Clarity by Kim Harrington

Title: Clarity
Author: Kim Harrington
Publisher:  Scholastic Point (March 1, 2011)
My Rating: ★★★★
Description:

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

---

The book stars off with a bang. The first page shows Clarity "Clare" Fern looking down the barrel of a gun held by her would-be-killer. A body of a boy is lying next to her. The killer cocks the gun....fade to black.

That certainly piqued my interest!

The main story starts nine days earlier. Clare, her brother Perry, and their mother, Starla, all have some form of psychic abilities. Clare is labeled a "freak" while her brother is a real womanizer (which doesn't seem to fit, but I don't dwell on it). When a murder occurs in their little tourist town of Eastport, MA, Clare is called upon by the mayor to help solve the case. She is forced to work with her cheating ex-boyfriend and the sexy newcomer detective's son from NYC in order to solve the case.

I would call this a paranormal murder mystery. I haven't read anything like this before in the young adult genre and it certainly was a great read. It is a wonderful debut novel by Kim Harrington. It is well written, realistic, and has a fluidity that is superior to many other "popular" young adult writers. I really loved the character of Clare right from the start. She's got an attitude and isn't afraid to say what's on her mind. I felt like she was a real person that I would know from school. I also really enjoyed Clare's mother. Perhaps because she was almost more of a friend/older sister instead of the typical mom. She can read minds so she is always popping up and talking to Clare about what she's thinking which is actually kind of funny.

The best part is that the "whodunit" will keep you guessing until the very end; something that is hard to find these days, especially in your typical teen book.

★★★★