Clarity

Starred review from January 24, 2011
Harrington debuts with an auspicious kickoff to a series of mysteries with a psychic twist. Sixteen-year-old Clarity "Clare" Fern works in the family business doing psychic readings for summer tourists in their Cape Cod town. She can uncover memories and emotions by touching objects, her mother can read minds, and her brother is a medium. When a tourist girl is found murdered, Clare jumps at the invitation to help with the case: following the clues and working with the police is exciting, even if it requires her to spend time with her cheating ex-boyfriend and the yummy son of the town's new detective. When her brother becomes the prime suspect and two more people are killed, it will take all of Clare's smarts and abilities to uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim. Harrington's well-developed characters and tight plot are simultaneously charming, realistically complex, and intriguing. While recalling classic sleuth stories, Harrington creates a fiery and sharp-witted heroine who's more Veronica Mars than Nancy Drew (Nancy almost certainly never used the term "Skanky McSkankbag"). Clare is a teen detective for the 21st century. Ages 14–up.

February 1, 2011

A murder mystery with a twist involves teens in a police investigation that may get some of them killed. The twist comes from the main character, 16-year-old Clarity, who, along with the rest of her family, will has psychic powers. The town treats her as a freak, as Clare's "gift" keeps getting her into trouble. When someone murders a visiting girl, however, the town calls in Clare to help solve the case. She juggles an old boyfriend who wants her back, the hottie son of the detective and the rich boy who suddenly develops an interest in her. Clare's brother becomes the main suspect, but she's sure the real culprit must be someone else. As the killer strikes again, Clare may be in danger. The mystery comes across as standard stuff but with a lilt of humor that weaves through Clare's colloquial first-person narration and makes the story more entertaining. Harrington writes Clare as an appealing character with whom readers easily can identify. Light entertainment that will make good beach reading. (Paranormal mystery. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

March 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-Clarity "Clare" Fern, 16, has a gift, or maybe it's a curse. She sees visions of people's pasts just by touching an object belonging to them. When a teen is murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend asks her to use her talent to help solve the crime. Initially reluctant because of a not-so-pleasant past with him, Clare agrees once she meets Gabriel, the hot son of the new detective working the case. Unfortunately, Gabriel thinks her "gift" is a hoax, and her brother suddenly becomes the prime suspect. When two more bodies surface, Clare has to resort to lying and using people to keep her family safe. Reminiscent of Mary Higgins Clark's novels but with teen elements, Clarity is a good mystery with a love triangle thrown in. Numerous characters are introduced, each of whom has a possible motive for committing the crime, and throughout the book, readers will be searching for clues to solve the crime before the end. The suspense begins on the first page as someone is about to kill Clare. Great for kids who love all things paranormal or who just appreciate a good whodunit.-Gina Bowling, South Gibson County High School, Medina, TN

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2011
Grades 8-11 Sixteen-year-old Clarity Clare Fern is from a family of freaks. She is a psychic; her older brother, Perry, is a medium; and her mother is a telepath; and they work in tandem, serving as a constant source of mockery for the other residents of Eastport, their Cape Cod town, until the murder of an 18-year-old tourist shakes things up. Hired off the record to help track down the killer, Clare joins a new team and begins working alongside Justin, her cheating ex, who happens to be the mayors son, and Gabriel, son of the recently hired police detective, who has a secret and perhaps even dark past. No one is above suspicion as small-town politics, the arrival of a rival telepath, and more related murders come into play; and Perry, the last known person to seeand sleep withthe victim becomes the primary suspect. Although this quick-paced debut thriller is not as taut as Lisa McManns Wake trilogy, fans of the series will welcome another paranormal crime solver who brings romance to the job.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)