Book Review by Bella

Summary:
All Eyes On Her is a thrilling story filled with teenage angst, betrayal, love quarrels, and gripping revelations. This story follows the mystery surrounding 17 year old Tabitha (better known as Tabby) who allegedly killed her boyfriend, Mark, by pushing him off a cliff while they were out on a picnic date. The case is told through the eyes of Bridget, Keegan, Lou and Elle, who are all current friends or enemies of Tabitha. Throughout the story, we follow the events leading up to the death of Mark and what might have pushed Tabby to the edge, all with some shocking secrets being discovered along the way.


My Thoughts (SPOILER FREE):
This is definitely a good mystery novel to read. What I loved the most about this book is how the author structured the story. Throughout the novel, there are glimpses of newspaper articles, diary entries, police interviews, and different perspectives on certain events. This makes the reader feel as if they are a detective trying to figure out who is guilty and who is not. Additionally, I was shocked to see that Tabby’s point of view is not explored until the very end. Instead, the story is told from the points of view of different characters including  Bridget (Tabby’s sister), Elle (Tabby’s best friend), Keegan (Mark’s best friend), and Lou (Tabby’s “rival”). I think that the author did a phenomenal job at creating individual voices for all of these characters as it is easy to tell their personalities apart. I also liked getting to see the reasoning behind their actions as well as their opinions on the case. It was definitely interesting to see some of the same occurrences from opposing sides. I believe that is what makes this such a compelling murder mystery.

The plot had its twists and I was definitely shocked at some of the revelations. The beginning instantly catches the attention of the reader and gets them hooked. Towards the middle, there were a few times where I felt the story grow stagnant. However, for the most part, the story was captivating. With the events leading up to the investigation, Flynn portrays Tabby as a complex character who people either love or hate. She also does the same for “Golden boy” Mark. I found the resolution to be satisfactory as it was exactly how I imagined it would end. Still, I think that the way the case was closed was exceptional due to finally seeing everything from Tabby’s point of view. Overall, I think the plot was done very well.

Lastly, there are a few things I did not enjoy in this book. The story depicts high school life as a time filled with nothing but parties and relationships, something that modern media tends to romanticize. That is why I personally find it difficult to relate to or enjoy these types of books. In addition, I quickly grew tired of the constant bad-mouthing and unrealistic accusations. There was always at least one character using another’s past against them. In general, there is just an abundance of drama that the characters had to deal with throughout the book, but that is expected as tensions are high with the ongoing case. Finally, I really wished that we could have gotten more detail on some of the bigger discoveries, as they directly impacted the lives of certain characters. Many secrets were left unexplored, thus causing them to divert attention from the main plot. 

Rating and Conclusion:
Personally, I would give All Eyes On Her a 3.6 out of 5 stars. It is definitely not my favorite mystery but I still found it pretty interesting and chilling at certain parts. The story really gets the reader to think about perspective, societal pressures, as well as how people are on the inside vs. the outside. All in all, I would absolutely recommend this book to those who enjoy reading about drama, dark secrets, and detective work.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
Bella is an avid book reader who loves all genres and enjoys recommending her recent reads (or favorites) to just about anyone and everyone. She also loves to write, bake, and play music. Bella attends high school in Cy-Fair ISD.