BLACKTHORN WINTER

published by Harcourt Children’s Books

ISBN-10: 0152054790

ISBN-13: 978-0152054793

reviewed by Adam Armstrong

10.12.2008

Who done it? He done it. No, it was she who done it. Or maybe they done it? Then again it could have been them who done it.

Fifteen-year-old Juliana Martin-Drake didn’t want to move to Blackthorn, England. She didn’t want her parents to get separated. And she certainly didn’t want her mother’s best friend to be murdered. But with the police wrapping up the murder on a suspect that had nothing to do with it, Juliana and her new found friends set about an attempt to find the real murderer. As she tries to figure out who the culprit is she quickly begins to alienate everyone around her by accusing too many people. The killer, on the other hand, is right on track and getting to Juliana.

This book was like an old sweatshirt on the first cold day of autumn. I don’t read much YA, not even when I was a YA, but I found this book most enjoyable. A few things that bothered me were the repetitiveness, the fact that the blame was being cast about on just about every character in the book and that I was able to guess the identity of the killer right away; unfortunately I’m the type that ruins mystery novels by doing just that instead of enjoying the ride.

Read it: 4.5 out of 5