The First Time I Died (Garnet McGee, #1)

by Jo MacGregor

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Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Lately I have been in the mood for mysteries and, when The First Time I Died popped up as available from my library, I really hoped it would be as amazing as it sounded! Between the murder mystery and the promise of a possible paranormal twist, I couldn't wait to dive in and see what was in store.

Garnet McGee left her town as soon as she could after her high school boyfriend was brutally murdered, hoping never to have to return. Years later she finds herself back in town to help her parents and dies herself after an accident. Thankfully, she's quickly revived, but isn't sure she has come back alone. Afterwards, Garnet decides to spend her time getting to the bottom of what really happened all those years ago and who was responsible.

The First Time I Died was one of the more unique mysteries I've ever read. I loved the paranormal aspects, but I won't say more about those to avoid spoilers. Garnet was such a relatable character and I appreciated the inclusion of a character with PTSD and thought it was well represented. The relationships in this book, both past and present, were really well developed and I found myself even loving some of the side characters!

The worst is when mysteries are easy to figure out from the very beginning, but this one kept me guessing right up to the big reveal! There were a few times when I thought I had it figured out, but I was always wrong. In hindsight, clues were dropped for the true villain all along. The author just did a fantastic job of keeping me in the dark and I love that!

Something I found interesting about this book was that, through the inclusions of flashbacks to Garnet's high school years, it definitely felt like an adult book with YA crossover appeal. I read mostly YA books and I found that reading this wasn't as jarring as some adult books can be.

If you're a fan of mysteries that aren't your typical whodunnit, I definitely recommend The First Time I Died! I can't wait to see what happens in the next chapter of Garnet's story!