Book Review: Another Little Piece

Another Little Piece

By: Kate Karyus Quinn

Published By: HarperTeen

Publication Date: June 11, 2013

Page Count: 432

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher via Edelweiss

Audience: Young Adult - Horror/Paranormal

This novel is not for the faint of heart. It freaked me out on so many levels. There are enough dark, twisting chills laced through this story to give you heart palpitations. Seriously - this is one of the creepiest stories I've ever read. I seriously might have considered putting it in the freezer while I slept if it hadn't been on my Kindle. Yes, it's that creepy.

I think it's best if I talk about this novel in vague terms and generalities. Why? I'm so glad you asked. The main reason is I went into this novel knowing virtually nothing about it other than the few little glimmers of information I could glean from the synopsis. I knew it was going to be dark and creepy, but I had no idea what to expect beyond those morsels. I think the book freaked me out so much because I didn't know what was lurking in the next chapter. Knowing the paranormal elements would have hindered me from experiencing this in an organic way. There is something going on - it is unique. That's really all you need to know.

In spite of how much I ended up enjoying this one (well, once I could bury my panic attack), I did have to work for it. The book is written in an interesting style that can be quite disorienting. The main character is supposedly Annaliese, but it quickly becomes clear that she is not the girl she used to be. As the story unfolds, you learn who is truly inhabiting Annaliese's body and mind. That alone was enough to terrify me, but things just kept getting odder the more I read. It took me awhile to settle into this sort of narration, but once I acclimated to the it, I loved that it was told in this manner. It didn't make sense to tell this story in a traditional way. You get things in more of a piecemeal fashion as memories begin to fight their way to the surface. By experiencing things in this manner, I was able to form empathy for the main character. I so didn't want to like her and I fought really hard against it, but in the end, my heart broke for her.

In spite of this not really being Annaliese's story, I did enjoy getting to know her through her poetry. These poems litter the text and provide insight to the girl. I didn't understand how she could have made the choices she did, but I began to realize why she went down such a dark path as I pieced together who she was from her stanzas. I loved how they wove through the larger narrative and provided insight when I needed it most.

Again, there are so many more things I wish I could say about this novel, but I think the experience will be best if you read it without any preconceived notions or expectations. I would caution readers that are not fans of horror novels to shy away from this one. There are some pretty gruesome moments; I admit they made me squeamish. I'm sure it didn't help matters that I chose to read this during dark, rainy evenings. I kept wishing I had opted for reading during the bright daylight hours instead. Another Little Piece might just be the scariest YA read ever for me.

One Last Gripe: I still have some lingering questions, but I think the answers were left ambiguous on purpose.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: I liked the uniqueness of the plot. 

First Sentence: The field didn't end so much as trail off, beaten back by the rusted-out trailer and circle of junked vehicles surrounding it.

Favorite Character: Dex

Least Favorite Character: Franky

Summary:

The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.