Wednesday, December 7, 2011

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:

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

Happy Reading and Writing, y'all!

19 comments:

  1. the idea of the cover really is great, but it is purely executed, unless they really wanted for faces to be so unmatched and disconnected. They should've maid the upper faces smaller.
    Nice review, Kelso!

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  2. I LOVE YA and mysteries; I'd definitely like this one. Thanks for the great review :0)

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  3. The covers are very effective in my opinion. This kind of mismatch has been used by advertisers for years on television.

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  4. That blurb totally took me in, and I love the covers too :) Nice blog, by the way. I'm a new follower.

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  5. Not quite my cup of tea, but thanks for the review!

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  6. Another good book I must read! And I'm with Jen. I like the covers!

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  7. Aw, these sound like so much fun! And the covers definitely catch your eye.

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  8. Hey there Kelley!
    This sounds really different and interesting. I like the covers as well, and the concept sounds great! Thanks for stopping by my blog, and also, I noticed you like Blue Oyster Cult :D Me, too!
    Hope you have a great one,
    Ninja Girl

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  9. Sounds like a fun series - thanks for the tip! I love the covers too :)

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  10. This sounds like fun! I always like to discover new books, so thanks for sharing!

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  11. You're right about those covers. They are intriguing, and make me want to know what the books are about. Thanks for the review. The books sound intriguing, and I love mysteries!

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  12. Interesting concept for a mystery series. Enjoyed the review!

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  14. Sounds like an intriguing read and the covers are interesting.

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