Gardenia by Kelsey J Sutton #BookReview

  Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been able to see countdown clocks over everyone's heads indicating how long before they will die. She can't do anything about anyone else’s, nor can she do anything about her own, which will hit the zero hour before she even graduates high school.

A life cut short is tragic, but Ivy does her best to make the most of it. She struggles emotionally with her deep love for on-again, off-again boyfriend Myers Patripski. She struggles financially, working outside of school to help her mom and her sister. And she struggles to cope with the murder of her best friend, another life she couldn't save. Vanessa Donovan was killed in the woods, and everyone in town believes Ivy had something to do with it.

Then more girls start disappearing. Ivy tries to put her own life in order as she pieces together the truth of who ended Vanessa's. To save lives and for her own sanity.

The clock is always ticking. And Ivy's only hope is to expose the truth before it runs out completely.

Kelsey Sutton is the author of the teen novel SOME QUIET PLACE. She is also the author of two novels for middle grade readers, THE LONELY ONES and BENJAMIN. Her work has received an Independent Publisher Book Award, an IndieFab Award, and was selected as a Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2013. She lives in Minnesota.

For me the cover to this one says it all.  I was so excited to read this story about a girl who knew how long everyone had to live.  It sounded exciting and wondrous but what I found was a slow story with almost no real direction.  I ended up putting it down around page 50. I just couldn't force myself to read anymore.  I think with a little more polish this one could have been amazing.  I really loved the world building and the characters but the execution of the story itself just fell way left field for this reader. 

"All opinions are 100% honest and my own." 

 Disclaimer: Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information. Buying via these above links allows my site to get a % of the sale at no cost to you. This money gets used to buy items for giveaways. In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. I am in no way compensated for any reviews on this site. All donations are to help keep this site running via costs from shipping, .com charges, and other giveaways.

Comments are DELICIOUS! and now that were using this new format for comments the TOP 3 Commenters will all win bookish goodies each month! So that is just one more reason to comment!  This is open to everyone!  So get commenting!  

Don't forget to check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest! 

@CrossroadReview 

Posted in: 1 Star, Diversion Books, Jessica P., Review, Young Adult