April Henry

While helping the Portland County Sheriff's Search and Rescue to seek a missing autistic man, teens Alexis, Nick, and Ruby find, instead, a body and join forces to find the girl's murderer, forming an unlikely friendship, as well.

The Body in the Woods

Zoe Smolen

This is one of the books that really makes me wish Goodreads had half stars. (Why don't we yet?) I liked the story, though that may have largely been my connection to the setting. I felt like some of the characters were a tad annoying and cliche. But overall, it's a fun YA mystery. 

Unlike a lot of YA mysteries, this one very much sticks to things that might happen in real life. As much as I love the PLL series, this is completely different in all the best ways. It was quite refreshing. I will more than likely check out following books in the series.

Jessica Nottingham

The Body in the Woods has been on my reading list since it published in mid 2014. I've heard some good things about April Henry's writing, from some trusted book friends. Plus, I can't deny that I enjoy a well written mystery! Especially if it's a well written YA mystery. If an author can keep me guessing, and avoid the ever present love triangle? My name is written all over that book. So yes, I had some pretty high hopes for this book. It's been a while since a mystery book has found its way into my currently reading list.
 
Anyway, and apologies for the rambling, I can definitely say that April Henry gave this mystery a massive effort. She crafted three very different characters to tell the story from their own points of view, and I very much appreciated their various personalities. There's Ruby, the girl obsessed with facts, organization and true crime. Alexis, a girl whose home life doesn't match at all the facade she puts on every day. Finally, there's Nick. Our lone male protagonist, he has a hero mentality. All Nick wants, more than anything, is to save a life. It might seem like these three wouldn't mesh, but they do! Having all of their viewpoints didn't always feel necessary, but at times it was nice.
 
I'll fully admit that this book is addictive once you start to really get into it. Even though I figured out the killer towards the middle, the story was well written enough that it kept me reading. The pace was good, and the plot was too (even if it was a slight bit predictable). The real problem with The Body in the Woods is that it fairly forgettable. It follows the rails that you'd anticipate a book like this would, even though I desperately hoped for a twist. This is the first book in a series though, so I'd be willing to give the next a shot!

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 a 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, The Body in the Woods is full of riveting suspense, putting readers right in the middle of harrowing rescues and crime scene investigations. This title has Common Core connections.

A Point Last Seen Mystery

Nia Hamalainen 

This book was a really good murder mystery, it was not as predictable as some might think and it is based in a city I am very familiar with so that just made it even better. 

The Body in the Woods

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