Publishing Date: October 3, 2017
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 320
Young Adult Mystery/Thriller
The Premise from the Publisher: "Skye Thorn has given tarot card readings for years, and now her psychic visions are helping the police find the town's missing golden girl. It's no challenge-her readings have always been faked, but this time she has some insider knowledge. The kidnapping was supposed to be easy-no one would get hurt and she'd get the money she needs to start a new life. But a seemingly harmless prank has turned dark, and Skye realizes the people she's involved with are willing to kill to get what they want and she must discover their true identity before it's too late" (HMH).
My overall thoughts and review: I absolutely loved Eileen Cook's last book With Malice, so when I heard she was coming out with a new one, I knew I wanted to read it! The premise of this book sounded really interesting as well, and I loved the idea of tarot readings and psychic visions being incorporated as well. To begin with, I really wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, but I did not expect it to go the route it did. There were many surprises and to be honest, I didn't see any of them coming. I was pleased that Cook was able to surprise me! I kept thinking that I had the whole bit figured out, but I definitely didn't. The story follows Skye, who has been known to elaborate on stories when she was younger (about her dad), and now she gives fake tarot readings to earn some money to move to New York with her best friend, Drew. She finds it hard to save because it's just her and her mom trying to make ends meet, and along comes an opportunity where she has to play a harmless small role, and move an investigation along in order to earn some money. Things don't go as planned, and it gets incredibly complicated. More secrets are uncovered and a bunch of lies unravel. You honestly begin to question everyone. I don't want to say too much because it really is hard to discuss the book without spoiling it, but you really see how different family dynamics work in the novel: Drew and her family, Skye and her mother, and Paige and her parents. It is so interesting how all three differ greatly, and it tackles just how far you will go for your family, or just how far you won't go. I really enjoyed this book and I honestly finished it in one evening! Eileen Cook will always be an insta-buy author for me and I really hope she continues writing mystery/thriller YA reads in the future. Definitely check this one out if you enjoy thrillers.
My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮ (4/5 stars)
Available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo, Kobo Books, Amazon, and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)
Author Question and Answer
Q: The Hanging Girl is quite different from With Malice since there are aspects of tarot reading and psychic visions, but how do you think your character Jill from WM would fare in THG world?
Jill has to find her strength over the course of the book With Malice. She’s been in her friend Simone’s shadow for years. Initially, she isn’t sure how to cope with the things that have happened. She’s crushed when people (both people she knows and total strangers on social media) turn on her and say nasty things. I admire her for digging deep to find her strength and realize that ultimately, what matters the most is what she thinks of herself.
I admire Skye, the main character in The Hanging Girl, for being a fighter. Things haven’t always been easy for her. Skye doesn’t always make the best decisions, but she’s active in trying to do something to make her life better. She doesn’t sit back and complain. I always respect people who at least try.
However, I think Jill would do quite well in the world of The Hanging Girl. Both of them are willing to face some harsh truths to figure out how far they will go to survive.
Don't forget to swing by other tops of the blog tour to check out more content from other book bloggers and more Q&As with Eileen. Many thanks to Eileen for stopping by today!
Disclaimer: An advanced reader's copy of the book was provided by Raincoast Books for participation in the book tour. All opinions of the book are my own.
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