Category Archives: Hannah Jayne

Review: The Revenge by Hannah Jayne

Title: The Revenge by Hannah Jayne
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery/Suspense
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From the author of Truly, Madly, DeadlyThe Escape, and Twisted, comes another edge of your seat thriller sure to keep you guessing until the last page.

After a bad breakup, Tony’s ex-girlfriend Hope embarrasses him in front of the whole school and spreads vicious rumors. Tony is devastated and in a moment of revenge, he makes the location on her phone public. But a week later, when Hope calls Tony and begs him to stop the prank, he hears a shriek and a car door slamming. Then the call is dropped.

Too late, Tony realizes that he may have put Hope’s life in danger. Can he trace Hope’s movements and save her before times runs out?

Review:

In The Revenge by Hannah Jayne, an acrimonious break up between two teenagers puts one of the pair in danger after a retribution prank goes wrong.

Not so popular Tony Gardner cared deeply for  his now ex-girlfriend, popular Hope Jensen, but after growing weary of her mean streak, he ended their relationship.  She quickly retaliates despite their seemingly amicable split by embarrassing him in front of their classmates.  In an attempt  to get even with her, Tony signs her up for free samples and on line dating sites.  He also makes an ill-fated decision to include Hope’s address which he quickly regrets after she is abducted. However, Hope is well-known for  her need to one up everyone which makes Tony believe she faked her kidnapping in order to teach him a lesson. The police and the media take Hope’s disappearance very seriously and Tony immediately falls under a cloud of suspicion.

Tony’s decision to put Hope’s personal information on line is just the first of many ill-advised choices he makes.  Despite his conviction that Hope has been kidnapped, a tiny seed of doubt sends him rushing headlong into stupidity where he then makes one mistake after mistake. Tony  thrusts himself in the middle of the investigation even though he is WELL aware of the fact the police suspect he is behind her kidnapping.  His judgment is severely lacking as Tony continues to act impulsively without giving any thought to how his negatively his actions will appear to the police and the media.

Hope’s parents host a local television morning show and she is mostly ignored by them until they need her to help boost their ratings. She is quite popular despite being a mean girl who is quick to enact revenge on anyone who dares to cross her. Despite her reputation for vindictive behavior, would Hope really go so far as to fake her own kidnapping to get even with Tony for his latest salvo in the revenge wars?

Despite the unlikable characters and the somewhat over the top escalation of events, The Revenge is initially quite suspenseful.  However, it does not take long for the tension surrounding Hope’s disappearance to dissipate and although Hannah Jayne does throw in a completely unexpected plot twist, an eyebrow raising revelation late in the story is a little too ridiculous to believe.  While all of the loose ends about Hope’s disappearance are completely wrapped up, the novel’s abrupt conclusion is a somewhat unsatisfying.

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Filed under Contemporary, Hannah Jayne, Mystery, Rated C, Review, Sourcebooks Fire, Suspense, The Revenge

Review: Twisted by Hannah Jayne

Title: Twisted by Hannah Jayne
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Guilty until proven innocent…

Bex has always been her daddy’s little girl. After her mother left, it was just the two of them. Sure he spoiled her with clothes and jewelry, but what father doesn’t dote on his daughter?

Except Bex’s dad is alleged to be a notorious serial killer. Dubbed “The Wife Collector” by the press, her father disappeared before he could stand trial. And Bex was left to deal with the taunts and rumors. Foster care is her one chance at starting over, starting fresh.

But Bex’s old life isn’t ready to let her go. When bodies start turning up in her new hometown, the police want to use her as bait to bring her father in for questioning. Is Bex trapping a serial killer or endangering an innocent man?

Review:

Twisted by Hannah Jayne is a suspenseful young adult mystery.

Changing her name from Beth Anne Reimer is just the first step for Bex Andrews as she begins a new life in Kill Devil Hills with her new foster family. Seven long months after her grandmother’s death, she is quite eager to leave behind the legacy of her suspected serial killer father. Dubbed “The Wife  Collector” by the media, Bex’s dad vanished before he could be tried for his crimes. However, due to the notoriety of the case, Bex and her grandmother were vilified by their neighbors and they essentially lived in seclusion. Now living with a terrific family who have no idea about her past, Bex’s happiness is quickly marred by a series of murders that are eerily similar to ones her father is alleged to have committed ten years earlier.

Bex is a relatable yet, extremely frustrating, character. On the one hand, it is impossible not to feel empathy for everything she has endured. She feels responsible for her father’s arrest and she continues to harbor doubts about his guilt even in the face of overwhelming evidence that refutes his claim of innocence. Bex is incredibly naive and extremely gullible which makes her very easy to manipulate. She is also plagued with self-doubts which become tired and repetitive as she constantly lets these fears overrule her common sense. These annoying traits along with her fears, nervous reactions, excessive crying, throwing up and inattentiveness quickly wear thin and make it virtually impossible to like Bex by the time the novel ends.

With most of the focus on Bex and her past, the secondary cast of characters suffer from a lack of development. Her foster parents are quite supportive and while it is understandable Bex wants to escape from her past, at some point, she should have confided in them and asked for help. Bex is quickly befriended by some of her new classmates but they remain rather one-dimensional. Her new romance with Trevor moves at lightning speed and although he is quite charming, his character also falls a little flat.

The mystery aspect of Twisted is certainly intriguing and Hannah Jayne does an excellent job keeping readers wondering if the current murders are, in fact, connected to The Wife Collector case. However, Bex’s continued belief in her father’s innocence seems highly improbable when all of the evidence against him is revealed. Some of the storyline is certainly eyebrow raising but completely implausible so be prepared to suspend disbelief as the plot unfolds. The conclusion is predictable yet satisfying since all of the loose ends are completely wrapped up. 

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Filed under Contemporary, Hannah Jayne, Mystery, Rated C+, Review, Sourcebooks Fire, Twisted, Young Adult