The Body in the Woods by April Henry

Published: Henry Holt

Publisher: June 2014

Pages: 272

Copy Provided by: NetGalley

Summary: by Goodreads

Summary:
In this new series told from multiple perspectives, teen members of a search and rescue team discover a dead body in the woods.

Alexis, Nick, and Ruby have very different backgrounds: Alexis has spent her life covering for her mom’s mental illness, Nick’s bravado hides his fear of not being good enough, and Ruby just wants to pursue her eccentric interests in a world that doesn’t understand her. When the three teens join Portland County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, they are teamed up to search for a autistic man lost in the woods. What they find instead is a dead body. In a friendship that will be forged in danger, fear, and courage, the three team up to find the girl’s killer—before he can strike one of their own.

This first book in April Henry’s Point Last Seen YA mystery series is full of riveting suspense, putting readers in the middle of harrowing rescues and crime scene investigations.


Review:

I was expecting to love this mystery because it seemed to run a similar vein as The Body Finder (without the intuitive aspect).  However to be honest, I felt that it ran a little flat.  A Body in the Woods centers around Alexis, Nick and Ruby, all outsiders in their own way who are brought together by volunteering for SAR (Search and Rescue).  While searching for someone lost in the woods, the group stumbles upon a body.  Their shared experience leads them to create a loose Scooby Doo group and they try to solve a murder mystery on their own.

What I liked about this book was the diversity in the characters. They all seemed to come from different backgrounds and had a plethora of family issues.  Ruby started to get on my nerves a little bit because I found her a tad too pushy.  The plot was a teeny bit predictable but not a bad start to a mystery series.  I would recommend this one to a pre-teen to teen range.  Hoping that the series begins to get a little trickier in terms of plot.  I haven't read April Henry's other books but I would definitely venture into this author's other titles.  :)