Review of Clarity by Kim Harrington

Released: March 1, 2011

242 pages, hardcover

Interest: Debut author challenge, psychics

Summary

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?

Summary from Goodreads.com

Review

One part mystery, one part paranormal, with the tiniest dash of romance.

If I had to chose one word to describe this book it would be refreshing.

• There was a romance.  There was kissing.  The characters were still getting to know each other though.  There was no rush to use the L word.  They simply liked each other.  A novel concept.
• There is a love triangle, which normally bother me, but I did like both guys in this case, and Clare is not “in love” yet, so there’s still time to decide.
• Clarity can “see”, yet she’s not alone in her gift.  Her mother and brother have different psychic abilities too.  They don’t hid their abilities either, they run a business catered to tourists in Cape Cod. 
• Since Clare’s abilities aren’t a secret, she gets a bit of crap about them from her peers.  For someone so generally ostracized, she does seem to have all the guys in town crushing on her.
• Clare uses her abilities to solve a mystery, but they don’t solve it all, there’s still plenty of normal detective work and common sense employed.
• Clarity was a short book, at 242 pages, yet it didn’t feel like anything was left out, or incomplete.  There will be more though, and I look forward to seeing Clarity again.

Rating

Cover: 10/10 Love it, well matched, my only complaint is that she looks more blonde than red-headed there.

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 10/10

Ending: 9/10

Overall enjoyment: 9/10

Grade: 94% A

Parental guide: Clare’s brother is a bit of a man-slut, we’re told not shown about it (Thank you!).  There’s also some swearing.