Kim Harrington

Several of my reading friends went on at length to convince me that CLARITY was not like the usual paranormal teen book. In fact the powers of Clare's family are downplayed and treated no differently then any other trait. I liked the fact that it wasn't just Clare who claimed specialness, but her family. It was also refreshing to see that Clare didn't angst over being different, she reveled in it and defiantly dared others to comment. She was snarky and obstinate and sometimes thoughtless, but beyond all that she stood by her family. Blood is thicker than water is not just a saying to her, its her core truth.

Surprisingly, at least to me, I barely took notice of the length. I didn't find myself looking at the page number constantly or wondering 'Can she build this enough?'. Harrington doesn't let anything stand in as filler--from clues to the identity of the killer, to Clare's own inner turmoil and the tense pace of the investigation--Harrington trimmed off all excess. This is both a godsend and a frustration. At the good news it means we weren't subjected to day-to-day moments or extra angst and teenage issues. The sad news is that it means while Clare, Justin and Gabriel are all fleshed out and seem to have lives outside of the events of the book, the other characters seem less real.

And while I wouldn't ordinarily be a fan of the relationship tangle that emerges by the end of the book, I'm wary of both guys. Truthfully despite her past with Justin and her start with Gabriel, I can't say who is more 'right' or 'wrong'. Which is good, Harrington spent less time trying to push one guy or the other as right for Clare and more time on the murder.

As a debut this was pleasing and shocking; it gave me a murder mystery on par with the shows I adore and the books I devour, but it gave me a character who I would have loved to have as a friend in HS. I look forward to Harrington's next book and what happens next to Clare and co!… (meer)