* * *
 |
| Available March, 17, 2015 |
Willa’s string of good-hearted but ill-conceived thefts at
her former high school catapulted her into a life she hardly knows. She became
a cult hero, but soon afterward, her mom disappeared, leaving only a cryptic
message. When Willa hit the California highway to find her, she discovered a
dark family secret: Joanne Fox is not who she says she is-and neither is Willa.
Now, Willa and fellow trouble-maker Aidan must race to St. Louis, Missouri,
Willa’s birthplace. There, they hope to find answers about Willa’s past. But
uncovering the truth requires solving a decades-old murder case.
Unfortunately, the perps are still out there . . . and
willing to do whatever it takes to keep the case cold. With Willa’s face on the
nightly news and the police hot on her trail, it might not matter that Aidan
and her friend Tre are there to help. Willa’s only hope is to find the truth
before it finds her first.
If I had any worries about being able to catch up with Willa
and company in book three, they were quickly erased within the first few pages.
Ludwig does a nice job of bringing the reader up to speed on Willa’s exploits –
they’re heading to St. Louis to put the final pieces of the puzzle regarding
her mother. Aidan, that trusty mischief-maker is with her as they dodge the
authorities and make due with what little cash and resources they have. I can’t
believe they’re still at it but Willa’s a stubborn young woman who’s nothing
but determined to get to the bottom of all her family troubles.
The story still has plenty of energy with these two on the lam and now
Willa and Aidan must put their minds together to solve the latest mystery which
means drudging up details from a painful past. It’s a lot that can confuse Willa
and there were a few times when she didn’t make the best decision. Still you
can hardly blame a fifteen year-old who’s desperate to get at the truth. She
and Aidan make more headway than any of the local or federal authorities have
in all these years. The problem is that Willa has to accept some unpleasant facts about her family history. And when she’s not thinking
straight, she could land herself in a spot of trouble.
It seems that being on the run and in the public eye has cured Willa of any of the
adrenaline rush she initially experienced when her sensational Sly Fox persona first began.
Now she wants nothing more than to just be normal and not in the middle of
whatever mess she’s in. That longing isn’t enough though to change her mind
about the direction she’s headed in. Her only guilt is that she has involved
Aidan and her best friends Tre and Cherise in her problems.
There were a few moments
where I wished Willa would think more clearly but like I said earlier, you can’t
hold that against her. This has been a
fun, clever series. Each book delivered a different adventure, all of them related. But I never would have predicted that what started out as a way to level the playing field between the haves and have-nots in Pretty Crooked and progressed in Pretty Sly, would ever lead to events by the
end. And I think this is what I enjoyed most about the series – it kept me
guessing. More impressive is that Willa herself had come very far from the person she was
before. You'll be surprised by what she decides at the end. If you haven’t tried this
series, definitely give it a go!
~ Bel
