Kim Harrington

Sixteen-year-old Clare Fern, a member of a family of psychics, helps the mayor and a skeptical detective solve a murder in a Cape Cod town during the height of tourist season--with her brother a prime suspect.

Clarity

Vicky  Nuñez 

Rating: 3.5

In the midst of a paranormal YA books Clarity stands out just about enough. I started Clarity with hesitance & by the end of the first chapter I had already labeled it under 'just another paranormal book' category, but I kept on reading & I am thankful for that. 

Clarity is a funny debut by Kim Harrington full of mystery & love. The crime was not your easily solved ones, although I did knew who the murderer was from the start, but your mind keeps changing along with the character from suspect to suspect. 

Clarity is funny, quirky & not the girl next door, I like the fact that she had no friends because in almost all books we have the obnoxious best friends & it was nice to take a break from that. Clarity got clichéish at times, but the romance & the entertainment was always there, so it was not bothersome. 

My biggest issue though it's not with the story, but with the writing. Have you ever watched a movie turn your head a second & missed how the character went from laying on the bed to drinking coffee in the kitchen? Well, that's how I felt about Clarity(mostly at the beginning). The characters would said to do something, but their was given no further description of their actions making you wonder if they went flying away. 

Overall, Clarity really blew my mind compare to most paranormal books. You could sense Harrington's improvement of the story & development as the story advanced & I am sure we can hope for an even more mind-blowing sequel.

Alexandra Mellas

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Publication Date: March 1, 2011

Publisher: Point

Country: United States of America

ISBN: 9780545230506

Original Language: English

Age Group: Young
  

  

Adult

Genre: Supernatural/Paranormal, Romance, Mystery

Buy the Book: Amazon


Lootability: Grab it and go



Clarity is Kim Harrington's debut foray into young adult field. Clarity is a wonderful story about a young teenage girl who comes from a supernaturally gifted family; her brother Perry is a medium who speaks to the dead, and her Mother is a telepath while Clarity – Clare – is a psychic who reads the imprints left behind on objects. When there is a murder in Clare's seaside tourist town, she must put aside old grievances and use her gift to find the killer and protect her brother…all while romance blossoms in unexpected quarters.



What I liked: It's a fun new way of looking at a paranormal teenager; no one was blue or sparkly or anything ridiculous. Clairvoyance is an interesting path to travel that doesn't take the easy route of giving some kind of supernatural creature extraordinary powers that easily save the day. The book reminded me a bit of the Gina Champion series by Kim Wilkins which I used to read when I was a teenager. The subject quite naturally suggests a mystery as the best way to create a story. 


What I didn't like: It all seemed to end a bit suddenly and too easily for me. Without giving too much away, the ending made the book feel like it was setting you up for the story rather than setting itself up as the story. I'm hoping that will ease the transition into the next book.


Clarity was a fun read and I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun summer mystery. The sequel Perception is due out March 12th, so keep an eye out for that!

Danielle H.

So when I first saw this book, I knew I just HAD to read it. The cover itself was incentive enough; it's being gorgeous and all. But the story inself was intriguing and I knew I just had to get my hands on it. So I did (finally!) yesterday, and could not put it down. I had pretty high expectations for this book and I was not let down. Kim Harrington did an excellent job with her debut novel, which delievered a fun, fresh story that was also daring and suspenseful.

Clarity "Clare" Fern's family is anything but ordinary. Her mother, brother, and herself all have unique psychic abilities--her mother can read minds, her brother is a medium, and Clare can see people's past with just a touch. The Fern family live in the small town of Eastport, where they run a family psychic reading business, and are considered freaks by locals, but adored by tourists. The little cape town is a tourist trap during certain times of the years so for the most part the family does really well. But when a teenage girl visiting the town is murdered in a local motel, things get strange. Clare is asked by her ex-boyfriend, Justin, to help solve the murder, by going behind the scenes. The two of them work with the new hot-shot detective's son (who just so happens to be strikingly handsome) to solve the case. Things get especially tough when Clare's brother Perry become's the police's top murder suspect.

Clare is an extremely likeable character. She just like a normal teenage girl, boy troubles and all, only she happens to have a awesome gift. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way.Her gift has actually interfered with her ability to make friends. Her closet friends are her brother and his best friend Nate. She's witty, and always has snarky comebacks for those who mess with her or her loved ones. She also does not put up with those who mock their abilities. Perry was a bit of a player...okay not just a bit, he was a player, but he wasn't really a jerk. He was just...well, he was just an 18 year old guy, need I say more? I loved the close bond they had; you see it alot throughout the book.

And now, the guys. The inevitable love triangle. Well, there's the majorly sweet and smittened ex Justin, and then the mysterious and handsome Gabriel. As with all love triangles, you will be torn between these guys. Its no wonder Clare is so confused by her feelings. Both seem like great guys. I really liked Justin. When you find out why Clare broke up with him, you feel like you want to hate him, but he's so sweet and cares so much for her, that's it hard to. He made a mistake, one that Clare cannot forgive, but hopefully she'll be able to look past that one day. And Gabriel, he has a little past of his own. It's sad really. But because of this, he's very doubtful towards Clare's abilities and doesn't have much confidence in them at first. So naturally, they're attracted to eachother.

Overall, Clarity is an amazing book! It has the paranormal aspect, which is great, but its more of a mystery with a twist. And the love trianlge is always a plus, leaving you wonder, Who will she end up with? I am defintely eager to get my hands on the next book, but alas, it will have to wait until March 2012 :( What ever will I do with myself until then? Lol so anyway, if you have not yet read this book, DO IT NOW! You will not regret it. This is going down as one of my all time favorites.

Lynn Braden

Clarity and her family are all psychics. Clarity can see images from touching other people's things, Perry, her brother, can speak with dead people, and their mother can read people's thoughts. They use their talents by performing readings in order to make a living. When Perry is accused of the murder, Clarity must use her gifts to help find out who the murderer really is. She must also confront her past relationship with her ex-boyfriend and her new feelings for the son of the town's new detective who hates psychics.
The book opens with the end and then jumps back in time to tell the story of the last nine days. Several suspects and clues are introduced throughout the story, keeping the reader guessing right up until the end. Clarity is a very sympathetic character, bravely facing not only the town's disdain for gifts, but also trying to deal with many of the same issues that face most teenagers. There were a few loose ends that were not tied up at the end of the story, but I assume they will be dealt with in the second book in the Clarity Series, Perception. Overall, a very good young adult mystery.

Clarity

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