The Half Life of Molly Pierce

by Katrina Leno

[bookishzelda]

The Half Life of Molly Pierce is one of those books that does a number on your brain. So much that you are scratching your head thinking, ahh what is going on here. I really like these kinds of books even though at times they can be exhausting. For me it always triggers an immediate fondness for the main character. I want her to figure out what’s going on, I want the blackouts to stop happening to her. I want to crawl inside the book and help her.

It’s a quick read and not just because it’s 256 pages, but I think the writing style had such a great flow to it that you are quickly swept away. I was rapidly turning the pages and trying to piece things together. I felt the story was very engaging and kept me interested. I liked the subject material. I’ve read some similar books with the kind of things going on but I think they have been adult. I liked having the YA take on it.

The book begins when Molly experiences a horrific accident. She has been having blackouts for a long time but when she realizes that this boy she has seen die is not actual random, then things begin to unravel. Molly finds herself caught up in the mystery of her own life. It’s not just the missing chunks of time that she is in the dark about but she finds that people know more than they are telling. As she uncovers each new piece, she has to face some of her own demons in order to find a way to be the best version of herself. One that takes the good and the bad.

I really liked Molly has a character because I thought she was very persistent in her quest for the truth. She didn’t back down even when it got hard and she forced herself to face certain truths. I was always in her corner even and I found myself feeling defensive of her. She was extremely easy for me to bond with.

Lots of great characters. I loved how close she is with her family and her best friends. How these are people who really support her and are there for her. For both the good and the bad. I wanted to high five them all for being cool. I could only imagine Erie’s reaction to that. Even though the book can be intense, it also has it’s light moments with everyone joking around with one another. There is also a strong adult presence so Molly is not on her own. She has her parents and Alex.

There is romance but it’s really not the main focus. I would consider Molly and her family more of the focus.

I’m not sure my feelings about the ending. It was not bad by any means but I just felt like something was missing. I can not explain it because I don’t want to give the plot away so you will have to read it and decide for yourself. Which I really do like the book so I would definitely say read it.

This is a good quick read and will make your brain tired, in a good way. So I would say definitely pick it up.