The Girl In The Park - Mariah Fredericks

The Girl In The Park by Mariah Fredericks

224 pages 

Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Random House Children's Books


*This is a Net Galley review book. I received no compensation for the review. The opinions expressed are my own.* 

When Wendy Geller's body is found in Central Park after the night of a rager, newspaper headlines scream,"Death in the Park: Party Girl Found Strangled." But shy Rain, once Wendy's best friend, knows there was more to Wendy than just "party girl." As she struggles to separate the friend she knew from the tangle of gossip and headlines, Rain becomes determined to discover the truth about the murder. Written in a voice at once immediate, riveting, and utterly convincing, Mariah Fredericks' mystery brilliantly exposes the cracks in this exclusive New York City world and the teenagers that move within it.


I chose to review this book because it reminded me of a chilling true story of a young woman's body being found in Central Park. The true story was haunting.  Mariah Fredericks has written a fictional story that is equally haunting. I could not put this book down. 
Wendy is the girl who will do anything to be popular. She will, (and does), pay any price to have it appear that somebody cares about her. The truly sad thing about this, is the fact that there are so many girls in real life like her. 
Reading this book took me back to my high school days. I remembered kids who were as needy as Wendy. I remember the kids who were so cruel that they bullied everyone they could to make themselves look better. I remember the kids caught in between the two - those who chose sides and those who didn't.  I would love to say things have changed for the better after so many years have gone by. Unfortunately, they have not changed all that much as evidenced by this book, all the cyber-bullying and just plain bullying we read about everyday. I could easily relate to Rain, Wendy and the rest of the students because they represented kids I went to school with. That they represent kids in high school today I have no doubt. 
The Girl in the Park will haunt you. It is chilling in the way that "friends" will turn on each other in a heartbeat and it is equally chilling in the silence that can hide bullying. I do not want to give away the ending to this book so I am not going to delve too much into what happens. It is very disturbing and I would call it a must read. Actually I would call it, "a must read with teens I care about and discuss it with them book."  It is a book not easily read and forgotten. I give this book 5 stars.


Mariah has written several other books:


       

I know I am going to be checking out all these books. Mariah is a wonderful  YA writer who reminds me of reading Judy Blume when I was young. 


More information on Mariah Fredericks can be found on her website: http://www.mariahfredericks.com/

On Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/259431.Mariah_Fredericks

Comments Always Welcome!

Review of Ghost Stories and the Unexplained - Emily Hill

Ghost Stories and The Unexplained - Emily Hill

ebook  by A. V. Harrison Publishing

Ghost Stories and The Unexplained is a collection of 7 creepy  stories of unexplained happenings in the authors life.  Emily describes sitting alone in the house at 7 years old waiting for the time to leave for school. She hears something being dragged along the floor which she says sounds like dragging chains. This is followed by a translucent figure that materializes in her parents bedroom. She recognizes her grandfather. Only problem is, her grandfather is not alive.  Her grandfather makes more appearances in the book. There is a chilling recall of an Ouija Board experience when she was 16. I could really relate to that one. I think most of us have a story to tell of the Ouija Board. There are other ghostly happenings in this book that will have you questioning sounds you hear when you know you are alone. I enjoyed this book very much. Most of the stories I could relate to. I have had my own experiences with the unexplained. I liked Emily's way of telling the stories. She sounds like she is telling you a story face to face. You can feel the fear off the pages. If you are looking for a haunting collection of stories then I would recommend this book to you. 

Emily has planned a continuation of ghostly delights with:

She has several books out that are available on her website:

  

  

More information can be found on Emily Hill's Website at http://emilyhillwriter.com/

She is a Good Reads Author: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3139020.Emily_Hill

On FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Emily-Hill/731292501

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/EmilyHill_Indie

Comments Always Welcome!