Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser

Synopsis
Str-S-d:
I’ll begin with Lucy. She is definitely first on the list. You can’t believe how it feels to be in the cafeteria and turn around and there she is staring at me like I’m some disgusting bug or vermin. Does she really think I WANT to be this way? I hate you, Lucy. I really hate you. You are my #1 pick. I wish you were dead.


The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wishes the popular girl would die, Lucy vanishes. The students of Soundview High are scared and worried. Especially frightened and wracked with guilt is Madison Archer, Lucy’s friend and the last person to see her the night she disappeared.
As days pass with no sign of the missing girl, even the attention of Tyler, an attractive new student, is not enough to distract Madison from her growing sense of foreboding. When two more popular students disappear after their names are mentioned on Str-S-d’s blog, the residents of Soundview panic.
Meanwhile, Madison receives anonymous notes warning that she could be next. Desperate to solve the mystery before anyone else disappears, Madison turns to Tyler, but can she trust him when it becomes clear that he knows more than he’s sharing?
The clock is ticking. Madison must uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances . . . before her name appears in Str-S-d’s blog.


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The synopsis hooked me. New-age thriller? Bring it! But I feel a little mislead... I know synopses (there it is again! SO WEIRD!) are not supposed to reveal what actually happens, just tantalize you with all the juicy bits of the novel. In this one though, I was waiting for Madison to get jumped and I was just blindsided by the turn of events.


But not so fast! While I was expecting a certain turn of events, I got another just as good. Though it was creepy.... Anywhats, the pacing in this story felt really good to me. There may have been a point here and there that the story lagged a bit, but I found that was just in order to tie up a couple loose ends. Also the switch between P.O.V.s was hard to handle at first, but I got used to it eventually.


Madison was a great protagonist and I liked how she handled herself. Especially in the end! Can only wish I could have the heart she does, because wow that's amazing. After all the drama, I would have liked to seen her a little more deeper. Or reserved. Instead we got skittish. I don't know about ya'll but usually after an experience like that, there's a huge shift in character. (This is so hard without giving spoilers!) I can't complain, because all in all I was left stumped until the end and the characters were well written. That's all I really need in a thriller. Well that and a little more depth.