Geez, was not expecting that. This makes things very interesting

See all my reviews at my blog onebookishgirl I really enjoyed this book! Sara Shepard is currently queen of young-adult thrillers! I mean not much can top Pretty Little Liars. This book follows the same sort of direction, girl goes missing then turns up dead. However, the plot was still refreshing, fun and full of whodunit mystery! I loved ALL the twists, whilst some were predictable, there were that many twists I had absolutely no idea who the murderer was until the very end (the ending killed me!). So I can understand why the book is called 'The Amateurs', because these people have no idea! Like they are mostly just wrong throughout the whole book, and so many fights!! Seriously. Get. It. Together! The 'gang' trying to solve the cold case is like watching a car crash, but somehow it works. The characters are bearable, but horrible, like you really want to like them but you mostly want to slap them and tell them to harden up. Seneca is probably the worst person ever at the start of the book. She's whiny, annoying and just plain bitchy. Her attitude doesn't change too much throughout the story. So this review really just sounds like all bad, but I honestly really enjoyed this book. It was fun and well written. Shepard knows what she does best and has stuck to it.I can't wait to see what the rest of this series brings! Hopefully another, highly addictive, tv series haha. I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. Blog // Twitter // Tumblr // Instagram // Bloglovin’ // Facebook

2.5 Liked Shepard's other works more...

Holy moly this book was good. I love anything glitter Sara Shepard and this book did not disappoint. Great writing style and great wording that never left me bored. The ending is a holy shit ending you will never see coming.

I'm not actually very picky when it comes to mystery, so I dived into this book without expecting to be completely blown away. I definitely needed this. I was drowning myself in all the angsty contemporary books and this was the perfect remedy. It was hilarious! There were so many laugh out loud moments. I love the concept of amateur crime enthusiasts doing what they love despite not being very good at it (but they are good though.. does it make sense? xD ) I was in the mood for a fast paced I-can't-stop -turning-these-pages kind of book, and well, this book was it! It had the right amount of twists and turn, every chapter kept me at the edge of my seat. I can't deny the plot holes and flaws that came with it, though. But I learned to overlook all of that as I read the book because my sole focus was on one thing: who did it? and why? Sure some things did not make sense and the plot stretched a little, but it was super addicting and suspenseful :o I finished this late at night and I couldn't bring myself to turn the lights off (just goes to show how inexperienced I am when it comes to mystery novels ^^' ) Overall I really enjoyed this book! It's not for everyone though, especially not for people who are captious. It was not a mind-blowing, perfectly crafted mystery novel by any means, but it is great! It was more fun than clever, and wittier than it was serious. If you're a contemporary girl like I am and wants to explore the mystery genre, this is it! It's a very light read, and you're sure to fly through it in a couple of sittings! Thank you so much to Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review! <3

Blog | Twitter | Instagram Raise your hand if you're utterly addicted to anything that Sara Shepard writes! ME! That's me. I'm a self-proclaimed uber fan of Sara Shepard's work and probably always will be. She is one of the few authors that I've carried over from my teenage years (has it REALLY been ten years since PLL was first published?!) and still frequently return to. There's something so devilishly feel-good about her indulgent mysteries. From Pretty Little Liars to The Lying Game and everywhere in between, Shepard dominates her genre and has continued to show us her story telling skills. The Amateurs is no different and may be her best release in recent years. Fans who found themselves disappointed in The Perfectionists will find their Queen of Stylish Suspense once more with this delightful young adult mystery that reminds us why she's been a bestselling author for so long. I think we all know by now that nothing is ever what it seems in Shepard's books and The Amateurs will slap you down with a huge plot twist, I promise you: your head will be spinning. I love that the pace was really solid: quick but not too quick, the relationships were set up perfectly. And the typical Sara Shepard signature "I've got you now, don't I?" because, let's face it. It's Sara Shepard's world and we're just living in it. Continued: BOOKEDJ

The Amateurs gave me all the nostalgic Pretty Little Liars feels and it was brilliant. Sara Shepard really knows how to keep you reading and I'll never get bored of the way her books totally play with my mind. Although this wasn't my favourite of Sara's books and didn't blow my mind as much as her previous books have done in the past, since I quite quickly predicted the outcome (perhaps because I've read so many of her previous books?) it didn't stop me from getting that 'oh.my.gosh.' feeling. I really enjoyed that the characters were slightly older than the characters in her other books, I thought it was a nice change to see a range of ages as some were college students and some where in high school and because of this the plot possibly felt a little more plausible? I though all of the characters and their different backgrounds and stories were really interesting and despite the large cast of 'main' characters, there was never a point where it was overwhelming or confusing who was who. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book in this series? trilogy? duology? Whatever it is, it's definitely captured my attention and I have a feeling the next book is going to be even crazier!!