Review: Made For You by Melissa Marr

My Thoughts

A chilling tale that kept me in a state of constant goose bumps.

3.5 to 4 stars.

• Related Posts: Romantic Suspense | Dark & Intense| Excerpt on USA Today HEA blog
• Made For You: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis

When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling.

My Review

This book completely captivated me with its intriguing synopsis, and it certainly delivered a chilling whodunit tale that kept me guessing. Best known for her YA paranormal series, Wicked Lovely, Marr boldly makes her first foray into romantic suspense with this story of relentless obsession, unrequited love and ruthless murder. A killer is on the loose in a small, normally sleepy,  North Carolina town, where reputations are everything and secrets are hidden deeply. Eva Tilling is the town’s princess, but when she’s brutally run over and left for dead, her life drastically changes. She wakes with the ability to foresee people’s death—visions overtaking her when skin touches skin. She soon discovers that she is the center of the murderer’s fixation… a tenacious obsession for her salvation and their ultimate togetherness.

“I had to act before the corruption consumed her. It’s like a disease, eating away all that is good and pure. I ran her over to save her.”

We learn that Judge (as the killer calls himself) is resolute in saving Eva… saving her from them. The people who sustain the oppression of a social caste system, built on egotism, privilege and venality.

“The live by class and name and none of it is real. They aren’t better than anyone else.”

As her friends are ticked off one by one, leaving behind a baffling string of messages, Eva must figure out who is after her while trying to save her friends and family. Together with her childhood friend—and forever crush—Nate, and her BFF Grace, they embark on a hunt for the killer. The story was entirely chilling and macabre with alternating chapters between central characters, including the murderer, giving us frenetic, intriguing point-of-views as each person races towards a different goal. There were some aspects I loved about the story, and a few things I felt could’ve been explored further to make the story stronger. For example, I loved the juxtaposition of dark realism and a certain supernatural mystique. However, given that the story was indeed rooted in realism, I wanted to understand why Eva was able to see people’s deaths, and that aspect was never fully addressed. The story also centered around southern, small-town societal tropes and how our various characters adhered to those norms, but I was never convinced that our protagonist really, fully overcame those stigmas. Lastly, there were parts of the book that lagged a bit when it came to pacing, but the story picked up again by its end. The novel was well written, suspenseful, dark—all things I really enjoyed. I loved getting into the twisted mind of the killer, seeing his crazy mind unwind in ways that were horrifying. I think both young and adult readers will enjoy the story, which was wonderfully creepy and chilling as we wonder… Would the killer finally claim Eva as his? Or could Eva and her friends decipher the cryptic messages before it’s too late?

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