REVIEW: Clarity by: Kim Harrington

Title: Clarity

Author: Kim Harrington

Publisher: Scholastic Point

Release: March 1, 2011

Synopsis:

When you can see things others can't, Where do you look for the truth?

This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case- but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother- who has supernatural gifts of his own- becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Review:

It had been a while since I've read a mystery novel, so I wasn't sure whether or not I would be able to get into this book. Clarity caught my attention real quick. The fact that it had a paranormal factor added in made it that much more enjoyable. I've always thought it would be neat to be able to hear what people are thinking or to be able to get visions from touching objects.

Clarity "Clare" Fern, our main character, lives in a Cape Cod tourist town with her mother Starla and brother Perry. They run a family business together, giving psychic readings to the tourists. The three of them each have a different but unique gift. Clare can touch an object and get visions from it, Starla can read peoples minds, and Perry is a medium and can talk to the dead.

 Clare is an outcast at her school because of her talent and is constantly having to deal with other kids bullying her. She always has to watch her back so Tiffany, her biggest tormentor, doesn't do anything to her.The only friends she has are Perry and his best friend Nate.

An eighteen year old tourist girl ends up being murdered and the mayor enlists the help of Clare to hurry up and get the case solved because it is an election year plus the tourists are worried and cutting their vacations short. She'll have to work closely with Gabriel, the hot son of the newest detective in town, who doesn't believe that psychics are real. Perry winds up landing right in the middle of the police investigation as the prime suspect because he can't keep his pants on and Clare will do anything to clear his name. 

I thought Clare was a neat character. She didn't have a problem telling people what she thought and did a good job of standing up for herself. She's had to develop a backbone and thick skin. I liked how the author also showed that she is not made of stone and some things do bother and hurt her, and leave her vulnerable and raw. That made her seem more real.

I just want to know, Who in the world names their child Periwinkle? When I first learned Perry was short for Periwinkle, I thought to myself "That poor guy has probably had it worse than his sister". But no, apparently he has had it pretty easy with people excepting him for what he is able to do. I found that kind of weird because come on the dude talks to dead people. You would think he would be just as much of an outcast as what Clare was, if not more of one.

When we first meet Gabriel Toscano it looks almost like things might be turning around for Clare but then he learns that she is the "nutjob" he is supposed to work with. You eventually find out what his big beef with psychics is and it'll throw you for a loop, but you get an understanding for all the hate.

Justin Spellman is Clare's ex-boyfriend. At the beginning of the book I absolutely couldn't stand the guy. To me he seemed like the biggest jerk in the world. Plus, he has the nerve to go and ask for her help, who was he kidding? It's a good thing that Clare has a good head on her shoulders and some excellent morals. But as the story progresses I started to realize that he's actually a pretty good guy.    

There were plenty of twists and turns in Clarity. The minuet I thought I had figured everything out, BAM!, another twist. The momentum and progression of the story was very smooth and never lagged. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat, dying to know what happens and how it ends.  I would definitely recommend this book to people who love mystery and paranormal genres alike. 

(c) 2015 Andrea Hatfield All Rights Reserved