The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas is about Monica, a young girl who lost her sister, Jen, to suicide five years earlier. Also, five years earlier, two cheerleaders died in a car accident, and two cheerleaders were murdered causing the school to disband the cheerleading squad and start a dance team (seems like the same thing to me). Monica is trying to find out why her sister killed herself and falls into a web of secrets that she didn't expect to find.
Okay, usually I start a review by telling you all what I liked about the book, then I lead into the things I didn't like, however, that is not what I am going to do this time, mostly because there wasn't a lot that I did like.
First problem is that the main character isn't named until pretty far into the book. I didn't even know what the main characters name was until later when someone addressed her in conversation. It was annoying to go through the book not knowing what the characters name was, and it was confusing because I wasn't sure who was being spoken to. This book is written in first person, which I don't mind, but it was not written well. Another problem I had with the main character was her lack of, well, anything. She kept stating she needed to talk to people and ask them specific questions, but when she did confront or speak with people she never asked the questions she went to ask. She was seriously whiny, and she repeated herself over and over, which also became annoying. Monica was not a likeable, or interesting character, and where we start in the beginning of the book seems to have almost no relevance to the rest of the book, except as something that is supposed to maybe drive the plot and further her depression.
Second problem is I don't know why I should care about all of the dead cheerleaders because they died so long ago. If this book is trying to be a thriller or murder mystery, it doesn't do a good job because there is no reason for me to care about the dead girls, or care about why Monica is trying to find out what happened. I don't get to know any of the dead girls except for Jen, but the only reason I got to know anything about her was to see how depressed she was, and maybe learn why she committed suicide.
There were a lot of secrets in this book, and only a few of them interested me in the characters. Mostly, they seemed like red herrings, put out there to lead me or mislead me in what is going on, or who might be a killer.
The ending wasn't as satisfying as it could have been, and seemed abrupt. It almost seemed as if the author didn't know how she wanted to end the book, and she sought out the easiest way to do so.
This was the first book I've read by Kara Thomas, and I hear that it isn't as good as her other books, especially Little Monsters. I may go back and read one of her books that is considered better, partly because I like giving most authors the benefit of a doubt and partly because I would like to see if her other books are actually better. I wish this had been up to my standards, but when you write about depressing characters with no redeeming values it makes it hard to care about them.
Okay, usually I start a review by telling you all what I liked about the book, then I lead into the things I didn't like, however, that is not what I am going to do this time, mostly because there wasn't a lot that I did like.
First problem is that the main character isn't named until pretty far into the book. I didn't even know what the main characters name was until later when someone addressed her in conversation. It was annoying to go through the book not knowing what the characters name was, and it was confusing because I wasn't sure who was being spoken to. This book is written in first person, which I don't mind, but it was not written well. Another problem I had with the main character was her lack of, well, anything. She kept stating she needed to talk to people and ask them specific questions, but when she did confront or speak with people she never asked the questions she went to ask. She was seriously whiny, and she repeated herself over and over, which also became annoying. Monica was not a likeable, or interesting character, and where we start in the beginning of the book seems to have almost no relevance to the rest of the book, except as something that is supposed to maybe drive the plot and further her depression.
Second problem is I don't know why I should care about all of the dead cheerleaders because they died so long ago. If this book is trying to be a thriller or murder mystery, it doesn't do a good job because there is no reason for me to care about the dead girls, or care about why Monica is trying to find out what happened. I don't get to know any of the dead girls except for Jen, but the only reason I got to know anything about her was to see how depressed she was, and maybe learn why she committed suicide.
There were a lot of secrets in this book, and only a few of them interested me in the characters. Mostly, they seemed like red herrings, put out there to lead me or mislead me in what is going on, or who might be a killer.
The ending wasn't as satisfying as it could have been, and seemed abrupt. It almost seemed as if the author didn't know how she wanted to end the book, and she sought out the easiest way to do so.
This was the first book I've read by Kara Thomas, and I hear that it isn't as good as her other books, especially Little Monsters. I may go back and read one of her books that is considered better, partly because I like giving most authors the benefit of a doubt and partly because I would like to see if her other books are actually better. I wish this had been up to my standards, but when you write about depressing characters with no redeeming values it makes it hard to care about them.
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