Saturday, November 26, 2011

Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan

These days, it's not easy getting into a school of prestige.  You need to stand out, be better than the best, be more than interesting.  This is something both Finn and Chloe understand, and so they devise a most intense, insane, and ingenious plan to get themselves into the colleges of their choice: fake a kidnapping. What school would say no to a girl who was kidnapped, and her best friend who found her? That would be one hell of an entrance essay.  But as I'm sure you can imagine, things don't go exactly according to plan.

"Accomplice" is a dark tale that will thrill and fascinate readers ages fourteen/fifteen and up. It's a book full of suspense, dark comedy, and a satirical look at what students feel like they are expected to do in order to be different and interesting enough to be admitted into higher education.  It takes the feel of a comedy-of-errors story, and turns it into something bleaker... more nightmarish. Corrigan does a fantastic job keeping the voice of Finn (our narrator) very real and relatable, and you will unwaveringly be on her side for the entirety of the novel. Throughout everything Finn puts herself through, you remain her cheerleader, hoping beyond hope that each obstacle in her way is one she can pass.

This is a brilliantly crafted story that somewhere down the line becomes less upbeat and funny, and you're not sure where the seamless flip happens. I could not for the life of me put it down. If you are looking for a gift for your teenager who likes books that aren't flat-out disturbing, but are still a little creepy and suspenseful, then you absolutely must get them this book.

"Accomplice" by Eireann Corrigan has the Abigail T stamp of approval: this is legitimate young adult fiction.

Buy "Accomplice" on Amazon now!


4 comments:

  1. So I'm the first to comment on your brand spankin' new blog.

    I haven't read this book - though I read a fair amount of YA.

    What did you think of the story's pace? (I know you said you couldn't put it down, but that's not always because of pacing - some readers like detail & settings more than others.)

    Which primary & which secondary character stirred your imagination the most? For good or bad?

    I'll read an excerpt & see what I think.

    In the meantime, your review is very good, the author would no doubt love seeing it added on Amazon via a quick copy & paste.

    Good luck with your blog & your writing.

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  2. Thank you so much for the support, David! I really appreciate you reading and commenting.

    As far as the pacing goes, it's a little slower at the beginning (not slow in a bad way, slow in a necessary way). Then it really picks up and doesn't slow down until the last couple of chapters, where it is (again) necessary.

    If you decide to check out an excerpt or buy it, let me know what you think!

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  3. I only read the excerpt so I only caught a few character glimpses. It was annoying - when the excerpt stopped, that is. Some funny lines too. The opening pace wasn't slow. Mixing the humor within the set up was good. Besides, who could dislike a story where the Guidance Counselor looks like Harry Potter? Based solely on the opening - I can see where it would appeal to girls but guys ... not so much.

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  4. Yeah, since I'm a girl it's hard to tell what is or isn't appealing to the male mind. But at the same time, I don't think I would ever say in a review "this book wouldn't do much for boys," since it isn't up to me to decide that. For all I know, this is a guy's favorite book! But I absolutely see where you're coming from, and appreciate your input. (:

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