Borrowing Abby Grace Series: Review

Hello all,

Well, I said you'd be getting a review, and today you are. It's even a twofer. lol. I was contacted by Kelly Green to review her episodic YA mystery ebooks, and here is my review for the first two episodes, The Shadow: Borrowing Abby Grace and Girls Steals Guy:

Blurb (and pictures taken from Goodreads for review purposes only; I do not own them):

Smart and sassy Abby Grace is a seventeen-year-old with a talent for getting out of trouble. Sent to repair the lives and loves of teenagers on the edge of disaster, Abby is the perfect girl for the job. She has everything going for her… except one thing: a body.

     

Title: The Shadow: Borrowing Abby Grace (Episode 1) and Girl Steals Guy (Episode 2)

Author: Kelly Green

Publisher: Back Lit Fiction

Publication Date: 2011

Source: Author/Publisher (Received copy of books in exchange for honest review)

Cover: I completely dig them. They catch your attention and make you go “hmm?” And isn’t that just what every cover is supposed to do? I approve.

Genre: YA Episodic Mystery. You get a complete little mystery in every episode, from when Abby drops into the story to when the case comes to an end.

Plot: The chapters are short, making the story move really quickly. Since it’s written in episode form (i.e. you get a full-slightly-longer-than-short story in each hit), the story progresses quick enough to keep you interested but is short enough to make you want more when it’s done. The story also makes sense to be given in episodes. At first, I worried it’d be like a chapter being sold one at a time, but the story lends itself to a format, and each episode is complete enough to be on its own (as opposed to it being a chapter of a large novel). I don’t think it would really work if they were put together. 

Romantic Element: There are hints of romance, enough to make you want to read later episodes. BUT, and this is huge for me, I was more than okay with reading the story without Abby running after anyone. Girl Steals Guy is especially good in this aspect. (Psst, still read The Shadow: Borrowing Abby Grace first for context—they could be read separately, but they’re cheap enough for you to start from the beginning and get the full picture). 

Overall: These episodes are worth getting into. There’s enough mystery to keep you interested; enough twists to keep you from getting bored; and it moves quickly enough that you can feel accomplished after reading each episode. What’s not to like about that? Fair warning, Abby may sound a little robotic in the beginning of The Shadow: Borrowing Abby Grace, but she does grow on you, and by the time you read Girl Steals Guy, you should like her. It’s a good snack mystery—a.k.a. a full mystery in a little package with a YA twist. Green gives great authentic teen analogies, and I fully support these episodes as being awesome for younger YA and up. (Note: The Shadow: Borrowing Abby Grace is PG-ish, and Girl Steals Guy is more late-PG-13)

Disclaimer: I did not receive compensation in exchange for a review; I did, however, receive a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Here's some places to find out about the Borrowing Abby Grace series and Kelly Green:

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Amazon

Soooo, what do you think? Are you going to check them out? Let me know below!

Happy Reading and Writing, y'all!