Reviews provided by Syndetics
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Skye Thorn is desperately in need of some quick cash. Her best friend, Drew, is moving to New York after graduation and is under the impression that Skye has been saving up to make the move with her. In reality, Skye has managed to save next to nothing, barely making enough money reading tarot cards to feed herself, but the last thing she wants is to let her friend down. When the mysterious "Pluto" proposes a dangerous moneymaking scheme, Skye agrees, imagining all that money in the bank and her problems solved. Pluto's plan is simple: kidnap the rich daughter of a judge, use Skye's "psychic gifts" to lead the police to the girl, and split the ransom. Skye would save the day and rake in an easy $12,000. But nothing is as it seems in this clever and dark thriller, and soon the situation becomes deadly. As Skye tries to figure out how the perfect crime has gone perfectly wrong, she wrestles with parts of her own identity that she's hidden from herself for years. Though the supporting characters are somewhat two dimensional, many readers will relate to the strong protagonist and her responses to the dissolution of a lifelong friendship, as well as her struggles with money and self-esteem. The twists lead to a satisfying if unsettling ending that will leave teens wondering what they would do in Skye's situation. VERDICT A surprisingly dark thriller that will find a home in libraries where there is a need for strong female protagonists and engrossing mysteries.-Leighanne Law, Scriber Lake High School, WA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Skye has never believed in her mother's psychic powers, but she gets by on observation skills alone to make some cash from gullible classmates who want their futures told via tarot cards. With best friend Drew wanting to move to New York after graduation and Skye's finances running dry, she gives in to the mysterious Pluto's plan kidnap Paige, the spoiled rich daughter of the town's judge; demand a ransom; and use Skye's gifts to provide clues to her whereabouts and safe return. The perfect plan goes awry when the ransom is denied, Skye's mother horns in on the limelight and starts having visions, and Paige winds up dead. With no ransom to be split, Skye must determine whether she can help solve Paige's murder without exposing herself as a fraud and potential murder suspect. Though Cook's story does not offer anything revolutionary to the mystery genre, it is fast-paced; features a very relatable, down-on-her-luck protagonist; and boasts a surprise twist that will leave readers arguing long after the book is over. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers.--Tomsu, Lindsey Copyright 2017 Booklist
Horn Book Review
Scam tarot-reader Skye doesn't really believe in psychic visions. She also doesn't believe she'll ever escape her boring Michigan town or her infamous reputation. When Skye comes forward with a "vision" about a missing classmate, what was an innocent-enough moneymaking scheme deteriorates dangerously. Despite its over-the-top twist, this thriller is attuned to the lies people tell to keep dark secrets. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Book Review
A fake psychic gets involved in a fake kidnapping.Named Candi by her then-teen mother, Skye has always used her middle nameand disdained her mother's belief in psychic abilities. It's her observational skills that let her give tarot card readings that she hopes will let her afford to live in New York after graduation with her best friend, Drew. But lower-class Skye doesn't have the money, and she doesn't know how to tell solidly middle-class Drew, which is how she gets wrapped up in a plot with Paige, the popular wild-child daughter of a judge. Paige will pretend to be kidnapped, and Skye will tell the police she's had visions of Paige, leading to a ransom demand that's sure to be paid. The plot unravels when Paige's father refuses to cooperateand then things go fatally wrong. With her lies piling up and her mother drawing more attention to herself, Skye needs to get to the bottom of the affair. When she learns the killer's identity, though, it will change everything. Unfortunately, the murderer's identity comes so far from left field it undermines what would otherwise be an interesting, provocative ending. The class divide in this town in the "boring middle" of Michigan is well-portrayed, though racial and ethnic diversity are only hinted at in passingDrew is a brown-skinned queer womanand the text subscribes to the white default. A twisty but ultimately perplexing mystery. (Mystery. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.