ARC Review: Ask Me by Kimberly Pauley

She speaks the truth, and nothing but the truth.
And where Aria Morse lives, that can get her into all sorts of trouble.

Title: Ask Me by Kimberly Pauley
Release Date: April 8th 2014
Published by: Soho Teen
Source: Publisher (Thanks Ms. Jenny!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Dpository

Summary:

Ask Aria Morse anything, and she must answer with the truth. Yet she rarely understands the cryptic words she‘s compelled to utter. Blessed—or cursed—with the power of an Oracle who cannot decipher her own predictions, she does her best to avoid anyone and everyone.

But Aria can no longer hide when Jade, one of the few girls at school who ever showed her any kindness, disappears. Any time Aria overhears a question about Jade, she inadvertently reveals something new, a clue or hint as to why Jade vanished. But like stray pieces from different puzzles, her words never present a clear picture.

Then there’s Alex, damaged and dangerous, but the first person other than Jade to stand up for her. And Will, who offers a bond that seems impossible for a girl who’s always been alone. Both were involved with Jade. Aria may be the only one who can find out what happened, but the closer she gets to solving the crime, the more she becomes a target. Not everyone wants the truth to come out.

Aria cannot lie. When she hears a question, she is forced to answer, and the answer she gives is always the truth. This ability of hers led Aria to become a loner, because who would want a friend who always speaks the truth? Granted her responses are oftentimes cryptic, but all the same, Aria lives her life being treated as a freak with only her grandparents appreciating her. And then a string of murders happen, and all of a sudden the burden that was Aria's ability is the only key to find out who the murder is.

This I will admit: it was hard connecting with Aria. She had retreated so far inside her shell that it was hard to figure her out at all. It was hard to grasp her character, and for a while the only thing that was interesting about her is her ability to speak the truth, albeit in riddles. The way she answers is both clever and amusing at times, which makes her character a little more likeable. But the more I think about it, the more I sympathized with her, because she had to answer any question she hears whether she liked it or not. It was a tiring effort, and in high school it labels her as a freak of nature, when all she wants is to be normal.

Then Alex and Will appeared, and all of a sudden her small world filled with isolation is suddenly too small for her. Where Will was easy to figure out because everything seems to be what it looks like upfront, Alex was the complete opposite, grumpy, mysterious and suspicious. The contrast of their characters and their interactions with Aria drew her personality out gradually. I had reservations for both of them, because the way the story was structured makes one want to be suspicious of anyone and everyone. I was automatically drawn to Will, but Alex is a character worth scrutinizing, which made the romantic angle a little more interesting.

Although it was fairly easy to figure out who the killer was even before I was halfway through the book, that didn't make the reading experience less enjoyable, because Kimberly Pauley managed to inject the fear and the crazy with the glimpses of what goes on behind the mind of the murderer. Twisted and dark and a little bit spine-chilling. The fascinating part for me is when I try to reconcile this distorted part with what was presented to the readers, and see just how deceiving appearances can be and how the author managed to disguise that in a character. You'd think "who would have thought?" and I still can't help but think of how it was possible.

Deciphering the clues that come out for Aria's mouth coupled with the fast paced pace that the story set from the onset is what made this book such a good paranormal mystery thriller. The author managed to entice readers with the missing puzzle pieces in what Aria knew and what was really going on and putting them together was what held a reader's interest like mine until the very end. Once you get to know the reasons, motivations and the driving force behind the murders, you get this complete picture of the story that gives it a chilly edge. Kimberly Pauley managed to write a thoroughly engaging and a wholly enjoyable story. Ask Me had a good balance of romance and mystery that makes it a gratifyingly good thriller!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Quick read! I finished this in half a day and I had such a fun time putting everything together. Although the motivations and reasons behind the murder seems to be a little bit too juvenile and maybe ordinary, it doesn't take away the fact that it made the story enjoyable! Also, I was rooting for someone else for Aria, but the romance angle didn't ended up the way I predicted it to, which was quite a pleasant surprise for me!

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
I love how the cover seems to get you into the right mood to read this story.