I knew from the opening chapter that this book wasn't for me. I found that first chapter to be disturbing due to the violence of it, and due to Jessica's malleability. I don't like my young female characters to define themselves around a boy. Sadly, lots of teenage girls do this, and I was guilty of that as a teen, too, which is why I was so repulsed. I guess I can't handle reality or a mirror being held up before me. Not that I'd ever have gone to Jessica's extreme. Still, it was an uncomfortable chapter.
I also wasn't impressed with the writing. I didn't like jumping from Bowers' perspective to the perspective of the criminal(s). This technique can be done smoothly and well, but it was jarring in this book. The writing in general felt choppy to me. The characters were clichéd, although I did think it was rather refreshing to have an Asian-American woman serving on the police force. I got through 20% of the book and never did find any thrill with this one. Time to cut my losses.