Fiction for Teens

Meet Garvie Smith, a 16-year-old with a genius IQ, and, to his teachers’ and mother’s dismay, the student with the lowest grades. Nicknamed ‘Sherlock’ by his friends, he is known for solving every puzzle that his friends give him. His skills are put to the test when he tries to solve a real crime – the disappearance and murder of his ex-girlfriend, Chloe. He soon learns that people aren’t who they seem – as he delves into Chloe’s secrets, he realises that there is more to the case than originally thought…

What drew me to Running Girl was the synopsis – it mentioned Sherlock, and anything that mentions one of my favourite T.V. shows of all time immediately gets my attention! Running Girl is a thoroughly modern YA crime novel, with diverse and interesting characters. Garvie, our main character, is really likeable – his cheek and wit made me warm to him. Yes, he’s a frustrating character at times, like when he treats the murder case as a puzzle not a serious crime that must be solved as soon as possible, but ultimately, he’s a engaging character that you’ll really root for by the end.

Mason’s writing style creates atmosphere by being very descriptive of the setting. For me, it made the story come to life, as it described action taking place in a large British city. While I enjoy reading books from all around the world, when something is set in my country with settings I have experienced, the story comes to life just a little bit more for me as I can relate to it – does anyone else find that is the case? Let me know in the comments!

The plot, with it’s many twists and turns, made me think that I had it all sussed out – I’d reckoned that I’d figured out the killer by about halfway through the book, but I was proved wrong until the the very end. After watching a lot of detective dramas (maybe too many…) I like to think that I have become pretty good at knowing who the perpetrator is before it is revealed, but this was not the case! When it all came together at the end, it was much more complex than originally thought.

Overall, Running Girl is a plot-twist filled novel, which made me race through the novel, with a cheeky, loveable protagonist who is totally different to any investigator that I’ve come across before, book or television.

My Instagram account ( click here ) is now up and running, so if you’re a book lover like me, please check it out! I’m just getting started on Twitter (click here ), so if you or anyone you know are a seasoned tweeter, let me know and I’ll give you a follow!