the minor characters didn't fit well within the overall context of the plot. For me, this was specifically the characters of Jason, Krista, Taryn and Bree. The plot of this book was a really intriguing, unique one that I feel was hurt by having rather juvenile-acting characters like these in the story. Also, the romantic aspects of this book took away some from the plot for me. At times it worked, but occasionally the romantic interests of Mallory, the main character, didn't really help to bolster my interest in what was happening.
So overall, this is a good book. Although it certainly has its issues and in my opinion fell short of its potential, I really did enjoy it and I read it rather quickly. I would most likely recommend Hysteria to anyone who enjoys a good teenage mystery/thriller, but don't expect to be super scared. Even though the plot makes this book a page turner, it's not necessarily a blood curdling thriller that offers a lot of plot twists or hair raising surprises. What Hysteria does offer is a decent young adult mystery that is a good read if you've got a little extra time on your hands.
Author: Megan Miranda
Genre: YA Mystery/Psychological Thriller
Okay, so what is this book about? It's written from the first person perspective of Mallory, a high school student who has killed her boyfriend Brian. Mallory's parents decide to send her to a prep school called Monroe, where she meets several people who know the secrets that surround Brian's murder. This ultimately puts her in grave danger, as someone is out to get her. The events relating to Brian's murder are unknown to the reader at the beginning of the book, and gradually the pieces are put into place as the plot progresses.
So, I don't really know where to start with Hysteria. To begin I will highlight what I did really like about this book. First of all, as I stated above, the pacing was done very well and I couldn't seem to stop reading. At the end of each chapter, something else is introduced into the plot that you just can't close the book on. The plot was yet another strong point of this book, in my opinion. There was some unnecessary baggage attached to the main storyline of Hysteria, but the meat of the book directly involving Brian's murder was a really unique concept for a plot. A third aspect that I also really enjoyed about Hysteria was the way that the main character of Mallory was written. Also, the relationship between her and her mother, her best friend Colleen, and Reid were all well-developed and believable as well.
Okay, so now for what I did not like about Hysteria. First of all, I felt like some of the characters were very predictable and one-note. For as developed as the main characters in Hysteria were, some of the minor characters didn't fit well within the overall context of the plot. For me, this was specifically the characters of Jason, Krista, Taryn and Bree. The plot of this book was a really intriguing, unique one that I feel was hurt by having rather juvenile-acting characters like these in the story. Also, the romantic aspects of this book took away some from the plot for me. At times it worked, but occasionally the romantic interests of Mallory, the main character, didn't really help to bolster my interest in what was happening.
So overall, this is a good book. Although it certainly has its issues and in my opinion fell short of its potential, I really did enjoy it and I read it rather quickly. I would most likely recommend Hysteria to anyone who enjoys a good teenage mystery/thriller, but don't expect to be super scared. Even though the plot makes this book a page turner, it's not necessarily a blood curdling thriller that offers a lot of plot twists or hair raising surprises. What Hysteria does offer is a decent young adult mystery that is a good read if you've got a little extra time on your hands.
Author: Megan Miranda
Genre: YA Mystery/Psychological Thriller
Pages: 326
Year Published: 2013
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
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