Review by Booklist Review
When Cassie finds a foot on the beach, something snaps. Suddenly, she starts hearing a cruel voice that threatens to harm her if she doesn't perform certain rituals. In the psych ward, she meets Paris, a girl with an electric, magnetic personality who introduces her to a support group aimed at accepting voices instead of merely medicating them away. Admittedly, Cassie makes some bad choices with her therapy, like quitting her meds and lying to her psychiatrist and her PTSD-afflicted father, but her worst decision is lying to the nameless boy to whom she has addressed her rambling, apologetic first-person narrative explaining her behavior, particularly when Paris goes missing and Cassie becomes obsessed with finding her. In exploring both the traumatic source of Cassie's voice and her investigation of Paris' disappearance, Lake's latest occasionally feels overstuffed, to the detriment of both plot elements. However, Cassie's charming, self-deprecating narrative and the insight into her mental health are engrossing and moving. An author's note includes mental health resources and information about the theory behind Cassie's voice-acceptance therapy.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Cassandra, 17, is already carrying a deep emotional scar when she finds a severed human foot in her Jersey Shore town, where a serial killer is suspected in the disappearance of 14 sex workers. The shocking discovery jars loose guilt and sadness over her mother's violent death in the form of a disturbing voice that harangues Cassie to harm herself in many ways, including by sabotaging her summer romance with the boy to whom the story is addressed (in what would surely be the world's longest email). Cassie's conversational narration continually telegraphs impending doom, which keeps the pages turning as readers race to find out what horrible fate will befall the characters, especially Paris, a stripper who befriends Cassie at a psychiatric hospital. Cassie is a deeply sympathetic figure, due in no small part to the terrifying and violent demands of the voice she hears. Part romance, part crime story, part meditation on mental illness, Lake's (There Will Be Lies) story covers a lot of ground but leaves several threads hanging, which may frustrate some readers. Ages 14-up. Agent: Caradoc King, United Agents. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-After a devastating find on the beach, Cass is haunted by a voice that is demanding, threatening, and vulgar. It pushes Cass to confront a battle within herself and her new friendships. The latest from the Printz-winning author is a spooky epistolary novel in which the protagonist confesses to her only love about her mental illness and unresolved past traumas whilst also seeking forgiveness. Characters are layered and nuanced, and carry their troubled pasts. The writing is clear and flowing; Lake's depiction of a Jersey Shore town is authentic and well realized. Characters' uncovered histories, their emotional defeats, and the discovery of new information create a genuine narrative exploring mental health issues, vulnerability, and how love can help bridge the two. VERDICT A recommended purchase for all YA collections.-Briana Moore, School Library Journal © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
After Cassie finds a human foot washed up on a New Jersey beach, she starts to hear a voice that threatens to harm her and others unless she obeys it. Cassie lives with her father, an ex-Navy SEAL with anger issues stemming from PTSD. Briefly hospitalized due to the voice, Cassie finds a friend, Paris, arguably worse off than she is, who encourages her to stop taking her meds. Cassie's tale takes the form of a letter pleading for understanding to a boy she fell in love with and misses terribly. The lengthy novel gives Printz winner Lake ample space to play with form and style as Cassie's letter unravels the details of her summer, which range from Ferris wheels and roller derby to deeply internalized trauma and fear. In a distinctive, conversational voice, she finally tells the boy, in fits and starts and a lot of lists, the story of her struggles with mental illness and guilt over her mother's death. The "you" in Cassie's tragic summer tale remains nameless throughout the novel. Because it's a letter addressed to him, the result is a second-person narrative of nearly equal weight to Cassie's first-person story, emphasizing the novel's themes of duality and internal struggle against one's own demons. Part murder mystery, part love story, with plenty of drama for Lake's many fans. (Fiction. 12 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
