Nova Ren Suma's "The Walls Around Us"

Nova Ren Suma's "The Walls Around Us" , in short, was confusing. A 3 star read for me. I have not read any of her books prior to this one so I cannot compare this to her other novels. This book is a YA paranormal thriller told from the perspectives of 3 teen girls- two living and one dead. This book had been on my to-read list for a few months now. 

The writing style is catchy and at times breathtaking. The author has a real way with words. I just wish she spent as much time planning the plot because this book is a jumbled mess. At times the story just seems to ramble and left me confused, wondering what had just happened and what was to come. The plot twists did leave me wanting to read more, but for all the wrong reasons. I was dying to try and make sense of it all. The characters were believable, yet not relatable. Perhaps that is the main reason I just couldn't fully engulf myself in this book. 

The overall theme is about friendships. Dark pasts, secrets, and lies can mold a friendship or tear it apart. Jealousy and envy can result in making bad decisions and snap judgments that turn into maddening rage, resulting in scenarios that turn a person's life upside down. The ending was interesting and unexpected but very confusing and unsatisfying in my eyes. A very dramatic book, but not entirely fascinating. The author gives you just enough mystery and thrill to keep you reading but it never comes to the satisfying climax you were hoping for. 

I will keep this review short, without much detail, because I do feel that this book is interesting enough to recommend, though not very engrossing as a whole. The less other readers know, the more they can enjoy it. I do think I have some reader friends that will love this book. In the hands of the right reader this book could be a 5 star book. I didn't love it, but I did like it. A very unique YA book.