Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity by Kim Harrington

March 1, 2011
Point

From Goodreads:
When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?
This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

My Review:
Clarity was a mysterious and fun-filled novel that pulled me in from page one! Clare was a great main character who was really down to earth and I could see a little bit of Veronica Mars in her. When her ex-boyfriend asks her to help solve the murder of a teenage tourist, she is reluctant at first but soon agrees when she realizes that it is for the better. She quickly becomes ensnared in the murder case and puts herself in danger while trying to discover the who the girl's murderer is.

Clare was a witty and enjoyable character with whom I fell in love with. She isn't at all annoying and sulky, which was a nice change from most of the YA books today. She doesn't need a guy to help her solve the murder and she is not a damsel in distress. While the hot detective's son does come along for the ride, it all comes down to Clare's powers to help solve the case. Clare does get picked on by the town because of her psychic abilities, but she can sure hold her own against the haters! While Clare wishes she could be a normal girl, she doesn't put up with smack talk from others and I loved that about her!

Gabriel was a delicious and yummy guy who helped Clare while she tried to solve the murder. He thinks that psychics are bologna and while this causes some friction between him and Clare, they can't seem to stop from crushing on each other. Gabriel has a dark past and we later learn why he feels the way he does about psychics. Justin was Clare's cheating ex-boyfriend who was her first love. I really wanted to hate him for what he did to Clare, but you could tell how sorry he was and he was so sweet around Clare that I just couldn't help but fall for him. I don't know how Clare is going to be able to choose between the two because they are both so cute and hold such strong feelings for Clare.

The mystery in Clarity kept me glued to the pages! I loved how the romance didn't overshadow the mystery and vice versa. I had a really hard time trying to solve who the murderer was and I loved that Harrington didn't make it obvious. Clarity's brother Perry seemed to be the prime suspect throughout much of the novel but she doesn't believe that her brother could hurt someone like that. I was shocked when it was finally revealed who the murderer actually was! Clarity definitely has one of my favorite murder mystery's in YA.

Clarity was a fantastic mysterious and romantic read that left me wanting more! I was so glad to learn that this was the first in the series and I can't wait for more of Clare, Gabriel, Justin, and Perry. Clarity is an awesome debut and I can't wait for more from Kim Harrington!

My Rating: