review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

pub date: March 1, 2011
publisher: Scholastic Point
pgs: 256
source: ALA Midwinter
appeals: mystery, contemporary, romance, supernatural
challenge: Debut Challenge

blurb from goodreads:
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 Gabriel, 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?


me:
I didn't know much about this book when I started reading it. I picked it up because I thought the cover was awesome. Once I began, I thought the story was awesome, too. Though it's a murder that Clare is helping to investigate, it was really fun. It wasn't too heavy or dark.  

The very first chaper is just one page, a flash forward to near the end of the book. A boy has been shot and is bleeding next to Clarity, while other person (who I just assumed was a boy) has a gun pointed at her head. Chapter two begins nine days before this event. So it's kind of a countdown to the Big Reveal. And the whole countdown I'm keeping track of all the boys that Clarity comes into contact with. The list kept growing...and growing...and growing. Wow, she knows a lot of boys. So I'm guessing which boy was shot and which boy was the one with the gun...and I don't know. It was fun trying to guess.

I liked the different characters, especially Clare. There is a boy that I'm totally rooting for her to get with...but it'll have to wait until the next book. I'm crossing my fingers. 

I also liked the supernatural abilities Clare and her family have. How they play off each other and use their skills in different ways. Clare helping out the police...super cool. Really, I'm glad this is going to be a series. I want to read more.

I did think that Clare was rather stupid at one point in the story. So much so that I almost stopped reading, but I'm glad I didn't. And I really, really did not like her brother. He was a pig. And I'm just glad Clare recognized that. She still loved him and wanted to help him, but she knew he was a pig. I'll be okay if he isn't in the next book. But maybe he'll clean up his act by then?

Anyway, a fun, quick, quirky, murder mystery. I look forward to the rest of the series!