Book Review ~ "When" by Victoria Laurie

When by Victoria Laurie
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley (received to review)
Genre: YA Mystery/Suspense
Publication Date: January 13, 2015

Book Description:  Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers, but it takes her father’s premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually death dates, and just like birthdays, everyone has one.

Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching death date of one client's young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not thehow, she’s unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie.

Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect for the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attentions of a mysterious young admirer who may be connected to it all, Maddie's whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it's too late? 

My thoughts; Maddie has an ability to see the death dates of everyone. She has always had this ability but didn't know what it meant until her father was killed. To her it is a curse, she wishes that she had the ability to change the number and give people the opportunity to prolong death.

She lives with her alcoholic mother. Her mother influences her to read peoples forehead for money, providing the means for vodka purchase. A successful reading goes horribly wrong when she sees the death date of the clients son, only a week away.

Now Maddie is being investigated for murder by the FBI. The bullying in her school is taken up a couple of notches. If not for her best friend, Stubby, her life would be horrible. He is one of the keys to helping her hold her life together. But when Stubby is implicated, life goes downhill pretty quickly.

This book is a murder mystery. Maddie is trying to prove her innocence, while trying to help the FBI stop the killer. She wants to help, but doesn't know how to change what she sees. The plot takes some turns when Maddie finds herself the target of the murderer.

I found this book to be intriguing. I liked the characters, but didn't relate well to them. It was a good book with quite a bit of action and suspense.

The book contains some innuendo and swearing.

Pre-order a copy:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository