League of Strays
Author: James Patterson
Series: Teen Detective Series #1
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
My Rating:
Summary:
On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, their daughter, Tandy, is one of the last people to see her powerful parents alive.
I’m not sure they loved me,
Tandy and her brothers are the only suspects, and as she begins to remember flashes of disturbing past events, she’s forced to ask the question: What is the Angel family truly capable of?
But I’m going to find out who killed them – even if it was me.
Returning to the genre that made him the world’s best-selling author, James Patterson introduces a teen detective on a mission to uncover her family’s darkest secrets – and maybe confess some of her own.
First Sentence: I have some really bad secrets to share with someone, and it might as well be you – a strange, a reader of books, but most of all, a person who can’t hurt me.
My Review:
What attracted me to Confessions of A Murder Suspect was the fact that it was all over Barnes & Noble’s shelves everywhere and that amazing cover. The “Does this girl look like a murderer to you?” slogan also helped increase the mystery of the book. Add the name “James Patterson” and I was sold; I just had to read the book.
After I obtained Confessions of A Murder Suspect from the long wait-list on the library request list, I quickly started reading it. I couldn’t wait to see what was so great about James Patterson’s writing. (This is my first James Patterson book.) However, while I was reading Confessions of A Murder Suspect, the one thought constantly on my mind was how is it possible that James Patterson, the man constantly raved about with all those advertisements featuring his books on television, wrote such an awful book like this?! It was like he constructed random sentences together that looks totally fine apart, but doesn’t flow or work together when you write them down. The dialogues were flat and it just didn’t work. Reading Confessions of A Murder Suspect was plain torture; reading the book was like dying a slow and painful death.
The main problem was that I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. There was no opportunity to. I felt that I was only in the background watching the Angel family go through all their problems. Sure, I liked the fact that Tandy addressed us readers since she was basically telling her story to us, but it didn’t help me connect with her at all. Everyone was too perfect and flat.
Another problem in Confessions of A Murder Suspect was nothing was explained. Shouldn’t there be things not explained since it’s a mystery novel after all? you’ll probably wonder. Well, when I say nothing was explained, I mean the weird Angel family terms. For example, when Tandy brought up Big Chop, I was wondering what is that? (The book didn’t hint that Big Chop was anything related to food by the way.) Turns out it was any sort of major punishment Malcolm and Maud gives out to their kids when they do something wrong – and it took me more than ten chapters to figure it out because nothing was ever explained.
If you don’t want a huge spoiler, then I suggest you skip this entire paragraph. The reason behind Malcolm’s death didn’t even make sense. Maud was going to drink poison and die (since she had stage four cancer that she can never recover from and massive debt so why not off herself?), but at the last minute, Malcolm did it too because, according to Tandy, they both have “true love.” Um, excuse me? I didn’t know that Malcolm cheating on Maud with his son’s current girlfriend and Maud cheating on Malcolm with a woman is considered “true love.” Please excuse me for a minute while I gag.
The ending was such a disappointment. I felt like I was completely cheated out of a real ending. There were also lots of loose ends. What happened to Matt? Will we ever get the full story of Tandy’s mysterious past? Who will take care of all of them? At this point, I don’t even want to know. When I see the next book in the Teen Detective series on the Barnes & Noble’s bookshelves, I’m going to run far far away.
I highly doubt I’ll read another James Patterson book. People told me that the first three books of his Maximum Ride series was so amazing, but after reading Confessions of A Murder Suspect, there is absolutely no way I’ll read any of his other books. I rather read books by other authors that are actually worth my time.
HAHA, oh Patterson. I’m a bookseller and I swear, if I had a dime for ever Patterson book I have to deal with each day…
A co-worker and I were discussing him a few days ago and she was telling me that he only write the outline while the co-author does all the actual writing. Although, for his solo efforts I’m not quite sure how that works. Still, he publishes a book a month. Naturally the quality is going to take a huge hit.
I’ve been wanting to give him a try just to see what all the fuss is about, but he seems like his style would be WAY too formulaic for me.
Well, I dunno, you should still give him a try. Other bloggers I look up to thought the book was great, but for me, it was pretty much flat & dry. And wow, a book a month?! No wonder Confessions of A Murder Suspect was that bad…
He sells millions, so I suppose that should say something. I’m thinking I’d like to give one of her earlier novels a shot. Or perhaps his YA stuff. I’ve heard really good things about his Maximum Ride series.
Aww too bad this didn’t do it for you! It sounds really interesting but after your review I don’t know if I’ll enjoy it as much. lol ;p Great review! :D
~ Maida
Literary Love Affair
Maida @ Literary Love Affair recently posted…Blog Tour: Tragic by J.A. Huss – Excerpt & Giveaway
Yeah, Confessions of A Murder Suspect sounded really good and it was the famous JAMES PATTERSON (I feel like his name deserves to be mentioned in caps), so how could I have not liked it?
Answer: i don’t know.
Thanks! (:
Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Wallbanger – Alice Clayton
my friends said this is a good book and i already put on my TBR list..
thx u for the review :)
I hope you like it better than I did Nurmawati. :X
sorry to hear you didnt like the book.. This one i have read towards the beginnings of the year and liked it.. great review!!
Ha ha, looks like we both have different opinions on this one Sarah. ;D
Thanks! (:
Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [53]
I’ve read a few James Patterson books and enjoyed them and this one does intrigue me but I would be totally turned off by some of the problems you mentioned.
I’ve never read any other James Patterson books before, so I can’t say anything about those. All I can say is that Confessions of A Murder Suspect turned me off his books – maybe for good.
Kelly recently posted…Spooktacular Giveaway Hop
I read some of James Patterson’s books and they’re good. I actually wanted to read this one, but like the others, some points just turned me off. Perhaps I just have to look for Theodore Boone for better option.
Thanks for the review.
Yuska recently posted…[Book Review + Giveaway] Andai Kau Tahu by Dahlian @Gagasmedia
I’ve never read any of James Patterson’s other books before, but after this one, I’m avoiding every single book with his name on it. My first (and only) experience with his book is that bad.
I’ve never heard of Theodore Boone before. o:
Kelly recently posted…Spooktacular Giveaway Hop
At first the book was interesting, the first few chapters were really cool. The plot itself was super interesting. But it kept me waiting for too long. Like, I’m already halfway through but I still don’t know anything. I was waiting for that big bang, that big revelation but it never came. I never got to finish the book xD Haha. But I would have rated it higher.
Ha ha, I don’t think the big bang ever came. The conclusion was lacking the suspense and the WHOA, I NEVER SAW THAT COMING moment. It was pretty disappointing. :l
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Best Books To Read For Halloween
When I first starting reading James Patterson I enjoyed the books. I even dare I say it, got excited for them. However, lately, I’m just not feeling it. Glad to know this is another one to skip.