Book Review: Strings Attached by Judy Blundell

STRINGS ATTACHED by Judy Blundell
Publication Date: March 1st 2011 by Scholastic Press
Rating:

Summary: From National Book Award winner Judy Blundell, the tale of a sixteen-year-old girl caught in a mix of love, mystery, Broadway glamour, and Mob retribution in 1950 New York.

When Kit Corrigan arrives in New York City, she doesn’t have much. She’s fled from her family in Providence, Rhode Island, and she’s broken off her tempestuous relationship with a boy named Billy, who’s enlisted in the army.

The city doesn’t exactly welcome her with open arms. She gets a bit part as a chorus girl in a Broadway show, but she knows that’s not going to last very long. She needs help–and then it comes, from an unexpected source.

Nate Benedict is Billy’s father. He’s also a lawyer involved in the mob. He makes Kit a deal–he’ll give her an apartment and introduce her to a new crowd. All she has to do is keep him informed about Billy . . . and maybe do him a favor every now and then.

As she did in her National Book Award-winning What I Saw and How I Lied, Judy Blundell traps readers in a web of love, deceit, intrigue, and murder. The result? One stunner of a novel.

Review Overview:

• Blundell continued to surprise me until the very end
• Great description of New York in 1950
• A great mystery/crime novel

Normally, I dislike period, mystery, or crime novels. However, Judy Blundell’s STRINGS ATTACHED is captivating and surprising – once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. Each chapter kept me guessing- wrong – and I couldn’t help but scream at the characters each time.

After an epic fight, Kit’s on-again and off-again boyfriend, Billy, ran off  to enlist in the army with her brother, and she hasn’t heard from either of them since. Years ago, her aunt left for an abbey after losing custody of Kit and her siblings to their depressed, alcoholic father. And all Kit wants out of life is to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. But what’s the solution? Simple: let Billy’s shady father, Nate Benedict, pull a few strings for her in return for a few small favors. Nate Benedict gives Kit a great apartment, an endless supply of glamorous clothes and shoes, and a job at one of the hottest clubs in New York City. At first, the only thing he asks of her is to get Billy to visit her at the apartment before he leaves for service. However, Nate’s favors increase by the night as Kit’s job as a “Lido Doll” does. As she reluctantly helps Nate out, Kit unknowingly places herself in danger.

I can’t say much without spoiling STRINGS ATTACHED, however, I can say that as soon as I got to the climax of the story, it was as if Blundell threw plot twist after plot twist at me. This novel has one of the most unexpected endings I have ever experienced (except for Harry Potter) and I totally cried after reading it.

I recommend STRINGS ATTACHED to anyone who likes mysteries, historical fiction, and romance (although the romance between Kit and Billy isn’t the only plot line). Also, I recommend this to anyone who has lived in New York City or is curious about it. It was interesting learning about Broadway and 42nd Street in 1950. Finally, STRINGS ATTACHED is a great read for anyone who has no problem with an unhappy ending.

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