Hanging by a Thread, by Sophie Littlefield

One small town. One special girl. Many dirty secrets.

     The quaint little beach town of Winston, California, may be full of wholesome townsfolk, picturesque beaches, and laid back charm, but Clare Knight is about to uncover something underneath its thriving demeanor. Someone is hiding something, and it's as gruesome as the townsfolk, and their stately homes, are stunning. Amanda Stavros, fellow classmate and resident of Winston, is gone and there's no sign of her ever coming back. Everyone says she was taken and murdered, but where's the evidence? Why isn't there a single ounce of proof? And why is everyone okay with this, except for Clare?

     Luckily—or as it's been turning out, unluckily—Clare possesses a gift, an ability to see visions from the clothes she works with. And since her clothes come solely from the townsfolk, Clare has become privy to some startling and disturbing memories of these townspeople. Will she uncover who killed Amanda Stavros? Or is she just moving herself up in line to be the next victim of Winston?

Good, creepy little story about small town life after the apparent murders of 2 school age children, 2 years in a row. There's clearly some clique-ishness and plenty that too many aren't telling--including Clare's best friend and the hot guy who clearly likes her. All of this alone would've made a good story.

Throw in the visions she can see when she touches clothes. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad. They always take her breath away and leave her a little woozy. The scary ones are the worst, rocking her. And after years gone from the town she lived in as a little kid, the visions she's getting now are bad.

Winston is a typical tight-knit community, everyone watches out for each other, and keeps each other's secrets. There's the requisite "stay away from the bad boy" vibe, though the bad boy is more honest than the rest of them. It moves a little slowly, BUT, it's great "escape" read and the story is interesting. The descriptions of Clare's clothing designs are fun, and I'd love to see illustrations to match the outfits she describes. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”