This is my favorite – FAVORITE – version of 90s nostalgia & summerween-vibes in book form!
Susan Dennard picked a niche and delivered!
I fell head over heels for the characters, the atmosphere of City-on-the-Berme and the high school rivalry. I can easily see myself reading this book every year, like a slightly spooky version of Gilmore Girls. If I could visit City-on-the-Berme in real life I would! I loved that the setting in the late 90s meant that technology wasn’t as advanced and fast, that research was more than a quick scroll on google and made finding clues that much more satisfying.
I can’t even say what my favorite part was, because every element worked so well together and the conglomeration of it all is what makes this story so incredibly special. I loved being inside Freddys head, learning about her family, her friends and her values; how she didn’t stop because it got hard or when people didn’t believe her, she is a lovable, headstrong, stubborn character.
The plot moves quite fast, I was bound to my ereader and did not want to leave this world behind. The last 40% went crazy, I was under as much stress as Freddie, my heart was pounding like my life depended on her solving this as well. I slept only 5 hours before heading to work but I could literally not put the book down because it was so tense. My heartbeat was still wilding after finishing and falling asleep was kinda hart. Which is to say that I loved every second of this.
