Introduces a fierce new presence.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A fascinating debut . . . something original indeed. Readers will absolutely need to know the end of this unique inward-facing mystery.” — ALA Booklist
“A fast-moving thriller . . . relentless.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Possibly the most thrilling, suspenseful, and mysterious book of 2014 . . A must-read that should be read in book clubs worldwide. 5 out of 5 bright, beautiful stars.” — Teenreads.com
“A smart, seductive page turner, deeply felt and full of surprises.” — Madeleine George, author of The Difference Between You and Me
“Unfolds its careful origami slowly and hypnotically, taking on one shape after another before finally revealing itself as something stranger and more beautiful than I’d anticipated. A moving, expertly wrought story that will keep surprising you past the last page.” — Bennet Madison, author of September Girls
“The race to uncover Molly’s truth will keep readers turning pages.” — School Library Journal
“A Tilt-A-Whirl of a first novel, a breathtaking thrill ride that takes you in one direction and then spins you off in another, over and over, keeping you guessing with every turn of the page.” — Michael Thomas Ford, author of Suicide Notes
A smart, seductive page turner, deeply felt and full of surprises.
A Tilt-A-Whirl of a first novel, a breathtaking thrill ride that takes you in one direction and then spins you off in another, over and over, keeping you guessing with every turn of the page.
Possibly the most thrilling, suspenseful, and mysterious book of 2014 . . A must-read that should be read in book clubs worldwide. 5 out of 5 bright, beautiful stars.
Unfolds its careful origami slowly and hypnotically, taking on one shape after another before finally revealing itself as something stranger and more beautiful than I’d anticipated. A moving, expertly wrought story that will keep surprising you past the last page.
★ 05/05/2014
For the past year, 17-year-old Molly has been suffering blackouts, waking up hours later unable to remember what she’s been doing. When she witnesses a fatal motorcycle accident, Lyle, the dying victim, knows who she is even though she has never met him. As Molly pieces together the story of her friendships with the self-centered Lyle and his dependable and attractive brother, Sayer, she discovers how little she knows about her own life. Alternating clipped sentences and run-on thoughts to create a unique voice, newcomer Leno conveys the everyday struggles of living with depression, “wondering how just living and breathing and showering and brushing our teeth and combing our hair could be this fucking hard?” Molly’s relationships with other characters stand out in their complexity; remembering Lyle, she “watch as we progress backward from best friends who sort of hate each other to best friends who love each other to best friends who are unsure of how close they are.” The twist the novel builds toward introduces a fierce new presence and ensures a quietly tragic road to the hopeful ending. Ages 13–up. Agent: Wendy Schmalz, Wendy Schmalz Agency. (July)
A fascinating debut . . . something original indeed. Readers will absolutely need to know the end of this unique inward-facing mystery.
With a distinct and mysterious voice that matches its mood, The Half Life of Molly Pierce will pull you into Molly’s—and Mabel’s—world.
2014-05-14
In a fast-moving thriller, a depressed teen must piece together why she keeps blacking out and losing time and why everyone around her seems to know a secret.Ever since her suicide attempt a year earlier, Molly explains to the reader in breathless and moody prose, "[t]here are long stretches where I don't remember anything." Coming back to consciousness one afternoon in her car, having apparently skipped school, she sees a boy on a motorcycle weave through traffic and collide violently with a truck. Thrown both by the accident, which leads to the boy Lyle's death, and by Lyle's insistence that he knows her, Molly withdraws further. Her one comfort is Sayer, Lyle's brother, with whom Molly feels an instant bond, though she quickly realizes Sayer knows more than he's telling. The book has an almost noir tone. Molly's confusion, fear and pervasive depression create a dark atmosphere, even as short paragraphs and sentence fragments establish a relentless pace. What readers learn as Molly's memories start to come back answers most of the story's questions, but a touch anticlimactically: No one really needed to die in a motorcycle accident for the truth to be revealed.Enjoyably suspenseful, even if the stakes aren't as high as they seem. (Suspense. 14-18)
