Review: Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Title: Deadly Cool

Author: Gemma Halliday

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: 10.11.2011

Pages: 272

Genre: Contemporary, Mystery

Series: No

Copy: ARC provided by HarperTeen for review

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool. But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

Review:

Veronica Mars, watch out: there’s a new super sleuth in town and she’s doing it with just as much comedy and snark as you. Hartley Featherstone is one fabulous character, and I adore Gemma Halliday for creating her. This book is a fun, fast, and dazzling read.

As if finding out your boyfriend is cheating on you with the president of the chastity club isn’t bad enough, you find said president’s dead body in your boyfriend ex-boyfriend’s closet. Hartley has some serious issues she’s dealing with, and that’s before the end of chapter 2. While this story could quickly morph into the tragic, emotionally-wrought tale of a teenage girl whose boyfriend cheated, Hartley handles this whole situation with such grace and wit, I fell in love with her immediately.

While Hartley is the lead (and a wonderful one at that), she’s surrounded by a fabulous cast. Josh, the cheater and suspected murderer amused me to no end. He provided a lot of comic relief for me, mainly because his idiotic statements gave Hartley some awesome, one-line zingers. Sam was a great, supportive best friend. I loved her. And Chase? He rocked. I gleefully anticipated any of his scenes. He and Hartley were fabulous together. Their chemistry sizzled on every page.

This is a great read for teens and adults. The pace is quick, the dialogue is sharp, and the plot is tight. This book was a delight to read, and I’ll be recommending it to all of my friends.

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