Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday was epic. I don’t usually read mysteries or even stories with normal people; I’m a supernatural type of girl. Anywho, I decided to give Deadly Cool a whirl and I am extremely happy that I did.

            When Hartley Featherstone finds out that her boyfriend has been sleeping with the president of the Chastity Club, Courtney Cline, she doesn’t know how her life could possibly get worse. Unfortunately, this challenge to the universe is not ignored; instead of confronting Courtney, she finds her dead in her boyfriend’s closet. The cops suspect said boyfriend of being the murderer, but Hartley is sure that he is not. He may be a “craptastical, gutless, son-of-a-cactus-humping butt monkey,” but he is no killer. As Hartley determinedly searches for the real murderer, she teams up with the gorgeous Bad Boy, Chase, and her best friend, Sam. Together, they investigate the crime, but will they find the perpetrator in time to save Hartley’s life? Read and find out! Seriously, read it right now. Drop the book you’re currently reading and pick this one up instead.

            Firstly, I must say that Hartley has to be one of my favorite heroines of all time. She is hilariously funny and I love to hear her commentate on the things going on in her life. Somehow, she makes even the most depressing moments funny, but not overly so, which made this book awesome. I connected with her within the first couple of pages and she made the story very interesting. Also, she was a normal teenager. There was no Mary Sue business and no idiotic clumsiness either. She was the real deal and reacts to things how I imagine I would react in her situation. Relating and actually liking the main character are two crucial things that Halliday did absolutely correctly. The supporting characters are also amazing and complex, despite their secondary roles in the storyline. On the subject of characters, I have one thing to say about Chase: yum. That is all.

            The storyline of Deadly Cool was also, well…. cool (haha pun). The mystery was complex and it was impossible to identify the true murderer until the very end. When I did find out, I was extremely surprised, but, looking back through the book, I could see hints here and there, which was what made this a truly good story. It made me feel kind of stupid that I couldn’t figure it out from those hints, but that’s why Halliday is such a genius. The point is that I am not supposed to know who killed her until Hartley did, which she achieved very well. In addition to the central story of solving the murder, the relationships (or lack of) are also a large part of the story. In some situations, Harley is very awkward (no, not like me at all, pshah, no) and it was hilarious. I liked watching Chase make her squirm; it was entertaining.

Keeping all of this in mind, I implore you to read this. You won't be sorry. 5 Smileys!