Author: Lamar Giles
Series: None
Pages: 288
Genre: YA, Thriller
Date Published: April 21st, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review
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Summary:
Endangered is a thrilling page-turner perfect for fans of Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers.
The one secret she cares about keeping—her identity—is about to be exposed. Unless Lauren "Panda" Daniels—an anonymous photoblogger who specializes in busting classmates and teachers in compromising positions—plays along with her blackmailer's little game of Dare or . . . Dare.
But when the game turns deadly, Panda doesn't know what to do. And she may need to step out of the shadows to save herself . . . and everyone else on the Admirer's hit list.
The one secret she cares about keeping—her identity—is about to be exposed. Unless Lauren "Panda" Daniels—an anonymous photoblogger who specializes in busting classmates and teachers in compromising positions—plays along with her blackmailer's little game of Dare or . . . Dare.
But when the game turns deadly, Panda doesn't know what to do. And she may need to step out of the shadows to save herself . . . and everyone else on the Admirer's hit list.
-Goodreads
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My Thoughts:
An Open Letter To Endangered,
You're cool. You're one of those books that gives us a set of characters, and then dares us to become friends with them. No one is really that wonderful, and yet you make sure that we get the inside look on a whole cast of anti-heroes. Sure these people aren't that great, but they aren't that unfamiliar either. Thanks for being a book that isn't afraid to be different.
-The White Unicorn
I'm not going to say that Endangered didn't have its issues, because, well, it did. There were moments that seemed too easy. Things that lined up with too much ease. Moments where I wanted to scream at the characters to pay more attention. That being said, I feel like Giles really hit the nail on the head in his characterization. And that is why I am giving this novel such a high rating.
As a HUGE fan of a good anti-hero, I have to say that Giles has created a wonderful one in the form of Lauren (Panda). She's not a great person, but she thinks that she is. She almost has you believing that she is at times. You feel for her and what she is trying to do, but when she realizes what she's doing has a different outcome than what she thought, you start to doubt her as a reader. It's a great feeling, it's a conflicted feeling, but it's a feeling that makes this novel work so well.
This book is a mystery, and like with a lot of YA mysteries, it comes together pretty easily. I do have to say that I wasn't 100% sure who did what until closer to the end, but I did figure it out before the reveal. It was done fairly well, and I think that someone younger, who hasn't read so many of these types of books, will be more surprised than I was.
Panda and her small group of pals are fun to watch. There is her BFF and her ex in the mix, so that makes things interesting. I enjoyed the fact that Panda is a bit of loner, it makes her vigilante photos even more interesting. I also enjoyed the fact that there isn't a romance in this one. There is chemistry, but there is no time wasted on a relationship. It fit with the story and worked really well.
Overall, I would suggest reading this one for the wonderful, diverse set of characters. The story is entertaining as well, so you can't really loose.
Rating:
4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!
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