Maddie Flynn is 16, a Jr in high school, and shy. She has a best friend named Stubby and that’s it. Her mom is an alcoholic and her uncle is a lawyer, but lives a couple of hours away. Ever since her dad died, she’s been taking care of herself and her mom. But there’s one thing I didn’t tell you about Maddie. She can see the date a person dies by looking at their forehead. That’s where the numbers are and when she was little she had no idea that’s what they were or that she was the only person who could see them. Her dad’s death was the catalyst for knowing what the numbers were. Because the date he died matched the numbers she saw.
She and her mom earn some extra money to help support themselves by reading people their numbers. Or someone in the family since Maddie can see the numbers in photos and video as well. She sees them all unless they’re too far away or have something covering their forehead. But it’s these readings that land her in trouble with law enforcement when kids loosely connected to her are kidnapped then brutally murdered. How is she going to prove her innocence now?
Wow. I thought the blurb was interesting, but I had no idea how compelling this story would turn out to be. I couldn’t put it down. Poor Maddie. Her life has been hard, but it’s about to get a whole lot harder. The kidnappings, the murders, the investigation are a shitton to deal with, but there’s also her alcoholic mom on top of that. And on top of THAT are the bullies at school. So much crap coming at her on all sides, but she handles it fairly well. Sort of. I mean, she’s still only 16 so it’s okay that she loses it a few times. I think anyone would, really. Or just go on a shooting spree. She does not do that, btw.
The characters, the world, the pacing, and Maddie’s voice make this a sweet spot story. Add in a murderer that’s hard to pin down and you get a fantastic paranormal mystery. I was sad, mad, and enraged throughout the book. The one thing I was not? Bored. If you like YA Paranormal Murder Mysteries with tons of heart then do not pass this one up.
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