A Great Idea Falls Flat on Delivery
By Josin L. McQuein
Delacorte Press, $17.99, 336 pages
Dinah is angry: her fourteen-year-old cousin Claire attempted suicide and is in a coma. Dinah has discovered that it was because of a sexual assault she experienced. When Dinah discovers the boy responsible she sets off to get revenge and ruin his life just like he ruined Claire’s. Dinah takes Claire’s spot at school and with the help of her two best friends starts her attack.
Premeditated is a young adult novel by author Josin L. McQuein and it has an interesting premise – that of a high school girl plotting calculated revenge on her cousin’s rapist. The character of Dinah is well written and the supporting characters in the book are also well rounded out. The storyline unfortunately falls flat as the plot twist is easily guessed in the beginning of the book and Dinah’s belief that no one can help is absurd given that she is surrounded by supportive adults (minus her mother) who would be happy to help get justice for Claire. This book is one that should be more intriguing than it actually is. Older teens will likely still enjoy this book but adult fans of young adult fiction will want to pass on this novel.
Reviewed by Barbara Cothern[amazon text=Buy On Amazon&asin=0385743297][amazon text=Buy On Amazon&template=carousel&asin=0385743297]