I had a good time reading this one, I thought it would be more like one of us is lying, but was still happy with it. I liked the diverse cast of characters that gave the breakfast club vibe.

Not my cup of tea, but I remember reading this and wanting to read something else instead. However, I did give most of it a go, but the writing for me wasn't it.

This was alright, the characters were pretty well fleshed out and interesting, if heavily stereotyped. The ending was absolutely stupid though, so that ruined it.

I was under the impression that this was adult fiction rather than YA (similar to Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung, which I reviewed a couple of months ago), so I thought it was going to be really interesting to read about a teacher’s nudes getting leaked and three students potentially being involved.

Unfortunately this book was not only predictable but was also utterly forgettable. I’d guessed what was going on within the first ten percent, and it’s a good job that this book was short or I think I would have ended up DNFing it.

It’s practically impossible to talk about this book at all without giving away the so-called “twist” at the end, so I think I’ll just have to leave it there, but I just don’t think it’s realistic in the slightest (and I also thought that all of the points of view sounded really similar, so none of the characters had that much of an impact either!).

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

This book is so important in this day and age. I really enjoyed it, I thought the theme was great and very applicable to teens today. I think every teen should read this to understand the consequences of sending sexual images around.

I didn't think the characters were especially likeable but I did enjoy following their stories. I thought the writing was just okay, but easy to read for younger audiences.

Easy Prey was the kind of book where I had to make notes of every single character to keep track with what was going on. Each character was very well developed, and had a distinct personality, and motive throughout the story. However, I did feel like the language of the book didn't fit with the subject matter, and the ending felt rushed.

My reading taste leans very heavily toward mystery and psychological thrillers, with a certain passion for dark contemporaries discussing “taboo” topics - and this novel had it all! There are essentially two mysteries being investigated in this novel, who posted the pictures of the teacher, and Jenna is still trying to find out who posted her own pictures a year prior. Throughout the novel the three characters become “friends” while working on a group project, and hints about both of these online incidents start coming to light. The ending was not one that I had anticipated, but I am glad that it unfolded as it did as it brought a new theme to the novel (which I won’t discuss for spoilers sake).

I enjoyed all three of the characters, I think that they worked well together and reading from their perspectives. The novel takes place in multiple settings and I enjoyed reading they others perspectives when they would visit each others houses. Throughout the novel you could see slight developments in each of them, but the one that grew the most, and my favourite, was Jenna. Jenna started the novel as a quiet girl receding into herself after a trauma, still feeling victimized and bullied a year after her nude pictures were leaked. By the end of the novel Jenna was much more assertive and presented a strong character that I think is very important in these types of stories.

I have read a few comments posted by fellow readers, and the biggest complaints seem to be the juvenile writing and the cliche ending. I understand these perspectives but I do have to disagree, specifically with the writing style. This novel changes between three perspectives, two male and one female seniors in high school. These students are barely eighteen years old, and I found it more realistic having their perspectives written as they’d be thinking, in an almost continuous thought process. My issue with this novel and the reason that I could not give it five stars does come from the writing, in that there were a few times where I struggled to differentiate between Mouse’s and Drew’s perspective. I would have preferred for them to have more distinct tones considering their personalities are quite different from each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and will likely purchase a finished copy for my shelves; not necessarily because I will reread it but because I want to support more Canadian authors. I thought that this novel was well-written in both the plot development and that it kept me interested, and I will definitely be reading more of this authors work in the future.

a well-written look at high school and its drama, with a great ending that worked very well. three well-written and developed characters, and in this instance the slow-burn worked.

"Easy Prey" is a fast-paced psychological thriller that kept me guessing throughout. It was a single day read for me, and that doesn't happen often! Recommended for those looking for something quick and engaging that is based in real world issues.

I flew through this book, I really couldn't put it down. It wasn't up until the very last moment that I realised how it was going to pan out and I thought it was incredibly well done. A raw and honest look at revenge in a teenage world and I loved how it was so intricately woven together. Brilliant!

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this atypical take on your typical YA characters. As I was reading, I kept thinking, ...no, it won't go there but it did. It was refreshing but I doubt everyone will like it.

Summary:

Three students had access to a teacher’s revealing photos before they were posted to the internet. There’s Mouse, the genius level overachiever that will stop at nothing to get into MIT, Jenna, once bubbly and popular now mistrusting miscreant after her own pics found their way onto the internet; and Drew star athlete with more charm than any one boy should have. All three deny posting the pictures, but someone knows what’s going on. This is an interesting who-done-it for the internet-crazed times.

My thoughts:

I liked the premise here, it was definitely interesting as well as the questions raised by it- these days nothing is completely private anymore it seems. Who is to blame when pictures that should never be shared leak out? The girl that sent the pic? The boy that received it? Anyone that saw or re-posted it? Why should all the weight be on the girl? The characters were all interesting, and all had their own issues that made the way they were a little more understandable. I didn’t agree with most of the things that happened in this book, but maybe that’s just me being old.

Technically speaking this is a good book; well written with good character development. The chapters jumped a lot from character to character, and going back and forth in timeline but it wasn’t hard to keep track of. Faint praise, I know. I can’t even put my finger on a reason that I didn’t love the book except that I didn’t see enough character growth. For me, there just weren’t any likable characters- no one I could connect with. Maybe this one just wasn’t for me. I will be interested to see what other bloggers and reviewers say. I am going to give this one three stars.

On the adult content scale, there was substance abuse, language and shaming/ bullying. It is listed as a YA novel and I see little reason not to give it to a teen 15+. Let’s give it a seven.

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Amulet Books in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

I made the mistake of reading the reviews on Goodreads before jumping into Easy Prey. I will say that the description of psychological thriller was pushing it, and I would say that it raised my expectations of this book, and the thriller aspect just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be! However Easy Prey still manages a 4-star rating because of how much I enjoyed the story and how good the ending was. I definitely think there was an interesting conversation going on in this story, especially around victim blaming, and the way society looks at men and boys within the crime.

I will say I was expecting to agree with the ending but I actually struggled with it. I thought it was a little over the top and I actually didn’t agree with the punishment level. But I won’t say too much more because I don’t want to give the whole story away, but that was one of the best things about the book. I didn’t see the ending coming and it challenged me in a way that I didn’t think it would. Which is one of the reasons I have rated it so high! I love it when a book challenges me in surprising ways.

The different point of views within Easy Prey each have their strengths and flaws, and I definitely think it was playing on the different stereotypes in high school and the different personalities that come into play during those teenage years. It was a good look at how different people compliment each other and work in a group and how the dynamics changed when they were taken out of the comfort zones and groups. I also think the way the story was framed with the subject matter was really important and well integrated.

Easy Prey overall was a really good look at society and the blame culture we live in. I do feel a little let down by the ending and I think it would have been better if something else had happened or there was a better way to end. I think it undermined the entire message of the book. But I think it was a good way to open up a discussion about the way we view this type of crime and behaviour.

I would definitely recommend this book, if you’re looking for something a little different from the usual romance tropes that YA is saturated with. I enjoyed the notion and the message that was behind the plot.

Things I Did Enjoy:
Wow. This book sucked me in, probably because I am really into the cyber world and how it's changing our world. I loved the point of views, details, and real world application. It did a pretty good job at keeping me on my toes.

The Things I Didn’t Enjoy: 
There were two things that I disliked about this book. I thought the timeline was kind of jumpy- throwing me back and fourth. Which I am usually okay with except when its with multiple characters. The second thing that drove me nuts was the amount of foul language and severity. I know teens use it, but I don't think it should be encouraged.

MRS BIRDS WORDS REVIEW

Catherine Lo deserves 4 out of 5 feathers for her novel Easy Prey! I enjoyed my Netgalley copy. It sucked me in from the begging and the mystery kept me going until the the last page. I didn't see the ending coming until the last chapter. I felt like it was clever! I love that Easy Prey drives home the point of a victim - not the culprit. I think teens should read books like this to see the reality of what their internet actions can do. Its a crazy world out there and this book tackled one of the newest and toughest topics out there. Definitely worth the read!

Parent’s Guide:

This book focuses on the passing of nude pictures. So there is talk about nudity, sex, dirty talk, and lots of swearing. While I think this is a good book, I think it is geared to OLDER teens and would be a great co-read with parental figure.

This book isn’t what I was expecting. Judging by the premise, the reader would expect that the good girl turned rebel (Jenna) is the easy prey (get it?) but there is so much more to this book than what one may expect.

While I appreciate the author’s cautionary tale of sexting and privacy with the added complication of having personal stuff spread in the internet, I don’t think this book is without flaws. For starters, this book can be problematic. The premise, for instance, is about a girl who had revealing pictures of her shared all over twitter. HOWEVER, she eventually stoops to the level of the perpetrators. I can’t properly explain because of spoilers. Just know that everybody has a secret and that anyone can be “multifaceted.” Meaning: some characters say one thing but mean the other, or some characters can readily stab someone behind their back (metaphorically speaking, of course).

Even if I wasn’t completely engrossed with the author’s writing, I liked the author’s morally gray characters. Nobody’s perfect, just like in real life. Even the prey can have their shining moment of revenge while the corrupt characters think they did nothing wrong. This book had some interesting moments despite the blandness in writing.

I especially wasn’t a fan of the tropes portrayed throughout the novel. For instance, Mouse was a meek character hence the nickname Mouse stuck with him his entire life. He’s smart and unpopular. Everyone calls him Mouse (now) especially his father. Then Jenna, the popular beautiful girl turned into a rebel was listening to Black Veil Brides. She wears all black and thinks she’s a rebel? This became her persona after everyone saw her inappropriate pictures online. Finally, the jock, Drew is a chick-magnet. He thinks that he’s really good at flirting and asking girls for “photos.” I don’t know why he thinks flirting is his only “talent.” At least, this was the impression I got after reading his pov.

I just wasn’t a fan of these awful tropes. These somewhat reminded me of inaccurate or over the top (too much) teen dramas like Riverdale and/or Degrassi. Ugh, I immediately wanted to put this book down but if it weren’t for my curiosity on how this book’s going to end, then I wouldn’t have finished reading this book.

One positive thing to note, however, is that this book does talk about ethics (and morality) in regards to racy photos being spread in the internet plus its repercussions. I liked how it didn’t come off as preachy – “don’t do this” sort of thing. Although some parents in this novel were sort of like this and they had been predictable minor characters. Toxic masculinity and victim blaming had been portrayed in the novel. Then again, I also didn’t think that any questions regarding any of these controversial issues in the book were properly addressed. This book dealt with a pretty complex issue so different responses from different characters were to be expected.

This could be a novel I’d recommend to OPEN-MINDED fans of One of Us Is Lying. I actually wasn’t sure what to rate this but I did saw the plot twist coming from afar or before it actually happened.

While the ending is a bit problematic, Easy Prey is a satisfying YA thriller that participates in current conversations about slut shaming, sexual harassment, and toxic masculinity.

When nude pictures of Jenna are posted, her school brushes the incident under the rug and her star-athlete ex-boyfriend gets off with a slap on the wrist. A year later, when a similar incident happens to a teacher, the tables are turned and the school wants answers. As the investigation winds down, the three main suspects are Jenna, Mouse - her ex-boyfriend's cousin, and Drew - her ex-boyfriend's best friend, who just happened to be partners in a group project for the teacher's class. Coincidence...or a contrived plan or revenge and deceit from one or more of these students?

As this story unfolds, and the layers peel back on these characters you slowly begin to realize that no one is who you think they are. Love them, hate them, or both...the story is a multifaceted thriller that will keep you hooked from the opening pages to an ending that you will never see coming.

"This time I'm ready. I'm not easy prey anymore"

* * * 
3 / 5

Easy Prey reminded me a lot of One of Us is Lying, but around the theme of sexual photos being leaked rather than murder. This was a really compelling book, but it was also quite confusing. The characters are complicated, complex, and also despicable and made my skin crawl at different points. I really wasn't sure what to make of this book.

Easy Prey has three main characters:

Jenna, an ex-good girl turned goth/rebel after her nudes were leaked online and she didn't get enough support
Mouse, a boy desperate to escape his father with dreams of attending MIT
Drew, a boy who wants to be seen as more than some dumb jock, a boy with mistakes in his past

These characters are clearly play-on stereotypes - the goth, the nerd, and the jock - but they each have their own clear points of view and complex problems. There's more to each of them than meets the eye. The three characters are drawn together when they are put in a group for a class; they are given a topic with history for the group: online privacy and sexual photos. 

"I can't even swallow, my throat is so full of all the things I want to say but can't"

Suddenly, it's not just a topic of the past when their teacher's nudes are leaked on an online blog. But there's only three people that had access to these photos and they all seem to have motive. The mystery of the book was high compelling, there's all these theories floating around, all this suspense that made me frantically press that forward button on my Kindle. But the narrative was also quite confusing; the text flips between the present and the past, between characters, and there's all these secrets that I struggled to keep straight in my head.

"I wasn't about to leave my fate in someone else's hands, especially not with dreams as big as mine"

Easy Prey is a current book that really tackles some contemporary issues. I thought the ending was easily guessed, but the delivery was fantastic; this book gave me seriously mixed feelings. 

My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

The Quick Cut: Three high school students find themselves in big trouble when a teacher's nude pictures end up online with them looking like the culprits.

A Real Review:

Thank you to Amulet Books for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Psychological thrillers are a real double edged sword. You want to hold the suspense long enough to keep your audience on the edge of their seats, but not so long they stop caring. It can be difficult to get right and an absolute delight when an author perfects this balance. When it comes to "Easy Prey", Catherine Lo did a phenom of a job with that.

In Miss Bailey's law class, three students end up in a group together: Mouse, Jenna, and Drew. You can't find a more different group if people to mash together and all of them are surprised to be forced to work as a team for this project. Drew is a jock who is all charm and takes advantage of it... along with his teammates. Mouse is a genius whose tired of being bullied by his dad and is willing to do many a bad thing to make money and get away from him (and into his dream college MIT). Jenna is a girl whose racy photos ended up online last year and hasn't been the same since - a good girl turned rebel who finds that no one sees how what happened to her shouldn't be the girl's fault.

These three start their project and quickly end up playing a game with their teacher Miss Bailey by pretending to be a guy on her dating site. Things escalate (you'll find out when you read!) and suddenly nude pictures of their law teacher end up in their hands. Everyone promises to delete the photos and move on, but when they appear on a blog and the school is notified - who will end up being the one who leaked the photos of Miss Bailey?

This is such an amazing story how tge author makes it look like such a simple story and then rips the rug out from under you in those last couple pages. Watching the end play out totally changes your perspective and definitely changed how I looked at these characters. A big moral question asked here is who is responsible when someone's privacy is broken? Why is the blame put on women so often when guys lash out? What's considered crossing the line? I got to end of the line and dropped my jaw in shock, but unsure of some of the answers to these questions. It's a great sign when a book makes you question your perspective and reconsider your outlook.

A book that thrills and taunts, this one is a must read!