Customer Reviews

Always Watching (The Rayne Tour, Book 1)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Shaley O'Connor has the kind of life most girls would do anything for: A rock star mom, limitless wealth, and the celebrity status to boot. What teenager wouldn't want to tour with one of the world's most famous bands? Unfortunately, the fame soon loses its power and appeal when one of Shaley's closest friends is murdered back stage at the latest concert. As new evidence comes to light she soon realizes her own life is in danger. Not knowing who to trust, Shaley turns to the God who has always seemed so far to help her in her greatest time of need.

Mother and daughter team Brandilyn and Amberly Collins have stormed onto the YA scene in exhilarating style with this great new series. Always Watching is a fast paced whodunit set against the intriguing backdrop of rock star celebrity. From the opening lines, we are immersed into Shaley's exciting life as a celebrity's daughter. It doesn't take long for us to see that fame is not all its cut out to be. Indeed Shaley's struggle to balance her public status with her true identity is one of the most interesting aspects of this story.

When you read Brandilyn Collins you expect mystery and thrills, and once again she doesn't disappoint. Her adult fans will find much to rave about here, while new teen readers will love the youthful voice and perspective that Amberly Collins brings to the table. Underlying the tension and dread is a strong spiritual message about trusting in the God who is always watching over us. In the end we are left with the closure we long for and a promise of even more mystery to come. The Rayne Tour is in full swing and you can guarantee that I won't miss a show.

Could a novel targeted at middle school girls possibly be more cliched than this one? The characters in this book are not good role models for teenage girls. The multiple older men who are obsessed with the main character was a disturbing element that made me wonder what the authors could possibly have been thinking, especially given that one of them was depicted in a positive light.

This novel is a short, easy read. The mystery itself is actually quite good, with a red herring that can easily mislead, but with the actual killer well set up. But the mystery is the only thing about the book that's any good.

Where to start? The main character, Shaley O'Connor and her best friend Brittany are both 'popular and attractive' -- thin, beautiful, fashion and makeup conscious, with no subtlety or depth to their characters. Shaley is annoyingly immature; what depth she has involves whining and throwing temper tantrums about her missing father, and her famous mother who doesn't pay enough attention to her. She insists that she would give up all the money and perks for time with her mother, but in the very next scene is off spending atrocious amounts of money shopping for clothes.

Brittany, her best friend, is little more than an accessory. She has no personality, aside from the bizarre quirk of 'sometimes being able to see the future' (a very crude plot device that is used once, unnecessarily, at the beginning and is never useful again). She disappears when it's inconvenient to have her around, so that she's left behind several times when Shaley goes to do important stuff elsewhere. And when the time comes for Shaley to finally really break down and need comfort, even with Brittany right there, she calls in a third party to console her.

The authors also resort to the tired and over-used device of short cut-aways to the twisted mind of the killer in a sad attempt to up the suspense. These were so poorly done -- and utterly disturbing, given how pedophilic they became -- that I eventually just started skipping them.

There were so many elements that had potential, especially Shaley's relationship with her mother, but what could have been thoughtful and touching was handled clumsily and without any particular depth or insight. Top everything off with a few references to Jesus Christ clumsily jammed in, and the product wasn't worth the time I took reading it.

"Always Watching" is a fast-moving mystery that begins when one of the members of a rock tour is murdered backstage. Shaley O'Connor, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the band's lead singer and star, is especially upset as she was a friend of the victim and also found the body. But the show must go on, and the band packs up and heads to the next venue. Meanwhile, Shaley gets frightening messages, receives words of comfort and religion from one of the band, is stalked by paparazzi, and receives an apparently psychic warning from her friend, who has flown in to join Shaley during the tour.

The story at the heart of the book is OK, but there are elements that don't seem to fit well. It is not clear, for example, whether the religious aspect is supposed to be taken as part of the book's message or merely as one character's views. Either one is fine, but the book seems to skirt uneasily between the two (especially with one character, Shaley's friend, who apparently has psychic visions). A major difficulty, at least for me, is that the book is not self-contained. There are two mysteries in the book. The first is the identity of the killer, and the second is the identity of Shaley's father. Only one is revealed. The other is teased for subsequent books. There's nothing wrong with a series, of course, but it's good to know ahead of time that the book is not self-contained. As for the mystery, I did not see any particular clues or red herrings, so those who want a chance to solve their mysteries will not have much of a chance here.

Finally, the characters seem too insignificant to really care about. Shaley, for instance, responds to the murder and the intense security around her by going shopping at a mall. The authors do go to lengths to establish Shaley's need to escape from a hotel room, but the destination is the point. Maybe this spoiled little rich girl will grow in future books. What I read here, though, doesn't make me want to find out.

Shaley O'Connor is used to life lived at a fast pace: as the daughter of Rayne O'Connor, lead singer of the band Rayne, Shaley's been on tour with her mom's band for almost three months when this book opens. Though she misses her friends back home, Shaley's content with the knowledge that her best friend Brittany is on her way to spend a few weeks with her, and the friends she has among the crew keep her from feeling lonely. Things seem to be going well for Shaley until Tom, one of her closest friends on the tour, suddenly turns up murdered...and it seems that his murder is only the first of many events that will leave Shaley scared and unsure of everyone, including her own mother.

Always Watching is a murder mystery set in the glamorous life of a rock star's daughter, where layers are revealed that make it more than just the story of a dead body (or two). Shaley has some issues: she feels that her mother, while loving, doesn't always show her much attention, and the mystery over her father's identity eats away at her. In fact, Always Watching is less about Shaley solving a murder than it is about Shaley discovering more about herself. This includes a rather unexpected (for me at least) encounter with a backup singer about God and how He is actually the One who is always watching. I admit to being a little thrown by that aspect of the novel--it seemed to come out of nowhere at the moment, but later attempts at having Shaley question God's intervention in her life flowed much more smoothly.

A slim novel and the first in a series, Always Watching is good, though not great. The murder scenes are described violently and Shaley deals with death in logical yet surprising ways. I found the feelings of adults about Shaley either shallow or creepy; the one page glimpses into the killer's mind throughout seemed forced and out of place to me. But Shaley is a fairly typical teen, even if her mother is a rock star, and her reactions are normal for the circumstances. This short book was a fast read and ended with enough questions that I will definitely be looking for its sequel.

Teen Christian fiction occasionally tends to be either the uber-preachy or the type of book where the religious content feels tacked on. Unfortunately, this book is the latter- the religious bits just felt tacked on. Now since this book has a nice lengthy plot summary & several reviews who also list the plot, I'll refrain from listing it again here so I can explain my review.

First off, I did like this book. The plot was decent & I'm curious enough to read the next book. The only problem? The book was ultimately a shallow read. None of the characters were really fleshed out- especially the people we are supposed to sympathize with. The authors did a decent job of writing Shaley as an average teenager, but other than that she lacks definition. The voice of religion in the book, the character of Carly stands out like a sore thumb because she wasn't developed enough to really feel like a natural addition to the plot. She shows up, talks about religion & then disappears as soon as she's done. What's sad about this is that the character & the religious talk would have actually fit in with the particular scenes & situations in the book... if only there had been more development.

Now I know that I would have liked this as a teen & I do believe that most teens out there would really enjoy this book. It's not the greatest teen CF book I've ever read (Dekker & Peretti are my favorites) but it's not as over the top as some of the other series I've read. (The TrueColors series just seems to browbeat the reader with religious themes.) I just think that many teens will also be irked at the lack of development. As one other reviewer said, this book is pretty much a bare bones skeleton of a plot.

In the end, I would suggest that any potential buyers check this book out at the library first or borrow it from a friend. It's worth reading at least once, but it may not be something people might re-visit over & over again. I do have to say though... if the authors work out the kinks, this should end up being a great series in the future.

As her mother's concert wraps up, Shaley O'Connor gathers her things backstage to head off to the airport to pick up her best friend. Shaley is so excited that Brittany's mother granted her permission to come on the tour for a few days. As fun as the band and crew are to hang out with, Shaley misses her home and friends. Brittany's visit will be just the thing she needs.

But before Shaely makes it to the limo, she stumbles upon the dead body of her friend Tom. Everything falls apart. Shaley struggles to understand secrets she never knew about Tom while the paparazzi watches her every move, hoping to snap a picture of the mourning teen. Brittany's mom threatens to send her home, and Shaley gets a few mysterious, anonymous gifts.

If the killer is a member of the band or crew, he's still out there, and, as the messages in Shaley's gifts say, he's always watching.

Brandilyn Collins is a master of the murder mystery. She crafts a story that makes it nearly impossible to guess who the murderer might be. How exciting to have her storytelling in the young adult genre. Brandilyn and her daughter cowrite this series and create a smart and realistic character in Shaley. I'm looking forward to Rayne Tour, book 2 to discover more about Shaley and her past. Recommended.

Another Brandilyn Collins novel that does not disappoint. ALWAYS WATCHING is the first in The Rayne Tour series. Teaming up with her daughter, Amberly, Collins has penned an exciting, fast-paced mystery with a youthful audience in mind.
Shaley O'Connor is living the life most young girls would die for. Sixteen, and on tour with her rock star mom, Shaley makes the most of living on the road. In spite of the wealth she and her mother enjoy, Shaley feels her relationship with her mother is growing distant. Bonding with the crew and band, Shaley develops a close relationship with her mother's hairstylist. When Shaley finds him murdered, she is shocked. When it is discovered that his death might've been caused by a stalker focused on her, the life she knows is completely turned upside down.
ALWAYS WATCHING is the first in what I am sure will be a wonderful new series. With the drama and suspense you've come to appreciate from Brandilyn Collins, coupled with the fresh voice of Amberly Collins, ALWAYS WATCHING will entertain both young and old alike.

Always Watching by Brandilyn and Amberly Collins is the first in The Rayne Tour series. The mother and daughter authors write about a mother and daughter in the midst of a terrifying murder mystery. Sixteen year old Shaley O'Connor is the daughter of Rayne, a top rock star, and along with a large crew they are touring the US. Shaley has learned to make the best of life on the road, especially by bonding with Tom, her mother's makeup artist. But her world suddenly spins out of control when she finds Tom's body in a dressing room, and the search for his murderer turns up secrets that Rayne would rather keep hidden. Someone is stalking Shaley, and there's far more to this murder than meets the eye. The authors keep the pages turning briskly with a plot full of twists and turns; I think my jaw dropped on every other page. They've created a realistic teenage girl in Shaley. She alternately loves and hates her mother, stresses about her body image, and wants security more than anything in her life. I don't think she'll be finding any of that soon in the ongoing series; the authors have set up lots of subplots and mysteries that will keep Shaley running for a long time.

Heart. Stopping.

(Yeah. It's that good.)

Sixteen-year-old Shaley O'Connor is on tour with her rock star mother. Again. And tired of it. If it weren't for Tom, her mother's hip hair stylist, she'd be totally bummed.

Then Tom is murdered, and Shaley's world is shoved into a tailspin. From that moment on, she is hounded by the paparazzi, questioned by the police, and tormented by haunting messages from a mysterious stalker who is "always watching."

Now for my feeble attempt to list all the things I LOVED about this story:

Story Structure:

This book is a classic example of how to do the three-act story structure. In fact, the book is cleverly divided into three parts, one for each of the three days of the story. In my writerly studies, I've also learned that a "ticking clock" is a good technique for suspense stories. The three-part story structure is the "ticking clock" in this book.

Great Characterization:

From teenager to rock-star mom to band members to body guards to paparazzi to detectives, EVERY character in this book is well done. IMHO when you have a character at the beginning of the book that is the soon-to-be dead body, the author has a brief amount of time to make us care about that character.

The two Collins ladies do that with pizazz. Tom Hutchens' is portrayed as a vivid hip-hopping-style twenty-something with a crazy personality, from his wild blue, white, and red-checkered sneakers to his attempt to entertain Shaley with his bad rap rhymes.

Fast Pacing:

From the minute you get on this roller coaster, it's a non-stop thrill ride that leaves your heart torn between needing to catch a breath and needing to turn the page! Short, punchy chapters help pull off this feat.

Character Emotion:

These authors know how to write character emotion better than just about anyone I've read. The story literally grabs you by the jugular and won't let go! You experience with pounding heart and gasps of air what Shaley O'Connor is experiencing.

Book Design:

I thought it was so cool that the book design matched the two point of view characters. All of Shaley's chapters have a curly-cue design; a thick black stripe is used for the the antagonist's chapters.

Setting:

Brandilyn and Amberly Collins did a fantastic job with the setting of the rock concert. I could hear the raucous crowd, feel the energy. Well done!

This book is one I enjoyed. The ending shocked me completely. The only thing I didnt like was the whole entire book was based on a period of three days and some parts seemed like they dragged on.