Author: Kathleen Lee Dodds
Published: June 17, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Family Life, Drama, Mystery, Suspense.
Rating: ★★★☆
Amazon summary:
Helen an impetuous teenager and High school outcast is on summer holiday. She lives in a seemingly idyllic rural town. Her friends include Rhonda, a waitress who lives with her dope dealing brother and Dennis the dyslexic son of an accountant who has just started his own landscaping business. They are all friends of Janice who has disappeared.
It seems to Helen that she is the only one who feels that her friend is in trouble. The more she seeks the truth the more secrets Helen reveals. About her friends and about the hidden relationships that bind the town together.
*Thanks to the author for supplying me a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review*
Emma's thoughts:
Helen Firling has a sixth sense. She knows things that nobody else does. And that makes her different.
Her family is constantly telling to behave 'normally', not draw attention to herself, and to simply, keep her mouth shut. Honestly, I thought parents were supposed to encourage children to strive for uniqueness, but I suppose making wild accusations from person to person isn't the greatest way to stand out.
Helen and her friends, Rhonda and Dennis are hell-bent determined to find out what happened to their missing friend, Janice. Thing is, Janice disappears all the time and always eventually comes back in one piece, so of course, no one dares to think she might actually not come back this time. Except Helen and Rhonda. Dennis is just there as the codebreaker and muscle.
The journey Helen, Rhonda, and Dennis is an immensely frustrating one. There's nothing I hate more than inconsiderate, insensitive and close-minded adults who just don't, and won't ever understand anything. Those adults that believe they know best for everyone without consulting first. Who see the world perfectly through their eyes but can't step out of their shoes into others and try to empathize. I just really, really despise people like that.
Quotes like these just made me want to shoot them:
...and the further down the page (Heather, Helen's sister to Helen)"People around here, in order to get ahead, they want you to fit in. As far as knowing things that you really shouldn't, people will always think of you as wacky. That's not how you want other people to see you."
"At school, you're already a square peg in a round hole, don't make it that way in life."
YOU'RE HER FAMILY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT HER AS WHO SHE IS!
*takes a deep breath.* You see a lot of those people in Losing Janice. Helen's mother, father, grandma, 'God', and pretty much every other adult in the novel. The only possible exception might be Dennis's mother. Maybe.
That being said, Helen and Rhonda are wonderfully, enlightening characters. They're unique and refreshing to read about. Rhonda's 'lingo' is easy enough to catch on with and rather entertaining to read. I wish I could say the same about Dennis though. He's your typical boy.
He reminds me of my ex actually. Looks absolutely charming and funny,
but once you get to know him...
I'm damn proud of Helen. Despite everyone telling her she should shut up and stay behind the scenes, she was brave enough to stand up for herself and do exactly what she believed what she thought was right. And really, that's the moral of the story. Do what you think is right. Don't let anybody else define and shape your life. Stay true to you.
Overall rating: 3.5 stars~ A compelling and captivating mystery!
First:
She could see nothing wherever she looked. It was black.
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