When a teenaged girl with a bad reputation is murdered in New York City's Central Park after a party, her childhood friend is determined to solve the mystery of who caused her death.
Books
Young Adult Fiction
The Girl in the Park
The Girl in the Park http://www.yabookscentral.com/media/reviews/photos/thumbnail/200x285s/71/41/25/_img61719_1335259207.jpg
Author(s)
Publisher
Genre(s)
Age Range
14+
Release Date
April 24, 2012
ISBN
0-375-86843-7
Editor reviews
When Wendy's mother calls Rain very early in the morning asking if Rain saw her former friend at a party the night before, we know something is wrong. When Wendy's body later shows up traumatized at a playground in Central Park, the girls' entire private school is thrown into chaos. At first, police suspect a vagrant in the killing, but soon Nico, a popular boy whom Wendy was trying to steal away from Sasha, becomes a suspect because of Wendy's interest in him. Rain is very effected by the murder, since she missed her friend and now feels that there is no one really sticking up for Wendy due to her increasingly skanky behavior. Rain tries to follow clues that a reporter gives her, tries to get help from teachers, and above all, tries to help the world understand that Wendy was more than her violent death.
| Overall rating | 3.0 | |
| Plot | 3.0 | |
| Characters | 3.0 | |
| Writing Style | 3.0 |
Murder in the Park
When Wendy's mother calls Rain very early in the morning asking if Rain saw her former friend at a party the night before, we know something is wrong. When Wendy's body later shows up traumatized at a playground in Central Park, the girls' entire private school is thrown into chaos. At first, police suspect a vagrant in the killing, but soon Nico, a popular boy whom Wendy was trying to steal away from Sasha, becomes a suspect because of Wendy's interest in him. Rain is very effected by the murder, since she missed her friend and now feels that there is no one really sticking up for Wendy due to her increasingly skanky behavior. Rain tries to follow clues that a reporter gives her, tries to get help from teachers, and above all, tries to help the world understand that Wendy was more than her violent death.
Good Points
It was interesting that Rain has a cleft palate and is uncomfortable with her own speech. I don't know of any other books where a character is facing this issue, although I have had a couple of students with repaired cleft palates.This was an absorbing mystery with a fair amount of plot turns, and the nastiness of the high schoolers will make this popular. This is, however, definitely a high school book.
Bad Points
Wendy's sexual behavior is alarming, and the inappropriate relationship that lead to her death is one that I could see coming. Again, high school. This could have been middle school with a few tweaks until I found out who the murderer was.
Do You Recommend?
Maybe
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User reviews
Average user rating from: 2 user(s)
When Wendy Geller's body is found in Central Park after the night of a rager, newspaper headlines scream,"Death in the Park: Party Girl Found Strangled." But shy Rain, once Wendy's best friend, knows there was more to Wendy than just "party girl." As she struggles to separate the friend she knew from the tangle of gossip and headlines, Rain becomes determined to discover the truth about the murder. Written in a voice at once immediate, riveting, and utterly convincing, Mariah Frederick's mystery brilliantly exposes the cracks in this exclusive New York City world and the teenagers that move within it.
| Overall rating | 3.7 | |
| Plot | 3.0 | |
| Characters | 4.0 | |
| Writing Style | 4.0 |
Good Read for Fans of Speak
When Wendy Geller's body is found in Central Park after the night of a rager, newspaper headlines scream,"Death in the Park: Party Girl Found Strangled." But shy Rain, once Wendy's best friend, knows there was more to Wendy than just "party girl." As she struggles to separate the friend she knew from the tangle of gossip and headlines, Rain becomes determined to discover the truth about the murder. Written in a voice at once immediate, riveting, and utterly convincing, Mariah Frederick's mystery brilliantly exposes the cracks in this exclusive New York City world and the teenagers that move within it.
Good Points
Good depiction of high school drama
Rain is an excellent, unusual heroine
Author writing from experience (speech trouble)
Tough issues
Rain is an excellent, unusual heroine
Author writing from experience (speech trouble)
Tough issues
Bad Points
Minor believability issue
Do You Recommend?
Yes
Was this review helpful to you?
(ARC received from Random Buzzers)
| Overall rating | 3.7 | |
| Plot | 4.0 | |
| Characters | 3.0 | |
| Writing Style | 4.0 |
The Book with a Story
(ARC received from Random Buzzers)
Good Points
There were two main reasons why I really liked this book. The mystery was definitely the first thing about the book that drew me in. I love love LOVE a good mystery that delivers. That is realistic. The Girl in the Park definitely has this. Throughout the whole book I found myself nodding my head in agreement whenever Rain suspected somebody. By the end of the end of book, I found myself going Ah-ha! So THAT'S who did it!, because I honestly didn't know.
The other aspect was the story behind the mystery: Rain's friendship with Wendy (the dead girl). Although I would have loved to have learned more about what exactly Wendy did that made Rain go through such a drastic change, I could see how Rain changed because of her. I love seeing Rain continue to solve the mystery despite how scared she was.
This a definitely a novel you should pick up. 4 stars!
The other aspect was the story behind the mystery: Rain's friendship with Wendy (the dead girl). Although I would have loved to have learned more about what exactly Wendy did that made Rain go through such a drastic change, I could see how Rain changed because of her. I love seeing Rain continue to solve the mystery despite how scared she was.
This a definitely a novel you should pick up. 4 stars!
Do You Recommend?
Maybe
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