Clarity Review & Giveaway!

Clarity by Kim Harrington

publisher: Scholastic Point

release date: March 1st, 2011

hardcover, 242 pages

intended audience: Young Adult

rating:




source: from publisher for honest review

description: When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?

This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Review: This was a fun read. Lots of really good memorable moments and great characters. Some YA cliches, like the girl with special powers being shunned by her classmates and called "freak", and every boy she comes in contact with being stunningly handsome, but despite all that, Harrington's fresh twist on things and great writing style make it a solidly entertaining and very quick read.

I loved Clarity. She is funny and sharp, with a good head on her shoulders when it comes to boys. None of this 'he's gorgeous, I must have him" without a thought or solid reason. Face with a cheating ex, she holds on pretty tightly to her convictions. Faced with a swoon-worthy new guy in town who at first seems to connect with her and then shuns her because of her gifts, she stands up and shows that she's got a spine. I also loved her relationship with her mother and her brother. They were loyal and supportive of each other. It was a great dynamic. This plot had a lot of that theme woven throughout each thread...family, how each is different, and how far someone will go to protect theirs. It really made this story stand apart.

Even more than being a paranormal story, this was a fantastic murder mystery. A tourist has died in a small beach town and the suspicions start flying. With the whole incident centering around a popular town hangout, the finger could point at anyone. The investigation twists and turns and my prediction for who the killer was must have changed a dozen times. Even in the very end, I was pretty surprised! Always a good thing---there is nothing worse than a predictable mystery! Well, this one was far from that.

Definitely check this one out for a fun, twisty paranormal mystery! I think fans of The Body Finder and even those who enjoy a good Agatha Christie "who-done-it" story will really enjoy this one!

Visit Kim Harrington's website here.

Purchase Clarity at: Amazon • BN.com • BookDepository

Trailer:

Clarity Giveaway!!
Two lucky winners will receive a beautiful finished copy of Clarity!
Just fill out the form below!
(Giveaway is sponsored by Scholastic and open to US only. )

Enter here!
Contest closes 3/28/11