Review: Vengeance (Fracture #2) by Megan Miranda

Vengeance (Fracture #2) by Megan Miranda

Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Page Count: 352
Published by: Walker Childrens
Source: eArc received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Nobody really believes in a curse. Until you know the people who disappear. Too much coincidence, you look for reason. Too much death, you grasp for something to blame. Carson pulled Delaney out and he died on the side of the road with her mouth pressed to his. Her air in his body. Troy. She told the cops it was suicide. Didn't matter. The lake released her and grabbed another. But when Decker's father dies in a pool of spilled water on their kitchen floor, all Decker can feel is a slow burning rage. Because he knows that Delaney knew that his dad was going to die. She knew and backed out of his house and never said a word. Falcon Lake still has a hold on them both, and Decker can't forgive Delaney until he knows why

I was totally hooked on Vengeance right from the beginning. The story was very dark and gloomy and full of suspense. The characters were still struggling to come to terms with what took place in Fracture. Strange and scary things were happening to Decker and his friends, but it was never clear exactly who, or what, the threat was. I kept turning the pages because I couldn't wait to find out what the hell was going on!

Vengeance is told from Decker's POV, and he has SO much anger and sadness this time around. He was dark and moody, and he carried a chip on his shoulder and really just seemed mad at the world. It was as though his despondency propelled him and made him continuously hurt those around him. As a result of his actions, his relationship with Delaney suffers. When he purposely distances himself from her, their relationship is not only tested, but pushed to the limits. Delaney somehow manages to stay strong, even while dealing with Decker's asshole attitude towards her. They have a lot of misunderstandings between them, but you can still see and feel the love they have for each other.

Decker and Delaney's friends played much larger roles in this book. Decker managed to put every one of them under scrutiny while trying to unravel the mystery of the 'curse'. Some of them displayed really strange behavior, so you couldn't help but wonder if any of them had something to do with the sinister events that were going on.

To me, Decker was an unreliable narrator because most of the creepy and weird incidents seemed to be connected to him. I was never sure if the information he provided was the actual truth. It definitely made for an interesting read! I started wondering if the lake really was cursed, or if the people who cheated death in Fracture were cursed. The absolute uncertainty is what really carried this book and made it so suspenseful.

I will admit that the book dragged in parts, and Decker's attitude really got on my nerves at times. But overall, this was a thrilling and chilling return to Falcon Lake. It's a great follow-up that has equal parts romance and mystery with a touch of paranormal. If you haven't read this series yet, I highly recommend it.

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars