MYSTERY WINNER OF THE 2016 FOREWORD INDIES BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS.GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2016 MOONBEAM CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS.How hard are you willing to fall for the person you love?Nineteen-year-old twins Aster and Ivy fight to survive in their confined worlds–one, in a museum competing on a famous reality TV game show; the other, in prison.Where Aster must deal with hardened inmates, Ivy … must deal with hardened inmates, Ivy must contend with two equally temperamental and handsome brothers, one of whom she is competing against and the other, a judge on the game show.
Without any means of communication, the secrets Aster and Ivy learn about each other begin tearing them apart, making them doubt if they ever knew each other at all.
Behind prison bars and the lens of reality TV, unfolds a story of betrayal, sacrifice, and ultimately redemption. Scroll up to one-click this fast-paced, enemies-to-lovers mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and One of Us Is Lying.
*Previously titled: THE MASTERPIECERS
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4.5 stars for the complete series. The first book, more a prequel, gives us insight into Aster, her twin sister Ivy, their best friend Josh, and her terrible relationship with her mother. We get to see the budding relationship between Aster and Josh, and the strain between Ivy and Aster due to their mother clearly favoring Ivy. We also get peeks into how mental illness impacts all their lives – and with Aster as one of the POVs, her muddy and often unreliable perspective on things already starts to warp the story and make it all the more intriguing.
In book 2, we are propelled forward about 2 years past the events of the first book. Ivy is about to compete on a reality TV show called The Masterpiecers, trying to win a coveted spot at an elite art school, which has been her dream. Aster, meanwhile, has been arrested, accused of the murder of a local mobster. Their stories play out in parallel, so starkly different, but at the same time, intertwining on levels they never thought possible. Told from the POVs of the twins, we get a very interesting, and very scattered (seemingly intentionally so) view of events. Both girls go through their own trials and challenges, doubts and heartbreak, as the question of what really happened the night of the murder starts to unravel around them.
The third book overlaps partially with the timeline of the second book, but is told from the perspective now of Josh and Brooks, the two men seemingly wrapped up the tightest in this mystery with the twins. We get new perspectives from events we saw previously played out in the eyes of the twins, which is very interesting, as well as new insights and events that starts truly tying the pieces of the puzzle together. In the end, the story comes together quite well, and although the ending might leave you a bit heartbroken, it also gives you some hope.
As a series, the story keeps you tied up and guessing, not know who to trust, not knowing exactly how things are going to play out, and in the end, who’s going to come out of it intact. The characters are slowly revealed, but that’s part of the mystery, and the resolution is intense and powerful. The underlying themes surrounding mental illness and how it impacts individuals, as well as those around them, is well done, and provides an added piece that makes this trilogy all the more worthwhile. It’s a very well done YA mystery, with the right amount of romance mixed in where it completely makes sense. I do hope that the author might chance to re-visit this world at some point and give us a follow up, as there are pieces left open that would be great to see more resolution and closure on.
While this was not my usual genre it was a good book. I didn’t really “get into” it easily. Up until about 1/4 if the way through book 3 I wasn’t sure I’d finish it. The way everything ended though left my jaw on the ground.