Review - The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison

The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison
February 14th, 2012 from Egmont

Penelope (Lo) throws herself into solving the murder of a stripper she didn't know named Sapphire after she learns that she narrowly escaped the bullet that killed her. She becomes obsessed with finding Sapphire's killer when she stumbles upon some of her personal belongings, a jeweled butterfly, at flea market she frequents. Lo frequents Neverland, the place of the shooting and no place for an innocent teenaged-girl to be, and before long, she befriends a boy, Flynt, who decides to help Lo find the killer. Lo ignores all of the warnings (dead cat on front porch, anyone?) to stop searching for clues, but Lo doesn't stop. Instead, she risks everything - school, her relationship with her parents, and even her own life - to solve the crime.

I appreciate that Lo isn't a perfect character. For me, she is the best part of this book. To say that she has issues would be an understatement. Lo suffers from OCD, is a hoarder, and her anxiety is at an all time high if she does not perform certain rituals - tapping, turning, saying certain words in a certain sequence, stealing, etc. Lo is beyond quirky, she is a sick girl. Ever since her brothers death the year prior, Lo's condition has worsened. Too bad no one in her family notices. Her mother is in a constant daze from popping pills, her own coping mechanism, and her father has immersed himself in his work to escape. Lo is literally all alone and the only way she knows how to get by is to tap tap tap, banana. Literally.