ARC Review: Blur by Steven James

Blur
Author: Steven James
Series: Blur Trilogy (Book 1)
Publication: Skyscape (May 27, 2014)

Description: The isolated town of Beldon, Wisconsin, is shocked when a high school freshman’s body is found in Lake Algonquin. Just like everyone in the community, sixteen-year-old Daniel Byers believes that Emily Jackson’s death was accidental. But at her funeral, when he has a terrifying vision of her, his world begins to rip apart at the seams.

Convinced that Emily’s appearance was more than just a mere hallucination, Daniel begins to look carefully into her death, even as he increasingly loses the ability to distinguish fantasy from reality.

What’s real? What’s not? Where does reality end and madness begin?

As Daniel struggles to find the truth, his world begins to crumble around him as he slips further and further into his own private blurred reality.

Full of mind-bending twists and turns, Blur launches a new trilogy of young adult thrillers from Steven James, a master of suspense.

My Thoughts: BLUR was a very suspenseful story filled with twists and turns. Daniel Byers is the school's star quarterback. The story begins when he is attending the funeral of a fellow student - Emily Jackson - who he really didn't know very well. Things go weird when he sees her sit up in her coffin, grab his arm, and say his name. Then he faints.

Daniel doesn't know what is going on. He is afraid that he is losing his mind. He sees her again walking onto the field at the Homecoming football game. Next thing he knows he is coming to after taking a major hit from the other team. I could feel Daniel's confusion and fear as he tried to figure out what was going on.

Despite his dad the sheriff's advice, he can't stop investigating Emily's death. Evidence leads to lots of suspects including his best friend Kyle and a teacher at school. He gets some help from a girl named Stacy that no one else seems to know and from his friend Nicole.

I will admit that I had chosen the wrong suspect as I was reading the book. And I wasn't at all sure that Daniel wasn't really losing his mind. This was an engaging thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Favorite Quote:

The idea that death is the end, theh end of every dream and memory that a person will ever have, every hope and smile and tear...it was unsettling.

Teenagers weren't supposed to have to think about things like that.

I got this eARC at NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.