Instinct Book Review

Instinct
by Mattie Dunman
Young Adult Paranormal Suspense
Date Published: 5/27/2013

Book Description:
To tell the truth...it doesn’t really matter if you lie.

It’s impossible to lie to Derry MacKenna. For as long as she can remember, Derry has been plagued by the extraordinary ability to hear, see, and feel the truth. But when Derry and her erratic, self-centered mother move to historic Harpers Ferry, she discovers she is not the only one with hidden talents.

As the newest reporter on the school newspaper, Derry learns of a high school student’s unexpected suicide and recognizes that the truth behind her death may still be hidden. When tragedy strikes, Derry is drawn into a deadly battle of wits with the only person whom her abilities don’t affect.

Driven by guilt and an obsession with bringing the killer to justice, Derry finds herself in danger from a vindictive murderer, a sadistic deviant who preys on the weak, and trapped in the middle of a treacherous triangle of attraction between two brothers whose abilities rival her own. Derry must trust her instincts to guide her to the truth and bring her enemies to justice even as she fights for her own survival.

INSTINCT focuses on a gifted, intelligent, and loyal heroine who must contend not only with the inherent dangers of high school bullying and backstabbing, but with loss, grief, and guilt. Against issues of sexual abuse, teenage suicide, and destructive relationships, the heroine learns to cherish the strength of real friendship, understand accountability, and experiences the healing touch of first love.

"This is competently written and well-paced, and the author does an excellent job of exploring what a gift like Derry's would mean in real life...Most refreshing is the severing of several YA tropes in interesting and welcome ways."
--- Publishers Weekly

Buy Link
http://www.amazon.com/Instinct-ebook/dp/B00D2DZB5G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372873034&sr=8-1&keywords=mattie+dunman

My Opinion:
When I started reading Instict I knew I would love this book right away. What I loved most about this book is that the main character in this story has a very special gift that is different from any other I have heard of before. Derry always hears a truth from any person she talks to as the first thing that comes out of their mouth. Derry also knows when someone is telling the truth or lying to her. Her gift seems so much more than just instict but I think that is probably the best thing to call it. Derry has been home-schooled her whole life but decides to go to a regular high school to prepare for her life in college. While she is going to school she finally makes friends and learns secrets from many of the students and teachers there. Nicole becomes her best friends and Derry tries to help her find out how Nicole's last best friend died. Of course like in most books things go all wrong and Nicole is murdered. Derry knows who did it but there is no proof. She uses her gift and in the end after getting in so much trouble everything is solved and she even finds love. I was confused about the way Derry felt about many of the guys in this story but I felt she made the right choice in the end. I loved it, great book!


Author Bio:
Mattie Dunman is a lifelong resident of "Wild & Wonderful" West Virginia, and has dreamed of being a writer since she first held a pen in hand.

Mattie has pursued several useless degrees to support this dream, and presently enjoys teaching (or tormenting, as the case may be) college students the dying art of public speaking. She spends most of her free time writing, but also indulges in reading and traveling.

She is the proud owner of an adorably insane American Eskimo named Finn, and a tyrant cat named Bella, who take up more of her attention than they probably should.

Please visit Mattie's website at www.mattiedunman.com
http://www.goodreads.com/MattieDunman