Book Review: The Innocents by Lili Peloquin

**I received this book from Around the World ARC Tours for review**

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Nothing ever came between sisters Alice and Charlie.
Friends didn't.
Boys couldn't.
Their family falling apart never would.
Until they got to Serenity Point.
"The Innocents" is the first in a new series of young adult novels that weave a saga of nail-biting drama, breathless romance, and gothic mystery.

My Thoughts:  I really thought this book was a fun, mysterious read!  It was fast to read and while Alice was quite annoying (imo), the book was pretty good!

Alice and Charlie are sisters. Their dad ran out on them a couple years ago and their mom has just remarried a very rich man.  Richard's wife died of cancer and very shortly after that, his only daughter died in a car accident.  The girls, their mom and their new stepdad are spending the rest of summer at the beach house before the girls are shipped off to a prestigious bording school. 

Once in Serenity Point, the girls set out to meet kids their own age.  Charlie quickly gets involved with Cybil and Jude, two of the most popular and beautiful kids.  They are also two of the most troubled teens in the area.  Alice finds herself drawn more towards Tommy, who was Camilla's (Richard's dead daughter) boyfriend.  In fact, after Alice is told that she looks just like Camilla, she uses that to get to Tommy. 

As the girls start to get settled, things between them start to change.  They start to grow apart and the girls also start to grow apart from their mother, Maggie.  Alice decides to try to find out why Richard never speaks of his former wife or Camilla and what she finds out changes her world forever.

Seriously, I could not stand Alice.  She was weak and passive and just blah.  She didn't stand up to anyone until the end when she finally stood up to Richard.  She was also very goody-goody and pretty much a wallflower.  She just really annoyed me and I really could not connect to her at all!

I connected more with Charlie.  She was the one who was always getting in trouble but was always having fun too.  She just would insert herself into a crowd and that is how she made friends.  Cybil was one of those friends who was an enemy too.  You never knew what Cybil's mood would be.  Jude was an extremely troubled guy but Charlie couldn't help but fall for him. 

I didn't really understand anything about Maggie, the girls' mother. She was apparently very liberal and stood up for her political beliefs. She never would be associated with the dreaded Republican however, as soon as she marries Richard, who is very wealthy and obviously a more conservative man, she changes.  Now she is friendly to those Republicans and has no political views anymore.  In fact, she easily falls into the roll of the the "rich man's wife". I just didn't see how someone could completely change so quickly. 

The main mystery in the story was very easy to figure out.  I had it all pretty much figured out way before Alice did.  I think this will be okay for the intended (younger) readers and it didn't really take a lot away from the book but it was pretty easy to figure out. The ending definitely leaves you hanging and I will have to read the next book to satisfy my curiousity! 

This was a very fast read and I think a lot of the teen girls will really enjoy this book.  It just seems to have that drama that pulls you in and won't let you put it down!