Title: All Eyes on Her by L.E. Flynn
Publisher: Imprint
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
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 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?
Review:
All Eyes on Her by L.E. Flynn is a spellbinding young adult mystery.
Seventeen year old Tabby Cousins is the suspect in the death of her twenty year old boyfriend Mark Forrester. During a hiking trip, he fell to his death and initially, the case is viewed as an accident. But after classmate (and enemy) Louisa “Lou” Chamberlain films then uploads an altercation between Tabby and another student, the investigation focuses on Tabby. Her best friend, Elle Ross, witnessed incidents that make her believe that Tabby was in an abusive relationship. Mark’s best friend, Keegan Leach, kept a close eye on Tabby and urged Mark to break up with her. Suspicion also falls on Tabby’s ex-boyfriend Beck Rutherford who is insolent during police questioning. Younger sister Bridget is completely on Tabby’s side but she does have a few questions about the circumstances surrounding the hike. A series of news articles, Tabby’s diary entries and texts fill in some of the blanks but her guilt or innocence remains a lingering question.
Tabby is bold and self-confident and she cares little for other people’s opinions of her. Her romance with Mark begins while he is home from Princeton over summer break and continues after he returns to college. Tabby is insecure about their relationship and her texts and some of her behavior reflect her uncertainty about their future. Elle is concerned about the differences she observes while Tabby is with Mark, but her friend refuses to discuss much about her relationship.
Lou is intensely jealous and resentful of Tabby and she is protective of her own relationship with Beck. She is quick to judge Tabby and she is vindictive toward her perceived enemy. Lou is also unhappy with Beck’s refusal to fully commit to her. How will her actions impact the case against Tabby?
Keegan has been Mark’s best friend for most of their lives. But after high school, they took different paths. Mark is attending Princeton and he is still swimming competitively. Keegan is no longer in college and he is working at a local store. He would like nothing more than for Mark to dump Tabby, but will Keegan convince his friends that she is no good for him?
All Eyes on Her is a riveting mystery with a unique premise. The storyline is well-developed and moves at a brisk pace. The cast of characters is interesting and their insight into Tabby and Mark’s relationship is intriguing. But can their versions of events be trusted? With stunning twists and sly turns, L.E. Flynn brings this clever young adult novel to a somewhat ambiguous conclusion that is surprisingly satisfying. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this young adult mystery to older teen and adult readers.
