Review Detail

In "Chasing Truth," Eleanor (Ellie) Ames is running from a past she can't escape. After turning FBI informant on her con-artist family, she now lives with her older sister Harper and her sister's secret service boyfriend, Aidan. Despite not having any papers (no birth certificates, SSN, or any other documentation), Ellie is trying to make a life for herself. She currently attends Holden, an elite private school, that she was somehow able to get into despite lack of documents and with a scholarship (thanks in no small part to Aidan).

Although she wishes it wasn't, her con-artist upbringing is a big part of who Ellie is, and she must use those skills (to get what she wants) if she is going to investigate her best and only friend's supposed suicide. Ellie was the last person to see him alive when he dropped her off at home after the school dance- and he seemed fine then. So what happened to Simon between those crucial hours?

Add to this that there's a really hot new teen, Miles, moving into the apartment complex who is also attending her school- and apparently investigating the same thing. Together, they just might be able to unravel the events of that night and what actually happened to Simon.

Ellie was an easily likable character, and I loved seeing everything from her perspective. The book has a relatively slow start, and the mysteries were often a little easy to figure out, but that didn't mean that getting there wasn't an interesting and, at times, wild ride! I really enjoyed the book and felt completely invested in Ellie as a person. Not to mention that there are some really steamy make-outs scattered here and there that really keep the romance alive! This book was hard to put down and a really great YA mystery with a heavy dose of romance.

I would recommend to older teens for content- sexual situations, drug abuse, suicide/character death/violence. Although we get closure on most of the main events in the book, I am definitely looking forward to continuing this series- Ellie is a fantastic main character, and I would love to hear how her story evolves. While I see the Veronica Mars comparisons, Ellie is definitely her own person and her techniques are her own. I think fans of YA mystery/romance will easily devour this story, and I'd love to see Ellie get her own TV series!

Please note that I received an ecopy from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.