No one wants me here. And if I thought or hoped that I might feel Chace with me at this moment…. I was wrong.

Title: The Girl in the Picture

Author: Alexandra Monir

Series: Standalone

Publication: November 15th 2016 by Delacorte Press/Random House

Pages: 272

Source: Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

Nicole Morgan has been labeled many things — the geeky music girl, the shy sidekick to Miss Popularity, and the girl with the scar. Now only one name haunts her through the halls of Oyster Bay Prep.

The Girl in the Picture.

After high school heartthrob Chace Porter is found dead in the woods near the school, the police are in search of the girl whose picture with Chace is the only clue found amongst his personal belongings. A girl who no one knew was even close to Chace–and whose dormmate, Lana Rivera, was Chace’s girlfriend.

Nicole is that girl and now she’s the primary suspect in his murder.

But what really happened that night? Were Nicole and Chace dating behind Lana’s back; were he and Lana over? Could either of them have killed him?

Told in alternating points of view, that of our suspect, Nicole Morgan, and her former best friend and roommate, Lana Rivera, readers will piece together the story of a starcrossed love, a fractured friendship–and what really happened the night Chace was killed.

From Alexandra Monir, author of the popular time-travel novel Timeless, comes a gripping mystery and a poignant romance in one thrilling read.

---

My Thoughts:

WHAT A RIDE! Oh my goodness, what a ride. The Girl in the Picture is unlike anything I’ve ever read. It is brilliant, poignant, thrilling, and heartbreaking all at the same time. This book takes off right from the first page, and it never lets you go.  You get sucked into the grief, the suspicion, the confusion, and the fear. The Girl in the Picture is intoxicating and thought provoking – and I am so grateful I was able to review a copy.

The Girl in the Picture follows Nicole and Lana, two girls who are very close to a boy who was found murdered. Lana was his Girlfriend. Nicole the girl he loved and was trying to be with. Then things go horribly wrong, and when a photo surfaces picturing Nicole and Chace together – that’s when the heads turn and the fingers point.

I felt for these characters, mostly Nicole, to be honest. I could relate with Nicole. She’s a shy introvert that finds comfort in playing music. She doesn’t like parties, but she tries so hard to be kind and make friends – even at the cost of her own wants and desires. Nicole was sweet, caring, thoughtful, and quiet in all the way’s Lana wasn’t. Lana set her sights on Chace right from the get-go. She pounced on him his first day at school and she wouldn’t let up, even when Chace was trying to pull an opposite direction. There was a very interesting dynamic between all the characters. Not only was Nicole with Chace in all the ways Lana couldn’t, she was also Lana’s roommate (of course Lana bitched about it). I’m not sure if we were supposed to like Lana, because, personally, she drove me nuts. The things she did and the things she let happen are unforgivable, in my eyes. Yet, though I have an immense dislike for her, I did also sympathize. She did just lose her boyfriend, however undeserving she may be of my sympathy.

Reading The Girl in the Picture is tense. It’s a nail-bitter, cling to the edge of your seat, who dun it sort of read. It was fabulous. I knew right off the bat that what everyone was saying was a lie, it’s obvious – and for a good reason. The real beauty of the story here, though, is that I never even suspected the actual culprit. But, when it was revealed, everything suddenly made sense. That’s pretty damn close to magic in my eyes. Honestly, the little threads of information, the delicate details weaved throughout – it’s astounding.

If you are a fan of mysteries, I highly recommend this book. The Girl in the Picture is an addictive, heart-breaking tale of physiological mystery. It is an in-depth thrill ride that will leave your heart pounding and your head spinning. Filled with complex characters, vivid settings, and a slow burn romance that will leave you breathless, The Girl in the Picture is a dark masterpiece of a book.

---

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble