The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman (Review)

Genre:	Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Boarding Schools,
Publication Date:	July 10th 2012
Pages:	324
Published By:	Schwartz & Wade Books (an imprint of Random House)
Website	McCormick Templeman
	The Little Woods on Goodreads
My review copy:	Received from Evie :]

Where to get:

Are the woods behind St. Bede's Academy really haunted, or does bad stuff just happen there? When Calista Wood, a new student, arrives midway through her junior year, St. Bede's feels like a normal school... until she discovers that a girl had disappeared a couple of months earlier. Some kids think she ran away, others think she was murdered, but it's only when Cally starts digging around that she finds the startling truth.

Watch as Cally enters a world of privilege, weekend-long parties, high school romances, and... well-kept secrets. This page-turner will appeal to teens looking for a fast-paced thriller. Written in a voice at once gripping and crystal clear, debut novelist, McCormick Templeman, will take readers on a twisting and turning journey as only a "new girl" can experience.

Just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean its not real.

I felt self-conscious the next morening as I pulled on my Dickies and perfunctory black T-shirt. I surveyed my situation in the mirror. I didn't know what Alex was talking about. I thought I looked fine. I'd cut the shirt myself so that the neck hole displayed my clavicle. That was sexy, wasn't it?

No offense, but sometimes you looks like Robert Smith mated with a mouse. Like, a construction-worker mouse.

     I thoroughly enjoyed The Little Woods. It was an easy read and it kept my attention throughout the entire novel. I think that Templeman wrote a very good debut. And I am looking forward to more novels by her. While I agree with a lot of the 2-star criticisms, I definitely don't think the book deserves two stars. It was a good story.

     Calista, aka Cally, (I love that name) irked me at times because I just wanted her to make a decision. But even with that flaw I couldn't be too mad at her because I am the same way when it comes to making decisions. However, I still liked her as the main character and I really enjoyed her story. I just really liked Cally. I understand her. Many may not, but I do.

     The school itself is a little creepy. I mean students going missing and all, yea definitely a bit creepy. And, honestly, if I were Cally, I would not have gone to school there after my older sister going missing; even if they did offer me a full ride. Screw that.

     To me, the mystery was a little lackluster because it was kind of predicting. However, going through it with Cally made it interesting. It was important to see Cally figure everything out. Another thing that a lot of people didn't like was Cally's relationship with Alex. A lot of people say it doesn't make sense. Which is partly true. It doesn't make sense in the way that it does make sense. I looked back at some of the boys I dated back in high school and they didn't make sense to me. But they did at that time. And if I hadn't gone trough the weird little relationships that I did, I wouldn't be the same person that I am today.

All-in-all, I really liked this book. It was fast-paced and very easy to read and get through. I will definitely be on the look out for more of McCormick Templeman novels.

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