HYSTERIA by Megan Miranda

Hysteria
Megan Miranda

Rating: F
Release Date: 02/05/13
Synopsis:
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. In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda's masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again.

My thoughts on the book:
Hysteria fell flat for me in many ways, but the idea itself was intriguing. 
The pacing, characters, and "romance" were all dull and lifeless. I just couldn't invest myself in this book. I kept getting bored and putting it down. I finally finished it, but it wasn't easy. It seemed to drag on forever.

I was interested in the concept, but I found that I didn't care that much about Mallory. She wasn't easy to relate to at all. I couldn't make myself have much sympathy for her. Since the story was told from her POV, I was just annoyed for the majority of the time. She did stupid things and literally ran away from her own shadow. She's such a coward that I found it hard to believe she could actually kill someone. And other than the nightmares and general paranoia, she didn't seem that crazy from it. 

The secondary characters also fell flat. I can't even remember most of their names. I know Reid was a bit pushy, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how anyone could be interested in someone as dull and lifeless as Mallory. Her best friend was a skank. Jason was just the worst excuse for a bad guy and "other love interest" that I've ever read. He was just pathetic. The mean girls were really mean, but I didn't feel that I got to know anything about them.  

Needless to say, this book wasn't half as dramatic as it should have been. Miranda did a lot more telling than showing, and I hate that. The pacing was slow and just drudged along from one idiotic episode of Mallory running away to the next. I felt that this whole book was a major waste of my time, and I got no resolution in the end. Most books get better as they progress, but this one got worse. 

Overall, I'd steer clear of this book. The characters are awful, the pacing is slow, and while the idea is amazing, it's executed horribly.