Book Review~ The Dead List by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Oh my god. I am FREAKING in LOVE WITH THIS BOOK.

It was the summer of love

L-L-Love

L-l-Love

*pretends she didn’t vibe to Shawn’s amazing song*

Jennifer L. Armentrout, I’ll defend this book with my humble life. Well the part that’s left, since this book took most of my soul.

Okay, I’ll gush later, let’s start with this review.

It’s Ella’s senior year of high school and she and her best friend Linds plan to make it the best year ever. At Brock Cochran’s end of summer pool party, the girls vow to have as much fun as possible before they head off to different colleges next fall. But when Ella is mysteriously attacked on her way home from the party, everything changes. Ella’s carefree senior year plans disintegrate as she finds herself at the center of an attempted murder investigation.

Ella tries to move on, but her attacker isn’t done yet. He shows himself in the form of horrifying signs and symbols: a clown mask strewn on her bed, a dead bird in her backpack, a shadow moving past her window in the night. And as the weeks pass, it turns out that Ella isn’t the only one being tormented.

With the help of an old flame, Jensen Carver, and her friends and family, Ella tries to attain some sense of normalcy, but she can’t seem to shake the feeling that there’s a dark pattern hidden in the killer’s every move. Suddenly, even those in her innermost circle seem suspicious. In her seemingly safe West Virginia town, Ella starts to wonder who she can trust. 

If you know me, you know I’m addicted to highschool mystery novels.

If you know me, you also know that most book endings don’t satisfy me.

I’m pleased to inform you ‘The dead list’ not only checked both the boxes, but also kept me, anticipating, turning the next page and wanting to read the whole damn book in one go.

The story starts with a bittersweet flashback. 4 best childhood friends – Ella Mansfield, Jensen Carver, Gavin Shaw & Penn Deaton ,who don’t know the ways of the world yet. Then, something bad happens. (I know exactly what happened, but I won’t tell you ’cause it’s a spoiler).

Since elementary school, we had always found a way to be together. We were peas to each other’s pods

You know how when something bad happens, people either stick together or fall apart? In this case, our quad of friends dript apart. Time skip. One is a jock, other is a normal guy, and the third one is our protagonist, Ella.

With years of growing up, hiding secrets, immature decisions, rush, impulsive, innocent and yet the set of events and choices when they made when they 13, ended up with tragedy and they were never, ever the same again. Some burdened more or less with guilt, their friendship evaporated in their highschool years, they acknowledged each other but they never fully revoked the once solid ties.

The group of friends that one were the closest, now just walk past each other in the hallways.

Until, people started missing in the small town of Martinsburg.

Ella got attacked by a man with a creepy clown mask on and she was lucky enough to escape and was helped by her once best friend, a boy who broke her heart years ago, a boy whom she shared her first kiss with – Jensen.

Slowly they re-establish their friendship while supporting each other while their town is being shattered by the mysterious “missings” of girls who are found dead, one by one. As time passes, it’s even more evident that all the missings and “clues” left by the killer are all interlinked and connected to this small circle of people that, in one way or the other, took part in that very same tragedy all those years ago.

And Ella seems to be the only one who got away and the tormenting clues are just the warning of what’s yet to come.

But why now? Why after 4 years? Who?

And this whole time, you never saw what was right in front of your face.

The one who Ella never ever thought would do this, turned out to be a hideous monster. It was fascinating really, how he justified his actions, his screwed up motive and broke Ella’s heart.

You all forced me to do this, because I had to somehow make it right. You all made me do this. So I created a list – a dead list.

I’m in AWE of this book. I was guessing the killer over the first part of the book, and I was wrong. Then I tried guessing again, and I was wrong AGAIN.

The ending. This book had the BEST ENDING I’VE EVER READ IN MYSTERY NOVEL. Like I’m so astonished. I don’t want to ruin it for you guys. But believe me, be sure to expect a BAM ending.

Each chapter, each page had me anticipating the next. I was turning pages (virtual) at the speed of light. I was ADDICTED to this book. All the clues, the murders, everything was perfect.

The romance was top notch, the plot was amazing, very suspenseful, makes you bite your nails (I don’t do that, because it’s HORRENDOUS) till the very end.

I really really liked this book, do yourself a favour and read it.

I recommend it to people who like- mystery, highschool, drama, suspense but above 14+.

That’s it for this review! Do let me know your thoughts on this supercalifragilicousexpialdocious book.