Alison Gaylin

I didn't plan to read If I Die Tonight in one sitting, but once I started it, I simply couldn't put it down. The prologue hooked me immediately with a Facebook post from 17 year old Wade that tells the reader 'By the time you read this, I'll be dead.' This suicide post was so sad and heartfelt that I just had to devour every single page to find out how Wade was left feeling this way.

Wade's post mentioned 'memory gifts' and I thought that was such a beautiful way to refer to a special memory. show more One that we treasure so much that we wrap it up, tie it with a ribbon and store it in a special part of our brain until we're feeling low and need to unwrap the gift to rediscover our happy feelings from that time. I'm going to remember that description (no pun intended).

Wade's schoolfriend, Liam Miller, was killed in an apparent car-jacking. The only witness is the car's owner: a has-been rock star, Aimee-En, who seems to be hiding something. Wade is also acting suspiciously and it's noticed by his Mom, Jackie and younger brother, Connor. When Wade can't account for his whereabouts on the night Liam was killed, even Jackie starts to think that Wade might be guilty. Mob mentality goes into overdrive when the townsfolk pick up on Wade's lack of alibi and they delight in finding someone to blame. The reader is a little more forgiving as they are allowed to piece together all of the pieces of the puzzle before the truth is revealed.

I found it so interesting to see how easily people jump to conclusions. I'm not saying I'm never guilty of this, but most of the time I do tend to look for all of the facts before making a decision - it's probably because I have read so many crime books! The book also highlighted the effects of social media and how people can be so vicious when hiding behind a screen.

There are a lot of characters in If I Die Tonight so I sometimes found it confusing and didn't know who was who. I picked up the main characters easily enough but sometimes had to flick back over the pages when a minor character reappeared. That's the only real criticism I had but it's what makes this addictive and suspenseful book a four star rather than a five star read for me.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. show less

Seldom do I love or even like, all the main characters in a story, but I did in this one. I have never read this author, but I have to say that she did a fantastic job of writing both the adult and the teen characters...all were very well-developed. The mystery was well-paced, keeping the tension high, and holding my interest. There were other surprising reveals along the way, some that related to the main crime, and others that didn’t. All the storylines were handled competently and show more wrapped up nicely. This novel dealt with a wide range of issues that affect both the adults and the teens...single parenting, past trauma, grief, bullying, isolation and social ostracization, and how easily what we say on social media has the power to ruin lives. I thought the quote that I read concerning this book sums it up very well, "It takes the gulf that naturally develops between teenagers and their families and stocks it with sharks. show less

If someone had told me a few months ago that there was such a book as chick-lit romantic suspense, I would have said they were crazy. Alas, little did I know that not only does such a book exits, it's a totally awesome new genre! You really don't want to miss HIDE YOUR EYES by Alison Gaylin, and you definitely don't want to overlook her brand of sassiness, sarcastic humor, and down-and-dirty romantic suspense.

Poor Samantha Leiffer-the girl just cannot get a break! She moved to New York to be show more with the love of her life, Nate, a man more breathtaking than a god and more charming than a snake. The only problem was, Nate really was a snake, one who boinked everyone within walking distance of his and Samantha's apartment. And by everyone, I mean everyone-seems old Nate wasn't very discriminating when it came to the male or female status of his conquests. So here's poor Sam, working two jobs-one as a teacher at the Sunny Side nursery school, the other in the box-office of an off-off-off-off-off Broadway theater named the Space-and on Valentine's Day, that day of love and passion, she just so happens to witness a man and woman drop an ice chest into the Hudson River. That alone might be suspicious, but after all, it's a low point in Sam's life, and she's suspicious by nature.

What follows is something that even her mother, Sydney Stark-Leiffer, self-help guru and mostly off-her-rocker publicity hound, wouldn't be able to come up with a quick answer to. There really was something suspicious in that hastily dumped ice chest-a body, to be exact, and one with it's eyes gouged out, to be even more exact. Suddenly, Sam's life is in more upheaval than her Space coworker who took a three-year vow of silence to save her voice for her upcoming one-woman show.

Now a mystery psychopath in mirrored sunglasses is following her around, she's getting heavy-breathing and intimidating phone calls in the middle of the night, and a one-man Hercules show by the name of John Krull is helping Sam in her find-the-bad-guy detective show.

HIDE YOUR EYES is, beyond and without a doubt, simply awesome. Told in first person, you'll nevertheless feel as if you're walking beside Sam as she comes to terms with everything that's going on in her life-the departure of slimy Nate, the entrance of yummy Krull, the schizophrenia of her mother, the eccentricities of her circle of friends, and not to mention her need to single-handedly bring justice to New York. Alison Gaylin has penned a true winner, and I can't wait for the sequel. show less

If I Die Tonight by Alison Gaylin is a highly recommended novel of psychological suspense.

Late one night in the town of Havenkill, a washed up 80's pop star, Aimee En, stumbles into the police station claiming that she was the victim of a carjacking. She claims that a teenage boy stole her car and then ran over another teen boy who tried to help her. Liam Miller, the high school football star who tried to help, is hospitalized and fighting for his life. Wade Reed is a school outcast and the show more number one suspect. As Liam obtains cult-like status, the rumors about Wade increase.

Everything doesn't quite add up, however, and it might not be exactly what it seems to be. The police have some concerns about Aimee En's version of events. There are also questions about Liam and his friends, in spite of the fact that the teenage social-media-finger-pointing-and-shaming-storm is in full swing and after Wade. The story unfold between the viewpoints of multiple characters, including police officer Pearl Maze, Wade's mother Jackie, his younger brother Connor, and Aimee En.

If I Die Tonight opens with a Facebook message from Wade saying that he will be dead by the time people read the message. This sets the tone for the story, since you know that the end result will be this message. The overriding question is, though, is Wade guilty? He's not talking and not defending himself. He was out of the house, smoking, and wandering who knows where that night, but why were the other boys also out in the wee hours of the morning? Why would Aimee be driving around on a cold night with her car window open, and was that alcohol Officer Maze smelled on her breath?

The writing is great and the characters are well done in this character-driven drama. I especially liked the thoughtfulness and logic from Officer Pearl Maze. Jackie was fiercely protective of her boys and this was clearly well-established and depicted realistically. The fire-storm of teens on social media jumping to erroneous conclusions, overstating the facts, following the crowd, making a deity out of Liam, and in general being all emotions with little logic was perfectly captured. And it's not just teens who can be illogical and reactive in this small town.

The plot was relatively fast-paced after the initial set up. Gaylin carefully reveals more clues and information as the story continues and works its way through several contemporary problems and social issues. Astute readers might be able to guess where it is going, but the journey is worth reaching the final conclusion.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
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