Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Goodreads Blurb

Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others.

Hysteria was an absolutely amazing read! Before I started this, I was a bit hesitant to read it--it had an excellent premise and all (and I did like Fracture!), but the reviews I saw were...let's just say, less than positive.But after reading it...I just don't understand. But we're all entitled to our opinions, right?

But for me, Hysteria was spectacular! It really did have me at the edge of my seat and I was definitely frantic throughout almost the entire book! A thriller this definitely is. I swear. Whenever the words "Boom. Boom.Boom" appeared on the screen (by the way, I accidentally typed scream there at first. See how creeped out this book made me? I'm such a puss) I swear that was my own heart beating. I couldn't believe some of the developments and if you were there when I was reading...I would apologize for putting  you through my continuous gasps and shouts of "NO!"

Mallory was without a doubt an unreliable character and we all love those. Sometimes I had no idea whether I could trust her since all this evidence was just pointing at her. I was almost a hundred percent sure that she was guilty of these crimes, but I could never be certain. Not to mention it seemed as if she'd been hallucinating quite a bit. Oh the creepiness.
There were a lot of flashbacks that really added to the story, and I almost started liking the flashbacks more than the actual plot! Only for ten pages though, I swear!

So there were a few things I didn't really like, but I didn't hate either.

I couldn't really connect with Mallory as a character, but I definitely didn't find her as annoying as some. She was honestly a bit flat but I did love watching her interactions with other characters and how she reacted to things. She didn't really let anyone under her skin, but I think that as a result, we didn't really get to know her as well as I would've liked either.

The romance was also, in my opinion, rather underdeveloped. Reid just kept believing that Mallory was innocent of the, let's say, disturbing events. I'm not saying she wasn't or was, but I sure as hell wouldn't think her innocent. And he believed her all because of one meeting at a funeral? But that scene was really touching I guess.

Hysteria is a compelling read that I'd recommend to all thriller and possibly a few paranormal fans as well, if you're looking for something new! Hysteria is an eye catching book that has an interesting premise and definitely lives up to the hype! Fans of Megan Miranda's debut, Fracture, will definitely adore this one!

Pages: 336
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Release Date: Feb 5, 2013
Rating: 5 stars