- You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. (More Info)
About the Book
Willow Lamott’s best friend is a murderer, and no one in the small town of Gilt Hollow will let her forget it. For four long years, she’s tried to fade into the background—but none of that matters when Ashton Keller comes striding into school, fresh out of juvie and fueled by revenge. The moment their eyes meet, Willow no longer feels invisible. Drawn to the vulnerability behind Ashton’s mask of rage, she sinks deeper into his sinister world and begins to question whether he’s a villain, a savior, or both.
Ashton thought he wanted vengeance, until Willow reminded him what he’d been missing. Now he longs to clear his name and become the person she sees in him. But the closer they get to uncovering the truth, the darker the secrets become, and Ashton fears his return to Gilt Hollow will destroy everyone he loves, especially the girl he left behind.
My Thoughts
I am so SO new to reading mystery/suspense books. I like to feel warm and fuzzy rather than creeped out and paranoid. But I AM trying to branch out more...And being a judge for the INSPYs has helped me look at these books through different lenses. For starters, while Gilt Hollow IS an excellent story and talks a lot about forgiveness...there was not a lot of faith woven into the story in my opinion.
The writing was smooth and flowed nicely. And even though most of the book itself has little action, it was never dull or slow. Always something new to uncover, always one more piece falling into place right where it needed to be.
Although I can not relate directly to the circumstances surrounding Willow and Ashton, I can relate to the panic attacks (thankfully mine have gotten MUCH better in recent months) and to miscommunication. How many arguments, how much confusion, could we save by communicating efficiently?
As the story begins to take shape we start wondering "who done it?" and as I kept reading I really didn't know how it was going to end. I read this one super fast because it just sucks you in and page after page, chapter after chapter...you just NEED to know more!
The characters possessed age appropriate personalities due to the circumstances they landed in. And while the kisses (and yes...closets are involved...those are ranked among my favorite!) emit a good dose of passion, I believe the author kept it clean and appropriate for Young Adults.
If you haven't read mystery/suspense books yet but are wanting to get your feet wet in the genre, I do recommend Gilt Hollow. There are moments of pure creepiness and some gory descriptions...just as a heads up, but all in all a VERY well written book.
Lorie has a Gilt Hollow Playlist on her website. You can find it HERE.
I received a complimentary copy of Gilt Hollow from the publishers. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
About the Author
Lorie Langdon is one half of the author team that writes the best-selling DOON series, a young adult reimagining of the musical Brigadoon. A few years ago, she left her corporate career to satisfy the voices in her head. Now she spends her days tucked into her office, Havanese puppy by her side, working to translate her effusive imagination into the written word.
Lorie has been interviewed on Entertainment Weekly.com and several NPR radio programs, including Lisa Loeb’s national Kid Lit show. The DOON series has been featured on such high profile sites as USAToday.com, Hypable.com, and BroadwayWorld.com. Lorie’s solo debut, GILT HOLLOW, a YA romantic thriller, released September 27th 2016. GILT HOLLOW was recently named by Redbook Magazine as one of the “Books By Women You Must Read This Fall.”
