Thursday, March 08, 2012

Review: Buried by Linda Joy Singleton

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Buried: A Goth Girl Mystery
Linda Joy Singleton
Release date: March 8th, 2012
by Flux

Goodreads / Purchase

In a new school and determined to keep her secrets from being discovered, Thorn finds a mysterious locket that leads to a shocking discovery. Surrounded by new friends she barely knows, as well as the school’s famous former student, a smoking-hot musician named Phillipe, Thorn must investigate to find out if one of them is a murderer.

*A copy was provided by Flux Books for review purposes*

Thorn’s Finder ability pretty much says it all- she finds things. When one day, it leads her to an ugly necklace, she’s soon thrown into a murder investigation. Buried is a light read with an enticing premise that, unfortunately, fell flat with unoriginality and lack of exciting twists.

Thorn’s character is a goth, she wears black, spikes, piercings, and has an attitude to match. I actually really liked her even though she isn’t terribly developed. She has an outgoing personality that makes this book a bit more interesting. However, I was disappointed that her Finder ability, which had a lot of potential, was never elaborated. We’re simply told what it’s called, and that is that.

The plot is what I had the most problems getting into. It starts with an intriguing murder mystery which has Thorn set to solve, but the abundance of unrelated subplots turns it into a mediocre story that simply lost its flair. The talent show, the town’s vigilante, the visiting superstar, the judgmental father – it’s simply too much in such a small book that it leaves the murder in the background until the latter gets accidentally solved without any real detective work. Don’t get me wrong, each of these storylines are genuinely interesting, which is why I wish they had had a chance to flourish.

In a mystery, the twists are important; in a murder mystery, suspense is the key to make it memorable. Sadly, Buried lacks in both of these. The twists are easy to decipher, and I was never left with a feeling of excitement. Some of the developments I would even consider dull. Overall it’s not an awful book as its a fairly quick read with a fun protagonist, but it could have been much better if the main plot had kept its priority where we could have gotten a more complex story.

2 Espressos
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Giselle

Canadian blogger, wife, mother, coffee lover, and sarcastic at heart! She has had a love for all things bookish since before Amazon and eReaders existed *le gasp*. You can also find her organizing tours and other fun things at Xpresso Book Tours.

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29 Responses to “Review: Buried by Linda Joy Singleton”

  3. Amy

    Wow, sounds like there is a lot going on in this book. And no suspense or twists? Too bad this book came up short. It really did sound good. Fantastic review toots!!

  4. Sam

    Oh no. 🙁 It’s a shame you didn’t enjoy this more! I love the premise for this book but it’s not great hearing that the plot didn’t deliver.

  10. Candace

    Hmmm… that’s too bad it fell short cause I love the concept of it. But I definitely need some originality and character development.

  11. Carina

    This is actually the first time I’ve ever heard of this book and while it sounds really intriguing, I’m very thankful for your honest review. 🙂 I’m always sad when a book doesn’t live up to its potential, which seems to be the case with BURIED. So thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Carina

  13. Giselle

    @Candace I loved the concept too and all the storylines were fun but it was too much and not deep enough. 🙁

    Thanks ladies!

  15. Mary @ BookSwarm

    Oh, boo. I do dislike when books disappoint. Suspense is a key element in a mystery, especially a murder mystery, because it builds interest and keeps the reader engaged. *sigh*

  16. Rebecca (Kindle Fever)

    Oh no. It lacks suspense and twists? Gosh, that definitely sucks as a murder mystery. I’m glad the protagonist was fun though, but that kind of puts me of, even if it sounds like it could be a good read.

  21. Lexie

    Great review, though I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it. 🙁 (partly because the premise sounds great, and partly because that cover is kind of fantastic) Something that can be difficult with mysteries, and even books in general, is making sure that you can tie it all together neatly, and that everything is relevant to the plot. When it isn’t, it definitely hurts the book.

  22. Maja

    I swear, Giselle, you must have some magic or something. Admit it. Are you a fae? (I hope not, I’m scared of the fae.) Two days of lousy internet connection, and when I come back, you have a trillion new posts up. You are awesome.
    I was strangely drawn to this book, but I thought it was something very different than what it actually is. Thanks for taking one for the team!

  24. Mimi Valentine

    “In a mystery, the twists are important; in a murder mystery, suspense is the key to make it memorable.” <– That's so true, Giselle! As a definite Nancy Drew girl, I'm really picky about my mysteries and I'm sorry that this one just didn't do it for you. 🙁 But Thorn seems like a unique and fun character! My cousin Emily is goth, so I think that's so awesome!! 🙂

    Thank you so much for the awesome honest review, Giselle! 🙂 <3

  27. Giada M.

    It’s sad when a book you wanted to love turns out to be not so good. I don’t think I’m going to read it. Thank you for your review! 🙂

  28. Christy D

    I haven’t heard of this book. Is it part of a series or something? The title kind of makes it sound like it. I don’t have any room on the ol’ TBR list anyway, so I’ll pass this up at least for awhile.

  29. Two Chicks On Books

    I actually quite enjoyed this book but I also had already met Thorn in Linda Joy Singleton’s Seer series where her “finder” ability is first mentioned so maybe that’s why. But I did overall really like the story and I hope other readers will give it a shot!

    -J