Review Detail

This is a fast-paced, quick read, and I really enjoyed the way the story is built around the scavenger hunt. Finding the items and working through the clues provided an interesting backdrop to the constant tension and drama between the main characters. I also appreciated that there's a definite arc to the storyline, and that most of the characters have changed between page one and the end.

The only thing that kept me from loving this story instead of just liking it was the main character, Mary. I just didn't like her. I found her to be shallow, self-absorbed, and insensitive. And I didn't see anything redeemable in her until the very end. Which meant that I was constantly wondering how any of her friends could stand to put up with her, I didn't care if she won the hunt and attained her goals, and I didn't believe her friends when they gave her compliments. However, Mary does learn some hard lessons about herself by the end, and she begins to change as a result. Because a reader's response to a character is purely subjective, I don't think this should keep someone from trying the book. Just because Mary wasn't my kind of heroine doesn't mean she won't be perfect for someone else.