Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity (Clarity, #1)

By Kim Harrington

Publisher: Point, 2011

242 pages, hardcover

Date Finished: 7/6/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Romance, Fantasy

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?
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: " 'You don't want to kill me,' I said."
~Last Line: "Hopefully I'd never have to know my own limits."

Review: Harrington instantly pulled me in. A family full of crazies seems pretty interesting to me. I can definitely say that I wasn't disappointed. Clarity was great!

Clarity "Clare" Fern has the gift of [insert big R word] (retrospective?) pyschometry. LOL. I can never remember what the word is! But anyway, when she touches things, she can sometimes feel traces of people, and thus see memories of things that happened to those people earlier. The powers, like any other, are extraordinary. I loved reading the pages where Clare used her gift.

Clarity's oceanside tourist town has just witnessed a murder. Her brother, Peter, is one of the people police are looking at. To help her brother, and the rest of the town, and just because she's a good citizen, Clarity agrees to work on the case with Justin (her ex) and Gabriel (the new guy in town). It might be great, but Gabriel doesn't feel very joyful working with a psychic. His attitude towards Clare isn't exactly a hopeful one that she'll find anything. Actually, he doesn't think she'll help at all.

Gabriel's character was so romantic at some points, but then either (1) Justin popped up, or (2) something about the case occurred that needed to be handled. *shakes head* oh well. That's why they make sequels :). He could also be pretty mysterious at some moments in the book. He and his father don't exactly have a wonderful past, but they deal with it the best they can. Respectable, in my opinion.

Clarity was just absolutely amazing. I can't wait for Perception to be released next year!

Quotes from the book:

"Yummy's specialty was fresh seafood, which doesn't appeal to me. Yes, I live on the Cape and don't eat seafood. It's a crime, I know."

They exchanged a look and grinned at me.
'Sorry,' the blond one said. 'We didn't expect you to look so . . . '
'Frankly,' the dark-haired guy picked up, 'we thought you'd be an old hag.'
'Oh, that's my mother.'
They eyes widened as Mom came in on the heels of that line and then we all had a good laugh."