This was a really good young romance with mystery and also some supernatural elements. I get why some other critiques that I read that didn't think the author set up the paranormal bit very well, the clues were subtle. I enjoyed the relationship between Charlotte and Thomas very much. I do wonder if Thomas' power affected Charlotte's feelings for him or if she has powers as well. I suspect that she's largely immune to them, and that she has clairvoyant dreams.

Brigid Kemmerer did a really good job making me sympathize with Thomas and I got very angry at the way he was treated by almost everyone in their small town.

Enough is left unresolved that I would definitely read a sequel. ( )

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Really a 2.5 stars.
This book started out so well. I liked Thomas and Charlotte, the storyline was interesting and the alternating POV worked well. And then ... the last half of the book had me scratching my head in confusion and disappointment. It was so obviously rushed that interesting threads of the plot just 'poof' disappeared into the ether. If I could rate this book in halves, the first would be 3.5 and the second would be 2. Sigh. ( )

I have read three Brigid Keemerer before this and all of them were absolutely fantastic.
This book though was surprisingly bad.
Thomas's mother is murdered.
Charlotte is a girl whose whole family is in the police business.
Initially, I thought it would be about Thomas's angst. It's not. I thought it would be a murder mystery, it's not.

SPOILERS

Thomas's mother is murdered while he is sleeping. He has moved to a new town as his mother just remarried. He is suspect number 1. The entire town beleives he did it.
Charlotte's whole family assumes Thomas is guilty.
I simply could'nt understand Charlotte's continuous attraction to Thomas. Later when she beleives he attacked her, she is still trying to meet him. That was completely unbeleivable.
They bring some weird concept of JB and Thomas being empaths but there is nothing to give Charlotte this ability. However suddenly she dreams an older murder.

All in all nothing about this plot was convincing ( )

Gripping book about murder, romance and brothers. Tom was the only one at home when his mother was murdered. All the doors were locked and there was no sign of forced entry. His mother was married to one of the local policeman and everyone in the small country town thinks that Tom did it. Enter Charlotte who looks at Tom and believes he is innocent. The two get talking at his mother's funeral which ignites the wrath of one of Charlotte's three cop brothers who all believe Tom is guilty. A punch is thrown and Tom ends up missing his mother's funeral because he is in the lock up.
Charlotte can't seem to stay away from Tom despite her brother's warnings and Tom is more and more ostracised. Then the two discover letters sent to Tom's mum from a boy claiming to be her son. The two wonder if there is any connection to her murder. Or does it have something to do with a girl who was murdered in similar circumstances two years ago and the perpetrator was never caught. Has he struck again?
Told in alternating chapters between Tom and Charlotte, we explore love and lust and the power of emotions. Recommended for older readers due to the violent nature of the murders and an attempted strangulation sex scene in the latter part of the novel. ( )

4.5 stars.

Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer is an outstanding young adult mystery. With a slight supernatural element and a hint of romance, this perplexing whodunit is sure to be a hit with both young adult and adult readers.

Thomas Bellweather is the chief (and only) suspect in his mother's murder. The small town police force is convinced he is guilty, but with no evidence tying him to the crime, they cannot arrest him. Things go from bad to worse for him once he strikes up a tentative friendship with Charlotte Rooker, the only person besides his stepfather to believe in his innocence. Ignoring her cop family's strenuous objections, Charlotte continues to secretly meet Thomas but trouble seems to follow them every step of the way.

Grieving his mother's loss and angry over the police's rush to judgment, Thomas is trapped in an untenable situation. He is lonely and isolated at his stepfather's house and his attempts to go about daily life are met with suspicion from the local residents. His new friendship with Charlotte is the only bright spot in his life, but their encounters usually end in disaster. Thomas tries to take his stepfather's advice to maintain a low profile, but his resentment continues to grow as the police fail to uncover any leads in their investigation.

Although not 100% convinced of his innocence, Charlotte is willing to give Thomas the benefit of the doubt. She is angered by her family's continued insistence that he is guilty and she grows frustrated by her brothers' overprotective behavior. While Charlotte is a little naive and innocent, she refuses to let her family keep her from helping Thomas prove his innocence.

The mystery element of the storyline is well written and suspenseful while the romance aspect of the plot is understated and simmers in the background for much of the story. As Thomas and Charlotte dig into his mother's past, they discover shocking and somewhat puzzling family secrets. However, as they investigate their findings, the story takes an unexpected shift into the supernatural. This stunning plot twist is crucial to identifying his mother's killer but Thomas and Charlotte are ill-prepared for the shocking revelations they are about to uncover.

Well written with plenty of twists and turns, Thicker Than Water is a fast-paced and compelling novel with a unique storyline. Thomas and Charlotte are likable and sympathetic characters that are well-developed and easy to relate to. Brigid Kemmerer brilliantly weaves the various elements into an engrossing mystery that I highly recommend to readers of all ages. ( )