7 Deadly Sins

Joshua Solares

Imagine waking up in a bright, white room that you don't know, with nobody at all, not knowing how you got there. Your body quivering, feeling nauseous to the point where you want to die. Deadly, by Sarah N. Harvey, kicks off with Amy, the main character, waking up to that exact position, not knowing how she got there; she wakes up weak, trembling to her knees, investigating the room she is stuck in. She finds barely any food in the little kitchen with a small basket of clothes, that is all. Later she finds a letter, explaining that if she wants to be let out in a week, she must write a letter every day explaining how one of the 7 deadly sins comply with her life. While this is happening, every other chapter switches off to Amy’s boyfriend's view, Eric. Eric explains that he was with her the night before, but he left the party they were at a little early and left her there. The rest of the book is Amy trying to escape and Eric trying to decode what happened that night until their past catches up to them.

    This is a short book but full of exciting and thrilling events. This book really reached out to me because of the first person view of two teenagers my age. They consistently point out real-life scenarios that teens get placed into, and show the thinking of a typical teen. Eric is a male teen like me, so he often lets certain information slip like any teen would. When he calls Amy’s mom, he accidentally tells her that Amy was at a party last night, then he immediately thinks to himself, “Oh sh*t. Amy told her mom she was going to Monica’s place to work on a dance routine. Ms. Lessard is very down on parties” (12). This little unnecessary detail is what makes me relate to Eric in a more personal way. This connection is not what drove my desperation to reach the next page, it was all the mysteries. In the beginning of the book, Amy states, “I stick my head out from under the covers and look around again, trying to focus, but everything is a bit blurry. When I try to sit up, a wave of nausea knocks me down”(3.) She states this without the author giving any backup information to why she might be feeling like this in an empty room. The book continues to give off mysteries when speaking about who Amy was last seen with. Eric’s friend tells him she was last seen with a girl named Shawna, yet Eric states that, “None of us really know Shawna. She doesn't go to our school, and I dont have her number. No idea where she lives” (11). This leaves the reader at the edge of their chair, to the point where they’ll want to solve the mystery themselves.  

    I would most certainly recommend this book to any teen that is seeking for a short read that will leave you eager to finish it at one sitting. This is a great book that would appeal to anyone who wants a good mystery but does not require too many advanced reading skills. I would compare this book to Paper Towns by John Green, 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, or Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard, yet the author still puts her own flavor in it. It is definitely a unique read and well worth it.   

This is a visual representation on how the 7 Deadly Sins coexist in modern day life.Click Here