Genre: Fiction

Number of Pages: 375

What’s the basic storyline?
Everyone in town knew about "Cracked-up Katie" but no one would talk to her. When Ingrid Levin-Hill got lost on the way to soccer practice, it was Katie who helped her. It was Katie who invited her into her home. They had a pleasant visit, and Katie was very nice.

When Ingrid found out the next day that "Cracked-up Katie" had been murdered, she set on a course to find out who was responsible. On the way, Ingrid and the reader learns plenty about Katie’s interesting and mysterious life. The ending will surprise you!

Were the characters believable? What made them believable or unbelievable?
The characters were believable. The story is a realistic fiction mystery set in the present day. Ingrid is a school-aged kid who, for the most part, acts like she could be your classmate.

Katie is a very creepy character. As the story unfolds and Ingrid learns more about her, Katie is younger and a completely different character. It is interesting to see how the circumstances change her.

Would you recommend this book to other kids? If so, why?
If you like mysteries and creepy stories, this is definitely the book for you. It has lots of suspenseful twists and turns which will keep you guessing. If on the other hand, you do not like to be afraid for what will happen next…maybe another selection at the bookstore will be better for you.

What’s not-so-great about the book?
I thought there was a lot of bad language in the book. It was not really necessary.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being best), how would you rate this book?
I would rate this book a 6 because mysteries of this sort are not my favorite type of reading. But if you are really into mysteries, you would rate it higher! And it would be worth the read!

Cover: Laura Geringer Books/an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers