Book Review: “Shine”

By Lauren Myracle
Amulet Books, 2011

Review by Daina Tague, 19
Oregon

Shine is about Cat, a young girl in a very small backcountry town. Her once best friend Patrick was found almost beaten to death in a vicious hate crime, and Cat is on a mission to find the perpetrator.

Lauren Myracle does a great job building suspense in this intense, realistic mystery. The entire time I was reading I had new ideas about who tried to kill Patrick. Along with being a good mystery it is also a thoughtful coming-of-age story. Cat loses herself after an "incident" and comes to the realization that she does not want to be the person she was. She decides to make the changes within herself that she believes are necessary.

Myracle offers a realistic portrayal of "rednecks," but her characters aren't just stereotypes. They are full of depth"•people that I, as the reader, could identify with and wanted to succeed.