The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
Review by Lauren
source: copy for review; all opinions are my own
Official Summary: There are ghosts around every corner in Fayette, Pennsylvania. Tessa left when she was nine and has been trying ever since not to think about it after what happened there that last summer. Memories of things so dark will burn themselves into your mind if you let them. Callie never left. She moved to another house, so she doesn’t have to walk those same halls, but then Callie always was the stronger one. She can handle staring into the faces of her demons—and if she parties hard enough, maybe one day they’ll disappear for good. Tessa and Callie have never talked about what they saw that night. After the trial, Callie drifted and Tessa moved, and childhood friends just have a way of losing touch. But ever since she left, Tessa has had questions. Things have never quite added up. And now she has to go back to Fayette—to Wyatt Stokes, sitting on death row; to Lori Cawley, Callie’s dead cousin; and to the one other person who may be hiding the truth. Only the closer Tessa gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer—and this time, it won’t be so easy to run away.
Review: I love a good mystery/thriller and it’s even better when you find one that is YA, because they are kind of rare. Good ones, at least. And The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas is definitely a good one. I loved getting to know Tessa and Callie, years after they sent a man to prison for being the Ohio River Monster, a serial killer who murdered Callie’s cousin. Except it’s been years now and the man behind bars, Wyatt Stokes, is still fighting the case and Tessa is beginning to wonder if they testified against the wrong guy.
Callie is desperate to say Wyatt is the killer in the beginning, because she knows it could upset her family greatly if she says different. Callie and Tessa are both hiding secrets about that time in their lives, but as the book goes on, more and more is revealed, leaving the reader wondering just who is to blame? Is Wyatt the Ohio River Monster? If he’s not, is he a killer at all?
Thomas does a fantastic job at throwing out clues. I honestly did not know who was to blame, and it’s not as simple as “that person is guilty.” Oh no, there are twists and turns and all sorts of dark secrets from the past revealed. This is a book that will keep you up late reading, and as soon as you’re finished, you want to discuss it with someone else!
I wanted to read this as well so I'm so excited that this kept you on your toes!
It's true that it's quite rare mainly that good so thanks for the discovery!
Sounds like an engrossing read! I'm glad you loved it, Lauren.
Ooh this one sounds fantastic – I want to read it!
xx
Mckenzie and I loved this book, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it, too! Definitely a dark YA, and we loved those twists and turns, too! 🙂
~Michele
I've heard very little about this one so far and I'm surprised because it sounds so intriguing. Love the fact that it keeps you guessing with all the twists and turns.
I received an arc of this, but I've had yet to pick it up! I'm really hesitant when it comes to thrillers/mysteries in YA. They never seem to be very " thrilling " but I've heard such great things about this one. I definitely need to pick this up asap. Great review, you've gained a new follower 🙂
This sounds like a great mystery/ thriller. I really like how you entice us to read these with your reviews. It makes me think I need to start reading fiction.
~Lili
http://www.thefashionsalt.com
I think it's great that you've found a good YA mystery – it is a genre that is under-utilised in this genre and yet it has such a lot to offer!
You know, now that I think about it, I don't think I have ever read a YA mystery/thriller! I thoroughly enjoy the ones in the middle-grade and adult genres; even so, this one sounds really good! Especially since it left you guessing throughout the twists and turns 🙂
I just got this and am so excited to read it!
This sounds so amazing! What!? I need this type of book in my life. So Wyatt is not going to be the killer and things are going to get a little crazy. I love it (:
I don't read many mystery/thrillers, but for some reason I really tend to like YA ones. This one sounds like a great read – I'll have to check it out!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
OK, I am in! I love the sound of this book. Who doesn't love a good who-dun-it? Especially one that does not have a predictable ending. Thanks for sharing your review 🙂