WATCHING YOU by Shannon Greenland
Synopsis
Viola’s always been that girl from that family, so a scholarship to a prestigious private school in Florida was supposed to be her ticket out of poverty and into a brand-new life. But Viola’s secrets have followed her. Her relationship with the intelligent and gorgeous Riel should have been the salvation she needed—he understands her troubled past better than anyone. But then weird things start to happen.
Frightening messages.
Missing personal items.
The unsettling feeling that she’s being watched.
Viola’s never been one to give her trust easily, but she’ll need to trust in Riel if she’s going to survive her stalker. Because she’s not fighting for a new life anymore—she’s fighting to stay alive.
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My Review
I love a good romantic thriller, and so much the better if it’s also young adult. WATCHING YOU has everything I love — a tortured love interest, angsty romance, a deplorable antagonist, and buckets of suspense. Seventeen-year-old Viola lies on her application to get a scholarship at a prestigious prep school on her ultimate path to MIT. Or so she hopes. The problem is, her winning the scholarship means someone else lost out. That someone is uber hot, brooding Riel, the recipient the previous three years. Guilt and undeniable attraction wage a war within her as she wonders how Riel can continue to attend without the scholarship, and the more she learns about his situation, the guiltier she feels. When the inevitable romance heats up between these two, Viola knows her secrets will be her undoing, but she never counts on a stalker making her life dangerous as well as complicated.
Plot
This is probably more of a romance than a thriller, but the suspense is tightly woven throughout the romantic elements, creating a gripping story that moves from the opening scene to the intense climax and satisfying conclusion. The attraction between Viola and Riel is palpable from their first interaction, and while they may not know if or how to act on that attraction, it drives some of the best conflict throughout the book. The mystery of who is watching Viola is well-done, with lots of red herrings to choose from. I never did figure out who it was.
The Characters
At times, I found Viola to be a little too much. A little too good, a little too perfect. Other than lying on her application, which she had perfectly good reasons for, she has no real flaws, but her genuine friendship with Mar helped me overlook this aspect of her character. Riel, on the other hand, was a fascinating character. He was perfectly flawed in all the right ways and totally swoon-worthy.
Top Five Things I Enjoyed About WATCHING YOU
1. Riel. Having married my own hot latin guy, I totally appreciate the appeal that is Riel.
2. Mar. Both spunky and adorable, Riel’s younger sister is easily my favorite character.
3. Angsty romance. My favorite kind.
4. Suspense. While more of a subplot, it had a way of driving the main plot forward and kept me turning pages.
5. Surprises. I love when an author can surprise me. I never did figure out who the stalker was until it was revealed in the closing chapters.
Bottom Line
Angsty teen romance meets suspense.
Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Book
Title: WATCHING YOU
Author: Shannon Greenland
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: June 2, 2018
Pages: 280
Genre: Young Adult Romantic Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
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Author S.E. Green
About the Author
Shannon Greenland is the award winning author of the teen thriller, Killer Instinct, a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers; the teen spy series, The Specialists, an ALA Popular Paperback and a National Reader’s Choice recipient; and the YA romance, The Summer My Life Began, winner of the Beverly Hills Book Award.
Her books have been translated into several languages and are currently on numerous state reading lists. Vanquished is her debut novel for adults.
Shannon grew up in Tennessee where she dreaded all things reading and writing. She didn’t even read her first book for enjoyment until she was twenty-five. After that she was hooked! When she’s not writing, she works as an adjunct math professor and lives on the coast in Florida with her very grouchy dog..
Where to find Shannon Greenland
Goodreads | Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Wattpad
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Giveaway
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