Going Dark by Melissa de la Cruz
Product details
Web ID: 15843570Easy read
Different type of mystery book because it was based around the online world. Really easy to read and follow along. Good book but wish it had more juicy details leading up to the ending. Kinda predictable. But wasn’t a bad read.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A well-woven game of secrets and lies
Reminding, in some ways, of the recent missing case surrounding ......., this is a dark and thrilling delve into murderers, victims, and the cloak social media provides. In a short time, Amelia has it all. She's not only reached near celebrity status with her restaurant review blog, but she has an amazing relationship with her boyfriend, Josh. So, the last thing anyone expects is for her to suddenly to missing. Josh returned from their dream trip to Europe alone and doesn't even realize Amelia has disappeared until he's hit by a social media storm. He has no idea where she is but knows that everyone expects him to, especially since they were supposed to take the return flight together. He's innocent and plans on cooperating with the police, but it soon becomes clear that he's the main suspect...that is, if there was a murder. Amelia's body, evidence of her death, or even clear evidence of violence is nowhere to be found, but that doesn't keep suspicion away. Plus, there's more at play than meets the eye. A dangerous game has begun, and no one is as innocent as they seem. Not even close. Weaving and twisting around secrets and lies, nothing in this story is as it appears. Social media provides the first layer of shadows, illustrating how created, false fronts can be used to manipulate and deceive. This hits close to home and already brings an uncomfortable familiarity, but it doesn't stop there. The author lets the more traditional form of deception also mix in, and that with vicious cleverness. Add mental illness, and the truth is warped in every form. While this takes place in the characters' college years, it is very fitting for the young adult audience. There's nothing inappropriate, and the situations still ring true. The plot is enhanced with blog, email, text, and even diary excerpts. The timeline does bounce around a bit thanks to flashbacks told from various points of view, and these also build the tension while exposing the lies, little-by-little and one at a time. The reader is kept guessing but also hits the emotional side of the characters as the mental end gains clout. I did find myself skimming through more than a few paragraphs of Amelia's going-ons and, later, even some from Josh. But then, I had a little trouble connecting with the characters, anyway. Still, it'd be wrong to say I didn't enjoy the read. Once the stage was set, I had to know what had happened to Amelia, what had truly set off the string of events, and what horrible secrets several characters were hiding. It's a book that demands to be read until the end...and even that exposes something very unexpected. I received a DRC and found this to be a gripping read.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Not the best but worth a read
A little slow until the middle, but a good read! Gives you some perspective on something that could possibly happen to you or someone around you, well written
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
GOING DARK
Thriller lovers will want to read this book. Somewhat predictable, but fast paced and kept me flipping pages to follow the different narrators. Revenge is sweet. Great story!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
An Addicting Mystery
When Josh returns home alone after a trip to Rome with his girlfriend Amelia, questions arise immediately. Why would he return home alone? Why is it life as usual amidst his girlfriend’s disappearance? No one is speaking up, at first. But then, once her disappearance is brought to light, a frenzy is born. It is in this frenzy that the storyline unfolds. I loved this one. I liked the alternating timelines and perspectives. There were diary entries to help further the storyline. At first, their introduction was a bit vague, yet they added another element to this already perplexing story. Randomly, I incredibly appreciated the line, “You don’t need to wait twenty-four hours or whatever to report a missing person.” So many books and shows still include this pet peeve of mine, and I cheered on the author for busting that myth. I apologize for the vague review, but I feel it’s best not to spoil anything for future readers. Going Dark unfolds in a unique way that keeps the reader on their toes. I love a good mystery, and this had so many elements I didn’t want to put it down.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
riveting and twisty read
GOING DARK is a riveting and twisty YA suspense/mystery. The story begins with Josh heading home on a plane from Italy alone. Josh is a college student who just had an amazing trip with his travel influencer girlfriend to Paris and Rome. However, just before they were set to fly out, they had an argument, and now, he is on the plane alone. As he returns back to his life as usual, it becomes clear that something darker is happening - no one can get ahold of Amelia, and she has not posted anything since their argument. As the fingers begin to point and the online community comes after him, Josh finds himself wondering what really did happen to Amelia. The story is then told in other materials, such as blog posts, videos, and other materials, through a hacker named Harper who is digging through online information to figure out what happened to Amelia. The explosive reveal is anything but simple. What I loved: This was such a riveting page-turner. I was completely caught up in the mystery and wondering what happened to Amelia, and just as importantly, why. As the story builds, the reader begins to put things together, but the finale was even more explosive than anyone could have guessed. The story is initially told through Josh's perspective before turning to Harper and the online trail of Amelia. As stated in the synopsis, the story then goes back in time to another girl who went missing. As the pieces come together, the suspense rises and the plot becomes explosive. The characters were fascinating. There are multiple layers to them, with the surface layer presenting as one thing and then deeper layers coming out with time and certain situations. It was easy to get caught up in their stories, particularly Amelia and the girl from 2 years ago. Although the story begins with Josh, the deeper and more compelling parts are certainly from later in the book. The method of story-telling worked really well here, and it was interesting to see the online collection of detritus that tells the story of a life as well as the things that we leave behind and the messages they send. There were some really fantastic themes, in particular around the rights of the victim vs the perpetrator, especially when the latter is a white boy with a "bright future," the power of social media/news and activism to which cases are considered solvable/given resources, power imbalances, lies, abuse, and prejudices, particularly with the police but also more broad. This would be a great book for discussion in a group or book club as a result, to consider these themes more in depth with the real life parallels. What left me wanting more: The only thing I would change is to have more after the final page - I would have loved an epilogue to give it some bigger closure, though, to be fair, the reader can certainly infer what would happen on their own. I'm just a person who loves to have everything finalized, and this leaves it a bit open-ended. Final verdict: Twisty and consuming, GOING DARK is a fantastic YA mystery/suspense that will keep the reader on their toes. Highly recommend for fans of SADIE, I KILLED ZOE SPANOS, and THEY WISH THEY WERE US. Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com