Serial Hottie

by Kelly Oram

Hockey-obsessed tomboy Eleanor Westley has never been the object of a guy's affection before. So when the hottest boy she's ever seen moves in across the street and starts treating her like she's the center of his universe, naturally she's going to be a little skeptical. But everything starts to make sense when girls who look just like Ellie start dying all around the city. Obviously the new guy is the killer, and of course he only likes her because he wants to slice her into tiny pieces. Right? The more Ellie gets to know Seth the more she's convinced he's a psychopathic killer. Problem is, he's the sweetest psychopathic killer she's ever met. Not to mention he's brutally hot. No matter how hard she tries, she can't help but fall for him. Will Ellie find true love, or will her summer of firsts turn out to be a summer of lasts?

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, High School, Humor, Young Adult Romance

374 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and loves to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children.

Reviews

[Rachel E. Carter]

Once again Kelly Oram manages to give me a book I can’t help but fall for. She has a gift and I won’t deny that I love her contemporary style. She reminds me of Meg Cabot only I actually enjoy her love interests a bit more (though they are both contemporary goddesses for light-hearted romance & satire).

This is a contemporary YA thriller kind of like that movie “Head Over Heels where a new guy (Seth) moves in next door and he’s like mega hot and just enough cray-cray to make the main character (Ellie) wonder if he’s the serial killer that’s been killing off girls that look like her around town. Oh, and he happens to be into her and she is constantly fighting her feelings afraid of ending up the serial killer’s next victim.

Sounds like a super fun plot? It is. I was laughing and smiling the whole time. It wasn’t meant to be an intense psychological experience like Mara Dyer, just a fun, quick-paced romance with a bit of mystery thrown in. And it worked.




That said, this time as much as I loved the book I would hold off from recommending it to teens without a BIG note on Seth’s behavior:



Yea, you heard me right. I’m going to be an old school grandma lecturing on a book’s unintentional message. I have read tons of dysfunctional relationships in YA that wouldn’t work in real life (think Warner from Shatter Me, my absolute favorite, who kidnaps & terrifies Juliette on a daily basis). I think the difference is that those characters are all in a fantasy (rather than realistic contemporary) setting.

Alright, let’s talk about Seth. He starts off as prince charming who Ellie has been admiring from afar (spying on his workouts with her older sister Angela) and saves her life (well, kind of). So, yea, this was my first impression:



But then he starts acting really into Ellie trying to get her to agree to date him. She likes him but she’s never had a relationship and his intensity scares her. He’s got a serious case of instalove and while she likes him he is scaring her away.

“I knew that for every part of me that was screaming to run from him, there was as much a part of me that straight-up wanted him.”

Okay, that’s not the best way to start up a relationship. Her popular sister keeps pushing Ellie toward Seth anyway:

Angela: "What I asked what [Seth] was doing, he said, 'Figuring out how to make Ellie fall for me.'”

So obviously that tears at the heart strings and then the lines keep on coming. And like any Kelly Oram book you fall for the guy. You just have to when he says things like this:

“1. Ellie
2. You're
3. The
4. Only
5. Reason
6. I
7. Don't
8. Hate
9. Living
10. Here”

But then you realize he broke into her room before they were a couple to write that on her favorite video game's winner screen.

And then when Ellie finally gets with Seth we get lines like this:

“All these intense feelings I have for you drive me so crazy.”

Okay so normally I find that hot. But then there's this:

“The way he looks at me, and touches me all the time...It's like he's restraining himself from hog-tying me and dragging me out to the woods.”

And he keeps acting like that ALL THE TIME.



And did I mention he is like mega-intense, emotionally unstable and possessive with crazy mood swings? I don’t have my Kindle at work so I could only use the quotes on the book’s GR page but trust me, he’s out there. Yes, I get that he’s into the girl –but Ellie feels trapped on multiple occasions and he physically restrains her from leaving. Obviously he’s not the serial killer and he has “reasons” for acting the way he is that are explained a bit later on, but overall it just felt like an abusive love interest –the kind that will justify killing a girl to stop her from leaving because he loves her too much to see her with someone else. The abusive, controlling, jealous husband stereotype.

I’ve read plenty of books with domineering love interests, but they were all fantasy and this was contemporary so perhaps it was a bit too real for me? I can accept that it is just a book and fiction at that so I was able to love Seth and forgive his personality as fun drama but at the same time I was inwardly cringing. Yes, he had to be intense to be portrayed as the possible suspect, but it still struck a nerve. A great book, and a fun read, but perhaps a little too real at times?

[Paige Bookdragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's better than a HOT NEIGHBOR?

Answer: A HOT NEIGHBOR who's into you.

Let's talk about why I love this book.

I've always been gaga over the love next-door type of stories. There's something hot about knowing a seriously drool-worthy person is just next door. It's not important if he's already married, has a girlfriend, is gay or just a recluse. An eye candy is an eye candy no matter what the status is. After all, you're just going to look....

But I digress.

This book is an amazing read because:

1. We have a tomboy for a heroine. :


---Most books I've read has a nerdy/ sophisticated/ tough/ recluse/rock chick heroine (may they be demons,angels, mermaids, princesses,secret agents, magician, waitress etc etc etc, you get the point) and I gotta admit, it's wearing me out. But look! We have a tomboyish hockey obsessed heroine who, the first time she meets our male lead, thinks he is a murderer. Now tell me if that isn't crazy.

“She questioned my sexual preference in a highly offensive way, so my fist questioned the proximity of her face in an even more offensive way.


2. The three idiots (also known as the J's) :


I love these three. Even though they were rarely around for the first half of the story, the banter between them and the heroine is EPIC.

“I didn't know Westley liked 'em pretty. "
"I didn't know Westley liked 'em at all.”


3. The hero


-- He is just yummy I did drool. I can only say (without giving any spoiler) that he is the most loyal thing ever written. He is also a complicated man and so darn sweet. (If only my neighbor is half as good as this guy )

4. The story. Really guys.I wouldn't be wasting my time praising this book if I didn't like the story. It was a unique refreshing read and I'm totally biased because 1. I'm a die-hard fan of stories between neighbors , 2. The heroine is not WHINY and 3. There's no mean girls here and if ever there is, I can rest assure that the heroine will just punch their sorry faces.


So, to all those who want a feisty heroine, an adorkable bunch of friends, a hot guy who is into you and a serial killer on the loose, grab this book and laugh your ass out.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this book about 5 pages in. By page 9, I was texting my bestie and telling her about the awesomeness. So, what I'm trying to say... is that this immediately became one of my favorites.

The main character, Ellie, is a tomboy to the max--complete with an athletic build, a reputation for being kick-ass at street hockey, a right hook no guy would be ashamed of, and even 3 best friends/sidekicks all of the male variety. She has an older sister who is precisely the opposite of Ellie, meaning blonde, popular, and obsessive with appearance and whatnot.

Here is where the story kicks off, though... a new guy moves into the house across the street from Ellie in her Detroit suburb, and she and her sister quickly work spying on New Guy as he works out every morning into their daily schedules. For Angela, her sister, this isn't terribly abnormal. But for Ellie... well, she's never taken time out from her street hockey to brush her hair, and especially not to spy on attractive guys minus their shirts.

Meanwhile... there have been some murders in the Detroit area with victims that look suspiciously like Ellie. If that's not frightening enough for her, add in the completely foreign feeling of attention from New Guy unlike any Ellie has experienced before: attraction. So that by itself would be enough to weird her out, but add in the Ellie-shaped murder victims and she's seriously freaking out.

And then comes the suspicion. Ellie starts to piece things together and decides it might be a possibility that the murderer is none other than Hottie New Guy. So why isn't she running like a cat from a bath when it comes to New Guy?

Not only does Serial Hottie execute a truly delicious romantic comedy, it also weaves in crime/mystery effortlessly. And while generally we may be thinking, "WTF Ellie?! Get away from him!" the way Oram writes the characters and expresses Ellie's thoughts and feelings, we know exactly why she isn't running scared because as a reader, we feel that way too.

With the exception of Ellie's parents and Angela's friends, and aside from Ellie's besties being totally interchangeable, the characters are unique and well-developed. And did I mention this book was funny? Because it's totally hilarious. Basically, I'm tempted to go reread Serial Hottie and I only started/finished it yesterday!

So... you should go read it. Now. You can't see, but I'm definitely Jedi mind tricking you. Do you feel compelled to read this awesomeness yet?

[Yue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ellie is a tomboyish girl who, one day, finds out she has a new neighbor -a hot boy. She starts to spy on him thru her window, especially while he is working out. Her big sister Angela joins her. One day, while she is outside, a big dog jumps on her making her fall. Does this plot sound familiar?



That is what I thought. It looked like a totally fun, romantic, light, young-adult-ish book. And after I have read Being Jamie Baker, written by the same author (a book I liked a lot) I was very enthusiastic to read this one.

Turns out it is nothing like the movie. She is nothing like Monica Potter's character. And he is no way like Freddie Prinze Jr.

I could not like either Ellie or Seth. At all.

First Ellie. She is beautiful (blah blah), a tomboy girl who likes to play sports and hang out with the boys. I like tomboy girls (Kristin from the series Baby-sitters Club was my favorite babysitter after all). But Ellie was too much. I get that she does not like to dress up, that she likes boys stuff instead of girly stuff. But punching other people for no reason? Just no. For example, when she was at the mall with Angela and she punches this guy dressed like a big hot dog because he laughed at her for some random silliness. Or her constant need to say 'Dude'. Ugg, I could not stand it. And she seriously had some anger management, always intense and defensive.

And Seth. I think I would have to write a hundred of pages about this guy and his issues. So I will just mention some moments that scream 'PSYCHO!' with neon lights:

- He sneaked into her room to play her videogame just to leave her a very romantic message...on her scoreboard (or however it is called). Meaning, he typed ONE word in each one -9 words in total-. Meaning, he played at least 9 times, while he was eating dinner with her family. Meaning, while Ellie and her family were thinking he was in the bathroom, he actually was in her room playing games to leave her this note!

- When Ellie was kissed by Dave in a party, Seth was so angry he punched the wall with his fist and grabbed Angela by her throat, blaming her for 'killing Ellie with her selfishness'.

- When Ellie was caught in his house, she tried to run away. So he picked her up like a bag of potatoes and took her to his room, where he kept her trapped until she would talk to him and tell him why she was constantly avoiding him.

- When Ellie's best friends (3 boys) arrived and hugged her after not seeing each other for the whole summer, he was so angry he controlled himself to punch the boys and slammed his front door. Just because the boys were hugging innocently his girlfriend.

- He is a very skilled boy with knifes... and has this creepy obsession of playing with them.

He is super jealous, super possessive, a stalker, has a personality disorder, he is completely obsessed with Ellie and at the same time, he is somewhat insecure of himself (because of Ellie). He is a totally alpha hero. Which is weird in a YA book.

If I were Ellie I would have run away from him without doubt. I don't care how hot he is. Just think about this. If he were not this hot, would he be someone you would hang around? NO. He is just waaay too intense. And dangerous.

Angela was the only character I liked. She seemed she was going to be the kind of big sister who likes to mess up with her sister and just being pretty. And she turned out to be a big sister who really cared about her baby sister (unlike Ellie, who was a total bitch most of the times) and was not selfish at all.

Would I recommend this book? Not really, but I would recommend this author. I am biased because of the other book, which is the reason I don't rate this 1 star.

Oh, and I could not read the extra material. Not interested in read Seth's creepy POV. I guess most girls are over heels for this kind of guy. Not me.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was kind of confused while reading this book. Not because the plot was too complex or the words were too big, I just had no idea what the hell the characters were thinking.



I’ll start with Seth. I am not surprised that Ellie thought he was the serial killer, because he is c-r-e-e-p-y. Sure he’s not that serial killer, but there’s a first time for everything. He’s already got creepy stalker down so why not take that next step into murderer? I truly believe he could get there. I mean he broke into Ellie’s room! No sane person does that.

Ellie and Seth: Ellie and Seth’s relationship changed so fast it gave me whiplash. Apparently having a suspected murderer for a boyfriend can prove to be quite the obstacle for a relationship. Especially when she actually thought he was the killer for like half of the book. I mean one minute Ellie is stalking Seth, then he’s stalking her, then she believes he is a psychotic serial killer, then she doesn’t, then he breaks into her room like a creep, then he finds a way to absolve himself, then she doesn’t think he is the killer anymore, then he does some other creepy thing like expertly throw ninja stars or sharpen knives or something, and then she thinks he is the killer again, then she gets into a car with him, then she gets out of the car because the author must have remembered that the lead character isn’t suppose to be that dumb, then Seth keeps stalking her, then she tazes him (ahahahahaha), then she doesn’t think he’s the killer anymore (only because someone else tries to kill her).



I just didn’t know what to think anymore. Just pick a side Ellie! Is he a killer or not? My guess would be yes, just not the killer they refer to in the book. But really, Seth has some issues that he needs to work out. Possibly with a therapist. Possibly in an insane asylum. Just saying.



Here’s a question: why do her parents go on a freaking vacation when their daughter is in mortal danger? I’m surprised Ellie lived past infant-hood with those parents.

Oh and I really didn't like her sister. She was just so fake. And rude. And mean. She kind of reminded me of the step sisters from Cinderella, all preppy and self-entitled. The whole time I was just hoping Ellie would stop putting up with her crap and just slap her in the face.



That right there, is called justice.

In the end, this book wasn’t terrible, but I’m not going to be raving about it anytime soon either. I just got to the point where I didn’t even care what happened to the characters or the plot anymore. I’m sure some people will really like it, but it just wasn’t for me.



Check out the rest of my reviews on my blog Read All Night, Sleep All Day

[Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILERS..


This book confused me.. let's not lie, great, great, great plot line, lots of humour, funny characters, strong heroine, love triangles, tomboy becomes hot girl etc. etc.etc... but there's but. and a BIG but.


The lead male.


Now I won't lie the end of the book and the truth behind seth sure did make me love him but his "personality disorder" (term used lightly, because his disorder was massive on the verge of crazy person) made me unsure of his character. Sure he is your typical hot, cocky, strong lead male with kickass karate and knife skills that can make a girl swoon. I mean the mere mentions of his workouts made me feel all giddy. But his stalkerish and overprotective behaviours made me seriously concerned for this boys wellbeing and stable mind. When you first hear about him stalking her, you think "fair enough she stalked him for the first half of the book as well" but then when you hear about him breaking into her room.. it goes from romantic to creepy fast. And don't get me started about his insane jealousy.. I mean I freaking love jealousy in a lead male (i love books like crash, beautiful disaster etc.) but his jealousy was super creepy... I totally understand why she thought he was a serial killer.

But then he did all those cute things.. like writing how much he liked her, saying he loved her, being vulnerable around her.. GOD CAN YOU CONFUSE ME ANY MORE!

Therefore I give this an overall 3/5 rating. Easy, fun read but definitely not my favourite Oram book.

[Sláinte Wanderlust · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The worst part is, he’s been extra sweet because he’s trying to make everything okay again. If he weren’t a serial killer, he’d be the perfect boyfriend"

[ɑƨħŵɑɡ ♥Team Magnus Damora FOREVER♥ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I looooooved the Avery Shaw Experiment. It was such a great quirky light-read. I had expectation from this which were sadly unmet.

First of all, Seth , the MC, was basically an example of stalker behavior. The moment he moves into the new neighbor and sees Eleanor he latches on to her like glue. And it is not even in an endearing cute way. He just keeping riling her up and laughing at her and making jokes are not really funny. He even tried to kiss her very early on the their getting acquainted. And the way he did it was like he had some kind of privilege or right to do so. It really annoyed me. And I wished Eleanor stopped him but by the end he is the way he is.

There's also some parts of the book where it was mention that him being a guy excuses his behavior. "he's just being a guy". No! that doesn't give him any right if Eleanor doesn't give it herself. It basically was that all through the book. *goes to change rating from 2 to 1 star* I've re-considered my ratings.

There's also this plot with the murderer/serial killer thing that I didn't know where it came from. It wasn't that interesting after all. But if the point of it was to draw the possibility that Seth is messed up in the head and he CAN be a serial killer then I wholly agree.

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Our heroine is the clueless tomboy trope. She plays hockey with the guys. No one thinks she is interested in boys and that is ok with her. On the summer her best friends go to summer camp without her (no girls allowed, I guess) a new boy moves in across the street. He takes an instant interest in her as a girl and she doesn't know how to handle his attraction. So she decides he is a serial killer. But does that necessarily mean he will be a bad boyfriend?

[Ella Zegarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

También en: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

OH.POR.DIOS. Es como si nunca vaya a entender. Siempre que intento hacer un libro de Kelly Oram, algo sencillo que me deje satisfecha. SIEMPRE, pero ¡siempre termino con una resaca por días!

Asesinatos, UNSUB, FBI, MO (modus operandi). Vivo para eso. Millones de veces he mencionado mi obsesión con Criminal Minds, por lo que no puedo criticar para nada a Seth. Créanme, el hecho que sepamos como descuartizar y/o desaparecer un cuerpo, o qué significa cada tipo de arma usada en el asesinato o frases muy a lo FBI, no quiere decir que necesariamente seamos asesinos en serie. Habemos esos bichitos raros que nos emocionamos un poco de más con la simple de idea de la muerte y como es que ocurrió. *los kittens se alejan muy-muy despacio*

Serial Hottie es… No hay forma de quedar bien si digo que adoré a Seth, ¡porque no soy ciega! Veo todas esas cosillas que sé están mal en él. Pero vuelvo a decir, pertenezco a su tipo de gente, esos bichos raros que la gente teme. En serio, en la secundaria asusté a alguien muy feo, yo solo jugaba… Supongo que poner mi mejor expresión de Merlina y bajar mi voz, ya de por si un poco gruesa, no hayan sido tampoco de mucha ayuda. Por eso sé que Seth es, la mayoría de las veces, inofensivo.

Ellie es absolutamente adorable, su relación con los J’s, incluso la rivalidad con su hermana Angela *ojos de corazón* Es un balance bastante bueno de chica tomboy por defecto y la chica que recién empieza a gustarle un poquito más las cosas delicadas. Me gusta mucho que Kelly haga hincapié muchas veces que el hecho que pueda estar vestida de rosa no significa que puede demolerte a golpes.

¿Veo sus contras, su lado que puede generar negatividad en muchísimas lectoras? Sí, lo veo claramente. Una relación como la de Seth y Ellie, el vida real es bastante… no recomendable. Pero es uno de esos casos que uso mi carta comodín de “Cosas que aceptas en un libro y cosas que aceptarías en la vida real”. Debemos tener siempre muy claro eso, que algunas cosas deben quedarse única y exclusivamente en la ficción porque en la vida real podría llegar a ser mortal, ¿ok?

Estoy segura que lo Kelly Oram quería era que me quedará hasta las cinco de la mañana pensando en Serial Hottie y que luego estuviera como una semana sin poder empezar un libro porque este, me tuvo traumada y con sonrisa de boba varios días.

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[Daiane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really hard for me. I love Oram's writing. She seriously can make me happy when I need it and her stories are so light! However, This guy was really insane. So much that bothered me.
The first half of the book was a 3 stars for me. The second half won 3.5. As GoodReads doesn't gives us the 0.5 choice, I had to choose between 3 and 4 stars. So when I finished the book, and saw the extras with Seth's POV... OMG...



Definitely 4 stars.

Okay, first, we just have Ellie's view. From there we can see that she does stalk a little bit to see his workouts from her window. but still, who wouldn't? But them, for him from nowhere, go everywhere behind her, punch her friends, physically restrains her, break into her room and all that creepy talk he always did...



Okay that he had to be strange to actually look suspect but still... Which suspect would be dumb enough to look like one? If he wasn't rich and as he said that people don't care about who you are, but the influence you have, he would probably live in jail! Seriously, he had issues.

But aside from the creepy actions, this book was really nice to read. I loved how the plot wasn't only "girl meets boy" style but had more. I also had some great moments laughing about the moments. Ellie's responces were pretty good. I loved the story-line and when I got to Seth's POV, oh god, I wish we had another book from his POV. And from it, he looked sooo normal. I really wanted to know what he was thinking in some really crazy situations like the knife in the throat. But I finished this book with a huuuge smile.

But still, I really think Seth would be one of those boyfriends that would stalk his girlfriend/ex everywhere and have a lot of issues with cops later. It doesn't matter that he wasn't the killer. It doesn't matter his looks. I would really run to the other side if I were Ellie.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram in a giveaway for free on Goodreads First Reads- I loved this book- This is a book that would get you out of your reading slump, or give you a break from heavy reading. Serial Hottie was so much fun- nicely paced- well written- (great dialog) Fantastic Summer Read.... Impossible to put down~ I suggest this book to all* I'm sure it will make your favorites list. This is the most fun I've had reading a mystery book. (likable characters) I thought for sure I had the plot figured out but I did not. This book has a fantastic plot- Just the right amount of suspense towards the end and worth having on your bookshelves.. The bonus material in the back of the book is awesome and just makes the story more complete which was a nice touch- I enjoyed this book a whole lot and look forward to reading more from Kelly Oram. Thank You!! Reesa*** http://reesasbookblog.blogspot.com/

[↭ Aylén ↭ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Y yo todavia me pregunto qué tenia que ver que las chicas asesinadas sean parecidas...

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

May Contain SPOILERS: I'll try not to, but no promises
I saw the reviews and the plot looked refreshing so I took a chance. The first few chapters were great, funny, well written, and Ellie seems to be a pretty brawny heroine. Almost halfway through the book things take on a disturbing turn.

The hero Seth is kind of over the top. He flies off the handle where Ellie is concerned, even punching a hole through the wall in a rage at one point. OMG, he has serious issues.

Ellie, oh Ellie. I liked her so much at first. But over time she grows to be just fine with Seth's rage. At first she sees how insane he is, and stands up for herself, but as the book goes on and she starts to know him better, she starts making excuses for him. After she finds out about him punching a hole through the wall she says "Big deal". She can hold her own with every other guy in the book, but when it comes to Seth (who breaks into her room, forcibly restrains her, and picks her up and carries her kicking and screaming into his bedroom) she turns into a puddle of goo. Ugh! I wanted to smack her upside the head so many times, and I'm only half way through the book. Hopefully at some point Ellie will find her brain, but it isn't looking too good.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+++++++ stars..... I've never giggled and lol so much..... Such a fun read!!!!! I just need more.....
Kelly Oram please write a book in new adult!!!! I would just die to read a book of yours in your fantastic writing style but in new adult..... Can I talk u into it??? Please ... Pretty please!!!!!!

[Natascha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abgebrochen bei 37%.

Es ist unverantwortlich in einem Jugendbuch solche Dinge zu banalisieren wie Kelly Oram es hier tut.
Kein Junge hat das Recht seine körperliche Überlegenheit einzusetzen um ein Mädchen 'gefügig' zu machen und sei es nur damit sie ihm zuhört. Mich macht es so unvorstellbar wüten, dass die Autorin diese Verhalten nicht direkt verurteilt und die Protagonistin es später sogar für angemessen hält und an IHREM Verhalten zweifelt. Nein, das ist nicht attraktiv, wenn ein 'Mann' mit Gewalt sein Ziel erreicht!
Fast genauso schlimm finde ich auch, dass die Eltern, die sich ansonsten sehr um das Wohl ihrer Töchter sorgen, so hingestellt werden, als ob sie die Ängste und Bedenken ihrer Tochter gegenüber dem neuen Nachbarsjungen nicht ernst nehmen. Immerhin sieht dieser doch so gut aus! Sind die Eltern etwa auch zu pubertierenden Teenagern geworden? Und vor allem sollte man die Ängste seiner Kinder nicht ernst nehmen? Was für ein Bild von Eltern zeichnet diese Autorin denn bitte?

Ich kann die ganzen guten Meinungen echt nicht verstehen und es macht mir fast schon Angst, dass dieses Verhalten anscheinend für viele Leser nicht so gravierend ist, dass es erwähnenswert wäre.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, this book was seriously jacked up. As good as The Avery Shaw Experiment was, this one was equally NOT good. Full review to come once I get to a computer, but no. Just no. So many messed up things in this one...
******
Ok, so now that I've had time to reflect on this story for a few days, my opinion hasn't changed at all about this one. It is just messed up. I have read The Avery Shaw Experiement and loved it, and also read the Jamie Baker books and they were also really good. However, this one just did not work on so many levels.

First, I really wanted to like Ellie, at first she was a refreshing character, a somewhat tomboy, strong, sure of herself, likes to play hockey with a group of boys and can hold her own with them, confident, all things I usually like in a character. Well, she also has a REALLY bad temper. Like horrible. At first it was kind of funny because (I'm guessing) her hockey playing, she isn't afraid to stand up for herself. However, after about the 3rd person she tried or did punch, it wasn't really that cute or funny anymore. The way she was described as feeling while she hit these people just wasn't funny. The girl seriously needs anger management classes. Not to mention that she is crushing on her neighbor who she thinks could be a murderer.



I know, it's in the synopsis but I thought it could be written in a way that would turn it around and could be pulled off. Nope, no way. Seth also has a whole closet full of his own issues, but there are just red flags all over the place for this guy to not only be an abuser, but yes, a murderer. There isn't really anything about Seth that makes you want to like him besides the fact that he is supposed to be good looking. He is creepy, he has SERIOUS anger issues, he is jealous and possessive and not in any kind of a good way, and he is always flying off the handle. Not to mention one particular scene where he finds Ellie in his garage and proceeds to block her way out, drags her inside his house against her will, pins her to the floor and pulls her arms behind her back to the point where she is crying out in pain. What?!? This is not ok in any way shape or form.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not one of those people that cannot find entertainment in crazy literary characters. I found Travis from Beautiful Disaster pretty entertaining and could take his erratic behavior with a grain of salt, but Seth's character just went way beyond anything I could handle. Nothing he did was entertaining, it was creepy and very unattractive. Ellie should have stayed about a trillion miles away from this guy, but yet, even though she still thinks he's a murderer, she lets him kiss her. The girl is just wack-o. There is actually a line toward the end where she is kissing Seth that is so many levels of disturbing...

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. After all, he was a killer with a taste for redheads-maybe there was no tomorrow for me. Oh well. If he kills me tonight, at least I'll die happy.



What?!? The levels of stupidity this girl functions on defy all logic and reason. Not only that, but if you can factor out all of the other things (which I couldn't), Ellie is just mean. She says so many mean and hateful things to Seth during this book and is always hurting his feelings. She just becomes totally unlikable. I guess, in a way, they kind of deserve each other, but both characters are just wrong on so many levels. Just not good, not good at all. The writing did draw me in and kept me reading, but this story is nothing I would ever recommend. SKIP.

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serial Hottie, is cute, fun, and hilarious. With of course a Serial Killer and mystery thrown in. 

Ellie aka Eleanor is a total tomboy. She loves Street Hockey and isn’t afraid to break a boys nose. She also has a pretty insane temper. Her best friends go off to a summer camp, that she’s not allowed to go to. That really doesn’t leave much for her to do. Until, the hot crazy boy moves in next door. Which we are then taken on this insane rollercoaster. 

I have to hand it to Kelly, she really kept the mystery at bay. I didn’t figure out who it was till the end. It had it’s super intense moments but also the lighthearted ones. I liked Ellie and also Seth. I can totally understand he had his total creepy moments. But what’s hilarious, is Ellie can not get enough of him. It’s like magnetic pull like no other. 

I have seriously enjoyed Kelly’s books in the past (which is pretty recent) but I wasn't disappointed by this story. I can’t wait to see what else Kelly has up her sleeve. 

If you enjoy a good romance and mystery then I think you’ll love this. Overall, I give this book Five Boundless Stars. Why may you ask? because it’s written really well. I didn’t even realize who it was till the very end....Lissa 

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[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give it up for up and coming alpha male with his own suitcase of issues!


This story really caught you in its tension thrilling snare. I found myself smirking at their antics and wishing I had me some of THAT when I was 15.. Hooo weee... lol

All in all it was very well developed it kept you tense with not knowing and still willing to love him no matter what.


Although he seemed to have




And she was all like



It was still hilarious to read...

If you want something YAish with a bit more intensity then this is the book for you... :D


***First impressions***

vair funny... loved it.. :D

[spring ~♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

if I had a super hot neighbour who is for some weird reason super into me and continuously tries to win me over by doing ALL THE RIGHT THINGS I'd think he is a sociopath too . Nobody is blaming you, Ellie. Not me at least.

[Viletta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

[Aldana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reseña en el blog

A ver, el libro... estuvo bien. Más o menos

COSAS QUE DETESTÉ:

UNO

En la página 5 ya empiezan los errores de la autora. Al principio Ellie mide 1.50 pero mágicamente crece a partir de la página 6 convirtiéndose en la chica más alta que la mayoría de sus compañeros del colegio!!!!



1 de 2:

1- O en Yankilanda son todos unos corchitos de 1.40...

2- ... O la autora empezó a embarrarla desde el primer capítulo.

Yo opto por la segunda...




DOS

Seth lleva apenas una semana en el nuevo barrio y Ángela salta con su...

"Está bien estar enamorada"



Gente ¡GEEEENTE DIVINA! NO TE PODÉS ENAMORAR DE ALGUIEN EN UNA SEMANA

¡Y Menos de alguien con el cual no hablaste todavía!




TRES

Seth.

Hay vaaaaaaarias cosas que me molestan de él:

1- Lo acosador que es:

A ver, a mí se me llega a acercar un chico que veo todas las mañanas golpeando a todo lo que da una bolsa de boxeo y de la nada sabe: Mi nombre, mis gustos y entra a mi casa... puedo reaccionar de tres maneras:

a- Llevo siempre un fierro encima para que cuando se me acerque pueda noquearlo.
b- Llamo a la policía.
c- Le pego con un fierro Y llamo a la policía.

2- Lo CELOSO

Todo bien, es lindo y cariñoso Muy.... MUUUUUY DE VEZ EN CUANDO cuando se le da la gana Pero no por eso toleraría que me diga qué hacer, con quién estar o que se ponga rojo de la furia cada vez que me ve hablando con otra persona.

Pero lo mejor de todo ¡ES QUE A ELLIE CASI NI LE IMPORTABA AL PRINCIPIO!



3- El "Vas a ser mi novia, no me importa tu opinión"

¡Oootra cosa más! Ya bastante que un tipo con el que ni son amigos pero claro, es ardiente no te deje hablar con casi nadie y se meta en tu vida como si fuese tu dueño. Pero que te obligue OBLIGUE a ser la novia... ES TU MACH, VIEJA. TU MACH. Ahí si que no me importa si sabes defensa personal, o tenes los re músculos. ¡YO TE SACO DE MI CASA A PATADAS!

Pero... adivinen cómo reaccionó Ellie... ¡Jamás saldría con alguien como vo...! Nah, es broma. Ni siquiera reaccionó.

No podes hablar con tal. No me gusta ese tipo. No vas a salir con él. Vas a ser mía. Me perteneces, no a él. "Secuestrarla" en su casa... Solo faltaba que diga:



Si estuviese en su lugar mi respuesta hubiese sido un hermoso...



4- "Asesino Serial"

Si Seth tan asesino serial es... ¿Por qué se deja TAN al descubierto? O sea, está bien... practica con una bolsa, hace ejercicio... se mantiene en forma... ¿¡PERO TIRAR CUCHILLOS A UN MANIQUÍ Y PRÁCTICAMENTE DEGOLLARLO!? NO. NO. NO. NO. NOOOOOOO!

Técnicamente está gritando a los cuatro vientos "¡HOOOLAAA! ¡LOCO CON CUCHILLOS SUEEELTOOOO! ¿SOS PELIRROJA? VENÍ QUE TE APUÑALO, CORAZÓN"



Y terminando con Seth...

CUATRO

Ellie:

No me molestó mucho el personaje... Solo me gustó en las partes en que le hacía frente a Seth, y le ponía los puntos. Pero después...



Me mareaba tanto como ella a lo largo de la historia decía ¡Seth es el asesino!... Meh, qué va a ser él. ... ¡Definitivamente está loco! ¡Va a matar a Ellie! y así... durante las 300 páginas.


En fin, no conecté con ningún personaje. En realidad... ninguno me cayó bien menos Ángela, dios, que tipa asquerosamente insoportable Al principio Dave me caía bien pero después de ESO lo detesté.

El final fue... Meh. Podría haber sido mejor.

He aquí un gif que muestra cómo me sentía mientras escribía esto(o mientras leía algunas partes..)

[Ashley - Book Labyrinth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like this book had so much potential, and based off the reviews it worked for a lot of people, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I loved the actual concept for the book. It’s absolutely absurd, but absolutely awesome. I definitely haven’t read another book like it. I liked the humour and I also appreciate how straightforward Kelly Oram’s writing seems, while being deceptively complex. She set up a really great story that had twists and turns in it, and makes the reader question what they think and what they know. The mystery aspect was actually done quite well, and even when I thought I figured it out I was still questioning my judgement.

What didn’t work so well for me were the stereotypical main characters. Our main character Ellie is a hockey playing tomboy with a filthy mouth and anger management issues. She chooses to punch any and everyone who even annoys her a little bit, and she doesn’t see anything wrong with this behaviour. I get really annoyed in popular culture when it’s dubbed okay for girls to get away with slapping or hitting a guy. Why is this okay? If it were a guy doing it to a girl we would be offended and call it abuse, but for some reason it’s okay in TV, movies, and books for girls to get away with this. Ellie’s sister, Angela, was another stereotype, her being the popular, beautiful older sister who everyone swoons around.

My biggest problem with this book, though, is Ellie’s love interest Seth. I’m not sure what to think about Seth. He’s emotionally unstable, manipulative, and violent, and yet Ellie finds herself “in love” with him, despite being scared of him numerous times and thinking he’s a serial killer. The thing is, I don’t know if Seth is supposed to be a parody or comment on all the abusive love interests in YA, especially paranormal YA. I could almost see how he could be, yet the book itself doesn’t read like a parody. And without the potential parody aspect I really can’t stand how we, as readers, are supposed to swoon for Seth and cheer for him and Ellie to be together, when he tells her what to do, tells her what he’s going to let her do, and physically restrains her (numerous times) when she tries to get away from him.

I hate to be so critical about a book that has a lot of promise, and is, for the most part, smartly written, but I can’t keep quiet about my disdain for this type of love interest in YA fiction. I don’t care that it’s “just fiction”, but I think it sets a dangerous precedent when supposedly “charming” guys are threatening to kill for the girl they “love” and are abusing them emotionally and physically. This type of character and relationship really ruined what could have been a great read.

[Chel (The Procrastinator's Corner) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is originally posted on The Procrastinator's Corner.

Serial Hottie has got to be one of the most hilarious books I've read all year! The characters were so much fun! I almost rolled on the floor laughing during Ellie and Seth's first meeting. It was probably one of the most embarrassing and awkward way of meeting your crush, especially when you both have been spying on each other for days.

At first, I thought Ellie was that type of character that was an outcast and only had one friend (or three, in this book). She was a tomboy who had no girly bone in her body and had no regards with having fist fights with boys her age. She never had a crush and had never been kissed. Until this hottie, Seth, moved across their house and started showing interest on her. I know this all sounds very cliched, but believe me when I say it's not. I had mixed feelings about Ellie at first. She was very rude to Seth and her sister, Angela. But as the story progressed, I just couldn't help admiring her growth as a character.

Seth was very sweet and he genuinely liked Ellie. The problem was, every time he tried to show her his affection, it always came out the wrong way. There were times that I just had to pity him for how rude Ellie treated him. But however sweet Seth was, he might not be the type of guy you'd like to spend the rest of your life with, or be your boyfriend. He was too creepy, overprotective and controlling that sometimes, I couldn't blame Ellie for suspecting him as the serial killer. Even now after I read the book, I'm still having second thoughts about their relationship. But also, I couldn't blame him for what he'd become because what he was in the book was only the result of something traumatic that happened when he was younger.

I can't say whether this was predictable or not as I was fooled many times by the author into thinking who really the serial killer was, but maybe toward the end it all became obvious. Anyway, all in all, Serial Hottie is a quick, light read that's not only about serial killers and teenage love. It's also about family and friendship, but devoid of angst and drama. If you're looking for an easy and fun read, I suggest that you read Serial Hottie now!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

[Books are TARDIS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 starts

I found this book difficult to rate and I've been sitting on this review for a week, because there are aspects to the story that I find troublesome, and then there are other things I really liked.

The things that I found a bit problematic:

* The cliche popular and pretty older sister.
* Athletic main character, the younger sister, who only hangs out with guys and is a bit out of touch with her feminine side. Because of course, teen girls who are athletic can only be tomboyish.
* The inevitable make-over of the sports-y girl that was just waiting to happen.
* The love interest is a bit of a jerk, too controlling and too intense. And while all of this is explained away quite properly in the story, I still didn't warm up to it as much as I would have liked to.

The things that did work:

* Focus on the sibling relationship.
* The parents are far from being absentees. YA books do that too often and I appreciate that this book had parents who are very much a part of the story and involved in the well-being of their progeny.
* The a-typical romance. Here's a girl constantly putting down and insulting the guy. The guy still finds the girl attractive and keeps pursuing her. The romance raised some alarms for me because of the controlling tendencies shown in the guy but the explanation given for it is actually reasonable. And I found the romance unique in that way.
* It's very interesting how this book takes on kinda stalker-ish behavior that often gets portrayed as romantic in some other misguided books, and keeps pointing out how it is not cool. This is mostly done through the MC standing up to it, repeatedly pointing out that it is too intense and the older sister's concerns etc. For this, the book gets the rating that I've given it.

All in all, a good solid read.

[Inês · Rating 1 out of 5]

I give up on this book. It's not because of the plot or the way it's written, it's because of a single character, Seth.

He's the weirdest, creepiest and the biggest stalker in the history of male leads in books, and I can't like him even a tiny bit (maybe because he creeps me out so much).

I don't know if by the end of the book we get an explanation for why he's like this, but I do know that he's not normal, and Ellie only accepts what he does because he's hot and she's attracted to him.

To add to his general weirdness, he's also extremely jealous and he's convinced that every single guy wants to get into Ellie's pants... How romantic...

In some books you wish you could date a guy like that, but in this book I wish I will never ever date someone like Seth.


Ps- Did I tell you that he can also throw knifes extremely well? Yeah, he can. I'd be very afraid if I was Ellie.

[Dulce María · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amo a Kelly Oram tiene está capacidad de hacer libros ligeros, interesantes, divertidos y con protagonistas que me dejan totalmente enamorada.
Este libro me ayudó a salir de mi bloqueo de lectura hasta ahora esté es mí libro menos favorito de ella pero esto no quiere decir que sea malo sólo que los demás me enamoraron más.

SPOILERS
Sabía que Seth no era el asesino pero hubo varios momentos en donde en verdad me hizo dudar, sospechaba de todos los chicos que se acercaban a Elli pero él asesino me tomo por sorpresa lo descubrí poco antes qué Elli así que supongo que no estuvo tan mal.
Me encantaron los J creo que merecían mucho más espacio o unas secuela creo que tenían mucho potencial y eran grandes amigos.
Aunque me gusta mucho Seth jamás podría ser su novia no soportaría sus ataques de celos y sus violentos cambios de humor.

[Booktastically Amazing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am I concerned that I like this? Of course, I am.

I'm pretty sure that this was one of the books that started the avalanche of 'Why Don't I fAlL foR ThE mENtaLlY ScArrED, PoSsibly MuRDerous GuYs iN BoOKS?' and I totally need to do a re-read for research sections.

*cough*

In a study conducted by the assistants in the Booklege (2021), it was hereby found that the collective of the data discovered concerning Serial Hottie, was inconclusive to make an avid statement of Subject Mystique's mental properties.

*yeets essay writing off the table*

The assistants concluded that further investigation shall be brought to the premise of exhaustive research, thus promoting avid intelligence in the overall conclusion of this particular study.

Recommendations: It is not wise to fall for a possible killer, even if said person has a six-pack, witty words and a sassy countenance.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up on Serial Hottie about two-thirds of the way in. The way the titular hottie treated the heroine was just so disturbing, I found it hard to keep reading. He seems completely unable to grasp how his behaviour is actually terrifying to the girl he loves and even after being taken to task for it, he continues to act in a creepy way. He offers an explanation for his creepiness, but immediately after that scene he breaks into his girlfriend's room and refuses to leave. By that point I was done.

Creep loves girl. Girl scared by creep. Creep continues to be creepy. Girl fails for creepy creep. Book closed.

[নিটোল · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a load of bullcrap. This book sent me to a reader's block. I'm too old for this shit, so yeah, my fault.

But what kind of author makes little girls squeal for a psychotic hot boy? What is wrong with the publishing industry? How can books with such immature protagonists and masochist love interests get published?

The only redeeming quality in the book is, perhaps, that the MC didn't cave in. But that doesn't make up for the fact that the love interest, is in fact, sort of psycho.

And no, his traumatic past doesn't make up for it. A psycho is a psycho. He needs therapy, and he needs to attend anger management classes ASAP.