With Malice by Eileen Cook

Published by: HMH books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery/Thriller, Contemporary

Rating: ****

With Malice follows the disjointed narrative of protagonist Jill Charron. She's eighteen, about to go to college, and is currently under investigation for an incident that happened abroad. Something that she doesn't really remember due to amnesia and other injuries.

The worst part, though?

The victim was her best friend.


I found this book absolutely fascinating. These kinds of books either frustrate or fascinate me. Cook writes a thrilling story of one girl's attempt to find out what exactly happened in Italy and whether it was actually Jill's fault. Yet, there was something about the ending, the lack of information for after the events of the book, that made me stop at four stars.

Without actually knowing the aftermath of the events, the book seemed to crumble slightly and feel more and more unfinished. Especially since it's supposed to be a stand-alone. But who knows, maybe Eileen Cook will write a sequel, or just publish a short story about the events. I'll cross my fingers for now.

You can buy With Malice from Amazon now.