R.I.P. Eliza Hart

by Alyssa Sheinmel

Ellie believes that going to boarding school in California, surrounded by ocean and open spaces, will cure her claustrophobia. Once there, she discovers that Eliza Hart, her childhood best friend, is also a student there. But Eliza spreads rumors about Ellie, saying she's a liar, a stalker. Then Eliza Hart is found dead. Can Ellie clear her name and find out the truth about Eliza Hart?

• ISBN13: 9781338087628
• Publish Date: 28 November 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Scholastic US
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

I thought this was going to be a simple mystery of how Eliza Hart died, but there was so much more to this story. It was at times really intense, and many things in this book resonated with me.

•Pro: I love boarding school books, and this one was epically located in Big Sur. If it was real, I would want to go there.

•Pro: Adding Eliza's POV from the beyond really brought a lot of depth to the story. Sure, Sheinmel could have recounted many of the things Eliza revealed via a second hand account, but the impact was so much greater coming straight from Eliza.

•Pro: Sam intrigued me. I was worried about him at time, and not sure about his motives, but eventually, I fell in love with him.

•Pro: There were quite a few mysterious threads in this story. Who killed Eliza? Why did she lie about Ellie? What was the root of Ellie's claustrophobia? And I am happy to report all those questions are answered.

•Pro: Mental health rep is one of the only reps I will comment on, because I live it, and I thought the emotions of those suffering from mental health issues were conveyed so well. The frustration of trying pill after pill, doctor after doctor, treatment after treatment, and you still are not well. I really related to Ellie and Eliza's feelings of failure, helplessness, and hopelessness.

•Pro: It was an important and wise choice to include both girls' POVs, because they were both quite hopeless at some point, but one was able to find hope. I think showing that side was crucial to me as a reader.

•Pro: I appreciated the inclusion of how family and friends are affected by the mental health issues of their loved ones. It was an important point of view to include in this story.

•Pro: The ending was actually really great and realistic.

Overall: A compelling mystery, filled with some complicated characters and an honest look at mental health.

*I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS