A Young Adult Mystery Set Close to Home (Book Review)

NOTE: I received this book free from the author requesting an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's rules and guidelines.


I recently had the pleasure of meeting a local indie writer, Terri M. Collica.  Collica has just released her debut novel, Fuzzy Visions, a young adult mystery, which is the first in what will become A Sunny McBain Mystery series for teens.

Fuzzy Visions centers around Sunny McBain, a high-school senior who is legally blind.  Sunny is an intelligent, witty, and confident young woman.  Adopted as an infant to a wealthy, Palm Beach family, Sunny grows up in one of the most elite societies in the country. The author captures the ambiance and culture of the area perfectly giving her readers a glimpse of life as a Palm Beach teenager while drawing on her experience as a special education teacher to realistically portray both Sunny and her friend, Leo, who is deaf.   Despite Sunny's opulent upbringing, she is grounded and her friends, Kat and Leo, provide additional balance making the trio likable and realistic and ones that teens of any social class will relate to. 

As the three friends get ready for graduation, they must deal with one unexpected circumstance - the murder of the school's head custodian. And, since Sunny was the one who stumbled upon the crime scene first, she is thrown into the whodunit immediately.  However, being legally blind, how much of a reliable witness will she make?  The mystery offers just enough twists and turns to keep the reader's interest without becoming complicated and difficult to follow.

Collica brilliantly gives readers insight into the world of the visually impaired. The most fascinating aspect of the novel was the way Sunny is able to "read" people by seeing colored auras surrounding them. Different colors are indicative of their various moods. Also, her heightened other senses gave a very real look at how the blind experience the world.

This isn't a sophisticated crime story, but it is interesting and geared toward middle and high-school students who will relate to the characters. I would have liked more "crime-solving" moments and less day-to-day dialog and happenings of the characters.  Yet, overall, this is an enjoyable teen mystery that will leave young readers anxious for the sequel.

Fuzzy Visions is available in paperback and as an eBook on Amazon.

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