Perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and We Were Liars, All Eyes on Her by L.E. Flynn is a gripping young adult thriller told from the perspective of everyone except the alleged killer–a seventeen-year-old girl. You heard the story on the news. A girl and a boy went into the woods. The girl carried a picnic basket. The boy wore bright yellow running shoes. The girl found her way out, but the … shoes. The girl found her way out, but the boy never did…
Everyone thinks they know what happened. Some say Tabby pushed him off that cliff– she didn’t even like hiking. She was jealous. She had more than her share of demons. Others think he fell accidentally–she loved Mark. She would never hurt him…even if he hurt her.
But what’s the real story? All Eyes On Her is told from everyone but Tabby herself as the people in her life string together the events that led Tabby to that cliff. Her best friend. Her sister. Her enemy. Her ex-boyfriend. Because everybody thinks they know a girl better than she knows herself.
What do you think is the truth?
An Imprint Book
Praise for Last Girl Lied To:
“Fans of E. Lockhart, Karen M. McManus, and Flynn’s other work will revel in this mystery/thriller and the authenticity with which its characters are rendered.” —Booklist
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If you’re in the camp of loving YA murder mysteries like Sadie and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I definitely think this will be right up your alley. While I didn’t think that this one offered anything particularly new or surprising to the YA murder mystery genre, I still found All Eyes on Her to be a completely engrossing read nonetheless.
The moral of the story goes that golden boy Mark and his girlfriend Tabby went on a hike together in order to have a romantic picnic. Mark’s body was discovered over the side of a cliff, and the only suspect was his girlfriend Tabby. To outsiders, they had the perfect relationship, but as we learn more about the two of them, we realize that their relationship was far from perfect.
As with any scenario where we have a female who potentially murdered a boyfriend, the amount of vitriol and villainizing of Tabby’s character was exhausting. The town does everything from slut shaming to name calling all while maintaining Mark’s golden boy image.
The writing format and layout of this story really works well because it is told from multiple POVs to include the main and side characters involved in Tabby’s and Matt’s lives aside from these two themselves. There were also Tabby’s old text messages, diary entries, and newspaper clippings. I thought this allowed for the audience to begin to formulate their own opinions on the situation and learn as we go rather than already having all of the facts laid out. Furthermore, the author does a fantastic job of seeding doubt in everything in order to dismantle your preconceived notions about gender roles.
As far as characters go, I was definitely torn on Tabby for the majority of the time, since her character is slowly revealed to us over time. I was a huge fan of both Bridget (Tabby’s sister) and Elle (Tabby’s best friend). Both of them were severely loyal and dedicated to Tabby, and along the way, each of them experience their own metamorphosis as more of Tabby’s character comes to light. One of the character’s that really got under my skin was Keegan, Mark’s best friend. His misogynistic attitude was over the top. There are a lot of teenage stereotypes in this book, but his just really made me want to throw the book at his face.
Overall, if you’re looking for a fast paced murder mystery that makes you question everything, I think you’ll really enjoy this one.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
My Review of
ALL EYES ON HER
By L.E. Flynn, Gifted & On Tour with RockStarBookTours &Published by Imprint
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This is one of the most amazing YA Novels I’ve read in quite some time. There were many POV’s telling the story but the Author was able to to keep everything strategically organized so nothing was confusing or hard to understand. Excerpts of Newspaper articles & journal entries in between characters stories were placed at just the right moment when it was need to know information. The Author does a great at keeping you, the reader, as an actual observer to the events taking place and you feel as if the characters are sometimes talking for your benefit. You are an actual participant in this book; and it’s is up to you to decide on the facts and stories you are told, who is in fact innocent and who is guilty.
We all know that one super popular girl in school that loves the attention, gets all the guys and seems to have the perfect life. In this story, her name is Tabby. That is until her college aged boyfriend winds up dead and she soon is suspected to have murdered him. Some say she wanted to notoriety and fame from all the media coverage that is the result of this murder. But everyone has something to say and you are going to hear from the people closest to her, sister, best friends,
ex-boyfriend, admirers, people who were jealous of her or may have even hated her.
And you will begin to form an opinion that may sway with every chapter.
Then there’s the deceased, Mark…her boyfriend whom she is accused of killing. Things come out that no one ever knew about him. Things that may change everything you thought you knew. Was it an accident, was it a calculated murder or was is self defense? Everyone has there theories; but it’s up to you to decide!
Mark, a popular Olympic hopeful on the Princeton swim team, falls off a cliff to his death. Accident or murder?
L E Flynn takes you on an entertaining ride as she shows you various perspectives about Mark and his girlfriend Tabby, someone many in town believe is a murderer. Flynn introduces newspaper articles, blogger posts, and interviews with people connected to Mark and Tabby; the interview subjects address you directly, which I quite enjoyed. Tabby introduces and closes the book but otherwise stays silent, admonishing you to not believe anything you read or hear.
Of all the voices, Bridget’s is the most sympathetic. Tabby’s younger sister, Bridget has always faded, languishing somewhat due to the spotlight Tabby sought and was rewarded. She both sides with and questions her sister. In many ways, she represents you, as she struggles to determine her sister’s innocence or guilt. Or both, maybe. Bridget herself feels some guilt, however misplaced.
You also might sympathize with Beck, Tabby’s ex-boyfriend. Flynn unsettles you regarding him, making you unsure of his role in Mark’s death, yet she also makes you feel for him. He operates from a position of fear, and I worried about him.
Other characters may be a bit more debatable. Elle, Tabby’s best friend, is hiding something; Lou, Beck’s current girlfriend, struggles to keep him close; and Keegan, Mark’s best friend, frustrates (and perhaps enrages) you with his cruel behavior. A few additional characters make solo appearances, usually to fill in some gaps or make you wonder even more about Mark and Tabby.
Perhaps the most intriguing character is Mark and Tabby’s relationship. Flynn shows you its toxicity, the push and pull between their dueling natures. Tabby, you can’t forget, is seventeen and a senior in high school. Mark is twenty and a college student whose nickname is “Mark the Shark.” An interesting moniker, if only because sharks are predators, and Mark’s relationship with Tabby is one of two predators–two people who want and take. It’s a terrifying dynamic because it demands destruction.
L E Flynn examines gender inequality, forcing you to confront your own perceptions of how boys and girls (and men and women) are treated. Tabby, Bridget, Elle, and Lu each rub your nose in it, ensuring you smell its stench.
Let me know what you think of this book. And let me know what you think of Tabby.