Book Review: Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers (11 Sep 2012)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 0385741049
• ISBN-13: 978-0385741040
• The quaint little beach town of Winston, California, may be full of wholesome townsfolk, picturesque beaches, and laid back charm, but Clare Knight is about to uncover something underneath its thriving demeanor. Someone is hiding something, and it's as gruesome as the townsfolk, and their stately homes, are stunning. Amanda Stavros, fellow classmate and resident of Winston, is gone and there's no sign of her ever coming back. Everyone says she was taken and murdered, but where's the evidence? Why isn't there a single ounce of proof? And why is everyone okay with this, except for Clare? 
  
  
  Luckily—or as it's been turning out, unluckily—Clare possesses a gift, an ability to see visions from the clothes she works with. And since her clothes come solely from the townsfolk, Clare has become privy to some startling and disturbing memories of these townspeople. Will she uncover who killed Amanda Stavros? Or is she just moving herself up in line to be the next victim of Winston?

Clare has a talent. Where most people see a scrap of ruined fabric, Clare sees potential. She has a keen eye for fashion, able to take something old and discarded and turn it into something new and fresh. Not only does she make kick-ass clothes, but she also has a connection with any that she touches.

Clare gets visions when she touches the clothes people wear. She can see what they did when they wore it, especially if they were doing something they weren’t supposed to. As if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, Clare has the added trouble of trying to fit in. Clare and her mother have returned to their old town of Winston just as the town is gearing up for their summer celebrations. But just when she thought all she had to worry about was figuring out the gorgeous Jack, Clare finds herself in the middle of a disturbing mystery that only she can get to the bottom of.

Hanging by a Thread is a welcome addition to the YA/paranormal genre. The paranormal element of the story was mild in comparison to other books, but it made the story as a whole more believable.

I struggled to connect with Clare as the protagonist of the story. While it had good plot developments and interesting twists and turns, Clare didn’t really bring a lot to the table for me. It felt more like she was a narrator, simply telling us the story rather than actually being a part of it.

This was a nice easy read but one I wouldn’t rush out to recommend to all my friends.