Olivia Samms

This book was a first reads.

Sketchy by Olivia Simms is an ok mystery.

Bea Washington is a recovering addict, but that's not the remarkable thing about Bea. In rehab, Bea discovered that she had the ability to "draw the truth out of people." She can listen to one person talking about another person (or sometimes just by getting lost in thought), and draw a perfect likeness without hearing a physical description.

At her new high school. Bea hears about another girl's rape. The victim claims to not remember the face of the man that attacked her, but Bea is able to draw a perfect likeness of the killer. She takes the sketch to the police, but they do not take her seriously. So she sets out the find the rapist/murderer herself, and she almost falls victim herself.

The story is a little weak because it is not very believable, but it is an ok read for teens and young adults.… (altro)

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I'm not sure why. I know that sounds really weird. I always mention in all of my reviews that I never give a book 5 out of 5 stars. Why? Because a book is never perfect. A 4 in my head is probably a 5 in anybody else's. I guess I'm just a mean critic. That being said, I guess you could say that I actually liked this book.

I'm not really a fan of paranormal or stories about raping. But, this book was quite the page turner. Sketchy is a quick and exciting read that you can't put down. Mystery after mystery. Heart pounding scene after heart pounding scene. Just because you can't stop reading the book doesn't mean that it didn't have issues.

This next part isn't really considered a "spoiler" section. It's just me explaining things. No harm will be done if you read it.

I thought some parts could be boring, and some of the characters were undeveloped. You really don't get much background on the character of Willa. She's introduced in the beginning, but then, you don't really know why she's acting like such a bitch after she tell's Bea the truth about the raping. Willa needed help and she decided to tell Bea the truth. Then why does she have to turn on her and act like that? That was underdevelopment in the character to me. I couldn't put the pieces together. Maybe it was just me.

I have to say, the character of Chris was my favorite. He's funny, quirky, witty, and one of the best gay physics that I'v read about. I loved him.

I don't know. I usually have loads of thoughts on a book right after I finished it. I'm writing this review about 6 hours after I finished it. Maybe that's why.

It's a good book. A page-turner that I suggest you should read. I now must have the sequel.… (altro)

Although this book has a soft touch of paranormal to it, the story is mostly realistic fiction. This is a beautifully done introduction to what will hopefully be a successful series.

Samms has crafted a vibrant character in Bea. Bea is Afritalian American, artistic, and brilliant. The only thing is, she's a recovering addict. What makes me love this book even more is that Bea comes from a healthy, if loud and emotive, home. Her demons come in the form of classroom bigots, friends who are worse than enemies and her own insecurities.

Too often novels create an extreme drama to explain drug/alcohol use. Samms doesn't go there. What she does do is show that a person is not the sum of their mistakes, but rather a celebration of all their successes and the lessons they learn via their mistakes.

I'm ready for book 2 now...please!… (altro)