Review: Perception by Kim Harrington

I absolutely loved, loved, loved, LOVED Clarity, so the wait for Perception was AGONIZING! Finally, finally, though, my library got it, and I was the first person to get it! (Having put a hold on it the instant it appeared in the database ;D)


[Remember, because this review is for a sequel, there might be some slight Clarity spoilers in it! Read at your own risk!]

Perception by Kim Harrington 

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. 

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The beginning of Perception is like the beginning of Clarity: we start with a flash of the ending, but we don't stay there long before we're sucked back to now, dying to know what on earth is going on in that little preview. But that feeling doesn't last long, because it turns out "now" is just as interesting as "later."


After the events of Clarity, Clare is getting lots of attention...but that isn't necessarily a good thing. Everyone at school is suddenly interested in what she can do and what she has to say, and even the "popular" girls are suddenly her "friends." The thing is, Clare wants nothing more than to be in the background. Her gift isn't something she wants to broadcast, no matter how much the kids at school want her to use it for them.


There's more attention coming Clare's way; both from Justin and Gabriel. Clare's still confused about her feelings for Justin. Yeah, he hurt and betrayed her, but he also saved her life, risking his in the process. Then there's Gabriel, who is so different than Justin, who understands her like Justin just...can't. She has confusing feelings about him, too.


Finally, the last kind of attention--the kind that may be good or bad. Clare has a secret admirer, but when things go from sweet to creepy, Clare starts to wonder if the right word for him is admirer...or stalker.


To make Clare's life more complicated, a girl from her school is missing, but her mom refuses to let her help the police with the case after what happened last time. Perry's still reeling from the fallout of the last case, as well. Almost going to prison can do that to a guy. 


All mixed together, you have a choice between two great guys, "popular" jerks to deal with, a brother who is a shell of his former self, a newly overprotective mother, a creepy admirer, and to top it off, a possible murder case. Clare's life is not exactly easy, but of course, she's not going to shy away from the hard parts. 


(The next thing I'm going to talk about is super dee duper spoilery, so PLEASE do yourself a favor and don't highlight if you haven't read Perception!)


I loved the ending! I really loved the way there was no way of knowing which boy Clare picked until she said his name. I loved everything about the revelation, and of course I loved her choice (loved him from the beginning ;D). I really loved the last two paragraphs, as well! They were a very real, yet hopeful look on life, and they made me laugh. (See how I still haven't mentioned which boy she picked? I'm sneaky like that. Anyway, if you've read it, you know which one, and I refuse to spoil it for others, even in highlighted text ;D)


So what I really want to know is if there's going to be another book in the series. It seemed to me like everything was KIND OF wrapped up, but I would love nothing more than to see more of Clare and her family and friends in the future :)


Anyway, Perception definitely gets <*><*><*><*><*>


(:D)
~Mag