What Happened to Cass McBride Review

What Happened to Cass McBride?
by Gail Giles
Genre: YA, Thriller
Format: Audio
Midnight Minute: Popular overachiever Cass is kidnapped by a young man bent on getting revenge for his brother's death. 
From Goodreads:

Kyle Kirby has planned a cruel and unusual revenge on Cass McBride, the most popular girl in school, for the death of his brother David. He digs a hole. Drugs Cass. Kidnaps her. Puts her in a box-underground. He buries her alive. But Kyle makes a fatal error: Cass knows the power of words. She uses fear as her weapon to keep her nemesis talking - and to keep herself breathing during the most harrowing 48 hours of her life.
A vivid, complex, and insightful work of suspense.

Midnight Thoughts:

~I purchased this audiobook on a whim.  I really like narrator Khristine Hvam (she does a lot of audiobooks, including the Daughter of Smoke and Bones series), and she's one of the narrators in this book.  Plus it was on sale.  And late at night.   I had never heard of this book or the author, but I ended up really grateful that I took the chance!
~I thought at the beginning of the book I understood Cass and Kyle.  It was kind of easy, at least for my warped little mind, to root for Kyle.  But as the story unfolds I was struck by how complicated Giles managed to make the characters in such a short novel- the unabridged audio is only 3 and 1/2 hours long!
~The story is told by 3 different characters, sliding in and out of time.  One minute we're in the present, then in the past, and then four days ago, or four years ago.  I didn't have any problems keeping up, and I liked the way it unfolded.  
~David was such a sad character, but at the same time he's not completely innocent.  If he hadn't taken Cass's note then would he have still done what he did?
~The part where Det. Ben (sorry, don't remember his last name) described his young partner as a cocker spaniel on speed was hilarious, and accurate. 
~I really enjoyed the investigation that Ben does, especially the interview with Cass's (wait, is it Cass' or Cass's?) mom.  She really changed how I saw Cass.  I think her name was Letha or Aletha?  It's obviously hard to tell on an audio.
~The ending was great!  I thought that it was surprising, but realistic considering what all had gone down.  I really want to read more by this author!
~I thought this subject matter was very relevant in time where we're much more aware of bullying and the damage that it can do.  But this book is only about that on the surface, there's a lot more going on then Cass rejecting David.  
~Despite the dark overtones to this story (and trust me, it gets fairly twisted) there's also a few moments of genuine humor.  With something this intense, the few laughs were especially welcomed. 
~Giles owes me some gas money, due to the fact that I purposely drove around longer so that I could finish the audiobook.  I will accept a WaWa gift card, Ms. Giles. ;)

Timeless Characters:

Cass McBride- You know the term Ice Princess?  Yeah, Cass kind of embodies all that it implies, but like most stereotypes, there's more going on with her. 

Kyle Kirby- he's cute, which may explain why I cut him so much slack in the beginning, and he's determined to punish Cass for his younger brother's death and does so in a very elaborate manner. 

David Kirby- unlike the fate of Cass, we know in the beginning that David is dead, and that he wasn't the golden boy Kyle is. Sometimes the clothes do not make the man (right, George Michaels?- a million points if you get that song reference!)

Ben- detective, smart, clever and patient.  I'm just filling in the blanks and casting him in my head as someone ridiculously handsome. His partner's name might have been Roger or Robert, but he annoyed me so he doesn't make this list. This is the power of the blogger!

Mr. McBride- Cass's dad.  He's a donkey's behind.  And any man that decorates his entire home in white on white on cream without even asking his wife should be smacked.  Hard.

Letha- sorry, have no idea how to spell her name, but she's Cass's mom and she seems like the perfect kind of mom.  I actually really liked the little bit of her we get to see. 

Mrs. Kirby- David and Kyle's shrew of a mother.  Literally, a shrew.  Okay, not literally, because shrew's can't mate with humans because this isn't a YA Paranormal story, but if it was, she'd be a Were-Shrew.  Truth.

The Chick In The Bathroom Who Sees Cass Throw Up And Immediately Thinks She Must Be Pregnant- I can't remember her name, but I'd totally hang with her in the girl's bathroom and gossip.  

Midnight Moment:

There were several times where this book shocked me.  The first one was the manner of David's death and how Cass's friend describes what her coroner mother saw. It kind of gave me the oogies. 
The ending.  I thought there was really only two ways to go, and I thought the one way would be a bit of a cop out, but Giles managed to twist it so that I was surprised.

Stop The Clock:

I am so on board with YA Thrillers!  Giles doesn't water this down any despite dealing with younger characters, which I appreciate.  90's teen thrillers often wussed out and hahaha, the victim wasn't really dead, it was Karo syrup!  Which is why I was practically forced to read Christopher Pike and Stephen King and John Saul.  Because the audio is so short, it would make an excellent Readathon listen!


Gail Giles — Website |Gail Giles

What Happened to Cass McBride gets a Midnight Book Rating of: