The Girl in a Cafe

If you remember, I fell completely head over heels in girl-lust for Megan Miranda's debut novel, Fracture. If it's one thing that the YA book world seems to be lacking recently, it's a well done psysco-thriller novel to keep me up late at night. Fracture seemed to fill that lonely void in my reading pile, and of course there was no doubt that when Miranda's next book came out, I would eagerly read it at 2am in the morning to freak myself out.Hysteria is definitely one of those books you want to read late at night if you like a good scare-your-pants off. Or, read it in the middle of the day around people you know are perfectly safe. Just saying. I read this late at night, when everyone in the house was asleep, and I was positive someone was trying to break in and stab me afterwards. That's the kind of effect a Miranda novel has on me.Miranda uses a slight, almost not-quite paranormal twist to her stories that really make you think hard about what you're reading. Is it all in your head - in the main characters' head? It's that sort of writing that leads to some sort of psyschological damage it's so twisted, but it works so, so, beautifully.Mixed in with boarding school, a once upon a time friend who turns love interest again, this was one stellar read of a book. Usually the instant attraction thing grates me, but there's a certain charm that Miranda uses to draw her reader in to believing everything that is written on the page, and the love interest was one of them. While not as full force as Delaney and Decker, who I absolutely adored in Fracture, Mallory's relationship with Reid was perfectly understated. Romance wasn't at the forefront of this novel, and that's how it stayed. Which was an extremely nice change.Hysteria, however, was slightly a bit more predictable, in the fact that I had a fair idea of what was actually going on pretty early in the book. I was also a bit sad that we didn't get more of what happened on that night, the night that started it all, and I felt that maybe that's where Hysteria fell short in comparison to Fracture.That all being said, Hysteria was one sensational read that I couldn't put down from start to finish. Anyone that is looking for a change in what they read should definitely pick this one up, or Fracture. Hell, pick both of them up - I can't recommend Fracture highly enough either. Just remember though, if you aren't one for things that go bump in the dark, make sure you have a few lights on before reading.