Review: Exciting Paranormal Mystery
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 13, 2013
*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*Derry MacKenna can tell when people lie. The first sentence out of anyone's mouth is always some random truth that's on their mind at the time. They don't actually speak it, Derry just hears it, missing whatever it was that they did say. She has trouble reading non-fiction. Since it's supposedly based on factual data, she sees the truth until it finally fades, revealing the actual words beneath. Can you imagine reading a history book?! This isn't a family thing, just a curse Derry's had for as long as she can remember. She thinks she's the only one...Having not attended school since an incident in Kindergarten, Derry convinces her mother to allow her to complete the last semester of her senior year at the small local high school. Derry wants to experience high school before it's too late, but she gets a bit more than she bargained for. In her first class she meets Nicole, a pariah since her best friend, Miranda, committed suicide several months ago. She also meets Phillip, a gorgeous guy who also has the distinction of being the first person Derry is unable to hear the truth from. When she's in his presence, her skin tingles the entire time, but not in a good way. Her skin tingles the way it does whenever someone is lying to her.Derry dreams of being a reporter which leads her to working on the school newspaper. There she meets a perverted teacher, along with the paper's editor, Jake, who seems to have anger control issues. Derry begins researching Miranda's death after Nicole is insistent that it wasn't a suicide. This new obsession may not be good for Derry's overall well being. She begins to uncover damning evidence that leads her to believe Nicole may be right.Enter Cole Durant, tall, dark and handsome. Oh, and dangerous. Harpers Ferry's resident bad boy has a secret, but that's not enough to keep Derry away. She's drawn to Cole against her better judgment. I would be too, the guy oozes appeal. As far as romantic interests go, I really liked Cole. Sometimes Mr. Perfect just gets old. Cole has a past, he's human, and he actually cares about Derry.This is a great mystery, full of suspense and twists. It was a little long to read in one sitting, but I was loath to put it down, reading until so late my eyes were too heavy to stay open any longer. The paranormal aspect is interesting, though I can't imagine what Derry goes through on a daily basis. I enjoyed the characters, even the peripheral characters had life. The ending surprised me (that doesn't happen very often) and left me feeling satisfied. I recommend Instinct to everyone high school and up that enjoys an intriguing mystery with a touch of the paranormal and a bit of romance.You can find this review and many more at [...]