Review: Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano

Book Title: Nearly Gone

Author: Elle Cosimano

Published Date: March 25th, 2014

Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books

Genre: YA Thriller

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Bones meets Fringe in a big, dark, scary, brilliantly-plotted urban thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end.

Nearly Boswell knows how to keep secrets. Living in a DC trailer park, she knows better than to share anything that would make her a target with her classmates. Like her mother's job as an exotic dancer, her obsession with the personal ads, and especially the emotions she can taste when she brushes against someone's skin. But when a serial killer goes on a killing spree and starts attacking students, leaving cryptic ads in the newspaper that only Nearly can decipher, she confides in the one person she shouldn't trust: the new guy at school—a reformed bad boy working undercover for the police, doing surveillance. . . on her.

Nearly might be the one person who can put all the clues together, and if she doesn't figure it all out soon—she'll be next.

Disclaimer: Library book.

Review:

I had my eye on this book for months. I was so excited about it and desperately could not wait to get my hands on it. Totally worth the wait!

Nearly Boswell knows how to keep secrets. She doesn't talk about the fact that her mom is an exotic dancer at Gentleman Jim's. She doesn't talk about how her dad walked out on them several years ago, and she certainly doesn't talk about the fact that her mother and her are living in a trailer park. But her other secret, the one about the personal ads, is about to take on a more sinister nature.

She scoured the personal ad, desperately hoping that one day, she'll see something from her beloved father. She didn't think much of the first ad that she noticed,

Newton was wrong. We clash with yellow.

Find me tonight under the bleachers.

But by the time the second one appeared, Nearly knew that something was going on, but she wasn't quite sure what it was.

Archimedes knew the play wasn't really the thing.

Do the math and find me after the show.

These little clues gave Nearly an idea about who was going to be targeted next. She was also being taunted by cryptic and chilling messages that were carved into her desk in chemistry and messages were appearing her locker, slipped in the locker vents.

As the messages become more mathematically advanced, the murders become more violent.

We all fall down. The tower will point the way.

It's 68 ft. higher than three times a side of its square base.

If the sum of these two is 1,380 at day's end you'll know

where to find me.

At this point, whispers are beginning to run around the school. Nearly has a connection with these victims. Questions are running rampant around the school. Nearly is climbing to the top of the suspect list.

I'm serious. I'm done chasing my tail, trying to be the big dog.

I'm the brightest. Lie back and watch me shine. 

While all this craziness is going on, Nearly's friends Jeremy and Anh are barely speaking to her. Nearly's forming a bond with troublemaker, Reece Whelan. He's working undercover and he's supposed to be keeping an eye on her. What neither of them ever expected was that they would fall for one another.

Isosceles had the right angle.

The Torpedo is a straight shot to the Yards.

Follow my tracks.

This book was fabulous. I cannot say enough awesome things about it. I was worried that some of the math concepts would go over my head as I am absolutely awful at math, but I didn't have any problems with it. Actually, I think it added a very unique element to the story. 

The pacing was perfect for the story. It was fast paced, leaving my heart racing. I couldn't wait to figure out what was going to happen next. I couldn't wait to find out if any of my theories were correct (spoiler alert, they weren't) I love it when I am unable to guess the ending. That makes the book even better.

I must buy a copy of this book for my own personal library. Then, I'll push it on everyone and I won't stop until everyone has read it. 5 stars to this fast paced, exciting roller coaster of a book.