Review Detail

Reader reviewed by librariane

Ingrid enjoys red, soccer and acting. She dislikes math, the orthodontist and her older brother (who is an up and coming football star). Her dislike of getting her teeth straighten starts the entire story, as she decides to walk to soccer practice after her appointment, only to get lost. She ends up meeting Cracked-Up Katie and when Kate is found murdered a few days later, Ingrid must do everything she can to hide the fact she was at Kates house. As she tries to stay away from the police, Ingrid finds herself getting more and more interested in the mystery, as strange things begin to happen. She also does a lot of research, which proves to be near fatal when she discovers the murderer.

Overall, this is a thrilling mystery that kids and teens will enjoy, especially those that like a girl sleuth. Ingrid is a likeable character, and Abrahams has drawn her realistically, from her family relations to her budding romance to her fear of doing the wrong thing (either to get into college or get caught for being at the crime scene). The book ended rather abruptly, though, which was disconcerting, and I was ready to smack Ingrid several times throughout the book as she tried to cover up her involvement with Kate. A couple of things felt a little unfinished as welllike her braces were quite prominent at the beginning, but kind of dropped out of the picture near the middle and end. There also is a little gratuitous language thrown in. Some of it fits, but most really wasnt necessary. I did enjoy how she did research and how she managed to do well at math and soccer when she wasnt concentrating so hard on doing well (her subconscious took over). Overall it was a nice mystery.