Cold Light

by Jenn Ashworth

Mystery

Book Description

I’m sitting on my couch, watching the local news. There’s Chloe’s parents, the mayor, the hangers on, all grouped round the pond for the ceremony. It’s ten years since Chloe and Carl drowned, and they’ve finally chosen a memorial-a stupid summerhouse. The mayor has a spade decked out in pink and white ribbon, and he’s started to dig.

You can tell from their faces that something has gone wrong. But I’m the one who knows straightaway that the mayor has found a body. And I know who it is.

This is the tale of two fourteen-year-old girls, best friends, and one terrible summer when lies, secrets, jealousy, and perversion ended in tragedy more tangled and evil than a tight-knit community can possibly believe.

A dark tale with a surreal edge, Jenn Ashworth’s gripping novel captures the intensity of girls’ friendships and the dangers of a predatory adult world they are just grown up enough to think they can handle. And it shows just how far that world will go, sacrificing truth in the name of innocence.

MY THOUGHTS: DID NOT FINISH

This book started off in a promising manner–within the first few pages, a body is dug up on live television.  But after that, things started moving verrrrryyyy slooooowwwww.  Right after the prologue, the story goes back into the past.  Which is not bad in and of itself, but it went back and forth so repeatedly that I had a little trouble following.

The book centers around Chloe and Laura, 14 year olds who are friends.  The friendship came off as less than genuine, though.  Laura seemed to have a lot of resentment toward Chloe…which I almost understood because Chloe wasn’t really the best person.  Both girls engage in a whole lot of behaviors that are very adult…so I don’t recommend this book for teens.

The writing style is what led me to my DNF rating.  The story was interspersed with other stories, to such a point where it takes way longer than it should just to tell about an event.  I found myself skipping entire paragraphs and skimming, a lot.  In the end it was just taking too long for anything to happen, for my liking.

Someone who appreciates a mystery that unfolds slowly might enjoy this book, but unfortunately it was not for me.

About the Author

Jenn Ashworth’s first book, A Kind of Intimacy, won the U.K.’s Betty Trask Award. She lives in Preston, Lancashire, with her family and writes an award-winning blog at http://www.jennashworth.co.uk.

You can also follow Jenn on Twitter and like her on Facebook.