Author: April Henry
Publisher: Henry Holt And Company
Publication Date: June, 2014
Genre: Teen / Young Adult / Mystery
Description: In this new series told from multiple perspectives, teen members of a search and rescue team discover a dead body in the woods.
Alexis, Nick, and Ruby have very different backgrounds: Alexis has spent her life covering for her mom’s mental illness, Nick’s bravado hides his fear of not being good enough and Ruby just wants to pursue her eccentric interests in a world that doesn’t understand her. When the three teens join Portland County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, they are teamed up to search for an autistic man lost in the woods. What they find instead is a dead body. In a friendship that will be forged in danger, fear, and courage, the three team up to find the girl’s killer—before he can strike one of their own.
This first book in April Henry’s Point Last Seen YA mystery series is full of riveting suspense, putting readers in the middle of harrowing rescues and crime scene investigations.
My Thoughts: The Body In The Woods by new to me author April Henry is the first book in a series about three teens who are members of a search and rescue team. While on a search for a missing man, they discover the body of a young girl. The trio soon realize a serial killer is on the loose and decide to work together to solve the mystery before one of them becomes his next target.
Though this story did not pack a high level of intensity, it’s a good start to the series and holds a lot of promise as we learn more about Alexis, Nick and Ruby. I enjoyed meeting these characters and getting to know them. They are an awkward group that do not know each other very well but a friendship begins to bloom and becomes stronger as they work together to solve the crime. I thought each character was unique and interesting as more is learned about them and the reader gets to see firsthand into the lives of each one. The author does a good job of capturing the voice of each character’s personality and bringing them to life on the page.
The story moved at a good pace and the author does not mire down the reader in unnecessary details. I was able to guess the identity of the killer fairly quickly but I enjoyed seeing it all play out and wondering how the teens would get the police to help.
My Final Verdict: Good start to a series that will appeal to fans of young adult themes and mysteries. What the book lacks in suspense and intensity delivers with interesting characters that will draw the reader in to find out what happens next.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Body In The Woods from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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