Clarity by Kim Harrington

Publisher: Scholastic Point
Publish Date: March 2011
Source: Library

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?

I'm feeling rather conflicted about Clarity. It was an enjoyable read overall and I loved that it kept me guessing until the end, but there were a few things that really annoyed me.

First of all, Clarity. I understand the whole tough exterior/soft interior thing, but the "I-hate-you-I-love-you" thing with both guys was really annoying. I can see her side of it all, but I couldn't connect with it so it just made Clare seem all wishy-washy and annoying. She was also very conveniently dumb sometimes. I mean, there was a part towards the end where she was all "something's not right, but I can't figure it out" and it had to do with her powers! I mean, come on, her power is her thing, you know, she shouldn't be thrown off by something that is such a part of her.

I thought I had a problem with some little things here and there that just didn't seem to fit in with the story, but it is a mystery, after all, and everything did get cleared up nicely. That being said, there was a good amount of setup for the sequel and I'm quite looking forward to it. For all you cliffhanger haters out there, let me assure you that this one doesn't fall in that category. Like I said, everything wraps up nicely so it could be a standalone, but there's a good tease to leave you wanting to enter Clarity's small town of Eastport once again.

I quite loved the characters. Though I would absolutely hate having a mom who could read my thoughts, it made some very entertaining moments. Justin was really interesting too. I thought I was supposed to hate him, but then he was all gooey and sweet. I'm totally team Jason all the way :] Nate was a great sidekick/friend too and I'm really hoping for more of him in the sequel.

Final Thoughts: Though there were some things that annoyed me along the way, Clarity is definitely worth the read (especially since it's been optioned for a tv show!). It has a little paranormal with a mix of mystery and just a little dash of romance.

Pages: 242
Series: Clarity #1
Rating: 4 stars