Book Review: Perception by Kim Harrington.

Product details:
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Release date:  March 1st 2012
Hardcover, 288 pages.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages: 12+
Series: Clarity #2
Other books in series: Clarity

When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you?

Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past.

Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.

But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back?

One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared.

Please note: There may be spoilers for previous books in the series in this review.

Perception, the sequel to Kim Harrington’s debut novel Clarity, picks up soon after the thrilling events of the first book which saw teenage psychic Clarity ‘Clare’ Fern solve a murder mystery and catch a killer.  Perception sees Clare dealing with the consequences of these actions, which are more far reaching than she could ever have imagined. Romance also takes center stage here as it’s time for Clare to choose between the boys who are out to capture her heart. Will she pick ex-boyfriend Justin, the guy who cheated on her, but also saved her life, or hot newcomer Gabriel, the new-guy-in-town with whom she shared a few hot summer kisses?  It looks like there could be third contender in the running for Clare’s affections too. Lately she’s been receiving messages from a secret admirer, something she doesn’t take too seriously at first, not until she hears news of a missing girl and her secret admirer turns sinister, leading Clare to believe that she might be a target instead of an object of affection. It’s time for Clare to solve another mystery…

Just like its predecessor Clarity, Perception is a fast-paced, exciting page turner; chock full of the same engagingly witty dialogue that made Clarity such a joy to read.  The love triangle is more prominent in this one, and we are able to find out more about both Justin and Gabriel, the two very different guys who are both totally into Clare. I didn’t really fall for either guy in Clarity, but here, even though I didn’t realize it almost right until the end,  I had picked a winner, especially when I found out a certain something about one of the guys . Was I happy with Clare’s choice?  Um, no, not entirely. I don’t think it’s the choice I would have made, but then, even though I love Clare as a character, I know that we’re very different people, and I guess that Clare’s choice makes sense for her right now. I’d like to see how it plays out in future books, though!

There have been a lot of changes in Clare’s life since we first met her, and these changes have seen her mature, and become a little more reserved than she once was.  Never fear though, her snark is still there even though she has to deal with problems at home in the form of her once fun-loving brother, Perry, who is now a virtual recluse, spending day after day locked away in his room, which causes their easy relationship to suffer.  The aftermath of the events in Clarity sees the kids at school treating her differently too.  She’s no longer labeled a ‘freak’ but is instead seen as something of a town hero, which, if you know Clare, just makes her feel like even more of a freak show!  Friendships are also changing, with new girl Mallory on the scene, and old friend Nate away at college and mostly absent here.  Aw, I missed Nate, I gotta say!

Of course this book is not all about love dilemmas and friendship dramas – there’s a mystery to be solved too! Perception revolves around a missing person’s case, but there’s also that creepy secret admirer whose eyes are on Clare everywhere she goes. *shudders*

While the mystery in Clarity kept me guessing right to the end, I did think that this one was more predictable, and in actual fact, I figured out what was going on here pretty much straight away. Hate when I do that!

When I read the final pages of Clarity I was pretty sure that Perception was going to revolve around the mystery of Clare’s dad. He’s mentioned quite a lot in Clarity, and I really wanted to know more about him and why he disappeared from Clare and Perry’s life, but sadly this isn’t explored in Perception.    Still, it’s not like I was hanging around waiting for stuff to happen in this book. When in the company of Clare, there’s never a dull moment, and I can safely say that Perception kept me entertained throughout.  I would love for this series to continue (I’m not sure if there are more books planned?) because there is so much more I want to discover about Clare’s world – not only those questions about her dad, but also the secrets of her psychic abilities, and, of course, Nate.  Out of all the guys Clare knows, I think Perry’s best friend is the one who interests me most; especially because of those none-too-subtle hints Perry has been dropping about him! More please!