Melissa Marr

Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital to discover she possesses a strange new skill—the ability to foresee people's deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from her hit-and-run accident, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva's power to keep their friends—and each other—from falling into the hands of a killer. This contemporary romantic suspense novel from five-time New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr earned widespread critical acclaim, with Kirkus Reviews calling it a "riveting whodunit that delivers a bouquet of teen romance, paranormal, and thriller." And BCCB declared, "Between the suspense, the horror, the romance, and the wit, this will have equal appeal for fans of Sarah Dessen and Rosemary Clement-Moore." A stark departure from her fantasy settings, this Southern Gothic, racy thriller gives fans old and new chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance.

Made for You

Monicap

Not the kind of thing I normally read, but overall a decent story.

My main problem is that I just expected more from Melissa Marr. I adore the Wicked Lovely series, and this is the first non-Wicked Lovely book by Melissa Marr I've picked up, and it was good, but I think it could have been so much BETTER.

The setting, for example. Books set in small southern towns can have the loveliest writing to help portray that (the only example I can think of is Beautiful Creatures, though I'm sure there are others), but honestly? If the characters weren't constantly mentioning that they lived in a small southern town, I think I would have forgotten.

Another thing is the whole mystery aspect. I don't know exactly what was wrong with it, but I think that my problem is that there was NO WARNING. Of course, being too predictable would be bad as well, but there were NO CLUES throughout the book. And maybe the only person who has a problem with that is me.

And I wasn't really invested in any of the characters. Yes, Judge was such a trip to read about, but I didn't really like him, and I wasn't to impressed with Eva or Grace, either.

Again, this book is probably than I am making out it to be. I'm not familiar with this genre, and I expected more from Melissa Marr.

Contemporary, racy thriller packed with chilling twists, unrequited obsession and high-stakes. From New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr.

Made For You

Chrissy

Hannah

4.5 stars.

holy crap that was intensely good

Chantale

I had never read any books my Melissa Marr before but I have been wanting to for a while.

I am so glad I read Made For You. It is a wonderful but creapy book that kept me guessing who done it. It is very well written and it did keep me reading and this cover is so beautiful. 

I don't usually read YA thrillers but I love this one and I will be buying this in hardcover as soon as I can because I know I will be reading this again in the future.

Elad Schulman

This is probably the most disturbing book I have ever read. At times I wanted to put it down, and near the end, I had to skim chapters because I couldn't read about some of this plot. Other than that, I enjoyed this book, and although some things weren't tied up in the end, it was fast paced and enjoyable. Also, can I just say, I PREDICTED THE PLOT TWIST. which made me happier than it should have.

Jessica Nottingham

Well now, this book surprised me! When it was first offered to me for review, I was understandably thrilled. Melissa Marr has never left me disappointed. I'll grant you the fact that I was also a little nervous, simply because Made For You is a break from what Marr normally writes. I was promised something contemporary. A dark, sinister thriller that would keep me reading well into the night. I'm happy to report that all of that was quite true.
 
Eva Tilling stole my heart. There are no words for how refreshing it was to have a popular female character who isn't a total witch. See, Eva grew up in the Southern elite. A group of people who, based on their money and status, essentially run the entire town. You'd expect her to be a spoiled, petty girl, no? No. In fact, Eva is one of those characters who is instantly likable. Honest, funny, sweet, and just that hint of rebellious that I love. The fact that she felt the pressure to be more, and still held onto her own personality, sold me on her character. I couldn't have been happier.
 
Actually, I think the whole idea of this story taking place in Eva's hometown created some great atmosphere. Southern Gothic stories about the decay of the aristocracy have always been my favorite. Watching those who have everything slowly fall apart intrigues me. In this case, I wouldn't say Made For You is exactly a Southern Gothic story, but it does have some of those elements. The fact that this town of people is more than willing to cover up certain occurrences, in order to save face with the public, only heightens the feeling that there are secrets brewing beneath the surface.
 
I could go on about the deliciously palatable tension that flows through this book. I could rave about the fact that, for the first time in a long time, I didn't have to suffer through a love triangle. Or that the killer's POV was done quite well. There's a lot I could say, but I'd rather let you discover it for yourself. Any small qualms I had about this book were far overshadowed by what what I loved. I found myself hanging on every word, right up until the ending. If you haven't yet added this to your reading list, I'd suggest you do! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with this YA thriller.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

Though I received an eARC of Made For You a few months back, I decided to wait until I could get the audiobook instead… especially after I heard there was a killer POV involved. I’ve only read one other book with a killer’s POV, and let me tell you… CREEPY!! I thought this was the perfect book to read in the Fall, right before Halloween when scary, creepy books were on the brain. And let me tell you, this one definitely have me the chills.

I have to admit in a huge baby. I cringe at shows like Criminal Minds (which I used to really enjoy, but for some reason I just can’t stomach them anymore) and horror movies. So no, this one is quite as scary or creepy as a horror film that will leave you shaking and unable to sleep. But compared to the other books I normally read, this book made me uneasy. The fact that the audiobook had three separate narrators made the creep fact even stronger to me, as it really brought these characters to live… specially the killer.

It wasn’t all creeptastic thriller though. There was also a romance. I loved how it was subtle and not overdone, yet still a strong, perfectly sweet romance. This story focused quite a bit on friendship and family, and how the strong bonds and ability to stick together through the hard times could really change (and save) a life.

This is my first Melissa Marr book, but it won’t be my last. Her writing was intense and drew me right in. If you’re looking for a mystery that will keep you on your toes, this is a book for you.

Audiobook Impressions:
I get so excited when I start an audiobook and I find out there is more than one narrator. Sometimes having just one narrator is plenty… but when you have three separate POVs, having the separate narrators for each character really adds quite a bit to the story. Our creepy killer POV was performed perfectly by MacLeod. His voice alone was strong, powerful, and intimidating. I’ve heard many books narrated by Shannon before and have loved them all. She’s really a fantastic narrator and can perfectly narrate almost any role. Samantha was new to me. At first I thought her voice sounded very young and innocent… and this ended up being spot-on for the part she placed. Three great narrators that completely brought this story bone-chillingly to life.

(Thanks to HarperCollins for the review copy!)

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