Clarity by Kim Harrington

Title: Clarity	Loved it	Graded
Author: Kim Harrington
Genre: Fantasy, thriller
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Elements: Visions, psychics
Series: Book 1 of the Clarity series

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth? This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats. Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case - but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother - who has supernatural gifts of his own - becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away.

Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

CLARITY is a thriller similar in concept to Kimberly Derting's THE BODY FINDER series, whereby a girl with an ability to see things assist in murder investigations. Unlike TBD, Clare has no connections to the police force, and she is pulled in through the son of the new detective, who is one of the main love interests in this story.

One of the things I asked myself is: how often do the police force bring in psychics or people with similar abilities into an investigation, particularly a teenager? And how reliable is this information going to be in the course of the investigation? Can it hold up in court?

It's just something to ponder about, and it didn't affect my liking of CLARITY. The thriller was well-paced, with some twists I didn't see coming. I appreciate those things happening in thrillers because it's those last-minute scares that get you the most.

Clare and Perry have one of the best portrayed siblings relationship in books, one that's both full of respect and jokes. It's refreshing to read of a main character who doesn't feel the need to take care of everyone in her life, and Harrington shows this by having Clare be pampered and act like the baby in the family.

Gabriel and Clare have a good chemistry, one that I would love to see explored in further books. I liked that  Gabriel felt like Clare's partner, and helped each other out accordingly. Clare has a temper that she's not afraid to show, and it makes the dynamic in the relationship feel real.

This is one of the best books regarding psychics in YA that I've read. I found that some YA books from the psychics POV tend to be preachy and self-righteous, and I'm glad to find one that neither rubs the powers in my face nor make it the central point of the story.