Messed up by Molly Owens

Messed up by Molly Owens

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

What starts as a vicious prank one dark summer night leads sixteen year-old Chelsea Mallory plummeting into a MESSED UP world of obsession, a clandestine fraternity, a lost fortune, murder and ultimately a scramble to save her own life.

His eyes are blue like midnight. That is the first thing Chelsea notices about smooth talking, insanely hot Levi Bennett. Then, there is the way her stomach is hijacked by a pack of butterflies doing a full-on hip hop dance every time she sees him. How can anyone, even a sensible girl like Chelsea, be expected to think straight under those circumstances? Chelsea’s infatuation leads her to play the bait in a cruel practical joke on her friend Toby; a prank that leaves Chelsea’s hands bloody and Toby missing. Amid the mysterious disappearance, Chelsea realizes that she has gotten in over her head with Levi; a guy who knows exactly how to keep Chelsea where he wants her. Struggling to navigate her way out of a seemingly hopeless situation, Chelsea discovers that the real threat to her safety is not Levi after all, but an evil man and his army of boy soldiers who will stop at nothing to find a coveted treasure. Chelsea must learn that although she may be young, and she may be small, when she uses her brain she can kick some serious ass.

My Review:

This story lived up to the title. After reading it, I'm not sure what I was expecting beforehand, but I don't think this was it.

As I started reading, I was thinking, silly girl. Just because he's hot, does not mean you will have a meaningful relationship, but he sure does seem intriguing and why not have a little fun. Then, I was so disgusted with Levi and the way he was treating Chelsea, especially in comparison to Connor, although he was a little bland at first. This was before I got to know the real Levi. Then Levi's true colors came out and I was like "oh, hell no". At this point I think the reader is lost in the hopelessness of it all. As an outsider, we think, just leave his ass - "Get Out", but then if one tries to put ourselves into her shoes, she was already too emotionally (and conspiratorially) in too deep.

The end of the book just escalated rapidly, which made it hard to put down until the end. I was wondering, how the hell could some naive little girl trick a life-long manipulator (and much worse) to get out of her situation. It seemed too good to be true, right? Yes! The epilogue definitely explained that, which made the storyline more believable, however, we will be left wondering what other horrific tricks are up the Bennett's sleeve and if Chelsea and those she loves are really free and clear from the Bennett's reach.

Read from July 06 to 13, 2013

Top 5 Genres*: Dark, Young Adult, Sociology/Abuse, Romance, New Adult
*According to Goodreads

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My ratings system:
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

View all my reviews