Title: “Exposure”
Series: (Twisted
Lit, #2)
Author(s): Kim
Askew & Amy Helmes
Publisher: Merit
Press
Publication Date: January
18, 2013
Genre: YA
Reviewed by: Books4Tomorrow
Source: Received
from Publisher via NetGalley
My star rating: 5/5
SUMMARY
The Twisted Lit-sters are back, this time with a sinister tale
about how the quest for high school royalty can lead to death -- a twist on the
darkest of all Shakespearean plays, Macbeth
Shy shutterbug Skye Kingston likes life behind the lens, but if
she has a crush on Craig, The Man Who Would Be Prom King, she’s going to have
to go through a sociopathic social-climbing cheerleader to get to him. But
there are more cold-hearted doings among the seniors at an Alaskan high school.
No one knows who pulled the trigger when Duncan, the gorgeous captain of the
hockey team, died, and even if people do know, they’re certainly not saying a
word. Desperate to find out what really happened, Skye sets out to uncover the
truth, but what she doesn’t realize is that the grim journey might just lead to
her own demise.
REVIEW
After I
finished reading Tempestuous by the
same authors, I just couldn’t wait to read Exposure.
I was immensely impressed by the writing style of these two ladies with their
first Twisted Lit novel, so naturally I had high expectations of Exposure, and I wasn’t disappointed in
the slightest. Admittedly, I haven’t read Shakespeare’s Macbeth, so I can’t draw any comparisons to his novel, but on its
own, Exposure is – in my opinion - a
literary masterpiece. There were so many things I loved about this book I
hardly know where to begin.
What
instantly drew me into the story was Skye’s character. I liked that she wasn’t
the stereotypical, rich-kid beauty queen with a bevy of followers who ruled the
school with an iron fist. Her introverted, behind-the-scenes nature made it
easy for me to connect with her, and her daily struggles will strike a chord
with many readers. Surprisingly, even though I didn’t like her at all, I also
felt sympathy for Skye’s nemesis, Beth. I appreciated that the authors took the
time to develop her character not as a cold-hearted antagonist, but as one with
weaknesses and teenage angst, and one who is also a victim of circumstance.
Overall I found all the main and supporting characters to be three-dimensional
and written with depth in such a skilful manner which allows readers to
effortlessly establish that connection on an emotional level, and thus draw
them deeper into the story.
Although
the blurb may be interpreted as this being a murder mystery, there really is so
much more to this multilayered novel than what I originally thought it would
be. Skye and Craig go through such transformation in the space of a year, that
by the end of the book they aren’t the same characters as the ones we meet at
the beginning. Taking the journey with them through their final year in high
school, I often laughed, cried, and at one point experienced absolute fear.
From a soulmate found and lost, parting ways with new friends and old, dealing
with separation, having to leave home, breaking out of her shell, learning to
trust, to growing up and moving on; this novel without a doubt has something
for every reader.
In
short, Exposure is an exceptional
read and it left me with so much to think about. The ending is perfect and the
title sums up in one word the gist of this story. A solid, fast-moving plot
with realistic characters and true-to-life situations, written in a voice for
today’s young adult, makes this an unforgettable read that will leave you begging
for more from what is looking to be the literary world’s newest power duo.
I
received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley, in
exchange for an honest review.
READ more REVIEWS
Exposure by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes has 24 reviews on Goodreads. Read it here.
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT the AUTHORS
Kim Askew, co-author of Tempestuous: A Twisted Lit Novel,
whose work has appeared in Elle and
other magazines, is a content manager for the Webby-winning teen site www.fashionclub.com, for which she has
covered the Teen Choice and MTV awards.
Amy Helmes, co-author of Tempestuous:
A Twisted Lit Novel, is co-author of Boys
of a Feather: A Field Guide to American Males and is also a weekly
contributor to The Rundown, a free
daily e-mail service that keeps subscribers informed on what's new and cool in
LA.
Both Kim and Amy think Shakespeare understood the young's true
love and pain like no other, from Hamlet's sorry stepdad to Juliet's trauma
drama, hence this literate farce, based on "The Tempest."
AUTHOR LINKS
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