Rashika, The Book Owl

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

Brigid Kemmerer’s novels are some of the best brain candy out there. They are always so much fun to read, so engaging, and I am always drawn in from the very start. As much as I enjoyedThicker than Water though, it wasn’t nearly as awesome as Kemmerer’s Elemental series.

Thomas was a great character to read about but the book kept trying to paint him as mysterious and I just couldn’t see it. Charlotte kept talking about how mysterious he was, and how people wouldn’t be so vicious if he weren’t a mystery but I was like whaaat? HE ISN’T mysterious. That was partially because I got to be inside his head but also, nothing about him, even from Charlotte’s POV screams mysterious. He is just a kid in a REALLY awful situation.

This brings me to said awful situation. I hated it. I hated that every single person blamed Thomas for his mother’s death and was so AWFUL to him. At one point, I wondered how the book could end in any other way besides Thomas bidding every single person in this book a fuck you and driving off into the sun with 1,000,000 dollars in hand as compensation for his troubles. Kemmerer always writes incredibly family dynamics but I couldn’t appreciate Charlotte’s family as much as I would have if they weren’t such butts when it came to Thomas.

With everyone being so awful to Thomas, I couldn’t understand why Charlotte believed him so easily. Why was she the only sane one? Because he was hot? Because it was logical to not accuse someone of being a murderer at their mother’s funeral? There was such a stark contrast in reactions that it threw me off. I think a more mellowed hate would have helped. This is also one of the reasons why I enjoyed Thomas’s POV more than I did Charlotte’s and also liked Thomas better.

My other problem was the twist. I definitely did NOT like it.Kemmerer does a fantastic job with foreshadowing just the right amount so that it isn’t quite obvious but isn’t random but I didn’t want the twist (does that make sense or do I sound like an annoying child who doesn’t like things?) The twist isn’t surprising but it also completely changes the novels in ways that didn’t work for me. It’s the kind of thing I would want introduced earlier on or not at all.

Having said all of that, I’d be lying if I said I didn't have a shit ton of fun reading this book. The small town, the mystery, everything about this novel drew me in had me flying through the pages. I wanted to know who HAD murdered Thomas's mother and I think Kemmerer did a fantastic job with that part of the reveal. She also blew my doubts about her ability to wrap everything up in a satisfying manner out of the water.

So, if you’re a fan of her Elemental series, definitely check Thicker Than Water out. If you haven’t read them, GET ON IT. If you’re curious about this book, GIVE IT A SHOT. That is all, folks. *drops the mic and leaves the stage*

Note that I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review