Review: Now You See Her by Lisa Leighton and Laura Stropki

Title: Now You See Her

Author:  Lisa Leighton and Laura Stropki
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books

Publishing Date:  June 26th, 2018

Pages:  320
Genre:  YA Mystery

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  ARC

 

AMELIA has always felt like a happy life is just out of reach. Having moved every few years with her mom and sister, she’s always had a hard time making and keeping friends; there’s never enough time, and never enough money to stay in one place. And now, in her senior year, right before tennis season, Mom wants to move again.

SOPHIE has a perfectly curated, Instagram-ready life, from her first singles wins to her cute, long-term boyfriend to the beautiful, landscaped home where she lives with her parents. Though they’re tennis teammates, the two girls almost never speak.

But then one night changes everything. When Amelia’s car breaks down on the side of the road in a rainstorm, a man she thinks is a Good Samaritan pulls over to help her. When he tries to abduct her instead, she escapes into oncoming traffic.

In one inexplicable moment, Amelia and Sophie switch bodies. Amelia wakes up in Sophie’s body. Amelia’s body is in a coma. Now Amelia needs to find a way to switch back into her own life—but before that, she must retrace her steps to unravel the mystery of the accident, her attempted abduction, and how it’s all tied to her mother’s secret past.

I didn't know what to expect when I first received this book. It sounded interesting, I just didn't know what kind of read it would be. It's not fully mystery, supernatural/paranormal- or contemporary. Its a little bit of them all. For the most part I would say mystery. It was a good mystery too. It kept me turning the pages. It was a quick fun read. 

Amelia has moved many times over the years. Where she is now she has been longer than any time before. She loves her life in this town. She is good at tennis and she is good at school. She doesn't have many friends, but she has her sister, Mae. She is happy. Then one night everything changes. 

Amelia is head home, a man tries to abduct her, and when she tries to run away, Sophie hits her with her car. Amelia wakes up in the hospital in Sophie's body and her body is in a coma. No clue how or why this happened, she is determined to figure out who the man was and why he was trying to abduct her, also try to find out how to get to her own body again... oh and warn her sister, Mae, about the man that tried to grab her. 

Amelia soon finds her life, her mother, nothing is what it seems. She also discovers that Sophia's life isn't as perfect as she always thought. 

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the mystery part of the story. Who the man was, what did he want, was Amelia and Mae safe? Really this is what kept me reading. It was also entertaining to watch Amelia navigate through Sophie's life. The writing was good, the plot was interesting, the pacing was set just right. The only thing I didn't really get on with, the entire body switching thing was never explained. I am confused how this fit into everything. I mean it was good it happened because Amelia couldn't investigate while in a coma, but it was never explained how it happened. That was left a mystery. The mystery was good and I could figure some of it out but it took me a while. The author did a great job weaving everything together. 

I really liked Amelia as a character. I felt she had a great head on her shoulders, I felt she was responsible and down to earth. A little angsty but she was a nomad teen, not by her choice. I guess that would cause anyone some angst. She is also very upset that her mother has been hiding things from her for her entire life. So, yea I understood her and she was really easy to connect too. 

I didn't get to know Sophia as much as I wanted to but I enjoyed what I did find out about her. I like her story and how her story intertwines with Amelia's. That was one part of the story I never expected. 

There was a teeny tiny bit of romance and it was sweet. It was barely there though. This was okay by me since there was no way to really work in a great love story. This story was more about family secrets and self-discoveries. 

It was a good read and I really did enjoy it. I just needed a bit more around the body switching and then it would have been a great read. 

Quick fast read and very enjoyable. 

Lisa Leighton and Laura Stropki are the coathors of Now You See Her. They are sisters who live in Cleveland, Ohio. They have two husbands, five children, and two dogs that are technically half brothers. The sisters grew up fighting over terrible clothes and sharing Harlequin romance novels and Christopher Pike mysteries. Their goal is to write the kind of books they would have stayed up all night reading without killing each other. So far so good.